People at a turning point in their work. You’ve built something that works, but it no longer feels right. Expect thoughtful prompts, honest reflections, and practical ways to realign your work with who you are now, and move forward with clarity and courage.
Sometimes all you can do is have a beer
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Dear Reader, It’s late August in 2018. I was sitting on the beach checking my email. In came the venue invoice for Summercamp. I checked it. The dates were wrong. I emailed them. They emailed back. The dates were right. They had a wedding that weekend. My wife froze. We packed up and went to the bar. I had a beer. I called Laurence. Laurence froze. Three weeks to go. 150 people coming. And we no longer had a venue. We had three options. Refund everyone. We’d probably go bankrupt. Move the event. Most people couldn’t make another weekend. Many were coming from abroad. We’d probably go bankrupt. Or find another venue. So for the next two weeks, we hunted. Then we found Frickley Lake. Dave was cool. He’d run a festival himself in the past. He liked what we were doing. And, most importantly, he was free that weekend. We had a venue. Summercamp happened. And we’re still here. Entrepreneurship has a habit of presenting you with problems you never planned for. Sometimes all you can do is have a beer, make a phone call, and start looking for the next venue. And occasionally, in the middle of the mess, you find a gem. Big love, Carlos |
The Happy Startup School
People at a turning point in their work. You’ve built something that works, but it no longer feels right. Expect thoughtful prompts, honest reflections, and practical ways to realign your work with who you are now, and move forward with clarity and courage.
Dear Reader, Imagine you come to a crossroads. There’s a sign with two arrows. One points to: MORE MONEY The other points to: MORE HAPPINESS You look at the choice and think, surely more money will make me happier. So you follow that path. You work hard. You get better at what you do. You earn more. Maybe you build a successful career. Maybe you start a business. Maybe you grow that business. You reach places that an earlier version of you would have called success. And for a while, it feels...
Dear Reader, This time last week Summercamp was coming to a close and I’m only just coming down. Every year I get what I call my Summercamp hangover. Usually it’s physical. Three days of being switched on, early mornings, late nights, dancing, talking, holding space and being ready for any emergencies. Then suddenly everyone goes home, the tents come down, the field empties and, after months of planning, it’s over. But this year has been different. The hangover has felt strangely emotional....
Dear Reader, Hello from Sardinia. I’m supposed to be on holiday but I find it hard to sit still. Lying on the beach doing nothing has a shelf life for me. And so having my Kindle nearby helps. My kids do “the eye roll” when they hear what I’m reading. It’s generally non-fiction and something to do with business, psychology, or spirituality. Today’s book of choice is Very Good Copy by Eddie Shleyner. I’m reading it because I want to learn how to write better. Eddie’s a great writer. Short...