Please forward this to a high-impact leader who needs the energy edge. If this was forwarded to you, get plugged in here.

Small Rooms. Big Shifts. Real Leadership.

⚡ QUICK SPIN:

This week, I moderated one of the most electrifying conversations I’ve had the privilege of leading at the CIC in Cambridge, alongside the Social Impact Cohort and JPMorgan's SEEN, which supports female and underrepresented founders on their path to scaling.

And let me be clear: This wasn’t a summit. This wasn’t a stage.

There were 25 people in that room.

But it had more raw power, strategy, vulnerability, and straight-up momentum than events 20x that size.

Because the founders showed up ready to build, share, and shift.

That’s where real leadership lives.

🛠️ MY TURN:

Everyone wants scale.

But most skip the one thing that actually makes it work:

Depth.​
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Here’s what went down:

• Founders told the truth about capital, exhaustion, impostor loops, and real traction.
• Investors and advisors listened (for real).
• And everyone in the room walked out better and stronger than they walked in.

Here's what it looked like 👇

That’s not networking.

That’s not panel theater.

That’s real leadership energy in motion.

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💥 Bonus: Jess dropped a weapon of a resource for anyone raising right now → metal.so​

If you’re pitching and not using this, you’re behind.

And the ripple? Still moving.

You can feel it in these follow-ups from the incredible people in the room:

• ​Kelly on what alignment looks like
• ​N’kyla on the power of presence
• ​Rajiv on storytelling that drives scale
• ​Elizabeth on lifting as you lead
• ​Sam on creating safe, strategic rooms
• ​Allison on redefining the “goal” of entrepreneurship
• ​Rebecca on community as equity fuel
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These aren’t hot takes. These are future shapers. Follow each one!

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And some of the questions I dropped into the room helped spark the fuse:

• When did you realize fundraising wasn’t just about money; it was about power, perception, or positioning?
• Was there ever a ‘no’ that turned out to be a blessing, or a redirection you didn’t know you needed?
• What changes would you make to the investment landscape if you could wave a magic wand?

🤗 YOUR TURN:

Let’s get honest:

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​💭 Are you in rooms that challenge you, or just echo you?

💭 Are you building relationships or running the playbook?

💭 Are you chasing scale or creating systems that sustain?

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The right small room can change your business.

But more importantly, it can change you.

If you’re building something that matters, but know you can’t burn yourself out doing it, that’s the work I do.

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I help high-performing leaders optimize energy, scale leadership, and build systems that don’t just grow…

They sustain.

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👉 Let’s build your next level together: adamwbarney.com​

Cheers, Adam

P.S. 👉 Want to comment or share this post? Join the conversation on LinkedIn.

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