You’re not the typical start-up story.

You’re not raising round after round of capital or charging ahead, breaking things in the name of "progress." You’re taking a more considered approach — building something sustainable, thoughtful, and real.

You’re not going to take money from just anyone. But you also know: at some point, your product needs to become a business. And if you do go the investment route, it has to be with people who get it.

Still, it can stir up some imposter syndrome:
“Am I even a founder if I don’t want what those guys want?”

Confession time:
I was three years into running my business before I even understood what ‘entrepreneur’ meant.

It came during an accelerator program through Impact Hub Waikato called ‘Back to Purpose’. One of the workshop sessions asked us to consider what it really means to be an entrepreneur. I think they knew many of us weren’t sure if the label fit.

That session changed something for me.

I realised: an entrepreneur is simply someone with an idea, who sees an opportunity and has the adventurous spirit to pursue it. That’s it.

Whether in business or community life — there are many ways to be entrepreneurial. And it doesn’t look the same on everyone.

It doesn’t have to be all hustle and hockey-stick growth. And for many impact-focussed entrepreneurs it won’t.

Because we’re interested in solving real world problems, making a positive impact, and that takes time to build the relationships and a business that serves people and planet.

We’re going against the grain.

That means forging new paths, while still navigating the old systems. It's not easy — but it is possible.

And the good news? More and more people are doing it this way.

Take this accessibility startup we worked with, for example. They’re building a business that aims to make accessibility simple.

After kicking off with some initial marketing activity, they were ready to go deeper — to get clarity on what to do next and how to make it effective.

We worked together to create focus in their marketing and map out the most relevant next steps for their business journey.

Three weeks later, they had a clear direction and actionable insights they could run with.

That’s exactly what happens in our Marketing Reviews:
We dig into your current approach, explore ideas, and help you create a roadmap for meaningful growth.

If you’re interested, my Calendly is open for initial calls.

Until next time, remember to make space for the things that light you up ☀️

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📌 This was Issue 06 of The Forward — our regular newsletter.

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