Hello Reader,

I've been talking a lot about quitting in this new season and I'm starting to understand that quitting is necessary in order to start something new.

For example, I quit my writing class in order to make space for a new community gathering that we launched here in the Valley. I knew I couldn't add anything more to my plate without first clearing the decks a little. It's never fun leaving a part of you behind but I try to remind myself that certain Quits are temporary, and that we can come back to things that we miss to much.

We hosted our first Creative Morning-esque speaker event on February 16 and it was a full house! After years of limited networking and lack of in-person events, I relished the opportunity to share a space with other Creatives who call the Valley home!

In a way, hosting my own podcast show feels similarly. I get to share a space with awesome people who share my passion for systems change, and we get to talk and laugh and cry knowing all the while that we are connected on a deep level of trust and mutual appreciation.

I'm intentional about inviting practitioners who have been in the trenches and can speak from their heart and soul about transforming their communities. These are my kinds of people. My guests are the kinds of changemakers who I want to surround myself with because as Julie Heath said in season 4,

"The only thing that's harder than going through hard things is doing it alone. So I chose to not be along in the hard things."

My two guests on the show this week lead by example when it comes to not only finding but nurturing and growing your tribe. I hope you learn as much from them as I did:

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I come across a lot of resources that I think every ecosystem builder should get their hands on. While I share them far and wide on many channels (mostly LinkedIn & Instagram), I love curating a list of the best insights, opportunities and resources for you:

• ​The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships, Susan McPherson
• ​The Bloom​
• ​Love Letter to the Movement, Sarah Jawaid and Damon Azali-Rojas
• ​Coaching for Healing, Justice, and Liberation​
• ​The Inventurers: Excursions in Life and Career Renewal, Janet Hagberg, Richard J. Leider
• ​The Feeling Wheel​
• ​The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, Priya Parker​

Mark your calendars!

• April 23-26: ICBI37 InBIA’s 37th International Conference on Business Incubation​
• April 24-26: Sourcelink Affiliate Summit, San Juan, Puerto Rico
• June 7-8: Startup Champions Network Policy Summit, Washington, DC
• June: RuralRISE Summit, Maine

I'll be back in your inbox in two weeks to introduce you to two more Quitters.

In camaraderie,

Anika