Entrepreneurship : A View Through The Lens of Mushroom Foraging
My client does things his own way. He prefers adventure over tradition: his favorite bespoke suit, lined with shark-patterned silk, reminds him he's a different kind of shark, one that seeks out the blood in the water to heal the injured, not to destroy. He’s the kind of leader who expects those he mentors to level-up and contribute to the whole, and he does so with generosity and kindness. Kaizen - the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement - drives his team to excellence.
This Modern-Renaissance Entrepreneur enjoys doing the unexpected and knows that whatever he does, no matter how seemingly unrelated, it brings energy, creativity, and inspiration to his work.
Every year on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, rather than digging for deals online or in stores, as US consumerism encourages, he, his wife and their dog hike into the forest to hunt for wild mushrooms.
I ask newbie questions like, “How can you find mushrooms you enjoy AND stay safe?” How can you have fun in a potentially disastrous activity?” “What if the dog eats one when you’re not looking?”
As we explored mushroom foraging, its pitfalls and peaks, a unique set of high performance principles emerged. I want to share them with you to fire up your creativity too. Because I know nourishing your creativity is the most satisfying path as you continue to make valuable contributions, even if you’re resisting it, think you can’t find the time, or keep telling yourself you’re not creative.
Mushroom foraging, or any other out-of-the-box, high-risk, high-reward, activity is a lot like entrepreneurship: You’ve got to take risks, live on the edge, seize opportunities to lead, self-reflect, and learn and do it all again as soon as you can.
A passion for creative Italians since the Renaissance days of DaVinci, mushroom foraging requires an almost timeless presence, searching for something old to become new. This effort requires radical reimagining. Then, through curating, cleansing, and cooking, what was once forest fungi, becomes a rare prize and, in the right hands, an incredible meal.
Modern-Renaissance Entrepreneurs and mushroom foragers are imaginative, leaders (in their multi-dimensionality), creatives, and time travelers in their prescience.
As with wild mushroom foraging, your entrepreneurial, creative and business endeavors can potentially:
Bring the dark into the light, by unearthing the unseen.
Disrupt (subterranean) structural systems to create something new.
Call for bold, dangerous and potentially life-threatening action.
Invite you on an adventure at the threshold of the unknown.
Require you to constantly weigh risks and rewards.
Allow you to find the beautiful and the ugly along the way.
Beckon you to be nimble and aware of your surroundings to stay alive.
Offer a result filled with pleasure, accomplishment, and great results.
Assuming you know everything can end up being a big mistake. Practicing alternative arts in nature like mushroom foraging, mountain climbing, or even skydiving can keep you humble, experiencing the unexpected, and remembering nature knows best. There’s only so much you can control.
If you’re wondering how I can help you expand whatever constraints you and your business might be experiencing, please don’t hesitate to reach out at Katie@katiepeuvrelle.com. And, if you’re thinking an entrepreneurial mushroom foraging expedition in Italy would be right up your alley, you can write and tell me that, too.