Series 3 - episode 1 - Fuck it, write it.
It’s been ages, sorry about that. Appears we have been starting a real company. So here is another meta-talk-about-writing-about-the-writing weeknote which is obviously just me talking about my feels. Hey ho.
Right now I’m supposed to be pulling together a list of blog posts that have been burning a hole in my head for - shit - a decade. But when I was looking at the folder I’m pulling together I saw two Google Docs, Series 1 - What is this thing? and Series 2 - Lets go.
… and I thought nah. Let’s talk first. I’ll avoid the hard thing for just another day.
So this is Series 3 - Make sure the ground keeps getting further away.
I just checked the last time I sent a message. It was June 12th. I turned 39 three days later. I never write that down and never say it in rooms at work. A career of being one the youngest in the room has taught me to not mention it in case you get ignored based on your age.
The last few years have been about being one of the older ones now - fewer people to look up to has both benefits and pains. It metaphorically clears a space to run into.
Managing self doubt about running into the space is 80% of the effort. The last 20% of effort is about using that sense of freedom to say and do something you believe.
We’ve been working on writing down what we think. Doing that has been building a huge sense of self confidence within me to talk about what we do, who we are, what motivates us.
Which brings me back to blog posts. I want to write and say the things that probably, undoubtedly, more than likely are the underlying issue. It reminds me of the abilene paradox. That saying things we probably all agree but haven’t said yet takes courage. We keep cycling back to courage.
We’ve been working with Conor Delahunty on brand. Writing pithy statements about nuanced realities of life makes me want to be sick. But having someone guide us through it is really helpful. The mad irony is we do this for other people all the time. Doing it for yourself is hard af. This blogpost by Camilla Petty has helped. The website isn’t really for you. And I can’t control what you think. So I just need to be honest and proud.
Anyway - we wrote a document called ’fuck it, just write it”. It is a long list of things Anna and/or I feel or believe based on our collective experience of doing this kind of work for a while. The courageous thing to do is publish it. I’m not there yet. But we are getting there.
We also started a risk register like proper grown ups. We are going to run a brain trust with some trusted folks to get their “feedback” - but let’s be honest - get their emotional support. Being small and scrappy is exhausting some days.
If you’re so inclined. Request access and leave your feedback. We’d appreciate it.
And so we circle back. 80% of the effort is managing self doubt. And that is why I’m really writing this down and emailing you. Just to say this stuff out loud and hope you smile and nod back.
Anyway - this has been a long winded way of saying we launched a new website.
Check it out. Share with your friends. Or more ideally. Share it with people who have deep pockets and good ideas they need help with.
Peace.
EF