A few years ago, I wanted to launch a series of profiles on women leaders—a series that would be inspiring and real.
Butevery partner I reached out to said, “No.” So I called Sarah Egan Warren, and we made the dang thing ourselves.
It was small—the series sat on a little corner of my website—and wasn't the sponsored platform I'd envisioned. But it existed.
A year into the project, I got to try out for a freelance writing gig. They asked me to submit writing samples—so I shared the interviews from the series. And I got the gig! (Where—guess what—I now get paid to write profiles of women in leadership 🙌)
And, after a while, Sarah and I channeled our efforts from the series into a similar-but-new project—an inspiring newsletter called 8&21.
Find a way or make one. It's a phrase Sarah and I say to each other all the time. It means—I want this, so while I may not know how this is going to work, I'm going to start anyway and figure it out on the way.
That find a way or make one mentality has helped me say YES to opportunities—even when I didn't feel ready for them—
even when people were telling me I wasn't ready for them.
It's given me that shot of bravery I needed when I had to take projects into my own hands and just start.
Because some of our best ideas or opportunities don't need permission. They just need some action.
The rest, we can figure out along the way.
- Dr. Sarah Glova, Co-Editor of 8&21 and Familiar Traveler on Plan B
Just try something
When I first met Sarah Glova, she was a teaching assistant, and I was her supervisor. When she graduated, we became colleagues teaching in the same department. When she left the university and started her own company, I did some consulting work for her, and she was my boss. Now we are collaborative partners creating projects like 8&21 and Pause.
Ever since we began working together, we have been finding a way or making a way to continue our creative partnership.
As our roles and relationship changed, we charted our own path so that we could continue to work together—speaking at conferences, doing research, creating training programs, giving talks, and securing grants for innovative teaching materials.
Over the years, we have brainstormed hundreds (thousands?) of ideas. Together we have brought many of those ideas to reality—by taking the risk to just try SOMETHING and see what happens.
You don’t have to wait for permission or instructions on the ‘right way’ to take your idea from a concept to a reality.
Find your own way or make your own way by sharing out a first iteration—it won't be perfect, but it IS a start.
Dr. Sarah Egan Warren, Co-Editor of 8&21 and Forever Fan of a First Draft
The best entrepreneurs try
In the article “What Great Entrepreneurs Really Do” published in Harvard Business Review, authors William B. Gartner and Christina E. Shalley argue that successful entrepreneurs don't necessarily start with a grand vision, but rather they start small and iterate based on feedback and learning.
The authors analyzed data from more than 100 entrepreneurs and found that the most successful ones were those who pursued a “lean startup” approach,focusing on experimentation and learning rather than elaborate planning.
According to the article, “Great entrepreneurs don’t begin with brilliant ideas—they discover them.” The authors emphasize the importance of taking actionand being willing to pivot and adapt in pursuit of one’s goals, rather than waiting for the perfect plan or idea to emerge.
Pause is a free reflection journal created by the Editors of 8&21.
