Long ago, in a sun-scorched village nestled in the rolling hills of China, lived a farmer named Liang, whose heart burned with a vision. He wasn’t content with the predictable cycles of rice and millet that sustained his neighbors. Liang dreamed of a Chinese Moso bamboo forest – trees so tall they’d touch the clouds, their sturdy stalks fueling homes, feeding livestock, and weaving prosperity for generations. Planting seeds in the forest, he set out to make his dream real.
Liang knelt in the dirt, his hands trembling as he buried the seeds in a patch of stubborn, rocky soil. He watered them daily, whispering hopes to the earth, shielding it from biting winds and relentless sun. Months passed, then a year, nothing happened. Not a blade, not a hint of green. His neighbors, weathered by pragmatism, chuckled over their rice paddies. “Plant something useful, Liang!” they jeered. “Bamboo’s a fool’s dream!” But Liang’s eyes held a quiet fire. He kept watering, trusting a process he couldn’t see.
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Year two brought drought. The village wells ran low, and Liang trekked miles to a distant stream, carrying heavy buckets under a merciless sun. Still, no sprout. Year three ushered in storms, floods that churned his plot into mud. Neighbors shook their heads, pitying his “wasted” labor. By year four, even Liang’s family begged him to stop. “We’re starving,” his wife whispered, her voice heavy. “Why cling to this madness?” Yet Liang’s heart clung to a truth: the bamboo was growing, not above, but below, roots weaving deep, wide, unbreakable.
In the fifth year, as dawn broke over the village, Liang saw it: a tiny, defiant shoot piercing the earth like a spear. The neighbors gathered, jaws dropping, as that shoot surged. In mere weeks, six, to be exact, the bamboo rocketed to 80 feet, its emerald canopy casting shade over the very fields that mocked it. Homes were built, fodder was harvested, and Liang’s village thrived.
Did the bamboo grow in six weeks? No, it grew in five years of unseen toil, its roots a sprawling fortress strong enough to fuel an empire.
Your Bamboo Is YOU
Once upon a time, this was my favorite story to tell.
And somehow, it’s found its way back to me so I could share it with you.
You’re Liang, and your startup or social media journey is your bamboo. Every sleepless night refining your product, every pitch that lands in a spam folder, every post that gets a lone emoji (or crickets) – that’s you carrying buckets through a drought. The world sees “no growth” and snickers, but you’re building a root system: expertise, grit, vision. Your empire’s foundation is forming, even if the surface looks barren.
Let me pull you into our Mom’s Happiness Project, the blog I co-founded with Aysin years ago. We envisioned a marketplace for moms to sell handmade crafts – an Etsy with soul. But it became a space for mindset shifts. Our posts lit sparks: one mom returned to college, chasing a long-deferred degree; another built a tutu skirt empire from her kitchen table; a third joined network marketing and was able to take her children on vacation for the first time. Maybe we touched just a few lives directly, but empowering a mom ripples to her kids, her community, her world. That’s the power of a seed.
Life scattered us, Aysin to Berlin, me to Miami.
The Mom’s Happiness Project faded quietly, like a forgotten URL, a beautiful chapter bookmarked in time.
But purpose has a magnetic pull.
More than a decade later, we found ourselves reunited, this time with Pinar, a woman whose heart, intellect, and advocacy continue to move mountains. A legal reformer in Türkiye, she helped pave the way for policies that protect and uplift working mothers. Her impact echoes in boardrooms and backyards alike, anywhere women are fighting to claim their space.
Today, the three of us serve together on the board of GGDF.org, and we’ve co-created something we’re deeply proud of: She.Work.
Last week, Aysin sent me a photo of a bamboo forest, snapped somewhere between Korea and Japan, with a note: “This reminded me of you.”
That wasn’t just nostalgia; it was a thunderbolt. We’d lost sight of our bamboo, but its roots were still spreading. Our blog wasn’t a viral sensation (though it did make the front page of Google organically). What it was, was transformative. It changed us. And sometimes, that’s the greatest win of all.
