Happy 33rd Anniversary to my parents. Also, happy Valentine's Day 💘
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Dear <<First Name>>,
February 15th, 2019 was the day I started LaunchLetter. At the time I was a new Mom, recovering from a minor surgery, curled up on the couch, trying to figure out how to reconnect with the working community. I didn't leave the workforce voluntarily while I was pregnant, but after my son was born, I really started to enjoy my time as a stay at home new Mom. I knew I needed to return to the workforce, but I didn't quite know where to start. Along the way, I rediscovered my love of writing, and reset my professional and personal goals, while reading the stories of people I admire as inspiration. I learned a lot about work life balance, inner peace, and true happiness. One of my friends gave me the idea for the format, and LaunchLetter was born.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this past year, and I really hope you've learned as much as I have about the people in our community featured in LaunchLetter. Each time I read an interview, I'm surprised, delighted, and excited to apply their experiences to my life. I hope you are too.
I need your help though. If you like my writing, even just a little bit, will you do me a favor and share LaunchLetter with a friend, or on social media?
Here's the link: https://us7.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=143a9001b0714ce8df0334415&id=eade3ef53a
ALSO: Please fill out an interview yourself! Please do it! If you are a founder or CEO then you are qualified. Here is the link: https://southernalpha.typeform.com/to/GJAHuQ
Thank you so much for an incredible year. If you have feedback, feel free to reply to this email.
-Kelley Griggs
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Kelley Griggs, Co-founder of Pronghorn Software and Southern/alpha
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Pronghorn Software is a software development company that my husband Corey and I founded here in Nashville, Tennessee. We specialize in building SaaS applications, internal applications, and third-party systems integrations. We also do test automation and API development.
Recent Achievement:
I'm a new Mom, and I just rejoined the workforce to start my own company after almost two years.
Meet your five minute mentor, me, Kelley Griggs, Co-founder of Pronghorn Software and Southern/alpha.
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More people should pay attention to Nashville's childcare crisis.
When limited access to reliable and safe childcare keeps one parent home, it starts to effect more than just that family. I'm worried that the three year long waiting lists and hefty application fees will start to catch up with Nashville, and I fear that women -especially women who work in the startup community and their families- are already affected.
There's a huge opportunity here. What about drop-off childcare at co-working spaces? That would give working parents just enough time to have an interview or do two hours worth of work. What about more tools to connect parents for a parent-nanny-share, with a feature that includes a built-in contract and insurance coverage?
There are ways for us to address modern family life. We just have to realize that the need is there, and someone out there has to be willing to work on this problem. I am!
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I learned that there are tough days when bad things happen that are completely out of your control, but you are in control of your decisions and plans. Empower yourself and take a confident step in the direction that makes you happy.
Good things can only happen if you make space in your life for your own journey. You are the only one who can do it, but you don't have much time. So what are you waiting for?
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Running is my meditation. I've been running for fifteen years and still look forward to getting my runs in. These days though, taking my son for a stroll in his tricycle also does the trick.
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Coffee shops are for the community. Don't expect everyone to treat them like an office (She says while writing this from Portland Brew East).
We spend so much time working that we quite literally miss everything going on around us. I discovered I am a really bad community helper, and I think it's due to 'minding my own business.' I think it's okay to work from places, just as long as you realize that different community members have different needs. If you are willing to stop and listen, you might tap into one of those needs.
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I realized at some point that it's okay to not be thrilled to do every task/job, but when I do discover something that I'm genuinely excited about, it means every learning day gets to be a success.
When people say 'listen to your gut,' I think that's a part of what they mean. You can learn a handful of skills and be successful, but you're living the dream if you've found joy in what you do.
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I'm a marketer, designer, and writer. I love board games and gardening and building blanket forts with my son. I also love building Pronghorn Software with my husband Corey.
You can follow me on Twitter here, or on Linkedin here.
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✨Success is never ending, failure is never complete ✨
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Know someone who will bring perspective and insight to LaunchLetter?
Nominate a founder or CEO who inspires you and we will do our best to invite them to a LaunchLetter interview.
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Can't get enough?
1. Check out the relaunched Southern/alpha. If you've been looking for a place to learn more about what other local founders/entrepreneurs are doing to launch and grow their businesses, this is the place to find it.
2. Our local Slack, StartupNash, is at 173 members! Please join in if you are in the Nashville area and want to pitch a startup idea, or share a weekly win with our supportive community.
3. We just launched a free mentor matching service for the StartupNash Slack community. I've gotten a lot of interest in people seeing professional mentorship, and lots of people who want to give back. You can participate here. It doesn't matter how long you've been reading these emails, if you are interested, I'd love to have you. |
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LaunchLetter is a weekday newsletter from Southern/alpha, a website that features collections of stories and resources for underestimated startup communities.
LaunchLetter is for founders getting started on an idea or business. Our goal is to share the perspective, habits and positive messages of more experienced founders and CEOs. We hope you find it relatable and delightful as you get focused for the day on your own goals. To the stars!
🚀✉️
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