Oscar Dreams, Self-Realization, and Speaking Up

A LETTER FROM THE FOUNDERS

Big dreams tell the best stories.

This past Sunday was all about dreams.

At the Academy Awards, Ke Huy Quan won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once, becoming only the second Asian American to ever win that award.

“Dreams are something you have to believe in,” Quan said at the end of his speech. “I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there, please keep your dreams alive,” His first role was in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, followed by The Goonies, but he hadn’t had much acting luck since. Everything Everywhere All At Once is his first major motion picture in 38 years.

Not long after Quan’s moment, Michelle Yeoh won Best Actress for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once, becoming the first Southeast Asian actress to ever win the award. At 60 years old, this year was her first Oscar nomination.

“Dream big,” Yeoh said, “and dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up.”

There’s a lot of power in chasing your dreams. Quan and Yeoh prove that.

At Arcbound, we love chasing a good dream. And we’re all about turning those dreams into reality.

That’s why we build arcs.

We know what you’re thinking—building an arc sounds interesting in the abstract, but what does it really mean?

We’ve talked about this before, but your arc is your life trajectory. In order to see what that really looks like, you need an end goal—or, more realistically, several stops along the way. That’s where those dreams come in.

If you don’t know exactly what your dreams look like yet, that’s okay. It takes hard internal work, where you face yourself in the mirror and think about what you really want and why. You’ll likely navigate some pain along the way—you can’t find a person navigating a dream authentic to them that hasn’t—but it’s an important part of your arc.

What we know from the work we’re already doing is that the best stories aren’t found at the end of the road, when you’re sitting comfortably in your dream, they’re found along the way. That’s what we want to help you do—tell those stories.

Whether we’re designing you a new website, helping you write and create content, building you a book plan, or helping produce your podcast, it’s all in service of your dream. We also do it for each other just as much as we do it for you, because we’re never going to talk a talk we don’t walk.

If you’re ready to chase your dreams or tell your story—or even just want to start thinking about what that looks like—we’re here. We’re already rooting you on.

All you need to do is put us on your team.

THE ONE AWAY SHOW

Nt Etuk: One Poor Grade Away From Self Realization

Ntiedo Etuk, better known by his nickname “NT,” is the Founder and CEO of FitGrid, the boutique fitness industry’s first SaaS solution to fuel studio owners with the data and tools they need to strengthen instructor-client relationships, improve retention, and drive greater revenue. Over the course of his career, NT has founded multiple startups, including the educational video game developer DimensionU, and the health and fitness-focused companies YourGuru and Boutique Fitness Solutions.

In this episode of The One Away Show, NT and Bryan discuss how big changes require big thoughts, building community, and why hard work and dedication are essential if you want to accomplish something.

ARCBOUND TEAM SPOTLIGHT

Welcoming Account Strategist Max Roesler!

Max Roesler is a highly skilled Account Strategist at Arcbound, where he leverages his exceptional expertise and skills in digital marketing to develop and execute personalized branding strategies on behalf of our clients.

His unique and diverse professional background, which includes working as an Account Strategist for SaaS Influencer and Programmatic Media startups, as well as agency experience at one of the largest media companies globally, Max has gained invaluable experience working with brands and agencies of all sizes. He is particularly adept at assisting some of the world's most innovative brands to expand their digital impact, driving meaningful brand awareness and consideration through digital advertising efforts. Max is passionate about providing exceptional customer service, and his unique perspective on the digital media landscape always puts people first.

Max graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder, with a degree in Environmental Science, where he developed his love for being active and making a meaningful impact on the world. Outside of work, Max is an active individual who enjoys exploring the great outdoors as much as possible. He can often be found hiking, trail running in the nearby Santa Monica Mountains, or road biking along the PCH. He also enjoys spending time on the golf course, honing his skills and challenging himself to improve.

Follow Max's Arc

ARCBOUND RECOMMENDS

Communicating Your Product's Value with Jeff Gadway

Getting customers to understand your product's value starts with achieving alignment across your team in how they talk about your product or service and its impact.

Gadway's course will teach you how to uncover your customers' biggest strategic priorities and map them to your product's capabilities. You'll leave with the tools to create alignment between sales, marketing, and product, and with a blueprint for communicating value in a consistent and compelling way.

Jeff helped our executive team tap into a more compelling message and gave us practical takeaways that allowed us to start communicating more effectively come Monday morning.

Cynthia Rubino, CEO YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester

Creator Economy Expo: THE Event for Content Creators

Join 500 bloggers, podcasters, authors, newsletter writers, speakers, coaches and consultants, freelancers, and YouTubers at THE learning and networking event for content creators.

Use the code ARC100 to get a $100 discount off any pass!

Save Your Seat Here!

Startup Brand Strategy with Arielle Jackson

Unlock your company's next level of growth by gaining clarity on what you do and why you do it. You can’t be everything to everyone, but you can be something great for someone. Join Arielle Jackson's two-week crash course to learn how.

There are only a few spots remaining so save your seat today!

Conscious Leadership Group Forum

CLG Forum is where leaders who want a black belt in Conscious Leadership go. They hold a high bar for entry by vetting for willingness to practice and be uncomfortable, give and receive feedback, and learn and grow. All CLG Forums are facilitated by senior team members who don’t hold back with giving feedback, supporting the deepest exploration of an issue, and holding a high bar for regular practice, both in and outside of Forum.

The next Bay Area Forum begins in April. Visit their website to learn more and apply.

Speak-Up Culture: When Leaders Truly Listen, People Step Up by Stephen Shedletzky

Creating a speak-up culture isn’t crucial only for lines of work where the results of a failure are clearly life and death. A speak-up culture—where people feel it is safe and worth it to share their ideas, concerns, disagreements and mistakes—is vital for any team or organization that wishes to thrive.

Our relationship with our boss has a greater impact on our health than that of our relationship with our family doctor. Leadership in and of itself—in all industries—is a life-feeding or life-depleting line of work.

In this book, Stephen "Shed" Shedletzky explores what a speak-up culture is, what the role of leadership is in fostering and maintaining one, and how you can advance your journey through your actions. No matter what stage of your career you are in, if you believe in the value and power of enabling others to use their voice, this book is for you.

Want to know what we're reading? Try one of these newsletters.

If you feel something calling you to dance or write or paint or sing, please refuse to worry about whether you’re good enough. Just do it. Be generous. Offer a gift to the world that no one else can offer: yourself.

Glennon Doyle

This issue of the Arcbound Update is our 20th issue. Thank you for being here with us and supporting us as we grow into our own arc.

Thanks for letting us play a role in launching your arc.