Austin is full of people who nourish my soul, helping me continue and grow our mission. When it comes to physical nourishment, there is no place I’d rather be. Like many of you, I have countless meetings, held at coffee shops, lunch spots, and over happy hour. When setting up those meetings — which are nourishing in a different way — the question always arises: Where to go?
There are so, so many choices. From my favorite morning bone broth at Piknik to coffee at Better Half, tacos at Taco Flats, burgers and tequila at Hopdoddy, and happy hour at Mongers … the list goes on and on and on. And behind each of these great establishments is a founder who has a great story, a passion.To them, I say a heartfelt thank you! You nourish us through our meetings, you give us atmosphere, and you give us nourishment. Without you, our work would be so much more boring and less meaningful.
In addition to the physical nourishment these great establishments provide (for the 99 percent I didn’t mention, please know that you are in my heart), Austin has a nourishing spirit that I want to share with the world. One of the missions of this magazine and of the founding_media podcast network is to spread Austin’s spirit — because there is no other city like it.
I remember talking to Turk Pipkin on the Masters and Founders podcast about how, after a documentary screening about the nonprofit work he and his wife do in Kenya and other countries, there was a line of people waiting to express their support and pledge their help. Way to go Austin! You make me proud to be here. And this is the nourishment that we as founders also need from our community.
Remember to take the time to show up for our founders. Ask them what you can do. Be kind. The founder journey is an exciting one, but it’s full of ups and downs and full of well-meaning people who haven’t taken entrepreneurial leaps for themselves and who cast doubts on the risk you’re taking. It’s a difficult path to navigate, and a supportive community makes all the difference in the world. Most founders strive to create a better society to change the world, improve people’s lives — and thus deserve kindness and support.
In the end, we are all made of the same thing: stardust. Our DNA is 70 percent the same as a banana. We are human, in the greatest sense of the word. And when we leave this earth, we want to leave it better than when we got here. It just makes so much sense to nourish and support each other — founders, aspiring founders, and benefactors — along the journey. Thank you, Austin. Thank you for fueling and nourishing me. Keep on keeping on.
-Dan Dillard
