Finding the Courage to Try
As a professor at Harvard, I often use real-world examples to illustrate key concepts in my class on entrepreneurship and innovation. One such example is Alison Chace, the founder of multiple successful ventures such as Wake Up To A Break Up, Pink Wisdom, The Dinger, and Pink Kisses. Alison's story is a perfect illustration of the concept of having the courage to put your ideas out into the world, regardless of whether they may be considered the best, the right, stupid or smart, or whether they will be a huge success or a dud. Her journey is a testament to the idea that almost all inventors were considered crazy, before they weren't.
15 years ago, Alison launched her first venture, Wake Up To A Break Up, a show devoted to understanding how men and women get along (or don't). However, she soon realized that her favorite part of the show was interviewing experts around the world. This realization led her to launch Pink Wisdom, a premier digital destination for career and relationship advice. From there, Alison's love for surrounding herself with positive people and humor led her to launch The Dinger, a comedy video enterprise that evolved into a podcast, self-publishing 2 books, and filming a documentary interviewing women around the world. All of these creative projects were never monetized, but for the first time, Alison is now monetizing with the launch of her new app, Pink Kisses. Pink Kisses is a flirty spin on an affirmations app, sends one or two positive texts per day to a user’s phone for only $20 a year. The app features soft pink visuals, and sends users daily romantic messages, like “I woke up thinking about you".
To conclude, I would like to share 5 tips for finding the courage to put your ideas out into the world:
Start small: Don't try to tackle everything at once. Take baby steps and start with something small, like sharing your ideas with a close friend or family member. This will help you build confidence in yourself and your ideas.
Think of yourself as an artist: Artists don't wait for the perfect moment to create. They just start. Treat your ideas the same way. Don't wait for the perfect moment or for everything to be just right. The beauty of an idea is in its imperfections.
Surround yourself with positive people: Like Alison Chace, the founder of Pink Wisdom, The Dinger and Pink Kisses, surrounding yourself with people who are supportive and uplifting will help you stay motivated and inspired.
Use humor as a tool: Laughing and having fun can help ease the pressure and anxiety that comes with sharing your ideas. Humor can also help you put things in perspective and see the bigger picture.
Remember that you miss all the shots you don't take: As the famous quote goes, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Don't let fear hold you back from sharing your ideas. You never know what kind of impact they could have until you try.
By following these tips, you too can find the courage to put your ideas out into the world, just like Alison Chace. Her willingness to take risks and put her ideas out there, regardless of whether they were the best, the right, the smart or the stupid, is a testament to the fact that great things can happen when you have the courage to try.