Currently writing this from Austin, Texas! SXSW 2026 has come to a close and my flight back home has been canceled and now delayed three times 😅.

So make sure you give this a read and reply back cause I'll be here for awhile.

Newsletter Sounds: a few tracks that carried me through March. Listen here while you read.

My phrase for March? Keep Going.

This thing called entrepreneurship sometimes has me desiring being "normal." You know, being okay with a normal job and a steady paycheck. It's in those moments that I push myself to keep going because even then, I believe how deeply I was meant to be an entrepreneur in this life.

One of my favorite things to do is moderate and host events. The goal is to have that be a paid avenue by the way, so if you see any paid opportunities, think of me and send them my way!

February found me moderating a conversation about growth at the Lynx Startup Fundraising Summit put on by two partners of Flybridge, an early stage venture capital firm. I had the opportunity to chat with Audrey Kettler, Co-founder of Particle, about all things growth in startups. The thing I loved most about our conversation is that we didn't tell everyone "here are growth hacks to try." We emphasized that growth starts with a solid foundation.

If you expect to grow without making sure you know the problem you're solving, who that problem impacts, how to tell a story around it, and how to sell it, it really doesn't matter what growth hack you try. Not being clear on the fundamentals will cause them to crumble.

February brought my first ever advising session at NYU! For those who don't know, I graduated from NYU Stern in 2023 with my MBA, so it was great to come back in a different capacity. NYU is home to many big companies, most notably Squarespace and Seamless. So far I've met with five awesome entrepreneurs. It's helped me sharpen my advising chops and has surprised me how much I'm capable of providing value in only 25 minutes.

February was a critical planning month for B2B Haus. In the span of a few weeks we found a venue, secured speakers, and made the branding come to life (shout outtt to Canva).

I have learned so much from this process. I'll talk more about it in my March recap, but here's a sneak peek at the categories of learnings:

How relationships are needed for access in general, especially access to capital.

Between planning for B2B Haus and a VC conference I spoke at in February, the keepers of the capital are requiring a warm introduction to get to them and to what you want. On one hand I understand that. An idea is a dime a dozen, and investment in time and money requires understanding the person to understand if the idea or any pivot is going to work. On the other hand, you can have the best idea, have crafted a great story around it, and the capital gatekeepers will have your dreams stop in their tracks.

Multiple things can be true at once. Yes, it is easier and cheaper than ever to start a business. What is also true, and what makes capital more important, is the fact that what is standard in many industries (aka what requires you to be remotely competitive) requires capital.

A sustainable way of being a community builder.

I will be dissecting this topic on other channels within the next few weeks. Being a community builder is something I truly love doing. And yet it is becoming something that feels very taxing because of the hamster wheel I (and many builders) find ourselves on.

The world is changing, and because of AI and polarizing social algorithms and censorship, much is going back IRL. Which is great for people like me that see it as a powerful channel for businesses. In its current form it isn't sustainable, and that is because there is not an appreciation for the power of community with those who are the holders of the capital.

Your intuition.

Learn to listen to it. Learn the overt and covert ways it communicates with you. Learn to not override it. Learn to be okay with the fact that you may not understand fully why you should say yes to that thing, or no to that thing. Just know enough to know you should trust it.

Because it'll save you from a lot of unnecessary agita.

AND in the event that you do override it, you'll do better next time and you'll always bounce back.

I have nothing intellectual to say here lol. It was Love is Blind & Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model on Netflix.

I am dropping the Startup Baddie podcast playlist so you can catch up on past recommendations (all 10 hours and 40 minutes): Podcast Recommendations.

Whether you’re looking for a thought partner, a fresh perspective, or someone to help you get unstuck, here’s how I currently support folks:

If something here speaks to you (or someone you know), I’d love to hear from you.

If you made it this far, thank you. Hit reply and let me know what landed (or what you want more of next time). I’d love to hear from you.

Grateful you’re here. Talk soon.

xx,

Ashley, the Startup Baddie