''At least twice a day I think about my goals and try to imagine and visualize scenarios where I've already achieved them.''
Michael is the Founder of The Co-Found Community & The Usher Agency - With A Mission To Empower All Founders With Their Truth Stories; And To Help Them And Their Ventures Do What They Do Better, For Them To Best Be Positioned & Prepared For Quality Opportunities & Their Ultimate Success. He has taken the challenge to answer our 20 Truth Questions, For us to get some insight, And learn the Truth about the person behind the venture.
My TRUTH Story:
1. INTRODUCE YOURSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON TO A CROWD OF 10,000+ PEOPLE? A New York born Founder Who has been a champion in the Berlin startup scene for over a decade with his first success winning a 6 month startup accelerator program for CLYC, To licensing his technology, To founding the largest startup networking event and community in Berlin, and an eventual exit - He has alot to share about how you can build your ventures and communities with your truth story as your driving force and super power! Without further due, I'd like to introduce our first guest & a dear friend - Michael L. Usher
2. WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF A TRUTH FOUNDER? A Truth Founder is described as someone who understands that their truth is their super power; And has committed to founding and operating a venture or organisation driven by a clear personal truth story, a why, and a mission statement that inspires a community culture.
3. WHAT EVENT OR EVENTS HAPPENED TO YOU THAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A FOUNDER? After many years working as a successful communications consultant, One of my clients asked me to work full time for her company and become the director of communications nationally & internationally. The opportunity was so great, and I believed in her, the company, and my role so much that I decided to give up everything to take the job. - 6 months later the guy I replaced decided to quite a job at a startup and I was out of work with no clients in sight. So I decided to take this time off to figure out what I truly wanted, and to do some research on the startup scene in Berlin. I applied to Berlin Startup Academy with some ideas I've always had in the back of my mind but was just too busy to pursue... And the rest his history.
4. WHAT IS YOUR MORNING ROUTINE & RITUAL? I need at least an hour in the morning with my coffee and thoughts to plan, strategise and set expectations for the day. I find this quiet time ( some call it meditation ) to be necessary for me to remind myself of my intentions for every decision I make, and every action I take for that day.
5. WHAT MANTRA,QUOTE,LINE OR PHRASE DO YOU SAY OFTEN TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE YOURSELF? I really believe in manifestations and the law of attraction. So at least twice a day I think about my goals and try to imagine and visualize scenarios where I've already achieved them. I find it important to get really specific here, such as receiving a positive e-mail or phone call from someone specific; And to try to channel the feeling I would feel when that goal has been achieved.
6. WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD CARE ABOUT YOUR VENTURE? Because I simply believe in the power of the individual with their truth in hand, To lead a venture, an organisation, a movement or creative endeavour with a clear why and mission statement that inspires a community to achieve great things for our society and planet.
7. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE ONE TO MAKE YOUR VENTURE A SUCCESS? Because I'm a Truth Founder myself and have been through the hard work, the long journey, the failures and the successes; And have created & seen the results for myself. I now am committed to devoting my life to helping founders see the immense value in clearly communicating their truth stories first to themselves, then to their co-founders, most importantly to their investors, and eventually to their early adopters & customers.
8. WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU PERSONALLY AND FOR YOUR VENTURE? Success for me personally = Freedom. free of fear, free of the past, free of my own limiting beliefs, and free to love.
Success for my venture = Impact. Where I can see my work making an impact first on many individuals, And those individuals making an impact on their communities, And those communities making an impact on our societies, our planet and the bigger picture as a whole.
9. ANSWER THESE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE - I BELIEVE... I DON'T BELIEVE... I believe in the power of truth.
I believe in the power of the individual.
I believe in the power of communities.
I don't believe in the opposite of 3 these three things.
10. WHAT'S ONE DECISION YOU MADE AS A FOUNDER THAT COMPLETELY CHANGED THE COURSE OF YOUR JOURNEY? Deciding to create a startup networking community in Berlin at the same time as launching my new startup, at a time when there were no quality option for networking. The Co-Found Community became the source of all my inspiration, ideas, key connections, co-founders, investors, best friends and so so much more.
11. WHAT DO YOU REGARD AS YOUR GREATEST SUCCESS PERSONALLY & AS A FOUNDER? Personally, I would say continuing to believe in myself and my truth despite so many odds I've faced.
As a Founder, So far It would be building my Co-Found Community to 15,000+ members organically from the ground up spending no money on marketing and seeing the amazing successes come out of my community over the years.
12. WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY? My optimism and genuine need to help others succeed!
13. WHAT'S ONE THING YOU CAN IMPROVE ABOUT YOURSELF, AND WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE NOT DONE IT BY NOW? I've been quite childlike and naive in the past when it came to people due to my upbringing and that I've been hurt so often. That's the reason why today I've built such a wall and filter to protect my true self that I only reserve for people I trust. - Because I know I love hard and am a giver, and that little boy inside still has a fear of getting hurt and abandoned...But I'm a work in progress and am still trying to find my grey area. :)
14. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED OR GIVEN, OR BOTH? My Aunt who past last year would always say to me that ''Michael! There is no answer, there never will be an answer, and that's the answer.''
15. ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO 10 - 10 BEING THE BEST. HOW WELL DO YOU THINK YOU AND YOUR TRUTH STORY IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD BY YOUR COMMUNITY? ( WHY NOT 10? ) I would say 8 - Because I could be more vulnerable and use my past, my self, and share my private life and purpose more with others, And connect them more to my ventures.
16. WHO DO YOU MOST ADMIRE AND WHY? Currently it would be Angela Merkel. I believe she would have been the ultimate Truth Founder because of the way she conducted herself against all odds; And made the toughest decisions for Germany driven by her truth, her values, her principles and her vision for her country.
17. DESCRIBE YOUR VENTURE - ELEVATOR PITCH STYLE? Wait! You don't have a Truth Founders Profile? - My Co-Founder and Investors insisted I have one because they say they invest in people first, not products. Would you agree we need more transparency about the truth behind the founder journey?
We have a mission to help founders clearly communicate and amplify their truth stories so they can attract quality opportunities, Based on who they are, not just what you see on linkedIn... Or anything AI generated.
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18. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT MISSION STATEMENT OR MESSAGE + MARKET FIT FOR YOUR VENTURE? Our current mission is to help all founders clearly communicate and amplify the Truth Stories. And to create a global community of leaders inspired and empowered by their truth first.
19. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AFTER A LONG WORK DAY? Miles Davis! I love listening to jazz, turn off my work brain and try to just be as present as I can in whatever moment I'm currently in.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU TREATED YOURSELF TO AND WHAT DID YOU CELEBRATE? I bought myself a t-shirt from a small design shop in berlin that reads, I ( heart ). It has the same design as the famous I heart NY symbol where I'm from. I wanted to celebrate being the first to share more about my truth story and launch it here on Truth Founders.
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