Entrepreneurs interacting at the event
Would you want someone to tell you if your zipper was down or you had spinach stuck in your teeth? I definitely would. I’d rather know and deal with the problem than be embarrassed later.
The problem is, not everyone is going to tell you. There are a lot of people out there who are willing to let you walk around looking like an idiot. Most of the time, you don’t want to associate with them, especially as an entrepreneur who has a business and a reputation to maintain. But how do you find honest people who will tell you like it is? I found a lot of them at entrepreneur events and in related communities.
I just finished attending a series of entrepreneurial events that brought together great people and entrepreneurs, and I was able to connect with a lot of great people. Recently, I spoke at a Baby Bathwater event in upstate New York, and that really highlighted this for me. This was not an event I was paid to speak at, but a more intimate entrepreneurial event. I found that these intimate events were the most valuable to me because I got transparent feedback.
Redefining success in entrepreneurship
These experiences have led me to reflect on what true success means and how it has evolved throughout my entrepreneurial journey. Over the past decade of my entrepreneurial journey, the measure of success has changed a lot, and I am grateful for it. When I was a young entrepreneur, success seemed to be defined by the number of dollar signs you see in a day. However, I have come across wealthy entrepreneurs who have horrible relationships with family and friends, or employees that I can’t stand. Is that success? I don’t think so.
I know that if I hadn’t realized this as a young professional, I might have been heading down this path and decided to avoid it. At the time, I was surrounded by great people who defended me when I was doing things wrong and gave me constructive feedback when I needed it. Having the support of good people is essential to being the best version of yourself and the best leader you can be.
But making those connections can be hard and daunting, especially in the digital world. That’s one of the reasons I’m such a fan of entrepreneurial communities: participating in these communities is one of the best ways to ensure you make connections with people who can challenge you and stretch your thinking when you need them.
Share insights and build a collaborative community
These communities are great places to find people who will challenge you, but also to find a support network. This week, I’ve heard different ideas to support employees in different ways, which has been good for me. For example, a few other entrepreneurs and I talked about finding a balance between flexible working and productivity. It’s something we’ve all been trying to solve, but having an open discussion with people who run similar-sized companies helps us get a better sense of what works.
If I were talking about this with Bobby Axelrod’s hedge fund character, who would urge me to work as many hours as possible, it would be a different story, but being surrounded by like-minded people who want their employees to live well and be happy is a good way to come up with practical ideas that might work.
These communities are great for discussing business-related issues, but what’s special is that they allow you to connect with other professionals who have similar experiences – other people. Entrepreneurial communities can create a support system if you use them properly.
For example, in another conversation, an entrepreneur opened up about his mental health, struggling with the negative effects of a business partner he’d known for 10 years. You could hear the hurt in his voice at the beginning of the conversation, but as he spoke with the other two members, his heart instantly cleared. Other members shared stories of how they’d dealt with difficult partnerships and explained how they’d overcome the situation. In fact, one of them now runs an eight-figure business.
Without this community connection, the entrepreneur may have felt isolated and alone. But the community’s support made him feel better. And after hearing some strategies for ending things peacefully, he came up with a plan.
Connecting through entrepreneurial events
The entrepreneurial journey is sometimes portrayed as an easy one: “Be your own boss.” But as Phil Knight writes in his book, Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Founder of NikeBut it’s not all smooth sailing: I recently read the book and learned how he survived an FBI raid and death — and, not surprisingly, it was all thanks to the support system he surrounded himself with.
The world today is moving faster than ever before. Nearly every executive I spoke to said that AI, rising costs, and many other challenges are impacting their business. Hollis Carter, one of my partners at Baby Bathwater and a friend of mine, spoke about the importance of bringing good people together and giving them the opportunity to support each other. Hollis could have built a huge company and used his experience to succeed, but he chose to focus on building community, something the world really needs.
Thankfully, this is becoming a trend among entrepreneurs leaning into new definitions of success. Whether it’s an established community or a small local group, the entrepreneurial support system seems to be growing and strengthening. Of the many events I’ve attended over the years, what particularly impressed me about Baby Bathwater was its unique appeal to guests. Rather than a transactional event where people are constantly looking for someone to network with, attendees naturally built connections thanks to the supportive, community-focused atmosphere.
The unique name comes from the phrase “don’t throw away what’s good with the bathwater,” a warning not to throw away something good or valuable with the bad. From my experience attending events, I believe entrepreneurial events are evolving in a way that allows them to retain valuable connections and insights while shedding the superficial networking and transactional nature that is common in such gatherings.
Hopefully, you can go out and make connections yourself. Find people who will be honest with you and tell you what you need to hear. Just as important, be prepared to give back. Be willing to reach out and listen to people in your community.
