Hello Reader,

I recently listened to a conversation between Guy Raz and Ike Barinholtz on The Great Creators in which the talked about how long it took Ike to find his footing as an actor. It wasn't your typical hero's journey, it was a story of grit and adaptability. And what Ike said stuck with me, "Just do something. Don't sit around waiting to be discovered or feeling sorry for yourself. Just keep working at what you want to be doing."

I've been creating Ecosystems for Change for almost two years and let me tell you, it takes a lot of sweat, blood and occasional tears to create and curate knowledge. The more amazed I am every time I receive the draft of an episode from my producer Sean (hi Sean!) and it sounds much better than what I remembered. Because while the end result sounds professional and well thought-out, it doesn't reflect how hard we work to make it seem so effortless and easy.

And I know I'm not alone. For many (all?) artists, creators and entrepreneurs what the outside-world sees is the finished product - not the long, dark and rocky road that made you stumble and doubt yourself over and over.

The more time I spend producing the show and putting my writing out into the world, the more curious I become about the in-between, the part of the journey where we don't know yet whether our story will be one of failure or success.

I'd love to know what you're working on in the early or late hours of the day that you haven't shared with the public yet!

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Between my Ears

Life in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond:

• I recently toured some of the Valley's independent bookshops and hauled home 17 titles. What I'm currently reading:
  • ​Rise of the Rest: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream, Steve Case
  • ​Build the Fort: The Startup Community Builder's Field Guide, Chris Heivly
  • ​The Creative Act. A Way of Being. Rick Rubin
• My colleague turned me on to Zach Bryan and his songs "Motorcycle Drive by" and "Quittin' Time" have been on heavy rotation.
• Not to show off (while DEFINITELY showing off): Beverley Street (in my new hometown Staunton, VA!) was just named America's Best Main Street! Come visit and see for yourself! Our unofficial Harry Potter weekend (Queen City Mischief & Magic) is around the corner!

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On my desk

Here are some of the projects keeping me busy at the moment:

• I've been working with the content team at SOCAP for a few months to support the content creation and curation for this year's conference (one of my absolute favorite kinds of work!). Sadly, I won't be able to attend SOCAP but it's been fascinating to peek behind the scenes and learn how the team curates speakers, ideas, deal flow and the overall conference experience with so much intentionality! Here's my most recent conversation with Sarah Sterling, Executive Director of Entrepreneurship at SOCAP Global.
• Each month, I recap the main insights I glean from the Shenandoah Valley ecosystem. If you're curious what the day-to-day of an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder in the US looks like, you can learn more here!
• ​Creative Mornings Shenandoah Valley is back! After a brief summer break, I'm excited to host our next event at the Shenandoah Valley LGBTQ Center!

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From the podcast

Measuring narrative change It's rare that I get to throw all of my hard questions at someone who also tells the stories or entrepreneurship and innovation in rural America. Luckily, Austin Danforth had answers! Listen & Subscribe

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On my Radar

I come across a lot of resources that I want to share with fellow ecosystem builders and changemakers. If we're connected on LinkedIn or Instagram, they might already show up in your feed! In case you missed any, here's my curated list from the last two weeks:

• October 20 & 21: DazzleCon in Washington, D.C. Come meet me and fellow Zebras in DC!
• October 23-24: Shenandoah Valley Entrepreneurship Summit. For the second year, we're hosting an entrepreneur-first conference for founders in the Valley. If you're in the area, come join us (and stay for Creative Mornings on October 27!)!
• October 23-25: SOCAP Global, San Francisco
• For my Virginia-based ladies: Instead of a large conference, Rebelle is shifting to smaller, more intimate events in the Richmond area.

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I will be back in your inbox in two weeks with the closing episode for season 6. We will reflect on all six conversations and the greatest lessons learned!

In camaraderie,

Anika