The Power of Curiosity in Leadership | The WIP by OrangeWIP

Founders are often expected to have the answers. But the truth is, real leadership starts with curiosity.

You know that meeting where everyone agrees a little too easily? That’s the moment to lean back, pause, and ask the question no one wants to say out loud. It might sound simple, but that one moment of curiosity can save months of wasted effort and help you see what everyone else missed.

This week, we’re exploring how a well-timed question can keep your business grounded, your team focused, and your strategy aligned with reality.

11/10 - How To Come Up with Great Startup Ideas

11/12 - MPCC After Hours - The Wine Cellar

11/14 - Business Advocacy Committee

Can success survive the chaos of real life?

Tara Rolstad built her business in the middle of it. A speaker, author, and mental health advocate, she turned personal crisis into purpose and found focus in the noise. She gets real about burnout, balance, and the courage it takes to build a mission while holding your life together.

Hear how she turned chaos into clarity and why truth, focus, and community are the real foundations of growth.

Is your voice missing? Speak Up.

Do you have an entrepreneur story to tell? A point to make? An idea to share? We want to hear from you! Sign up to be a Hello Chaos guest today.

Co-Founder and Publisher Michael Bailey has grown the digital media company, The MinorityEye, to over 470,000 subscribers through aggregation, original content, community-building, and some zigzags here and there.

Although they started with a crystal-clear focus on amplifying voices and stories that impact Black communities, it took time and unexpected insights to define their audience – and the company itself.

So, how did they do it?

It took a while for me to get my footing. We got in about 2000 when everything was new, and the market was still figuring itself out. So, we, like everybody else, had to find our way.

Who is we?

Sharon Sanders is my fellow co-founder/publisher. She focuses more on the technical aspects. I focus more on the strategy, outreach, marketing, and public relations side.

In the beginning, it was just us, and we were running it from basically the bedroom of the house on laptops. As we stuck with it, we saw the market change. And most importantly, the technology changed. We made sure we kept up, and we were able to persevere. We were able to find our voice, and that was the critical part.

Now, it’s the two of us plus a host of contractors: web developers, programmers, writers, marketing folks, photographers, and PR people.

Ready to turn your “someday” idea into a real company?

The Founder Institute is a global pre-seed accelerator program for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to take the leap and turn their ideas into successful startups. Founded in 2009, the program offers a structured curriculum and a network of mentors, advisors, and investors to help founders navigate the early stages of company building. With chapters in over 185 cities and a portfolio of over 4,500 companies, the Founder Institute has a proven track record of helping early-stage entrepreneurs.