It’s hard to make an impact on a global issue alone. My strong commitment to “go there” and have difficult conversations about the emotional and physical challenges of entrepreneurship could not break through the noise. But what if I could be part of a group of professionals committed to having these important conversations and doing good work in the startup ecosystem?
Just finding a few people to join in conversation around these topics would have been great, but I was over the moon when Yael Benjamin, founder of Startup Snapshot & Inner Circle, reached out to me with an invitation to join the Inner Circle private global network. I couldn’t wait to post about it on LinkedIn:
Here is what Benjamin says about the network’s mission on the website:
At Startup Snapshot, we’ve spent years diving deep into the psyche of founders, researching their fears, pressures and what helps them thrive. One truth has become clear: the role of the therapists and coaches in this ecosystem is more critical than ever.
But supporting founders isn’t like supporting other leaders. Their psychological makeup is different – driven by high stakes, constant change, and an intensity that’s hard to explain.
That’s why we’re launching The Inner Circle.
This blog has not shied away from tricky conversations around founder well-being and the mental health struggles that many founders experience. What I have learned is that many founders and entrepreneurs don’t offer up this information, but if someone starts a conversation, they are happy and relieved to join and share their struggles.
The engagement on social media about this post I wrote when Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade passed was incredible and went on for days.
We need to let founders know that support from professionals who understand the startup ecosystem is available. We need to make support for founders a part of the business’s budget. Supported founders would be better leaders, which would benefit employees and investors.
I have already been on an Inner Circle webinar with professionals from around the world, including Vienna, London, Tel Aviv, Ottawa, Helsinki, Lisbon, San Francisco, and Chicago. I can’t wait to connect and learn from their experiences. Together, we can make some much-needed changes.
Photo by Matthew Osborn on Unsplash
