My 2017 Goal: To help 100 fellow entrepreneurs

Like many people, I make goals or New Year’s resolutions. However, I almost never tell friends or family about these goals because they are often focused on self improvement. This year I am doing the opposite. I’m telling everyone I know because I need your help to achieve this one!

I’ve been thinking about my passions beyond work at NatureBox, and I’ve been thinking about how I could have a bigger impact. I’m incredibly fortunate to have an amazing day job (even on the shitty days). NatureBox keeps me pretty busy, as you can imagine. Even so, for at least a year, I’ve been setting aside time during the evening or weekend to speak with other entrepreneurs and informally advise/mentor them. These conversations have ranged from talking about their ideas, to sharing lessons learned, to sharing experiences with investors. While I’m not an expert in much, I’m able to share my experiences and sometimes have a meaningful impact. Through doing this, I’ve learned that I love being exposed to new ideas and passionate entrepreneurs. Often these meetings evolve to a discussion where we share ideas back-and-forth, which gives me feedback on questions or issues I’m struggling with and, allows me to be in a constant learning mindset. I leave these calls feeling excited to witness the journey of other entrepreneurs.

I’m excited to set a 2017 goal to help 100 fellow entrepreneurs pursue their dreams by using what I’ve learned in building NatureBox. My hope is that through these conversations, I can give back to the many entrepreneurs who helped me along the way. And maybe they will pay it forward by mentoring other entrepreneurs. Of course, there are many things I can’t help with and only so many hours in the day, but if you know a founder or situation where I could be helpful, please connect them with me.

P.S. Help is a loose term but I’m going to be focused on trying to have a meaningful impact. For example, I don’t think sharing notes on or making an introduction to a service provider counts (they benefit from the introduction and are easily contacted directly) but a connection to a potential customer could have a meaningful impact.