Celebrate Failure and Embrace Your Inner Tree — Impact Hub Accelerator Day 4

I’m glad you’re reading this, I would be as curious to find out what the hell I was talking about too..

The homework that was given in preparation of day four, was to print lyrics from one of your favorite songs. I of course chose Frank Sinatra “My Way”. More on this later..

It’s only been four weeks, and I have noticed monumental changes in people’s ideas, pitches, focus and determination with their projects. Getting up and pitching your startup/idea in front of your peers, followed by feedback and suggestions, would make any savvy entrepreneur’s stomach quiver. Remember the anxiety you had when you weren’t as prepared as you should have been during that presentation you gave in school? It takes grit to be vulnerable, and I applaud my fellow cohort family on their ability to do so..

The picture below shows our progress on who we’ve met through the accelerator so far. It’s a road map of progression and a great reminder that we’re all reliable to solving Work Force Development challenges, and more importantly, to each other’s success.

Connection Board

After finishing pitches we were asked to head downstairs after a short break to be introduced to our, as I call them, “Cohort Contributor” for the day. Joey Neugart, CEO Lightside Collective, came bursting into our group with the energy you would imagine only a Hyperloop would produce. It was fast, it was confusing, it was exciting and invigorating all at the same time.

Joey was a kid in a candy store, surrounded by opportunity and an itch to satisfy his sweet tooth. It’s hard to remember the games and activities he had us participate in, but the message still resonates strong.

Some big take-a-ways from mixing entrepreneurship with improvisation..

1. Everything that happens, or doesn’t happen is a part of the scene — Have you ever watched a professional musician mess up gracefully? Have you ever had someone give you their opinion without you asking for it? It’s important to understand that everything good and bad will happen throughout your journey as an entrepreneur. Realizing that it’s all a part of the process and learning experience, will help keep you humble and resilient.
2. Your presentation starts long before you think it does — Do you think Michael Jackson waited to be on stage in front of ten’s of thousands of roaring fans before he got in the zone? Do you think Barack Obama got up on stage, and just started speaking before mentally preparing himself to address the nation? Although the verbiage here is particularly focused on presentations, I believe it’s derived from the ole’ saying “it’s better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one, than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.”
3. Flinching makes the audience worried — Have you ever watched a stand up comedian flinch? They end up losing their audience, and their ability to regain their attention and trust. Don’t under estimate the work that goes into being impeccable with your word and demanding with your presence. Stop talking yourself into submission and embrace your fears of worst case scenarios to help create a solid mental foundation to demand a room’s attention.
4. Connect with the audience through Ms. IVF — Movement, story, inclusion, voice, face. Every presentation, every meeting, every networking opportunity is an entrepreneur’s chance to paint the perfect narrative and connect with a single person to a stadium packed with people. Being conscious of Ms. IVF during all encounters, will help every entrepreneur connect more genuinely with their audience.
5. Celebrate Failure — As a society we have a natural habit of focusing too much on success, when that’s one part of an entrepreneur’s journey. No fortune 500 company was built on only success, in fact, all of those companies embraced their failures and had the tenacity to recognize their mistakes, find solutions, and move forward.

The final exercise of the day was inspired by slam poetry. We were asked to read the lyrics we printed out, and leverage our vocal dynamics and body movement to tell a compelling story.

I chose “My Way” by Frank Sinatra, not just because I love the song, but because the message rings in my bones. For most entrepreneurs, I’m sure we can all relate to these words..

“Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way”