“Do you grind your teeth?” my dentist asked as I lay in the chair.

It was my first check-up in three years — I’d been too busy running a national conference for ecosystem builders and holding everything together at work. Weeks later, I was laid off when the grant ended.

“You’ve cracked three molars,” he said. “You’ve been grinding them under pressure.”

That line stayed with me. I’d literally cracked under the weight of doing too much for too long — a feeling many of us in this field know too well.

That experience made me rethink how we care for ourselves — and each other — in this work.

Fay Horwitt has been asking those same questions for years. She’s seen how the cracks in our systems wear down the people who hold them together — and she’s building a better way forward.

Builder Deep Dive: Building a Better Way with Fay Horwitt

When it comes to the invisible work of ecosystem building, few people have shaped the field quite like Fay Horwitt. From her years leading Forward Cities to launching her new venture, WayBuilders, Fay has spent a decade helping communities rebuild trust, nurture belonging, and sustain the people doing the work.

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💡 In this Builder Deep Dive, you’ll learn how Fay Horwitt:

• Rebuilds trust and belonging in tired ecosystems
• Designs support systems that sustain the people doing the work
• Moves communities beyond old playbooks toward shared power

Bookish

What I read in the last two weeks:

• All you have to do is call, Kerri Maher. Kerri Maher wrote The Paris Bookseller which I thoroughly enjoyed. She has a thing for strong female protagonists in a historical fiction setting. Her books move a little more slowly than I like but if you're looking for a read that you can take your time with, you might enjoy this.
• Good Material, Dolly Alderton. On the first 20 pages, I feared this was another bedraggled London break-up story (They're at the pub all the time, getting drunk and are severely depressed). And while this is partly true, this book takes it one level deeper. And then the story changes perspectives and I was in deep. Recommend!

Invitation: Join me (and other ecosystem builders!) in person!

I’ll be at the Startup Champions Network Fall Summit (Nov 4–7, Augusta, GA) — one of my favorite gatherings for real, honest ecosystem conversations.

If you’re coming, let’s grab coffee! And if you’ve never been, here’s what to expect: a 2.5 day intimate gathering that brings together the nation's top ecosystem builders and national ecosystem support organizations to

• convene conversations,
• gain insight from real world case studies, and
• explore and experience new communities, against the backdrops of some of the nation's top emerging ecosystems.

We also like to dance, enjoy local food and people, and spend evenings in deep conversation. If that sounds like you, we'd love to have you!

🎃 Shen-Anika-ns: Halloween Edition

Halloween is my favorite holiday — no gifts, just joy, food, and a reason to gather. Each year, friends and neighbors join us for snacks before we hit the trick-or-treat circuit.

My favorite spooky snacks:

• 🖐 Halloween hand — my go-to showstopper.
• 🌭 Mummy hot dogs — the kids’ favorite.
• 👀 Googly eyes on fruit halves — instant spooky fun.
• 👻 Healthy Halloween snacks — counter the candy onslaught.
• 🍷 This year’s upgrade: Jack-o-lantern wine dispenser (because Halloween falls on a Friday!).

I’ll be back in your inbox in two weeks — hopefully with all my teeth intact😅

Until then, take a breath. Don’t grind through it all alone.

💌 Share this issue with someone who needs the reminder.

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In camaraderie,

Anika

P.S. Missed my last newsletter? Check out the previous issues of Impact Curator.