#wtbday

[wtbdiary-blog]

Interrupt yourself

Lately I've been reading anything and everything about launching ideas, start-ups and following your dreams. Among all the advice to work hard (and there's a lot of it) there's also the instruction to play. Don't forget to take time out and have some fun say the experts. So last weekend it was a trip for four to Troutbeck in Nyanga for an open water swim in the lake and a long, hot run with feisty  Thoko, Amanda's skinny little black dog.

We drove back the same day we ran 18ks in 30 degree heat. Home in Harare I rummaged in the deep freeze looking for something to eat. I found what looked like either a quiche or pizza - dodge! I put it in the oven on very low heat and hoped for the best.

Later, a Hawaiian pizza revealed itself.

Sweet.

- Bev

[wtbdiary-blog]

Arrested development

That’s kinda an apt phrase for Zimbabwe right now. Plainly speaking as a country, we’re fucked. Like, where’s the good news? Any good news will do - please, thank you! Last night I was picking someone up at Harare International Airport, where the tourists are few and lights are dim. I took my dog Basta, like I always do. But this time a guy in a dirty black suit clutching a styrofoam box with his dinner in it, came up to me and said that dogs were offensive and that I was breaking the law by having him in the grounds of the airport. Oh I said, really? Hmmm, I’ve done this more times that I can count, and By The Way I don’t see any signs saying No Dogs. Ah but not all regulations need a sign. And if you insist on a sign, you will be arrested.

Welcome to Zimbabwe, and have a nice night.

- Bev

[wtbdiary-blog]

Keep Your Eyes Open

Yesterday Bev and I watched Phil Libin’s video Six Crucial Questions For Every Startup Entrepreneur.

One of his suggestions is to spend two weeks really paying attention to what you do, and what others do, that you do a lot of but which could be made easier, or more fun, or better in some way. There, he reckons, you’ll find opportunities for new initiatives.

So today Bev says to me, while I’m in New York, I should keep my eyes open for how people do things and how they could be done better. “You know, that woman rummaging through her handbag, or that fella struggling to eat his ice cream cone nicely. Those are some examples.”

I’ve offered to Go Pro my walks down the streets in NYC. I suspect she’ll see a lot more through streaming video than I will in person.

- Amanda

[wtbdiary-blog]

Support

A few WhatsApp messages after coffee, cake and conversation:

Thank you so much for inspiring us with your vision - it’s paradigm shifting! We loved the cake and the company wasn’t too bad either. - Brian

I hope this campaign takes off. You two are very good at “OTB” thinking. - Sue

Wishing you lots of success with your idea. Happy landings Amanda! - Aurora

Wonderful that you have these great ideas and that U action them! - Myrtle

- Bev

[wtbdiary-blog]

Coffee and conversation

Thank you to Aurora, Brian, Kathy, Myrtle, Mike, Sue and Gail. We’ve been doing birthday pitches over coffee and cake this past week to prepare Amanda for some sweaty hot seat presentations at the Founder Institute in New York. We learn so much from these conversations. Both of us have, a) gotten fatter b) gotten wiser and c) we’ve been reminded of how much creative conversations inspire us all.

Have more of them we say, to ourselves and you.

- Bev

[wtbdiary-blog]

Four Facebook Friends

I’m off to New York on Saturday to get some support and mentorship for WTB! As part of getting ready, I’m signing up on social networks so that I exist digitally. But I’m realizing maybe I should have joined Facebook a few years ago because now, well, I might have a few friends there. Instead there’s me, my sister, and a couple of others. And I’m wondering if looking like a recluse is worse than simply not existing. Bev suggested this morning maybe we could distribute flyers at intersections here offering a small reward to people who friend me.

- Amanda

[wtbdiary-blog]

Mouth to mouth

Amanda: When people ask us how we will get people to know about Birthday, do you think we should tell them we'll do it by speaking with people and signing them up, like one birthday at a time?

Bev: No, I don't think we should do it mouth to mouth.

Amanda: Um. Don't you mean via word of mouth?

- Amanda & Bev

[wtbdiary-blog]

Think big or go home

I've just been watching Tyler Tervooren's TEDx talk How adventure makes you smarter, stronger, and attractive

He's cute and unassuming and he makes some really useful points for anyone wanting to take on some new challenges (which is theoretically everyone, right). Some top take homes:

- If you take a step out of your comfort zone, your comfort zone will grow. In other words, it's amazing how quickly many of the things that feel hard and scary and difficult can begin to feel routine, or at least doable.

- Take advantage of big dream influence - Do something so big people can't help but notice. Once people notice, they'll be interested. And once they're interested, they'll want to be a part of it.

- Doing something big is the culmination of lots of little things. Choose the big thing that is important to you, and start doing the little things that help you get there.

- Amanda