Try. Fail. Learn.

Today I gave my favorite lecture in a class I teach. I lovingly refer to this class as leadership through teams. Where we look at the predictable patterns of group development, and strategies on how to reflect and learn about ourselves and others in the messiness of collaboration.

The irony is not lost on me that I’ve spent the last 12 weeks actually practicing these concepts. Being challenged to take an idea and test it. Fail. Get feedback. Learn. And try again. And to advocate for myself, ask for the time and wisdom of experts, and put myself out there is a way that is hard - because I feel vulnerable.

One of my mentors taught me that you never need to be the smartest person in the room. You need to be the person who listens to understand, practices empathy, has integrity in your words and actions, and finds a way to be comfortable sitting in discomfort.

Because we cannot achieve things in isolation. We achieve things with others. And to make positive change, it’s messy. Because people are messy.

I am looking forward to the next few months and all the collaborations ahead. To growing the #localandgood project, to working on some new larger custom orders, to continue growing in my own entrepreneurship while assisting other creative entrepreneurs in their start.

It’s going to be messy. And it’s going to be worth it. I might fail, but gosh will I learn.