I want to be where the people are

In the days following the re-election of DT, I found myself catatonic in my apartment—numb, disoriented, and searching for meaning… little did I think it would come in an email.

That Monday, a message hit my inbox from Tim Leberecht, founder of the House of Beautiful Business, titled: “The Ugly Beauty Shot You Never Expected to Read.”

The HOBB had already been on my radar. Two clients—and dear colleagues—had met at their festival in Portugal. And for years, I’d been craving an entrepreneurial community that was values-aligned, mission-driven, and rooted in real impact.

Reading Tim’s reflection on the forces shaping our moment—the collapse of shared reality, hyper-masculinity, rampant transactionalism, and what he called the loneliness machine—moved something deep in my nervous system.

His POV mirrored my own worldview as I tried to make sense of the chaos.

And in the immortal words of Marni…I SIGNED UP FOR HIS CLASS.

I bought tickets to the Poly-Opportunity (a bold response to the Poly-Crisis), attended the Hudson Valley convening at The Garrison Institute, and will be heading to the festival in Tangier this May.

There’s so much I’m still integrating from the weekend, but here’s one powerful breakthrough:

As someone who emcees global convenings, designs the arc and flow of live experiences, and facilitates at conferences, I’ve often wrestled with the tension between star-studded lineups, packed panels, fireside chats, and breakout sessions—the drive to deliver more content, more value—and the very real need for breath and spaciousness.

For people to connect.
To reflect.
To integrate.

I have TikTok, Instagram, and all the social platforms for speed and overwhelm….

…but when we gather in person?

It should feel less like a feed or timeline and—let’s be honest—a lot more human.

Here’s what clicked for me: My deepest interest right now isn’t in the platform, prestige, or celebrity of the speaker.

It’s in the quality and caliber of the humans in the room.

I didn’t go because of who was on stage. I went because of who else would be there— the ones who read that email and said, “Yaaaaaas. Thiiiiiiis.”

A global community of creators and creatives—entrepreneurs, authors, activists, philosophers, artists, technologists, futurists—wrestling with the questions of this moment.

My friends, it’s been cloudy with a 95% chance of rain over here.

And as I stepped outside The Garrison Institute and boarded the train home to Harlem, I heard a gentle whisper and thought to myself…

“What a wonderful world.”

 

Fearlessly yours,

Eduardo