A bi-weekly column exploring the intersection of entrepreneurship and community by Sam Davidson
No matter what your new year holds, I bet none of your resolutions are the following:
- Do more things alone
- Get exhausted and constantly run out of energy
- Never ask for help
Humans are wired for community. Since our earliest ancestors formed groups to meet basic needs, generations have relied on each other to grow, succeed, and prosper. And if there is any group that needs to focus on relying on community more, it’s entrepreneurs.
According to research by Intuit QuickBooks, roughly 23% of people are considering starting a business this year. I’m willing to bet that the vast majority of those are looking to connect with others as they launch. Whether they line up a mentor, network with fellow entrepreneurs, or grow an ecosystem of support, business owners that are the most successful are those who rely on others as they grow.
This is an exciting time at Nashville Entrepreneur Center. While the turning of the calendar to a new year gives anyone a chance to reset, recharge, and regroup, a lot of community-focused events are happening.
Earlier this week, our newest InFlight cohort launched. These 24 entrepreneurs have committed to work side-by-side with experts and one another to grow their businesses over the next 16 weeks. They’ve realized their upcoming challenges and opportunities are too great for them to handle alone and the next best move is to align themselves with others rooting for them.
Likewise, our 2024 Project Healthcare cohort also launched this week with its First Look event and a Health Valuation Lab kickoff. These 22 entrepreneurs from around the country are working hard to use market solutions to fix some of our biggest challenges when it comes to health, wellness, and delivery of care.
Last week, I sat with Josh Mundy to debut our newest content series, Cereal with a Serial. I’m interviewing people who have started multiple businesses so they can share their ups and downs, successes and failures. There’s no reason for someone else to make your same mistake; all it takes is the sharing of a story to encourage a fellow entrepreneur. Come join us for our next session on February 1 (plus each of these events includes a cereal buffet).
On January 23, we’ll have a free event: Capital 101. Our own Haley Zapolski will share anything and everything about raising money.
Want more free events? Come happy hour with us on January 18 or cowork for free on January 25. A full list of our upcoming events is here, just to serve as proof that we don’t think you were meant to do this alone.
For the EC, 2024 promises to be full of energy, the kind that is best shared and renewed alongside one another. If you need fuel for this journey (and we think you do), the only way to get it is together.
