In 3rd grade, we moved from Montreal to Miami in the middle of the school year. I remember arriving at Palmetto Elementary — outdoor hallways lined with palm trees, lizards skittering across the pavement. A far cry from the brick buildings and musty, locker-lined halls I’d just left behind.
On the outside, I looked the part. New first-day-of-school outfit. Thanks, Mom.
On the inside? A mixture of nerves and nausea.
Excited for what was new. Afraid I wouldn’t fit in. And the quiet math of lunchtime: Where will I sit? Who will I talk to?
Fun fact: it’s always the ‘uncool’ kids who show up first. Probably some of the kindest, smartest people in the world today. But back then? You’re one public conversation away from social suicide.
This wasn’t my first new school, and it wouldn’t be my last.
Grade 4: New Jersey.
Grade 7: Minnesota.
Grade 8: Washington State.
And more after that. New people. New energy.
Same queasy first-day feeling. Same invisible calculus of how to belong.
You could say I became a professional outsider. Fluent in fitting in and not standing out for the wrong things.
I now know those early experiences were shaping a kind of superpower.
A love of trying new things. A comfort in unfamiliar rooms. A genuine curiosity about people — who they are, what drives them, what they care about.
It’s core to who I am now. And a big part of what makes me good at what I do.
But here’s the thing: Even with all that experience… New moments still stir something old.
Yesterday wrapped the first-ever CoLABcon. A 2-day gathering hosted by Seedspark to explore a different kind of value creation. One where people build together instead of compete.
I joined the CoLAB network a few months ago. We were a sponsor at the event, and I had the chance to speak about what we believe, about work, leadership, and meaning.
In the days leading up to it, you start to anticipate the event. The place. The crowd. The vibe.
Largely unknown. Cue Palmetto Elementary.
New outfit. New people. Fewer lizards. Same old flutter in my gut.
Will I belong here? Will they get me? Do I have something real to offer this room?
It had all the markings of a conference: name tags, coffee stations, breakout rooms. But within minutes, it didn’t feel like one.
The usual bluster and bravado? Gone.
No armor. No elevator pitches. Just real conversations, with people you didn’t know… and somehow already liked.
Instead of “What do you do?”
It was: What lights you up? Where are you growing? What do you believe? How might we build something together?
It was unlike any conference I’ve been to in 20 years – much more like summer camp for grown-up dreamers.
And while we couldn’t have deep conversations with everyone there, that didn’t matter.
Because we already shared the most important thing: A belief that we achieve more through collaboration than competition.
That belief creates traction. It aligns purpose. It accelerates momentum and multiplies impact.
CoLABcon is proof. And now? There are a couple hundred entrepreneurs unleashed in the world today dreaming big and making it happen — achieving more together.
As for me. Turns out these are my people. I wasn’t the new girl at all. I just hadn’t found the right lunch table yet.
Thank you to Chad Jenkins, Emma, Em, Molly, Nathan, Callie and all the other people who made this possible!
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Mary
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