The Babson SUD Sprint 2024 wrapped up last week, and what an exhilarating journey it was! By day three, the information was coming in fast and furious, leaving me a bit behind on updates—but better late than never. The insights we gained, from improving our innovation pitches to exploring the depths of design thinking, will be instrumental in driving the success of SUDCx as we move forward.
Reflecting on the experience, two interrelated lessons stand out:
Not every closed door is locked. Just because a door is closed doesn't mean it can't be opened.
The entrepreneurial journey is anything but easy. When Whitney and I first started Transcendworx, we were juggling other jobs, not to mention keeping our canine bosses at home happy. Success didn’t come overnight. There were moments when self-doubt crept in, especially when faced with challenges or when progress felt slow. But our commitment to making a meaningful impact in the recovery ecosystem kept us going. The obstacles we’ve encountered have been invaluable lessons, teaching us to persevere and refine our strategies.
As we’ve learned, not every closed door is locked. With persistence and continuous improvement, we’ve been able to open doors and collaborate with like-minded partners.
Be like water, always find a way.
Have you ever noticed how water moves? It doesn’t wait around for permission or a perfect plan. It simply finds a way to move forward. Innovators like me can learn a lot from this. Like water, we shouldn’t wait for all the answers or perfect conditions. Instead, we should take action when opportunities arise, even if everything isn’t perfectly mapped out.
When water encounters an obstacle, it doesn’t stop. It finds a crack to slip through, flows over, or even carves a new path - obstacles aren’t the end of the road. They’re just challenges to overcome. When faced with a barrier, we need to get creative, find another way, and keep moving forward.
Water’s journey is rarely straight—it bends, twists, and turns. This flexibility is essential for entrepreneurs too. Things won’t always go as planned, and that’s okay. We need to be ready to pivot, to change our strategies when the situation demands it, just like a river adjusts its course.
Water also knows how to adapt to different conditions. It flows more when it rains and conserves when there’s a drought, and we should do the same. We need to be aware of our surroundings, ready to seize new opportunities when they arise, and cautious when the environment is less favorable.
And while water can evaporate, it’s always in motion to prevent that. For myself and Whitney, this means staying active and continually pushing forward. Even if we make mistakes, the key is to keep moving, learning, and evolving. This way, we won’t become stagnant or let our dreams evaporate.
In the end, the qualities of water—being adaptable, persistent, and resilient—are exactly what innovators need. By embracing these traits, we can navigate our journeys, overcome challenges, and reach new horizons.
Babson SUD Sprint Final Thoughts
I highly recommend the Babson College SUD Sprint Program to anyone with a vision for addressing substance use in our communities. Having spent my career in the SUD field, I've been deeply involved in patient care and program implementation, drawing from academic, clinical, and research perspectives. However, my understanding of entrepreneurship and the business side of SUD innovation has been more of a learning-by-doing experience. Some might say I've been "winging it," figuring things out as I go.
That's why this program was such a game-changer for me. It provided an invaluable opportunity to shift from a reactive approach to a more intentional and strategic one in the SUD innovation space. If you're passionate about transforming your ideas from the lab or whiteboard into real-world solutions, I can't recommend this program enough.
A new cohort will be starting next year, so if you're interested in learning more about my experience or discussing how this program could benefit you, please feel free to reach out. This program is designed to help us bring our ideas to life and make a tangible impact on the world.
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