Fun at Re!

Yesterday was our big Reveal event at the Boulder theater.  The entire BDW C6 cohort participated.  While each of our teams had elected a presenter to pitch our start ups, we were all called onstage for a little bit of improv.

That's right, improv.  Many of us who thought we were off the hook on overcoming our stage fright were taken aback when Tuesday Gary Hirsch showed up to prep us on what we would be doing in front of a large audience on Thursday.

I had my own reservations, but when the time came to play "I'm a tree", I was glad that we had all been roped into this crazy scheme.  Because even though it was a little mortifying when I stepped out and declared, "I'm a mama", I have a theory about doing things that terrify me.

Overcoming the fear and doing it anyway makes me grow as a person.  And the next time it's not so scary.  And while some fears are very justified and rational - I won't go hugging bears in the wild anytime soon - other fears are not.  Like the fear of being embarrassed onstage.  At the end of the day, so what?  Should that keep us from getting up there and showing what we got? 

Which is why I'm especially proud of everyone who presented yesterday.  Kayleen represented our team, Crop Crcles, and I heard so much great feedback after from people who wanted to know when they would be able to get our app.

All of the teams did a great job pitching.  And I have a special place in my heart for the final pitch of the day for wAkeio.  My friend Breno gave the presentation and told a very personal, touching story about where the idea for the app came from.  

I've had many conversations with Breno and know how much he's overcome just to be here in the US at grad school.  And I also know how much he dreaded even having to present to our small cohort of 20 at the beginning of the year.  For him to come such a long way to where he was yesterday, standing up in a theater full of hundreds of people and telling a very personal, emotional story took an amazing amount of guts.  Bravo, Breno, I can't wait to see what you do next!

To the entire C6 cohort, congratulations!