Orange Pegs

A week ago, I hiked the Kalalau trail on the North side of Kaua'i. 11 miles and 6,000 feet of elevation gain each way. It was the most challenging, dangerous, and breathtaking experience of my life. It was also on my bucket list for more than a decade. *** As I went to take my first steps, I was 30 pounds heavier and more than a little weathered, but very optimistic. I had trained my a** off, and nothing was going to stop me–not the doubt I carried, not the drama of life… I. Was. Ready. Just seconds before I reached Crawler's Ledge, a section of the trail that consisted of 8-inch wide paths sloping toward a 600-foot drop into the ocean, with nothing but a wall of crumbling rocks to hold onto on the other side (the thing I had been fearing the entire hike so far), I fell completely over. One foot slid down the side of the mountain as I struggled to stay centered.   My 50-pound backpack made it nearly impossible to stand back up. But I had no choice. I was alone. I still had 4 miles to go, and at this point, there was no turning back. (If that’s not a metaphor for business, I don’t know what is) I took a deep breath, gathered all my strength, and willed myself to my feet. Shaking from nerves and fatigue, blasted by gusts of wind so strong some would actually move me, I put one foot in front of the other. I was not about to give up... not now... not after everything I had been through and how much conquering this great beast meant to me. I put another foot forward... focusing on my breathing… then another… Step. Breath. Step. Breath. When I arrived at the campground 3 hours later, I heard shouts from the campers in the trees, “YOU MADE IT!” It felt like I won an award show every time it was said. I was a blubbering mess, but managed to squeak out a few “thank yous” in return. 36 hours later, it was time to do it all again, but in reverse. Fortune struck that day. Two (new) friends of mine let me tag along, so I wasn’t alone. I had people to cheer me on when I wanted to give up. And, at this point, I KNEW I could do it because I already had. In fact, I shaved an entire hour off of my travel time thanks to their companionship. The scary parts were less scary. The danger felt less dangerous. And the pain was more manageable. When I reached the end, I was physically broken. I had to drag myself over every rock and incline with my walking sticks because my legs couldn’t do it anymore. Gravity pulled me down the declines. But I made it. And I learned one of the greatest lessons of my life that day. I. Am. Strong. Strong enough to stand on my own… to chase my dreams… to face my fears… and to prove the doubters wrong. During a time of so much uncertainty and disruption, I really needed this. There has been a lot of change in my life. If you read this far, you can probably relate. But WE are strong. #bucketlist #Iamstrong #doubtthis #growth #winorbust #wegotthis

Tomorrow's Growth #MasterMind should be really exciting. We're going to workshop TWO North Star Metrics for #solopreneurs using our platform Conductor--and prepping a growing #startup for their team workshop next week (ALSO using Conductor)! Not only do our members get access to mentorship and guidance for executing Growth Marketing, but they also get their very own instance of Conductor (a $5,000 value!). So, they get the tools (Conductor)and the methodology (Experimental Marketing), AND guidance and INPUT from growth experts and peers (MasterMind). What's not to love about this? Visit our website to learn more about Conductor today! https://lnkd.in/g4MtAmH7 #growth #growthmarketing #solomarketing #entrepreneur #bootstrapping Orange Pegs Allison Chaney Robert DeRosier Jamie Merrick

AI has taught me several things, but probably the most startling is that I talk TOO dang much! 🗣️💬 How do I know? Because I use an AI tool in my Zoom meetings called "Fathom," and throughout the meeting, it tells me when I'm soapboxing (they call it a monologue) and what percentage of the conversation I consume. 🤖👀 At the end of the calls, it summarizes it for me... "you had 5 monologues, and talked 83% of the time." 😱 Not good! 😔 After this stark realization, I decided to gamify my meetings so I no longer committed this sales and culture-killing offense. I now watch that meter and cut myself off, asking for input from others when I see it approaching the 50% mark. When it says, "current monologue: XYZ," I immediately get to the point and ask for feedback. 🙌 While this experiment for talking less is still early, I'm noticing a lot more input coming from my teams, and sales calls are going a LOT better. AI didn't replace me; it made me stronger. 💪👨💻 What's your favorite experience with AI so far? How has it helped YOU grow? 🤔🚀 #airevolution #aiboom #ai #growth #growthmarketing #introspection #changeisgood #b2bsales #growthhacking #martech Fathom - AI Meeting Assistant

Today, we launched our Growth MasterMind with an incredible group of passionate founders. Our mission is to transform today's disruptions into opportunities for growth. As a small and scrappy team, we know that every journey starts with taking that first step, no matter how big it may seem. Stay tuned as we collaborate and innovate our way to achieving our goals of market DOMINANCE! #mastermind #growthmastermind #growthmarketing #growth #businessstrategy #smallsteps #b2b #d2c Orange Pegs Elev8 Hire Solutions NUNOERIN, LLC TastyCritters Melissa Davis Erin Hayne Brandon Ross