Founder’s Notes No. 2: The Night Before

There are moments in life when everything changes quietly.

Not with fireworks.

Not with applause.

But with a checklist on the kitchen counter, a stack of itineraries, a welcome sign waiting to be picked up, and the excitement that somehow keeps you awake the night before.

Tonight is one of those moments.

Tomorrow, The Gilded Club welcomes its very first guests.

When I started dreaming about this community, it was never just about tennis. It wasn’t about country clubs, beautiful venues, or elegant details - although I love all of those things.

It was about creating the kind of community I had been searching for myself.

A place where women could say yes to trying something new.

Where arriving alone never meant feeling alone.

Where conversations happened as naturally as the activity itself.

Where networking didn’t feel forced.

Where luxury wasn’t defined by exclusivity, but by intention.

Over the past few weeks, you’ve seen snippets of the planning - the wax-sealed invitations, the venue visits, the coffees, the spreadsheets, the countless messages and push notifications and every little detail that has quietly come together behind the scenes.

What you haven’t seen are the moments in between.

The moments of wondering whether anyone would register.

Refreshing the website after launching tickets.

Hoping people would understand the vision before there was anything tangible to show them.

Wondering if a simple idea could really become a community.

And then…

The registrations started coming in.

Conversations began.

Women introduced themselves to one another before ever meeting.

Tomorrow’s event sold out.

For that, I’ll always be grateful.

To every woman joining us tomorrow:

Thank you.

Thank you for believing in something that is only just beginning.

Thank you for trusting a vision before there was proof.

Years from now, when The Gilded Club has grown into everything I hope it becomes, you’ll always be able to say…

“I was there for the very first one.”

No matter what tomorrow looks like, we’ve already accomplished something special.

Because The Gilded Club is no longer just an idea sitting in a notebook.

It’s a community.

And tomorrow, we write the first chapter together.

With gratitude,

Monique Stewart

Founder, The Gilded Club ✨