Turning Adversity Into Action

Welcome to The Art of The Impossible, a weekly newsletter where I unearth five pieces of content which I hope will both inspire and embolden you.

When I was in the depths of working in startups, I always wished I could find some respite and inspiration on my weekends, and this newsletter is the thing I wish existed so I do hope you enjoy it.

PODCAST

How To Create A New Town

I love ambitious people who are working on non-traditional problems and that sums up Devon Zuegel who is building a new town - Esmeralda - in California.

In this pod episode, Invest Like The Best’s Patrick O'Shaughnessy interviews Devon Zuegel - founder and President of the Esmeralda Institute to discuss how Esmeralda is building a new blueprint for community living, the challenges that explain why most people don’t attempt to create new towns, and how spaces and environments impact the way we live, think, and interact.

A fascinating conversation.

Listen to the episode here.

Also, Computer Freaks from Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan is back for Season 2. More info here. Trailer here.

QUOTE

“It is obvious that discrimination exists. Women do not have the opportunities that men do. And women that do not conform to the system, who try to break with the accepted patterns, are stigmatised as 'odd’ and ‘unfeminine.’ The fact is that a woman who aspires to be chairman of the board, or a Member of the House, does so for exactly the same reasons as any man. Basically, these are that she thinks she can do the job and she wants to try.”

— Shirley Chisholm, We Rise

INTERVIEW

Carey Lohrenz: The Navy’s First Female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot

A former Lieutenant in the United States Navy and the first fully qualified female naval aviator to fly the F-14 Tomcat in the United States Military, Carey Lohrenz is used to breaking barriers. And she hasn’t stopped yet.

Now a founder, the best-selling author of Fearless Leadership and Span of Control: What To Do When You're Under Pressure, Overwhelmed, And Ready To Get What You Really Want, as well as a successful keynote speaker — Carey explains how she ended up a fighter pilot in the Navy, the importance of ignoring the naysayers, and how we can all live fearlessly.

Read the full interview for free here.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable! Courage isn’t comfortable. Courage means breaking out of your comfort zone. Leading fearlessly forces us to confront uncertainty, doubt, and the possibility of failure, and that’s rarely a fun experience in the moment. Our natural inclination is to shirk discomfort. After all, life seems easier when you’re not pushing the envelope, when you’re not taking chances.

BOOK

Tiny Experiments: How To Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

I am a huge fan of Anne-Laure who I had the pleasure of interviewing five years ago and she has just released her first book which sounds amazing - I had a sneak peek and think you will love it!

What if we stopped treating life as a rigid series of checkboxes and, instead, embraced it as a playground for discovery? Tiny Experiments by neuroscientist and entrepreneur Anne-Laure Le Cunff invites readers to rethink traditional goal-setting and unlock the power of small, deliberate experiments to navigate uncertainty, explore new paths, and grow authentically.

Drawing from scientific research and real case studies, Anne-Laure challenges the pressure to pursue linear goals and instead encourages an experimental mindset—one where continuous reinvention takes center stage. Through engaging stories, actionable insights, and thought-provoking exercises, Tiny Experiments provides a flexible framework for designing a more meaningful life, one small step at a time.

Whether you’re seeking a new career direction, exploring a creative pursuit, or simply looking for ways to bring more curiosity into your daily routine, this book is an essential guide to unlocking your full potential.

Buy the book here.

FILM

To honour International Women’s Day tomorrow, I wanted to share this trailer for the incredible Katharine Graham story - a business executive who owned and published The Washington Post when most women were not welcomed in the boardroom.

Becoming Katharine Graham is the story of a woman’s evolution from a self-proclaimed “doormat-wife” into one of the most powerful newspaper publishers of the 20th century.

Becoming Katharine Graham streaming on Prime Video.

Trailer here.

As always, thank you so much for reading this newsletter and for listening to the podcast. If you have a minute spare, I would so appreciate a review of the pod or a heart on this newsletter - both help others to find it and my goal is to inspire as many people as possible with the stories I share.

Have a wonderful Friday and an exquisite weekend.

Danielle