✨ On "being" in 2020...
Upleveling, shout outs, salt flats, reads, blowdryers, and more!
Hi all, I’m trying new things this year, starting with a new newsletter name/format and showing up as more of me (includes life-size bears and matching outfits). And so much of it has come from Eric, my exec coach, challenging me to move away from “doing” to ‘being” to uplevel, and Monica’s, my sister, #realtalk Sunday Calls.
“Being” is in-progress but definitely not linear. I am standing up for what I believe in more often — calling people out and asking the tough questions people want to ask but don’t — and putting my dreams out there. It’s been hard, exhausting, and, at times, sending me into autopilot mode. But I’m pushing through by reflecting and listening to my community (a lot of whom is my Twitter family, Josh and you).
Shoutouts
Congrats! 🍼Cody (Trust and Will) had his first baby. 🧶Ayinde (nēdl) made the list for BuiltinLA’s 50 Startups to Watch in 2020. 💰Samara for launching Chingona Ventures! 🚀Sahil (Gumroad)’s customers crossed $250M in revenue. 📕Henri (Harlem Capital) was featured in a Harvard Case study. 🌟Darren (Workfrom) made the Techstars Anywhere 2020 cohort. 🤩Katherine made partner at General Catalyst. 💥Leslie (Female Founders Alliance) and Irene (Monarq Incubator) are integrating forces. 🥳Jewel became head of Google Startups. 💸Bryan was promoted to General Partner at Backstage Capitals. 👟Payal (Classpass) became this decade’s first unicorn.
Work + Life
Dec
Invested in Operators Collective Fund (they have a 90% women and 40% women of color LP base! 🙌🏽); was featured in Decoding Bias in AI 🤖; traveled to the Amazon and the Bolivian salt flats 🧂.
Jan
Was invited to mentor Techstars Anywhere 2020 class + my panel on “Underserved Markets for SaaS Companies” made the 20 Trending VC Sessions list at 2020 SaaStr Annual! Also, Josh and I made our first insurtech angel investment!
Feb
Decided to add one more project to my list, a first-time founders (FTF) course; also exploring a FTF dinner series in Baltimore.
Reads
🕵🏼♂️Secrets of Sand Hill Road by @skupor
Mandatory VC reading. It’s good to keep up with what Silicon Valley celebrity investors are saying to founders and how they see the VC scene evolving. Get it.🌬Widen the Window by Elizabeth A. Stanley PhD
Boring but helpful in understanding, extending, and leveraging emotional bandwidth. Helpful for execs who want to “really” keep cool when shit hits the fan and make the “right” decisions. Get it.👍The Likeability Trap by @aliciamenendez
The book should have been titled, “A Women of Color’s Survival Guide.” Great book for women of color who want to “be” and thrive in a society that wasn’t made for and is still marginalizing them. Get it.
Life Hacks
🎧If you lose an airpod pro, you can try to find it with your iPhone, or easily order a replacement. Find out how.
👋🏽Share who you are to find and attract your people. I can’t tell you how many values-aligned people reach out to me after I share what I’m about.
Who else has a vision of a world where tech is created and led by the diversity of our population? Grateful for the chat w/@CogWorldHub @Forbes about things I love: my work, commitment to diversity in tech and how AI is impacting the way we work. forbes.com/sites/cognitiv…👗Rent the Runway (RTR) is a great way to outsource your closet. I’m upgrading to unlimited next month. Get $30 RTR credit here.
💁🏽♀️Dyson Supersonic hairdryer is worth the $400 in time and quality. I give myself professional level blowouts in 4 mins flat.
Asks
👀Give me feedback. My goal is to keep in touch with you, update you on what’s happening with me, and add value to you.
✨Call me out, if you don’t think I’m “being” authentic. Working on being more of me every day because I want to level up. My motivations: to give my fam a good life and to help create a world where tech is created and led by the diversity of our population.
🎙If you hear of speaking gigs on AI + Future of Work, VC, or diversity, send them my way. Whatever I make, I plan to invest in underestimated founders. Read more.
Thanks
🙏Matt W I appreciate that you cut to the chase, give me constructive feedback, and give me your vote of confidence. Lisa A thanks for crying and laughing with me. Eric N you’re helping me uplevel and I feel it happening. Tom I your sponsorship is noted and you shutting down bullshit when you see it in others is inspiring. Josh T grateful that you support all my shenanigans and are now investing with me in insurtech. Christy W thanks for being a sponsor and helping me help Baltimore!
✨Lolita Taub
lolitataub.co | twitter | medium
Have comments, questions, tips? Email me.