Welcome to What’s Lit!

A place where we spotlight resources that fuel our creativity and knowledge.

Nancy Twine: Makers Mindset

I’m so inspired by stories of entrepreneurs. It’s because I’ve always wanted to be one myself. I was the kid with the lemonade stand and sold handmade friendship bracelets and beaded jewelry to friends and family. I also had a short stint in a business with my friends where we sold custom-made knitted products. I had no idea what I was doing, but really enjoyed the creative process and learning what it takes to grow a business.

Since then, I’ve had ideas in the back of my mind to start a new venture, but fear, self-doubt, and need for financial security held me back.

Hearing about Nancy Twine and listening to her podcast Makers Mindset, fueled my desire for entrepreneurship again. What’s particularly inspiring about her podcast is the focus on women entrepreneurs building and scaling their businesses, while staying true to their vision, values, and purpose. Hearing Nancy’s own story of building her brand Briogeo, bootstrapped without a lot of support from mentors was really empowering. She’s even started the Makers Mindset Accelerator, a program where she gives other entrepreneurs access to her roadmap of growing, funding, and scaling a brand.

Brené Brown: Living Beyond Human Scale

Photo Source: https://brenebrown.com/

You’re going to see a lot of Brené Brown recommendations in What’s Lit! Her podcasts and her numerous books have influenced my work, how I approach leadership, and most importantly how I live my life.

I’ve been catching up on her podcasts after a few months. I recently listened to an eight-episode series from May 2024 on the Dare to Lead and Unlocking Us podcasts which she called Living Beyond Human Scale, the possibilities, the costs, and the role of community. Her conversations with her guests focused on living in the age of immense and rapid change driven by technology (AI and social media, specifically), and how we are losing our sense of control. She (and her guests) explain that trying to stop or control the change is futile. Instead, we need to equip ourselves with the skills and mindsets to live with constant change. She used the analogy of driving on ice. When your car slips you don’t step on the brakes (trying to stop the car), instead you steer towards the direction you’re moving and brace yourself for what’s to happen next.