Reading: Helping Others Connect and Belong with Amy Giddon

“I’m learning how much we need to feel not alone,” says Amy Giddon, co-founder and Chief Connection Officer of Daily Haloha, a mobile app that allows people to connect more deeply and compassionately through a shared experience of reflection. “We’re wired for connection. It’s poignant that a two minute ritual can make people feel belonging.” Each day the app asks users to answer a simple question or fill in the blank, such as “I’m becoming __________”; shared answers create a kind of group connection. Through her work in strategic and financial planning at Bain & Company and women’s leadership development at Barnard College, Giddon discovered how the voices of “women and others can be marginalized and not heard.” After the 2016 election she sensed people “felt silenced and separated.” She says Daily Haloha became “like a calling” and was birthed at her kitchen table.

*NOTE: This episode was recorded on February 17, 2020. Any upcoming events mentioned in this episode have been postponed until further notice. For information on our upcoming virtual events over Zoom, please check https://www.coveyclub.com under the “Attend” tab. Thank you so much and I can’t wait to connect with everyone in person soon. Stay safe!

Amy’s Top Tips for Reinventing in the Tech World

1. Realize the importance of your time
I certainly was too slow in bringing people in. Resources are so constrained for a startup, both your time and your finances, and I think I was overly concerned about the financial piece without giving enough concern to my time. So I would say bring in a paid advisor from time to time, even if it feels a little painful to spend the money, because it’ll pay dividends in the long term. Both in the quality of the decisions that you’re making, but also because your time has value.

2. Don’t be precious with your idea
Ask for Help. I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but what we have, women with long histories, is extensive networks. And people want to help! Sometimes I felt like my idea was so fragile, and I didn’t want to hold it up to the light of day prematurely, and make myself vulnerable to negative feedback. But you know what? If you don’t ask, you’re not going to get help. Put it out there early and often, and get feedback right away. That’s invaluable.

3. Don’t listen to everyone
You’re going to have to develop some healthy boundaries. There are people who are not going to be a champion for you, for all sorts of reasons of their own. So you need to develop a radar for when and who to listen to, and then thank them and move on. That’s one I’ve had to learn the hard way – sometimes people are just not in your corner, and it’s for reasons that have nothing to do with you. It’s about them. So just thank them and move on.