Field Notes 01
The first month of Kinship, what we learned, and what we're looking forward to
Every week we’ll be sharing one newsletter that contains helpful tips, our learnings as founders, and how creating Kinship is going. If you just want newsletters about upcoming gatherings, you can change your settings here.
Welcome to the first Kinship round up! One thing Terri and I both want to do as we build Kinship is to document our journey of being young founders, creating a community-based business, and the wins and improvements along the way. Each month, we’ll write 1 monthly round up newsletter to keep you posted on how we’re doing and what’s been happening!
July @ Kinship
July was the month we launched Kinship officially! It was so exciting being able to finally share this exciting project we’ve been dreaming up for a year. We also announced our first event, Beat the Monday Blues: Open-Sky Stretch & Reflect, created for our ambitious friends who need something to look forward to on a Monday.
We’re all trying to learn how to take better care of ourselves and avoid burnout as best as possible so we thought what better way to accomplish both than to move our bodies, journal, and eat some yummy snacks!
July was also when we started our Substack! Hard to believe there’s already 40 of you who are tuned-in to our weekly musings. Thank you for being here and showing interest in Kinship and how we’re building this community to be different.
In July we also went on a short “founders retreat” to help us get aligned on our goals, reset mentally, and get inspired to create. We booked an off-grid Airbnb in Jordan River and it was the perfect way to kick off our busy August. We intended for this trip to be a founders offsite and although we were able to accomplish some of our goals, we learned a lot about separating work with play. More on that soon!
What we’re learning
Although we both have some experience as entrepreneurs, this is the first time we’ve created something that feels purposeful and greater than ourselves. Last year, we read the Infinite Game by Simon Sinek, which drives home the point of having a mission and vision that goes beyond revenue, profits, and growth for the sake of growth. Both of us left our corporate careers for different reasons but our mindset of wanting to create more purpose in our lives is what drew us to creating Kinship in the first place.
In July, we worked on “building hype” in an organic way that doesn’t feel salesy or in-your-face. We wanted to foster genuine interest in what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. In the process, we’re also refining our why so that Kinship continues to be something we deeply believe in and draw meaning from.
It’s easy to start a venture but to do it in a sustainable way where both of us wants to show up day in and day out can be a more challenging task. Here’s what’s currently driving us to grow Kinship despite both our busy schedules:
Greater purpose. We both feel like Kinship is bigger than us. It’s about creating a space where ambitious individuals feel connected, supported, and motivated to continue to grow their own ventures and projects. We’re here to build that space for everyone, not just benefit from it.
Working with a co-founder. Building a business on your own is completely different from building one with a co-founder. While our strong friendship provides a solid foundation, we're learning how to effectively motivate each other and accommodate both our wants and needs in this building process.
Growing as humans. As first-time event hosts, we both felt nervous leading up to the event. We wanted to ensure the experience would be seamless and enjoyable for everyone. We couldn't help but wonder: Would everyone show up? Would they have a good time? All-in-all, it was a great first experience and an amazing learning opportunity for us mentally. Knowing that this passion project will also push us to grow as humans is a HUGE win.
What’s inspiring us
E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber - This book dispels myths around what it takes to build a success business. It takes a holistic stance at why most small businesses fail and the missing piece that truly make a business feel meaningful.
Club Sup - We discovered Club Sup via Instagram and love what they’re doing in Australia and Europe. If you’re in those regions, definitely check them out for beautiful dinner events.
David Eedle’s post on Rising by Lifting Others - Coming from the creator space, one belief that I’ve always maintained is that “there’s space here for everyone.” In this ever-growing, ever-evolving space, there’s no such thing as taking up space that belongs to someone else. The magic of the digital world is that there’s something for everyone. David describes this perfectly in his article:
Just because someone else is victorious, it does not mean your opportunity must be diminished. We need more "we're all in this together", rather than "me versus the world". There’s a mindset shift required because when it is applied at scale, it can transform lives, communities, and the way we see ourselves.
What’s coming next
We’ve been working hard planning out our next events! We’re hoping to host a few more wellness themed events along with events aimed at fostering inspiration, creativity, and connection. Keep you eyes peeled because these next few months are going to be huge.
Just so we can see our growth over time, at the end of July we have 41 subscribers on Substack, 167 followers on Instagram, and 32 followers on TikTok!