London, Stop Two On My Entrepreneurial World Tour!

The red of the double decker buses contrasted against the blue British summer sky. Piccadilly Circus buzzed with laughter as people enjoyed the pleasure of a warm afternoon. I located the coworking space I was looking for, Impact Hub Westminster, located in the New Zealand Embassy on Haymarket Street. I am in London, the second stop on my workshop world tour.

I meet with the Community Enabler, Floree who helped make my Twitterversity workshop a sold out success.

Floree’s official title is Community Enabler. When she took part in my Twitterversity workshop on June 30^th and we agreed that her alternative title could be “Matchmaker”. She matches up people, ideas and events to make beautiful things happen.

There were a few differences between running a workshop in London versus New York. There are also a few similarities. The similarities are the enthusiasm that people have for sharing their passion and ideas. The differences came in the way people responded to sharing. In London people had a very polite way of interacting. I had to ask people to share their thoughts or questions with the room. In New York people needed no invitation, they felt comfortable jumping in with ideas as soon as they had them. Once the groups started sharing, it was contagious, regardless of what side of the pond they where from.

I discussed this experience with a friend Farid, the founder of business accelerator Ignitr in London. He explained that London is a wonderfully balanced mix of polite consideration and enthusiasm for ideas and innovation.

This international experience has reinforced how important it is to be aware of how small the world is. Before my trip I saw myself as just one person on a vast blue planet. Now I see myself as a person who is part of a global community. Through this journey of presenting international workshops, I understand how ideas, innovation and passion are a unifying force in the world.

Having an international outlook has opened my eyes to how unique each and every one of us is. I have met a variety of people who have created niche ways to interact with the world. They have created businesses that I never would have dreamed of. This has been an important lesson for me. Never stop learning and dreaming. Those dreams could become the answer to someone else’s problem or the inspiration for the foundation of a new business.

I am writing this from a workspace in tree house in Hoxton Square, London. Some very wonderful people at Groundwork.org.uk have built a space that people can rent to work in as well as bring awareness to underfunded parks. This tree house began as someone’s dream and now I am sitting in it!

At my last workshop I met entrepreneurs who wanted to open coworkings spaces, sustainability coaches and super food advocates. The more people I meet the more inspired I become. I see the value in others and that in turn helps me to recognize what is valuable in me. We all have something to offer. Often the trick is finding the best way to express ourselves and share it.

With amazing experiences in New York and London under my belt, I now have the last leg of my trip to look forward to, Berlin. So far the event at Impact Hub Berlin is filling up, with only 1 space left. I am also looking forward to running my solo Twitterversity workshop with Betahaus.

Joseph Joubert said, “To teach is to learn twice”. Every workshop I run leads me to think and connect with others in new ways. I never tire of the cycle of teaching, as well as learning what the participants can teach me.

Collaboration is what I live for and dream about as I continue on this path around the world.

Thank you Impact Hub Westminster, it was better than I ever could have imagined.