š March is predictably unpredictable aka the wildcard month
A lesson about community, unexpected opportunities, and the wildcard you need to drop asap this month
Thereās a saying I grew up hearing my grandmother say every year that popped back into my head last week.
It was the first Sunday of March and sleeting outside.
I caught myself staring out the window making a funny face about it and my husband goes āItās okay, March is predictably unpredictable.ā
And I just stopped.
I opened my notes app and wrote this down for today.
Which by the way, speaking of unexpected, today we hit a high of 64 and it felt like Spring. š
Anyway, the rough translation of the saying is something likeā¦ February is crazy and March is more of the same.
And it gets said so casually, like of course, why are you even surprised right now.
Thatās kind of the whole point though. You donāt fight it and you donāt fix it. You just name it, account for it, and keep going.
So as I juggle client work and building MyOrbit I started thinkingā¦
Every year nature goes through the same predictably unpredictable transition into spring.
As a community strategist who helps founders build and grow communities, Iāve learned that the most powerful moments in communities rarely happen exactly as planned.
So what if instead of trying to hold everything together perfectly you:
Got a little loose
Tried the idea you canāt stop thinking about
Said yes before everything made perfect sense
Left some room for the unexpected
And thatās usually when the best things start to happen.
You canāt put that on a content calendar, but you can be so locked into the plan that you miss it completely when it shows up.
And today out of all days, I have to share this.
Itās International Womenās Day and one thing Iāve consistently seen among women founders is the instinct to give first (introductions, ideas, support, etc) long before anyone calls it strategy and even before they feel ready to.
So take this as your sign to share the thing before itās perfect. Make the intro before itās āthe right time.ā Show up in the room and offer the knowledge, the energy, the credit, the co-sign.
Because long before anyone called it strategy, this is how community has always worked.
Give to gain isnāt a tactic, itās how we grow.
Hereās the AHA I want you to take into this month.
The wildcard isnāt what March throws at you. The wildcard is you.
In community building and entrepreneurship, the most meaningful opportunities often appear when you leave room for the unexpected.
You get to decide what move you make that nobody saw coming. The pivot. The reach out. The thing youāve been sitting on. The idea that felt too bold for January but feels exactly right now.
March didnāt come to mess up your plan. It came to give you an opening. The question is whether youāre going to play the card.
Play the card. And maybe pass one to somebody else while youāre at it.
š±Ingrid
š ā.This weekās challenge
Itās time to drop your wildcard. You know exactly what it is (send the message, pitch the idea, make the intro, etc). Whatever it is, do it this week, and then turn around and encourage a friend to drop theirs.
Quote of the week
Ā°ā§ š š š Ā·ļ½”Ā°ā§ š š š Ā·ļ½”Ā°ā§ š š š Ā·ļ½”
āI always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that's how you grow.ā ā Marissa Mayer, former CEO of Yahoo!
Click-worthy links
ā¼ļø RIP rĆ©sumĆ©s | Business Insider | Slop is killing the rĆ©sumĆ©. Job hunters are scrambling for new ways to stand out
More women moving toward entrepreneurship, data shows | LinkedIn | Entrepreneurship is becoming a clear expression of women's ambition; over the past decade, the share of global founders who are women has jumped over 5 percentage points, the new data shows, with nearly 30% of founders worldwide women.
We Got Hooked on Fast, Free Shipping. Now Retailers Are Taking It Away. | WSJ
OpenAI hit with lawsuit claiming ChatGPT acted as an unlicensed lawyer | Reuters | LOL uh, DUH?!?! š
I feel like I have a wild card to play this month, but it isn't quite my turn. Maybe, it will be in a few days...wait for it!! It's going to be EPIC!!