Last month, we discussed the role of villages and how they shape our goals. During February, I want to invite us to explore our relationship with growth and discomfort. Growth and discomfort have multiple layers to it, and this month, which is also my birthday month, so I want to invite us to dive deeper into these layers as I also find myself more naturally reflective on my own journey.
We get this conversation started with our new episode featuring Dr. Elena Hoffer, the co-founder and CEO of Alma.me, which helps PhDs transition from academia to industry. Elena, originally from Germany, earned her PhD in Medical Sciences from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and has since founded Alma.me and grown a LinkedIn community of over 125,000 members. In this episode, she shares more about her journey as a researcher and entrepreneur, detailing her experiences as an international student and PhD candidate. She discusses overcoming language barriers, adjusting to a different culture, learning about careers beyond academia and eventually going into entrepreneurship.
What I appreciated most about my conversation with Elena was that we touched on the cumulative and expansive nature of discomfort. Through her own experience, she has expanded her sense of self and what she has been capable of at every step. Discomfort was a stepping stone into a more confident and resourceful version of herself. That was true for her career development as much as her experience buying her first apartment in Sweden as a graduate student. The steps she took were uncomfortable, and even terrifying, but as we discuss in our conversation, they also became new baselines or stepping stones for what she now sees possible in her own life and what she can share with others.
Elena also highlighted a common thread across my interviews: the role of community in that process, which connects to our discussions in the past several weeks. In her own words, knowing that she was not alone was a key piece to encourage her through the process.
Last week, the parting question I shared with you was what intention you had for 2026 when it came to your village. Today, let me add one more layer to this reflection: knowing that our growth depends on these uncomfortable stepping stones, what is one move that feels uncomfortable to you, but you know it is required for your growth right now? How does your intention about your village connect to it?
Next week, we will not have an episode of Lucky to Be Here, but we will dive deeper into this relation between our communities and the uncomfortable steps that help us grow into who we are. In the meantime, if you are in the DMV area, remember that our in-person gathering for informal networking, Networking Lab @ Creative Colony is coming up soon (more info below).
Did you listen to our episode with Elena? Did this reflection spark new insights? Reply back to share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you.
See you next week!
