Hello Reader,

At the end of August, I had to say goodbye to a client that I really enjoyed working with: a great team (hi Michelle & Nicole!), intriguing work (curating content & preparing speakers for a large conference), and an international network of impact experts. I was surprised by the grief that came with admitting - to myself and them - that I couldn't give them the time and attention this project deserved.

I channeled my conversation with Isaac Jeffries in season 3 about creativity and upholding your professional boundaries. I realized that over-commitment and disappointment come up in our professional lives, and I had avoided it for longer than most, often at my own cost.

It also helped me understand that giving up something means we're creating space for new things.

Have you ever experienced this type of professional grief? How did you handle it? Any tips?

---

Between my Ears

Life in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond:

• Among my friends, I'm known for hosting board nights on Fridays after work. In the latest issue of Millpond Collective, I talked about how to make your first charcuterie board in 5 steps. Give it a read and order your copy here. *Bonus: In this issue you'll meet artists, business owners and activists from my community!
• I finally picked up Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty (thank you Shelly!) and appreciate being reminded of the value of mindfulness and taking a breath when life rushes by me. Do you remember to breathe?
• A few weekends ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to join Sub Rosa Supper Club for a 100-person dinner event in Eastern Rockingham county. The chef from Argentina cooked an authentic Asada dinner over open fire while we sipped authentic cocktails during sunset and make lots of new friends.

---

On my desk

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

• In my role as Director of Ecosystem Building, my team and I will spend the next ten months (and beyond) on building out four sub-ecosystems. While this sounds exciting on a conceptual level, the practitioner in me is challenged: to accept that we don't know yet what definite steps we need to take, how to evaluate the information we get and - most importantly - how to engage the relevant stakeholders in a strategic doing process. If you have first-hand experience in this type of discovery, engagement and activation, let's chat!
• ​My website got a little overhaul. I love a fresh coat of paint (pictures) and simplifying things (reducing my service offerings).
• I'm gearing up to host a masterclass on ecosystem building for social change for the Yunus Sports Hub. I'll be talking to their current cohort of young leaders about effecting change in their communities. And I'm SO EXCITED! I haven't had much direct work with social entrepreneurs in a while, this should be fun!
• Driven by my desire to tell the stories of entrepreneurs in the Shenandoah Valley and to advocate for their support, I recently participated in a 2-day training with the OpEd Project (thank you Madelynn Martiniere for the recommendation!). If you have experience writing OpEds and getting published, please reach out and share your secrets with me! If you're interested in participating in one of their workshops, reach out and I'll share my referral code for a $75 credit toward their Write to Change the World workshop.

---

From the podcast

What did we learn? As we wrap up our season on Effective Storytelling for Ecosystem Building, I share my key insights from season 6 on the podcast and in essay-form on the website. Listen & Subscribe

---

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:

Events

• 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
• October 24-26: Startup Champions Network Fall Summit in Phoenix, AZ. I won't be able to go but guarantee that you will have a wonderful time!

Jobs

• Skoll Foundation is looking for their next Talent & Culture Manager as well as their next Director of Marketing and Communications
• USDA needs an Economic Inclusion Lead.

News/Resources

• ​Belle Isle Moonshine, a startup in Richmond that I've cheered for since day one, is currently crowdfunding to raise $3 million. I've never followed any campaign that tried to raise more then $100,000 so I'll definitely keep my eyes on this!
• I just came across the Entrepreneurship Indicators published by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. If you're an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder in the United States, you may find some good data here to make the case for entrepreneurship in your state.

---

I will be back in your inbox in two weeks with a bonus episode introducing you to a startup community expert and his new book!

In camaraderie,

Anika