Hello friends,
It’s nice to see you. Like all the plants around my house, I’ve been dormant over here for the past few months.
Everyone says that here in Maine true spring weather will be in late May. But it’s still exciting to notice all the signs of life. The flower bulbs I planted last fall are sprouting. Robin has returned. Groundhog is roaming. I’m dreaming of the month when the lilacs and rhododendron bushes are blossoming all around the house.
Hope you’re also excited for a season of growth. 🌱
Studio Update
I joined Maven three months ago. Maven is an early-stage EdTech startup whose mission is to democratize education and build the university of the future. Recently, it was ranked #1 for FastCompany's Most Innovative Education Companies of 2022!
Five weeks into the new job, I met my colleagues in person at the offsite in Costa Rica. Because the entire company is remote, we spent most of the time getting to know each other, exploring the beautiful location, and doing things that we wouldn’t be able to do remotely.
Not all startups are equal. I’m convinced that Maven is one of the best ones out there at this current stage (a one-year-old Series A startup with just 25 peeps). The team is passionate and diverse. Leadership cares deeply about core values and cultural norms.
What’s most special for me is the overlaps between the company’s mission, my passion for education, and my experience in designing marketplace(Airbnb) and social content(Twitter). It’s pretty rare that you see opportunities that feel like this is the work that only you can do. Like many early-stage startups, Maven has many challenges ahead to establish its product-market fit and solve the cold start problem. Everyone is stepping up to the challenge while having fun doing it.
A New Coaching Bootcamp
I want to share that I’m launching a new course on Maven: Energy Leadership Bootcamp.
Everyone is a leader either by choice or by default. The question isn’t whether or not you’re a leader. The question is… how will you lead?
This is a one-week workshop series for anyone who wants to inspire and motivate themselves and others, feel a greater sense of purpose, and get more done with much less effort and stress. Besides the workshops, you’ll complete a research-based Energy Leadership Index Assessment and receive an 11-page report that provides a unique lens on self-awareness and emotional intelligence, two key ingredients for any leader.
What you’ll get
Less stress, more compassion. You'll understand how your energy levels shift during stress and how to take that weight off your shoulders.
Understand your core energy. You’ll take a researched-back assessment (Energy Leadership Index) to understand your baseline and explore your leadership potential.
Cultivate your team's energy. By understanding the seven levels of energy, you'll gain the ability to see new perspectives that serve you and others.
Since 2020, I’ve been working with clients 1:1 on the topic of Energy Leadership. Given that my capacity for new 1:1 clients is pretty limited this year, I’m offering the core concept and the assessment as a more accessible group program ($699).
I look forward to the opportunity to support you!
What Inspires Me
Lately, since I’ve been in the headspace of education and learning, I’ve been seeking inspiration from science, math, and surrealism art.
Math is beautiful. Byrne’s Euclid the modern reproduction and the original book as in the Internet Archive.
A documentary film of the Dutch artist known for his detailed realistic prints that achieve bizarre optical and conceptual effects: M.C. Escher: Journey to Infinity.
How Ernst Chladni’s Chladni figures (experimentations with salt and vibrating plates) inspired the brand and the interior of a spa.
The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.
— Mary Oliver, The Third Self
Have a creative week. ✨
Yuan