This is the Too Many Trees newsletter, where I share what I’ve been writing and reading in the realm of leadership and personal development. My coaching practice is centered around the idea that we are more effective in moving towards our goals when we become more conscious and intentional in focusing our time and attention.
Over the last two weeks, I took time off in Tahoe and Napa. While I am committed to growing my coaching business and increasing my social impact, I also need to rest and recharge occasionally, and remind myself that self-care is an investment that consistently pays off in later productivity and focus. The time off allowed me a chance to reflect on the year so far, and to consider what lies ahead for me.
As we enter the second half of a bizarre and stressful 2020, I suggest taking a pause to celebrate what you have managed to get done so far this year (even if it’s just surviving all the insanity), and check in on your goals and aspirations for the remainder of the year.
My personal celebration is a year of self-employment, as my last day at Google was July 12, 2019 - I continue to love coaching as a vocation, and am glad I took the leap away from the safety of Google. I still have work to do to build my coaching business, but given the Covid crisis and the recession, I’m doing just fine (but if you know a high performer that is stuck, I’m always happy to chat). I feel like I’m on a promising path of growth and potential impact, and plan to continue showing up each day to take another step.
LinkedIn: How I show up in the world is apparently on my mind:
Do the work, and do it in public - another way of saying “be the change you want to see in the world”
Be unfailingly kind - Being kind in this context means treating the other person as a fully-dimensional being with needs and desires of their own that might not match your agenda, and accepting those desires as equal to one's own.
Blog: I mentioned Arlan Hamilton’s Backstage Crowd investment syndicate in my last newsletter. As part of my due diligence, I read her recently released book It’s About Damn Time (my summary here). I am inspired by her story of repeatedly overcoming the odds through grit and determination to follow her dreams while staying true to her authentic self.
It is Time for Reparations is a powerful statement from Nikole Hannah-Jones on what is owed. I learned much from Jones’s writing in the 1619 Project and agree with her that “A truly great country does not ignore or excuse its sins. It confronts them and then works to make them right.”
My friend Lina Srivastava shares how we can move beyond listening and discussion into systems transformation in her essay on decolonizing aid. As she writes, “The time for reactive, familiar approaches has passed. Let’s dismantle and rebuild the new systems we need. We all need to commit to a new kind of listening — one that is truly inclusive, collective, and decentralized, and that has radical action behind it.”
Why Venture Capital Doesn’t Build The Things We Really Need - "In a game run by venture capital, the people you end up helping are the ones who can pay, so investors can make their money. In today’s America, that leaves out a lot of people." By focusing on “the ones who can pay”, venture capital primarily serves those with privilege, missing huge opportunities to work on structural and systemic issues.
I continue to be here to witness, to listen, to learn, to amplify, and to support. Just reach out (eric at toomanytrees) if you want to share, or need a virtual shoulder to cry on, or just need to vent. I also welcome feedback on how I could do better - suggestions welcome.
Thanks for reading. See you in a couple weeks.