Moving Forward in the Most Unusual Way: Sankofa for the Start-up Minded

One of the best known of symbols of the Akan people of West Africa is Sankofa. This concept is captured by the image of a mythical bird with an egg in its beak that looks back to reflect while its feet are firmly planted for going forward. The literal meaning of the word is “go back and get it.” As an entrepreneur who is trying to create a thriving business from scratch, I feel its deeper meaning: you cannot move forward until you’ve looked back and absorbed the wisdom of the past.

To be honest, I thought embarking on a new path meant breaking cleanly from the past. In fact, it means meeting, greeting and reconciling with all that I have done leading up to this moment.

So my past was a little messy and unplanned – I followed my intuition more often than not. Perhaps that is wisdom I need to put in practice as I move forward.

My past was about service to others and not to myself. I might have set up a false “them vs. me” dichotomy. Perhaps moving forward, I can continue to be of service but not at the expense of my own needs. I can see how this paves the way toward wholeness and healthier relationships with others. Yes, this thing about wisdom from the past is so true, so simple and yet so easy to forget as I hurry into my desired future.

Sankofa, thanks for the reminder.

I could go on and one but I won’t. I will save it for private reflection and encourage you to turn you head back as well.

And so I embrace you, my past and use it so that I can carry that egg in my month, move gingerly forward but never forget where I came from and the lessons learned.

The Rules of Enchantment and Entrepreneurship

Two weeks ago I attended a conference on social media for nonprofit organizations. I learned a great deal about appropriate and effective use of technological tools to advance your NOPs mission and work. But what really stuck with me was Guy Kawasaki’s talk based on his book Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions.

So you want to build a successful enterprise? Be enchanting. How? Kawasaki gives you three touchstones for being irresistible: likeability, trustworthiness and being a great cause. Do it because it makes all the difference. If you enchant your customers, you are in.

Kawasaki shared a great story about the first-time he met Sir Richard Branson, which demonstrated what he means by “likeability.” He and Branson were at a gathering somewhere waiting to speak to the attendees. He found himself explaining to Branson his loyalty to United Airlines. Branson then got down on his knees, grabbed Kawasaki’s shoe and polished the sole with his jacket. Guess who now flies Virgin Airlines?

This story was so compelling to me because it is so contrary to the typical stories that you hear about successful business types. Honestly, can you image (Fill in the Name of Your Favorite/Least Favorite Biz Icon Here} doing what Branson did?

With this vivid and memorable illustration in mind, I am ready to read the book to learn more and to put this concept into action as I build my business and get-to-know my most treasured asset: my customer.

Will you, my community of enchantresses with great ideas, then join me in rocking the world with the power of our interpersonal skills and presence?

When I was a kid, I found nothing more annoying than adults telling me to “do as I say, not as I do.” Even my child’s mind knew that hypocrisy was not the most effective method for inspiring change.

Moving into my adult years I have tried to model the principles and values I purport to uphold. In my professional career I have played the same role in organizations time and again, the one who poses the question: are we modeling what changes we seek in the world? If not, how can we expect others to?

That question remains as I step into the role of entrepreneur. Here I am trying to reinvent the personal retreat business, seeking to infuse it with greater intentionality in balancing body and spirit so that people do not have to choose one over the other. Do we live to work or work to live? My hope is for a growing army of people choosing to do the latter.

So how do you achieve that magical state of balance when your passion for your business idea is pushing and stretching you in ways you never imagined? In ways that seem beyond human capacity? Do you temporary suspend commitment to balance because of the imbalance inherent in a start-up venture?

While riding BART to meet a like-minded soul for coffee in Berkley, I thought, yes, citing exigent circumstances. That lapse did not go unnoticed: as soon as I ‘voiced” it in my heard, I glanced at a fellow passenger who had opened a book to a chapter titled “The way of enough.”

And that was enough to recommit me to balance in all things, even the roller coaster ride of a start-up. Being true to my core values is enough – ‘nuff said. However, there is a powerful ancillary benefit. By modeling what I want to see in the world at the earliest stage of my enterprise when it is a raw idea, I am laying the foundation for the kind of organizational culture that will ensure the long-term sustainability of that enterprise. And so it is the right thing to do but also might very well turn out to be the smart thing to do.

Why do so many of us have a problem with the concept of enough? We work too much, never thinking that there are enough hours in the day. We seek to make more money, never believing that we can ever have enough. We buy things that we desire with that money, never feeling quite satisfied by our purchases.

I don’t have the answer. I’m good at posing questions, though. What will guide me and keep me on track (I hope) in my own quest for balance is remembering that moment when “The way of enough” appeared. What this means for me as an entrepreneur in start-up mode is that I find myself moving from a mantra of “bigger, faster, better” to one of “smaller, slower, good enough.”

“Be the Change you want to see in the world” --Mahatma Gandhi

After 20 minutes on the phone with Joanna Rees, San Francisco mayoral candidate and guest speaker at this week's How She Did It event, I was ready to sign up for her campaign. She was warm, insightful and REAL.

Joanna is the perfect woman to kick-off our How She Did it Series – a discussion based on radical transparency. Aren’t we all hungry for a mentor who has walked the path, is willing to share their wisdom and who is real enough to share the hard stuff too?

On Thursday night, you’ll have the chance to sit down over some wine and get Joanna’s perspective on what it takes to succeed in a man’s world, what she’s learned from rejection and why entrepreneurship matters now more than ever.

6 insights from just 20 minutes with Joanna:

1. When you’re tuned into your values, your decisions are purpose-driven.
For Joanna, service and impact are core to who she is. She always knew that she would serve. It was never a question of ‘if’, it was just a question of ‘when.’

2. Balance is over-rated.
I asked Joanna how she balanced her high-powered career, her family and now a mayoral run. Her answer was brilliant. She said that she doesn’t believe in balance and that when you’re passionate about something, it may not look balanced from the outside. Instead Joanna focuses on being centered – fully present wherever she is. We talked about the guilt that women carry around because we believe that our lives should be divided into imaginary equal parts. It’s not about quantity of time; it’s about quality of time.

3. Entrepreneurship is the road to self-sustainability and power.
As a business owner and someone who funds business owners, she has personally witnessed how entrepreneurship can empower all segments of the society, especially the under-served who might not otherwise have many economic options.

4. Trust yourself.
Joanna talked about times when she went against her better judgment and ended up paying the price. When you have that deep knowing, act on it.

5. Start with the market first.
With a background in media and advertising, Joanna evaluates companies and concepts not just based on the technology, but on the market trends and needs.

6. Passion, listening, collaboration and humility are the keys to success as an entrepreneur.

Want to find out more? Check out Joanna’s video here, and be sure to sign up for Thursday's event!

I hope to see you all there!