Holes in My Wall

Holes in My Wall

I’m at a writers’ dinner at the end of the day (after yesterday’s long writing session on the wall.) I’m sitting next to Dave Jilk, who wrote the foreword to The Founders: Successful Entrepreneurship. We talked about the book and what it means to be an entrepreneur. I’ve always enjoyed Dave as an engaging speaker and read every one of his books.

As we were talking, I realized something. I’ve now been writing professionally for over a decade and I’ve had numerous friendships, business experiences, and highs and lows along the way. I’m fairly honest with myself and with everyone else at Foundry Group. Sure, I’m a little “writer” these days, but I’m happy to put the word “writer” in quotes because I know how the word “art” relates to a lot of things.

As I was pondering this, Amy asked “are we all just holes in the wall?” My response was “yes.” When Amy asked if we are all connected, my answer was a simple “yes.” When asked what is wrong, my answer was simply “nothing.”

I have a few friends who have holes in their walls. It’s part of what makes me human. I’ve learned to connect with people and things in new ways as I learn to love being on the other side of things. I’ve learned to listen to my inner critic as I learn to listen to my inner critic. And, most importantly, I’ve learned that it takes a lot of guts to be open about the things you struggle with.

For someone that is constantly in the center of his or her life, this is a powerful experience. It’s a rare one, but one we need to have in this business.