Welcoming a New Year

Greetings, all, and happy (almost) end of January, already!

With 2020 at our backs, a new chapter begins, charged with hope and fresh perspective. It’s the perfect season to get inspired and try new things. Hopefully, you will find some of it here!

FSINSPIRATION: "Traveler, there is no path, the path is made by walking." – Antonio Machado

(I've shared this quote before, I know, but it's been echoing in my mind as I reflect and explore new creative horizons of what's next. I figured I'd share it again in case it resonates with you as much as it does with me. Read the full poem here.)

FSBOOKS: For months I’ve had a sticky note on my desk with a single word written on it, ikigai.
When I first read about this Okinawan concept, which broadly translates to ‘reason to live’ or ‘life purpose,’ I was taken by it, because what more can we hope for in our lives than to connect with our personal raison d'être? In reading my friend and Middlebury College classmate Hanz Manzke’s new book, For All: Democratizing Big Ideas, it felt so serendipitous to come across this very concept, along with a Venn diagram sort of illustration showing how Passion, Mission, Vocation, and Profession come together to form one’s ikigai. This is just one of the many "big ideas," from unconscious bias to the inner workings of our brain chemistry, that Hanz explores and builds upon in this work, an insightful handbook designed to empower us—all of us—with "accessible and actionable intelligence from the front lines of change and transformation," as one reviewer notes. The personal, conversational style makes it a fun and easy-going read, punching above its weight with the breadth and depth of concepts explored. Enjoy!

FSLISTEN: Data is an important tool, but we can’t connect meaningfully and practice empathetic decision-making if we rely on metrics, facts, and figures alone. As humans, storytelling is our secret superpower, and how we’ve always communicated the deeper why behind the information. It’s how our brains are wired. This month we recommend listening to leadership consultant Karen Eber's TED talk, in which she reflects on how storytelling can connect with audiences, win people’s trust, inspire, and create empathy through tapping into these powerful neural pathways.

FSARTICLES: Over a decade into self-employment, being at once my own boss and boss-less, what do I wish I'd known at the outset? What would have eased my mind and heart, and probably my bank account, too? I began writing this list over five years ago, and on the eve of a new year, it felt like time to finally follow my own advice (#43: Release it into the world. Hit publish, upload, export, send.) and share it: Boss(less)ons: 101 Lessons from a Decade of Being My Own Boss

Entrepreneurship is not an easy path, but it’s an incredibly rewarding journey. What better time than the new year to put aside excuses and make the entrepreneurial leap?

We’re here to support your journey!

FSSNAPSHOTS: A few Instagram #fieldnotes photos:

We're continuing to create content and build resources under the Starting at Zero brand in partnership with our client the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation. I recently had the pleasure of a virtual conversation with Dr. Laura Jana, one of the experts featured in our film. We chatted about the impact of the pandemic on children and families, tips for engaging kids at home to continue momentum with their educations, and ways to get involved in moving this work forward in our own communities. As Dr. Jana reflected, "If we don't pay attention to what happens in early childhood, there will be long-term consequences. And it's now more clear than ever." Tune in here, or by clicking on the image below.

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Did you miss the last one? Here's the archive.

Thanks so much for joining us! Stay safe and well, and we look forward to keeping in touch.