Advice for Future Accelerator Participants

You are about to embark on a challenging but rewarding journey. Make no mistake, no matter how certain you are that you have your shit together, you will have a moment where you feel overwhelmed or incapable during the coming weeks. Get comfortable with that fact now.

If I can offer one piece of advice, it is to trust the process. There will be deliverables that you can write/create in your sleep, and there will be others that require soul-searching and teeth-gnashing. Neither is more right or wrong than the other. 

This experience is a gift, and, for me, the gravity of that gift was delivered not in the easy moments but in the hard ones. Be willing to be humble. Be willing to revisit your assumptions (what you may consider your 'knowns'). Be willing to think creatively and beyond what is possible today or next year. Be willing to dig deep, get personal, and put it all on the table. You will get out of this experience what you invest. And if you give it 10%, you'll only reap a 10% reward (and why would you waste your time on that?!).

Do your future self a favor and set aside time every day to work on this. It is worth that time (and more), but start with a 30-45-minute block. Whether it is your weekly meeting with Christa, homework, or deliverables, it will take this time each day and more. 

Finally, understand the tremendous gift of time that Christa invests in you. You won't understand half of it until Showcase day, but know she is your fierce and tireless advocate. Respect her investment and step up yourself. If she asks for something, deliver it. If she sets a timeline, honor it. We make time for what we value. If you truly value this experience, you will make time for it. 

With love and wishing you luck,

Kathryn Doornbos, Ph.D.
@ Redemptive Cycles 
Birmingham, AL