Yesterday morning, I climbed the wobbly ladder up to my attic workspace with a hot water, laptop, and 2 desk lamps (stolen from different corners of the house) to join fellow creative entrepreneurs Melissa Rivera (of Nonprofit Curious) and Keriann Bellamy in our first-ever Substack live event!
Once I got over my nerves (watch me ask Keriann to repeat herself 🙈), the three of us sunk into a vulnerable and honest conversation about what this season of business and building our dreams looks like.
Join for our next LIVE event “April Possibilities Club: BEGIN 🌱” on Thursday 4/16 from 12-2pm PST! Click here to add it to your calendar. Available to paid members only.
7 Takeaways from Our Conversation
Community Coffee Chats are a casual conversation series with entrepreneurs, creatives, storytellers, and small-business owners in the Tomatokind community. Here are our takeaways from our conversation with Melissa and Keriann (paid subscribers can go straight to the full conversation by clicking the video above):
1. Move the goalpost closer.
Sometimes, the reason you’re stuck isn’t because you’re lacking motivation. It’s because the finish line feels impossibly far away. When you bring the goal closer, you create momentum (which builds self-belief). If you think about it, small wins are actually BIG WINS because they can be the reason you keep going at all.
2. Build as you go.
You don’t need a fully formed plan to begin. The path will reveals itself when you start putting things in motion, and there’s no amount of waiting that is going to make things perfect. For me, building Tomatokind has certainly been messy and imperfect every step of the way (just look at how we initially sent the wrong event time for this event!). Starting messy might be the only way to start.
3. Your vulnerability is a strength.
Communicating how you actually operate (your needs, constraints, and even personal challenges) can create more ease and alignment in your collaborations with others (whether that be clients, business partners, or your audience). When you let go of the need to “have it all together,” you open the door to honest co-creation (and it might even invite others to show up more fully too).
4. Listen closely.
The things you’re best at rarely feel extraordinary to you. Because, they’re just part of who you are! But, if you listen closely to the people around you (whom you trust, respect, and are frequently around), it is likely they are constantly reflecting back to you what they see your strengths are. So, tune into what your community comes to you for (maybe it’s advice, support, or a skill). Take note of these. Because, they might be pointing you toward your next step.