The Dirt Is Where You Shine
You’re out there, posting on LinkedIn, TikTok, X, or Instagram, wondering if your voice cuts through the noise. Your startup’s bank account might be gasping, your followers creeping up slower than a monsoon cloud. Maybe you’re like me, growing your tribe by two souls a day, one pitching you NFTs. But in reality, every caption you polish, every cold DM you send, every pivot you navigate, it’s you hauling water through a storm.
The world fawns over the 80-foot bamboo, not the farmer knee-deep in mud. But mud’s where legends are forged. Look at the titans: Amazon’s Jeff Bezos boxed books in a garage, dodging bankruptcy. Apple’s Steve Jobs soldered circuits in a basement, ousted before his comeback. Tesla’s Elon Musk bet his last dollar on a dream, nearly collapsing. Their “overnight” glory was years of drought, flood, and doubt. Your story’s no different. That post with five views? It’s honing your craft. That investor who ghosted? They’ll kick themselves when you’re soaring. That listing you poured your soul into but didn’t land? It’s not a loss, it’s the Universe making room for a deal that’s bigger and bolder, destined for you.
And the noise? Social media’s a screaming bazaar; startups face a million rivals. But your bamboo is yours alone. Your story, your hustle, your WHY, is a seed no one else can sow. Don’t measure your year two against someone’s year five. Keep watering. Keep showing up. Keep believing.
Your Warrior’s Blueprint to Soar
You don’t need a viral hit or a Series A to win. Every “no” deepens your roots. Every “failure” forges your armor. Here’s how to water your bamboo today:
- Post Authentically. Share that raw video, even if it’s shaky. One real story can spark a connection that shifts your trajectory. Your bold posts show you know how to grab attention, keep going.
- Pitch Boldly. Send that email, make that call. The 50th “no” could unlock a “yes” that changes everything. Speak with conviction, and doors will open.
- Connect Deeply. Reach out to one person, a mentor, collaborator, or cheerleader. Your knack for building relationships shines – keep nurturing your tribe.
- Learn Fiercely. Devour a book, course, or podcast. Every insight is fertilizer. Your hunger for growth drives you so stay relentless.
- Find Your Aysin or Pinar. Surround yourself with believers like Pinar and Aysin, whose brilliance reminds you of your bamboo. Join communities like She.Work or GGDF to find your tribe.
- Mindset Is Your Rocket Fuel. Doubt will creep in, hissing, “Give up, it’s too hard.” The world will nudge, “Stay safe, dream smaller.” But you’re not here to shrink. You’re a bamboo warrior, and warriors embrace the unseen. Train your mind to see setbacks as setups for breakthroughs. Replace “I can’t” with “I am learning how.”
- Visualize Your Victory. Picture your empire, whether it’s closing a blockbuster deal or inspiring millions with your story. See the clients signing, the followers cheering, the legacy you’re building. Visualization isn’t just dreaming; it’s a rehearsal for greatness. Like Liang imagining his bamboo forest, hold that image daily to fuel your hustle. Your vision pulls you through the mud toward the deals and impact destined for you.
The Ripple of Your Empire
Your journey isn’t just about you, it’s about the lives you’ll transform, the problems you’ll crush, the fires you’ll ignite. Our Mom’s Happiness Project didn’t hit a million likes, but it gave Aysin and me the guts to leap oceans, chase audacious dreams, and now empower women through she.work and through GGDF. Your bamboo will do more, maybe not today, but soon. One post could inspire a struggling entrepreneur. One product could solve a pain point for thousands. One connection could spark a movement.
Your Call to Tower
You’re not just building a startup or a social media presence, you’re forging an empire. Your bamboo is growing, even if the dirt looks dry. Don’t uproot your seed in despair. Don’t let naysayers steal your water. You’re a farmer, a visionary, a bamboo warrior. And when your shoot breaks through, it won’t just grow, it will tower. So grab your bucket. Water your seed. Share your story. Ignite your revolution. The world’s begging for your rise 🌱
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