For Birmingham-based photographer Debby Cullum, the adage “A rising tide lifts all boats” is much more than a memorable quote. It’s a mantra that guides her work as the owner of Deborah Michelle Photography, and it’s the reason she serves as leader of the Birmingham chapter of the Rising Tide Society. “I love people and connecting people,” Debby says. “It has opened so many doors for me here in Birmingham to connect with other business owners and creatives.”
With chapters worldwide, the Rising Tide Society is a volunteer-supported nonprofit organization that seeks to connect and uplift small business owners and creative entrepreneurs.
The Birmingham chapter of the Rising Tide Society boasts members from various industries, including photographers, writers, artists, venue owners, event planners, salon owners, social media and marketing managers, and even DJs.
One way that Rising Tide Birmingham makes waves for small business owners is with its annual community market — this year’s event was held in April at Cahaba Brewing Company. Offering residents a chance to shop local vendors and enjoy live entertainment, the market featured 20 members and allowed those small business owners to highlight their services together.
“Another Rising Tide tagline would be ‘Community over Competition,’ and for me, the community market was seeing those three words in the flesh,” Debby says. This year’s market, the second the group has hosted, featured local businesses such as House Plant Collective, Peachy Keen Inks, and many more.
Local author Jenny-Rebecca Lewis led a story time for kids by reading one of her books. Birmingham Poet Laureate Salaam Green recited poetry. And Elevated Entertainment provided musical entertainment. Attendees also enjoyed puzzle stations hosted by PeacexPiece, a company that uses puzzles to build social gatherings and community events.
“It was just so cool to see everybody working together, doing their thing,” Debby says. “It’s a way to highlight the creativity within our group.”
The annual market is just one of many events the Birmingham chapter of the Rising Tide Society organizes. Each month, the group hosts at least one gathering. This might be a happy hour or other social event so members can network and get to know one another. Rising Tide Birmingham regularly hosts educational workshops, too. They’ve covered topics such as how to file your taxes as a business owner, taking care of your mental health as an entrepreneur, and how to create Instagram Reels to promote your business — just to name a few. They’ve hosted sessions to help members prepare for pitch competitions, and the group even tried goat yoga together.
The Beauty of Collaboration
Debby first became involved with the Rising Tide Society when she started her photography business in 2015 in Mobile, AL. When she relocated to Birmingham in 2019, she quickly connected with the Birmingham chapter. “It was very active and had a lot of members,” Debby says.
Then COVID hit. The group halted its in-person meetups, and eventually, the leaders of the Birmingham chapter stepped down. So Debby decided to step up. She became the chapter leader in February 2021. “I just couldn’t imagine doing my business without collaborating with others,” Debby says. “It’s so lonely when you try to take it all on.”
Through Rising Tide, she’s gotten help with things like improving her website and building a network of other photographers. Most of all, she always has someone to bounce ideas off of, which can be especially important for creative entrepreneurs like Debby, who work from home. “My dog doesn’t talk back,” Debby laughs.
Katherine Thrower, owner of the Homewood event space Workshop Local, first learned about Rising Tide Birmingham when Debby reached out about hosting a gathering for the group at her venue. “Debby was such a thoughtful coordinator of this group, and the attendees were so lovely to meet — a variety of creatives, freelancers, and small business owners who enjoy gathering and learning together,” Katherine says. “I’ve stayed involved ever since!”
Katherine hosted the launch event for PeacexPiece Puzzle Co. at Workshop Local. She’s collaborated with business coaches she’s met through Rising Tide to facilitate events for teams from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and other workshops.
Kayla Stinnet, CEO and founder of the boutique marketing firm Iron City Social, joined Rising Tide Birmingham in May of 2022 when she led a branding workshop for the group. Kayla appreciates the diversity of the group members and the wide variety of events that Debby puts together.
“I’ve leveraged the group to find all types of professionals, from website coders and graphic designers to people who craft balloon arches and own event venues,” Kayla says. “It’s also allowed me to grow my business with several referrals.”
Above all, Kayla says, the group encourages her to avoid having an all-work-no-play attitude toward her business. “Rising Tide Birmingham offers me an escape from my day-to-day life so I can commune with people like me with the same stressors and get a reprieve from the life of a small business owner,” she says.
Debby says one of her greatest joys is scrolling through social media and seeing members working together. “It’s been really cool to see the members collaborate,” Debby says. “It’s beautiful.” For example, Kayla has helped the owners of the local venue Avenue D Events boost their Instagram presence.
Laura Turner, co-owner of Avenue D, has been a group member since 2023. Avenue D has also hosted some Rising Tide Birmingham events. “Hearing from others in small business and how we share experiences, fears, and advice has helped me know that I’m on the right track and that I’m not the only one experiencing small business growing pains,” Laura says.
How to Get Involved
Any small business owner or creative entrepreneur interested in joining the Birmingham chapter of the Rising Tide Society can do so simply by showing up. “There’s no membership fee,” Debby explains. “We just ask that if you want to be a part of our group, you’re willing to collaborate. You’re showing up to meetings, supporting other members, and referring them to other people in the community. That’s what your membership fee is — supporting one another.”
Join the Birmingham Chapter of the Rising Tide Society for a coworking day on May 22 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Hero Doughnuts, 1726 28th Avenue South in Homewood.
For more information, follow the group on Instagram @risingtidesbhm or request to join the private Facebook group.
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