Office updates & the fetishisation of young founders
Plus, other musings from Soho Farmhouse. And Office Radio has landed
Hello!
I spent the past weekend in the English countryside – the Cotswolds to be exact. It was beautiful; idyllic even. There’s nothing quite like getting out of the big smoke for a long weekend of pub food (The Bull), massages (Cowshed Spa at Soho Farmhouse) and Bailey’s spiked hot chocolate.
Upon my arrival home, I found myself particularly inspired to listen to new music. I typically only listen to old music while working (Chet Baker, Mtume, George Benson, etc.). But I felt inspired this week to broaden my Office Radio to include contemporary music.
The by-product of this: an official “Step Into My Office” Radio. Curated by me, for you. This is Volume 1. If you like it, I can make more. Since creating it, I have had it on repeat. Like literally nonstop.
Volume 1, for me, elicits some kind of soulful peace that I’ve craved lately. I’ve found it lulls me into a deep state of inspiration, joy and gratitude. I hope it can bring the same to you.
There is nothing like the music to elicit certain moods. It’s a tool I harness as part of my creative process, which is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Namely, because I’m building something new. (Even as I type it out, I’m still, like, shocked I’m doing this.)
I’ve built and consulted on new ventures many times before. But this process has been (surprisingly) emotional, insightful and healing in ways I can’t explain. But more on that later.
Agenda for today’s letter:
Office updates
The fetishisation of young founders
Office updates
Some housekeeping notes
We’ve just moved into our second month at the Office. I’m so grateful to all of you are here with me; thank you for coming along on the journey
Some updates in light of this:
The publication day is changing – well, it’s already changed. With time zones, managing my creative output and capacity, I’ve found that publishing on a Friday (UK time) / Saturday (Aus time) works best
So, you can expect me in your inbox weekly on Fridays / Saturdays
Please, oh please, tell your friends if you’re liking this letter – if something I’ve said has resonated or moved you, please shout it from the rooftops
Tell your friends
Send them the letter
Send the link to the publication (it’s here for your ease)
Your recommendation is the greatest currency I have. I implore you to use it with abandon
Expect more exciting things to come – I’m genuinely jazzed about the launch of Office Radio and have been toying with other ideas, too (think: podcast series, voice notes embedded in letters, Q+As, etc.)
If any of these pique your interest – or if you’re enjoying just letter as it is – please let me know. My DMs are open!
The fetishisation of young founders
And other musings from Soho Farmhouse
There’s nothing like a bit of space and country air to reset the nervous system
As Emily Sundberg said this week, “foliage is a luxury”
In the context of my career at present, the space was particularly luxurious
It gave me space to put my current experience into context. To make peace with where I’m at. To heal parts of my identity that I didn’t know needed attention
For context – since the frivolity of the European summer has ended, I’ve been working on a new venture behind-the-scenes (!!!)
Originally, I had set out to simply “explore my curiosity”
I had just wound down my first business and moved overseas
I had made a vow to myself that I would take time to, just, chill
But, as you would have it, that nudge that had told me to wind down my company, made itself known; this compulsion only got stronger and stronger
And so, slowly, gently, I dipped my toe in
Everytime I thought, this is cool but not right now, that intuition responded clearer and louder that now was the time
(If you can’t tell, I’m incredibly intuitively-led)
And so, day-by-day, step-by-step, I found myself building of a new venture
The process has been challenging. But also, healing…
Challenging because it’s brought up a lot for me around my relationship with the role of “founder”
The culture deeply fetishizes “young entrepreneurs” and “young founders” in a way that I find to be… gross…
Gross because many of the associations that come with “young founders” champion qualities I believe to be damaging
Money
‘Big money’
(At times, stupid money)
Speed
‘Hard and fast’
‘Immense growth’
Youth
‘Younger is better’
‘Youth knows best’
We all know stories of twenty-somethings who drink the “founder” Kool-Aid and are praised by the culture for doing so
My experience of being a young founder (from the ripe age of 23) mirrors something of the sort
Looking back now, one month shy of my 29th birthday, I can confidently say that I knew so little about business
I was entirely ignorant as to what was important for long-term success
(I particularly loved this piece published in Air Mail last week)
Of course, the blame couldn’t solely be placed on me
The culture had an immense influence
From the media (old and new) that fawn over ‘how I built a multi-million dollar business from my bedroom’ stories to how we, as a society, treat the (supposedly) ‘young and successful’
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Step Into My Office to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.