This can be your house, dream, achievement, project, energy, shift…
Simply can’t believe it has only been three weeks since I returned from San Francisco. So much change in the world. Let’s hope we are on our way to create a better future. Let’s create. And let’s benefit from this….
I do not belong to the group of people who ‘only’ see opportunity, chances and change in a crisis. Next to hope, waves of energy, creativity and empowerment, I feel grief, fear, sadness, tiredness and sometimes disappointed in my moments of stillness. And I am happy with that. Because that makes me a real person. It’s my conviction that only when you give space to the full palette of emotions, you can experience the opportunity that lies behind a crisis. So sit with it all. I call it ‘making space for the waves’. The waves of creativity and empowerment.
And that brings me back to San Francisco.
The people I have met, the stories that have been told and the companies and entrepreneurs we’ve learned from gave me an enormous energy boost. Almost like a boost I never experienced before. I experienced this energy before in training-, coaching- and meditation settings, when achieving something great, when launching a great new idea, in parties, when dancing. But never like this in the daily reality, in daily life. The San Francisco vibe was something like ‘feet in the business mud in ecstasy’. And because of that it was not overwhelming, it did not sweep me of my feet, it was not one big ‘high’ to return to a low after. It was a continuous flow of energy. I have to start writing about that now, because I want to keep tapping into this source of power.
Some of my learnings // Making space for the waves
Sharing my main San Francisco insights in this blog with you. There is much more to share about each learning, which I will do in my next coming blogs. For now it seems valuable to share this overview, based on my notes of meetings with inspiring entrepreneurs. Vibes to hold on to in challenging times.
Think big // And then even bigger. Sounds corny, very US of A and Wolf-of-Wallstreet-ish?! Maybe. Still do it. And start DOING it, bring that plan alive. No change in the world ever happened because of people chewing cautiously on small ideas. The point I’m making here is: Stretch yourself and do not take that precious and great idea for granted. Go after it. You never know when the next wave comes along.
Be fearless towards money // Because money is fuel. Created by people. It’s not a goal. It’s a means. It’s the language of exchange we have created. Don’t be hesitant towards money. We all need to make our own living. Do not become dependent on other people, governments, nor on money. Be on top of your money, deal with your finances, do not procrastinate, do not make it a dirty subject. Let your money work for you (and combine this with my 1st point!). Do you not know where to begin? There are many money coaches who life lives like you and me. Check out Fire for Women e.g. and then invest in the change you wanna see!
Start before your ready. AND come prepared // Yes, don’t wait too long to start working that idea. BUT …and I’ve done this already my whole life… Simply prepare that meeting, pitch, call or presentation a little bit better than the rest. It’s not very difficult. Put all your efforts and heart in the action. Take one step more. People will notice. It’s not difficult to be less average :-). Trust me. Be a pro.
Share that story // Do not make yourself small or smaller than you are. Nobody else will do that pitch for you. Be genuine in your communication. That false modesty? Nope. Not genuine and people can tell. This all has to do with the stories you tell your self. So if you doubt about your storytelling towards others, have a good conversation with yourself first. It might take some investigation. Do it. Peal off the layers of modesty, adaptation, leveling and bridging. Ohhh; and your real friends are the ones that can give you open and selfless feedback on this. Not the ones who like to keep you in their box…
Be the person you wanna meet // I like this one so much! It’s about stepping right into that new reality, it’s living the dream. It’s not about copying behaviour. It’s using your role models to grow.
Use your time smartly // The entrepreneurial stories I learned from and energy I experienced in San Francisco do not only have a foundation in talent, ambition, creativity, network and money. The people that inspired me make smart decisions about their time. So, e.g. less TV and more podcasts, trying out something new. Focus. I’m not saying you can’t or should not relax. Just use your time smart. And there’s so much to learn online! It’s not money that is scarce, it’s your time.
A post on Instagram that became a blog. I wrote this in one big flow. Guess this needed to come out. Grateful for this vibe. More to come!
From 7-14 of March I joined the DutchTechSF #womenstrek in San Francisco. An entrepreneurial and inspirational trip to San Francisco and Silicon Valley. A meeting of minds in an amazing group of female entrepreneurs. Lucky to have learned and gain insights from San Francisco startups and scaleups, venture capital investors and techno dissidents!
The Style Office is a storytelling magazine on urban work- & lifestyle aimed at the next generation creatives & entrepreneurs. We love to share ideas and stories on new ways of working and creative entrepreneurship AND we love to inspire you on a great work- and lifestyle // hashtag #designyourlife // read more about us and learn what we can do for you. We’d love to meet you!
Tekst // Rosan Gompers – Picture // Daniel Triassi
