In July, I had the pleasure of attending one of the most vibrant women’s gatherings in town — the St. Johns BFF Luncheon (with a Luau theme!) held at St. Johns Golf and Country Club. From the moment I walked in, I felt the warmth and energy of the community Jess and Jac have so thoughtfully built. Their welcoming spirit is contagious, and the event was not only full of heartfelt connection, but also pure fun — complete with a performance by local Hawaiian dancers that brought the room to life. It was an uplifting experience, and I left feeling grateful to be part of something so joyful and empowering.

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In 2023, Jess Swearingen and Jac Kalaher gathered with a handful of women at a local restaurant in St. Johns. Their vision was simple: create a space where women could connect through business, faith, and friendship. They called it BFF. What happened next surprised even them.


“By the second luncheon, we had doubled in size,” Jac recalls. “The need for genuine connection was bigger than we imagined.”


Today, BFF St. Johns hosts vibrant monthly luncheons at St. Johns Golf and Country Club, where more than 80-100 women gather not just to network—but to celebrate each other. Each event is themed (think Stars and Stripes, complete with red, white, and blue outfits), and built around intention, encouragement, and impact. What sets BFF apart is that it isn’t just about swapping business cards—it’s about building community, having fun and giving back.


The two met when Jac and her husband were coaching Jess’s son in Tball six years ago—and their shared passion for people grew into a deep friendship and powerful partnership. As Jess said, “We realized we both had very similar goals in life.” 


Jess, a longtime Realtor and wellness coach, and Jac, a speaker and business strategist with a background in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, complement each other perfectly. They share a common goal to uplift women through business, faith, and friendship.


Now, with more than 8,200 followers across social media and a reach of 65,000+ women in the Jacksonville area, BFF continues to grow. They added group workouts, pizza parties, volunteer events, and even a quarterly Mix & Mingle where men are invited to join.

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Whether it’s a luncheon, a volunteer event, or a mission trip, you can feel the balance of purpose and connection in everything they do. Business is nurtured through genuine referrals and partnerships, faith is honored in the uplifting spirit that runs through each gathering, and friendship is the golden thread that ties it all together. Jess and Jac have created a space where women don’t just network — they grow, give back, and support one another through every season of life and business.


They’ve created a thriving Preferred Vendor program with over 100 vetted local businesses. A portion of every partnership—10%—is donated to nonprofits like Isaiah 117 House, Present Moms, and Cup of Love Ministries. Last year alone, BFF gave over $10,000 to support local causes. This year they plan to double this amount and add more charities including Make a Wish, Blessings in a Backpack and more.


And they don’t stop at donations. Each month, members volunteer together at “Serving Saturdays” with Cup of Love Ministries, offering warm meals, kind words, and a listening ear to those in need. “Giving back is who we are,” Jess says. “It’s how we bring our faith to life.”


Their mission is expanding even further. This summer, BFF led a team on a mission trip to Honduras, bringing supplies, support, and hope through humanitarian and faith-based outreach. “This is just the beginning,” Jac says. “Eventually, we want sister cities—St. Johns and beyond—connected by this spirit of generosity and faith.”


Looking ahead, they dream of taking BFF global. But for now, their hearts remain firmly planted in St. Johns, where they continue to inspire, uplift, and empower women to grow their businesses—and their lives—with faith and friendship at the center. As Jac puts it, “We’re building more than a network. We’re building a legacy.”
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If you live in St. Johns County and have any interest in dance, have we got some amazing news for you…The nation’s premier dance school, Dance Theatre, will be opening it’s fourth Florida location right here THIS FALL!! Located in The Shoppes at Tocoi Creek (near the corner of Pacetti Rd. & State Rd. 16), the state-of-the-art facility will soon be complete and is poised to become an integral part of our community, one fabulous dancer at a time.


This Fall, St. Johns will welcome the next chapter of a remarkable 33-year legacy in dance education. Founded in 1993 by Michelle Gerlick, Dance Theatre has grown from a single studio in Davie, Florida, to multiple locations across the Southeast—including Parkland, Coral Springs, and Atlanta—and now opens its doors in St. Johns.


Inspired by a passion for movement and a mission to build not only strong dancers but strong individuals, Gerlick has created more than a studio—she's created a home. Dance Theatre offers a unique blend of artistic excellence, community connection, and personal growth. With a diverse curriculum, seasoned faculty, and opportunities for performance at both local and national levels, this isn’t just a place to learn pirouettes—it’s a place where young dancers find their confidence, their creativity, and their lifelong friendships.
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What is it that makes this place so special? “My answer is always the same,” says owner and Director Michelle Gerlick, “We build beautiful, safe, clean facilities, hire the best teachers in the business, and treat each child that walks through our doors as if they were our very own.”


“Awards are nice, and our trophies are beautiful,” Michelle continues, “but that’s not what we strive for. We shoulder an enormous responsibility with our promise to educate. It’s incumbent upon us to do it responsibly. We train exceptional dancers, yes, but we also help to raise exceptional young women (and a few men). Our staff is teeming with strong, positive role models that are so important to our students as they mature. We work hard, we have passion, and we care deeply about the impact we have on their lives. When a parent tells me their child has flourished since enrolling, I melt. When past graduates return to say we helped them find success in life, as with dance, nothing can compare. That’s why we do this.”


If you’re still not convinced that Dance Theatre is THE place to train...consider this...they offer a truly comprehensive program where dancers age 3 & up, beginner through advanced, can take classes in every basic discipline including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, contemporary, acrobatics, and pointe, as well as specialty classes like aerial silks! Dancers who excel and aspire to become dance professionals can also join either DTC, Dance Theatre’s performance team, which specializes in providing entertainment at amazing venues like NFL, NBA, and MLB games, or their elite competitive group, DTX, where they can travel to local, regional and national conventions and hone their skills against the best from other schools. 


For those interested in joining the Dance Theatre family, you can call the studio at 904-544-5678 and speak to resident Director Sabrina Clark today!  You can also register for Fall classes any time by visiting the Dance Theatre web-site www.dancetheatre.net, viewing the Fall Schedule, and filling out the simple registration form. Better hurry though, classes will fill quickly. Finally, as soon as construction is complete, everyone is invited to visit the studio, check it out, and try any class completely free!
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