Today, our FiHERstarters gathered to discuss Abby Wambach's book, Wolfpack. It's a short, easy read - an hour or so, and the audio book is a beautiful, moving listen - Abby reads it herself. The impact of this work is not short or easy, but it is beautiful and moving.? The women of Aduro are extraordinary humans - capable, courageous, curious, and fired up - fired up for their careers, fired up for life, fired up for each other. They are, as Abby says, leading now, from wherever they are. What a blessing it was to be in the conversation with them today, authentically and vulnerably discussing what resonated, what challenged us the most, and what each of us alone, and all of us together, can offer to shape the ecosystem we want to live, work, and play in.? What resonates most for me? You were always the wolf. Create Your Own Path. I’m a rule breaker by nature. I naturally throw my middle finger up at rules, sometimes before I even consider them - a bit of my teenage years always with me. So it truly shocked me to realize how many rules I’ve followed simply by not noticing them. Ladies - the path is ours to create, the rules are ours to make. It’s easy to blame others for the world we live in. It’s easy to use our current circumstances as the reasons we can’t succeed. But as the great Cy Wakeman says, these are the circumstances in which we must succeed. Own it, and create your path. There are as many seats at the table as we create. What challenged me the most? Demand the Ball. Believe in yourself. Demand the ball. I’ve thought a lot about my days as an athlete, as a volleyball setter, demanding the ball every time it crossed the net, skillfully placing the ball in the swing of a hitter. There was never a question the ball should pass through my hands or that I would place it where it was meant to be. Intentionally. How often do I let the opportunity pass by now, when I should be demanding the ball either to own it or to pass it to who can make the greatest impact. Way too often, and there is a lot of inner dialogue about it. Oof. There are many lessons in this book, and as the best books always deliver, I’m sure the lessons will continue to surface. For now, my work is to consciously and intentionally demand the balls that are mine to own even when I risk failure, and consciously and intentionally passing the balls that aren’t mine to own to my fellow wolves, even when they risk failure. (Make failure your fuel.) Being a founder can feel lonely at times. Being a female founder seems even lonelier still - there are things you have to hold that no one else can hold. But you don’t have to hold it all, and you don’t have to be a lone wolf. ? Thank you, Renee Petrie, for bringing this Wolfpack together. Thank you to every FiHERstarter that came together today. I’m grateful to know these women, to be All In with them, and to be reminded that I’m not alone. Thank you! #wolfpack #FiHERstarters #womenempoweringwomen #happy8hours