A pathway to purpose
The route to where we want to go is seldom a straight line.
Fellow travellers. Serendipitous conversations. Trying things out. Being brave. Turning work into play.
These are the things that can shape our journey and uncover a new path we didn’t know existed.
One route that’s overlooked is that of “pathway products”; the projects, goods, and services you experiment with as you bring that "one big thing" to life.
They bring action, momentum, and much-needed clarity.
Especially if you have a tendency to get “stuck” in your head.
Last week, Tribe 8 of Vision 20/20 ended their journey together.
Another group of curious and open founders, professionals and mid-life career changers who have supported and encouraged each other for the last 20 weeks.
In this Friday Fireside, we were joined by a handful of members from this latest cohort. They shared their stories and the projects that have emerged and evolved over the last few months:
Caro Turlings, the creator of sparkly gatherings
Georgina Jones, creator of a new podcast Love Shortage
Iain Carruthers, the creator of a new client insights tool
Tatjana Harttung, the creator of The Human Greenhouse
Debbie Lee, the creator of the regenerative business starter kit
These ideas aren't necessarily what people thought they'd be bringing to life. But they are all minimum and loveable.
This one’s for you if…
You want to develop a more experimental mindset but aren’t sure how
You tend to put other people’s projects first, and need support to put yourself centre stage
You’re looking for a program that’s deeper than your average business course
You’re unsure whether an online course can give you the sense of connection and transformation you seek
Here are nine takeaways from the conversation:
1. Become comfortable with uncertainty
Debbie Lee reflected on going from a technical, logic-driven career to more heart-centred coaching and how the program helped her “find that middle ground” between seemingly opposite modes.
But it was the combination of structure and space that proved transformational.
“I've noticed this real shift in how I feel about the need to have everything figured out.
I'm somebody who likes a plan and, at the start of the program, there was part of me that was like, ‘Right, this is the opportunity to get it all figured out, get it all laid down on paper.’
And what I've come away with is this real level of comfort at not having it figured out at all, that real experimental mindset.”
2. Our ideas need others to truly come alive
Iain Carruthers shared how conversations helped validate his new business direction: “People have come back and responded really well.” So well, he’s already seen a 200% ROI on the course so far, having just completed it.
As he points out, “If you sit in your room, nobody’s going to notice. [Fellow participant] Svetlana Kim said something amazing from the dance world she inhabits, which is, ‘If you’re going to make a move, you need to have a witness.’”
Having conversations in the buddy group, testing ideas, and receiving one-to-one coaching with Carlos gave him the kind of witnessing that’s made his new venture soar.
3. The support to put yourself first
Tatjana Harttung spoke about how the program gave her time for self-reflection after being caught up in delivery for others:
“I'm used to setting the stage and holding space for others and not necessarily doing that for myself.
Now, I want to put myself at the centre of it. It's still evolving, but what's been fantastic for me has been the cadence of weekly calls. Getting caught up in work and people actually caring: ‘Hey, are you okay? Are you going to make the call?’
It's like the whole of Tribe Eight, and certainly my buddy group, it's like one big family, and that's been wonderful.”
4. Go deep, but have someone holding your rope
Georgina Jones emphasised the depth of the journey, noting, “It’s given me the tools, the understanding, the support, the encouragement, and the opening to go deeper.” She added,
“In order for us to go that deep, we need to have permission to do so. And we also need to be held there as well, because it's vulnerable.
And you’ve got to go deep. You’ve got to address all the parts of you because otherwise, you can't create great things.”
By taking this journey with others, and being held while you do so, allows you to build a firmer foundation for your new endeavours.
5. Uncover what was already there
Caro Turlings enjoyed a post by Carlos about “not working hard, but working with your heart”, and discovered the program helped her to harvest “a lot of what I've been doing in the last five years”. The support of the tribe helped her overcome self-doubt.
“You have the cheerleaders around you that are very close because they see this process of becoming vulnerable and sharing the parts of you that weren't being shown before. And they're all like, ‘Yeah, go for it, this is your thing.’
And then you're like, ‘Oh, okay. I believe in myself too now.’
It helps with the inner critic that is like, ‘Who are you to do this?’ or ‘Who's waiting for this?’
As twenty people are saying, ‘Go for it, it's amazing!’ And then you're like, ‘Oh, okay. I can do this now.’ And that's really amazing.”
6. Courage through encouragement
Georgina Jones explained how others' journeys impacted her, saying, “Because it's an environment where everyone is changing and evolving, you're not fixed to anything, so you are a little bit more adventurous, a little bit more curious, a little less scared.” She emphasised that,
“Fear wasn't really on the table, which is a really nice thing - to not even talk about it. To just go, ‘What about this,’ ‘Yeah, that's a brilliant idea,’ because you've got so many people on your team.
And that's brilliant because you can just encourage each other. And then go down this road and you're like, ‘Oh, I don't know how I got here, but it's pretty good.’”
7. Permission to f*ck around
One of the most important parts of the program is the opportunity to bounce ideas around and try something new.
Iain Carruthers appreciated “the freedom and permission just to kind of like f*ck around for a while and try it out”, which he found “great!” As he said,
“I'm someone who feels it’s quite important to get things right all the time.”
Giving ourselves the time and space to get creative, and removing the yoke of needing to do things perfectly, lets us get more inspired.
8. Hard work can be turned into play
Starting or developing a business can feel heavy or overwhelming. But what if it felt lighter? Tatjana Harttung emphasised the playfulness of the program.
“The approach has been really playful: ‘Let's just try it out, see if it works.’ This experimentation of, ‘What's the worst thing that can happen? Nobody cares, right? Nobody wants to do it? Okay. We'll do something else.’
It can be very serious to have your own business because you're IT. So the playfulness and the holding it more lightly has been a real gift in this program.”
Bringing a sense of play into trying out ideas means that you can do things with less attachment and more experimentation.
9. The program is virtual. The experience isn’t
As the program is held online, it’s easy to assume that it feels less immersive. But this hasn’t been the case, as Tatjana Harttung explains. “I work virtually a lot. It hasn't felt virtual. It has felt like a real room, not like something virtual or distant at all. Not at all.”
Georgina Jones seconded that.
“I think it's because it's always mixing it up, it's always changing. It doesn't feel prescriptive or passive, it's very interactive.
The WhatsApp group connected to that as well. Everyone's got their videos on, it's not just their microphone. You don’t feel like you’re just watching a course and being a bystander.”
Plus, the beauty of being online means that participants are drawn from around the world, making the alumni tribe global.
And a huge pool of wisdom to draw on once you graduate.
🍌 "What do 20 weeks and a banana have in common?
At 20 weeks, a human foetus is the size of a banana.
In the time it takes a foetus to grow to the length of a banana
I have changed my whole outlook on life.
It's given me the time to reflect on where I've come from.
And where I'm going."
Sophie Ruffer - Tribe 8 alumna
Is it time for you to find a new route to your purpose? We’re currently taking applications for our upcoming Vision 20/20 program, starting on the 11th of March 2024.
Let’s make trying new things fun, and forge a new path - together.
Notes
Many thanks to Caro Turlings, Georgina Jones, Iain Carruthers, Tatjana Harttung, and Debbie Lee for their time and generous insights into their experience of the program.
If you’d like to find your deeper purpose with supportive cheerleaders, our next tribe of our Vision 20/20 program starts March 2024.
