First, a big shoutout to our programming partners from last week, Black Squirrel and Inclusive Capital Collective. It was truly a memorable and impactful Thursday Gathering featuring fantastic speakers, including brief remarks by Mayor Jim Kenney, exploring how we can rebuild Philadelphia’s economy to be more inclusive with a focus on real estate.
We also kicked off our third cohort of OnRamp with a “Meet the Founders” session (if you want to join the cohort, but haven’t filled out the application, there’s still time! We’ve extended the deadline to this Thursday). We were delighted to welcome those in person in the Café (it was buzzing!) and also virtually from California, Germany, and Singapore.
One of the cohort participants added their excitement to the chat noting that: “Most startup spaces I’ve experienced so far have not made me feel this enthusiasm, so thank you--.” They reminded me that enthusiasm is a superpower, especially when you share it. It’s easy to underestimate the power of enthusiasm. But innovation requires sustained effort– each attempt is fueled with the same hope-filled anticipation as the last. One of the more well-known illustrations is Thomas Edison’s quote: ”I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”
Can you imagine approaching the same task 10,000 times with an equal amount of eagerness? Test it out this week: approach one task with as much enthusiasm as you can gather and reflect on the effect.
In other words, don’t curb your enthusiasm.
