From My Inbox: Good Guest

Confession.

I initially resisted joining Twitter back in 2007 (really!) finally succumbing to the “you should” pressure from friends to join the online cocktail party in March 2009.

I use the words “cocktail party” intentionally, as that is how I used to think of working the digital networking room that was Twitter.

Back in the day, if you were a “good guest” on the social networking platform, you were drawn into conversations with real people (not spammed with NFTs) and invited back into having more conversations with real people the next time you logged onto Twitter (not spammed with NFTs). It was delight, and now, as I like to say, it’s a bar under new management, one that I drop by occasionally to see if there is a familiar face at the old watering hole (or a new face, as yes, some real humans still use Twitter in a real human way), and while the bar’s owner (so to speak) has hired a new CEO, I’ll be continuing my cautious approach, as I (with curiosity rather than regret for what was Twitter) explore new online gathering places.

Embrace tech peeps to engage and connect, but lead with all that makes you human.

✈️ Now, while I’m flying off to Indiana to present to several hundred women managers at their annual corporate gathering, here’s what has landed in my inbox:

• May 30, Collective[i] welcomes William Taylor, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine to their forecast for a conversation on (you may have guessed it) how this war ends. More details + RSVP 🇺🇦
• To photo or not to photo….take my dear friend Elena’s poll - Exploring the ethics of photography and consent (The Realists) 📸
• And while you’re at it…if you've not chimed in on my how do you define success poll, pop over there now please…
• Cartier Women’s Initiative regional and thematic awards recognize and fund talented impact entrepreneurs from around the world who are leveraging business as a force for good. Their call for applications is now open. Apply!
• And I was limiting the scope of my imagination on this superfood - I thought Manuka honey was only good for skincare, cough drops and adding to tea ☕️ 🫖😷 Top British scientists at Porton Down lab plan to use Manuka honey's antibacterial qualities to create specialised chemical attack-resistant gas masks (Daily Mail)
• Is space, the new frontier, for inclusion? 🪐👽🛰️ Just 1 in 5 employees in the space industry are women. This lack of diversity is holding us back (The Conversation)
• Shout-out to Monica Parker’s Wonderbringers newsletter for this gem: Holding self-transcendence values linked to greater satisfaction with one’s romantic relationship (PsyPost)

“News stories featuring the best of humanity take the sting out of items exploring the worst of humanity…This allows people to believe, to maintain a core belief that is crucial for good mental health – that the world and the people in it are fundamentally good.”

• Good news stories take sting out of negative ones, study suggests (Yahoo! News UK)
• And in the I’m quite sure women in Australia are not alone in feeling this way file - Burnout and confidence are key hurdles to women achieving their ambitions in 2023 (Women’s Agenda)
• Does shedding assets make the balance sheet look phat? Blue Apron Announces Plans to Shift to an Asset-Light Model Through the Transfer of Operational Infrastructure to FreshRealm.

+ From the Build Your Dream Network podcast archive, a timeless reminder…it’s why there is tech folks! Conduct a Google search, lean on ChatGPT then and only then turn to your network AND ASK A BETTER QUESTION!

Better questions lead to better connections.

🚀 Paris + women entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem players! Join a delegation and start building connections before, during and after #InvestHerSummit2023 this June. Details on how to join a country delegation (U.S., Ireland, France, Netherlands, Italy already have one!) or start a new one OR join a sector delegation (AI, fintech, healthtech, cleantech + agritech) on the InvestHer Summit website.