If I had to name the topic that comes back to the trail most often, from the most different kinds of people, it would be this one:
“How do you trust your intuition?”
It shows up in a hundred outfits.
How do I know if this is fear or a real signal? How do I know when to leave? How do I know what the right decision is?
(That last one was brought to the Sacramento walk this weekend, word for word.)
If I was walking with you this Saturday and intuition came up, this is the story I’d tell you.
A few days ago, I nonsensically abandoned the project I've been living inside for days and spent 12 hours adding to the walk’s website until 4 in the morning, including two pages that had never existed: Press, and Partnerships.
We had an article go viral last week, and the rush of eyeballs on our site inspired me to pour some more gas on the fire.
I’ll be super honest: at first, I questioned whether working on the site was an advanced avoidance strategy dressed up as an intuitive ping.
But ultimately, I reminded myself that the only deadline I’m running against as an entrepreneur is in my own head, and even though I only wanted to work on this one project until it was done, all of my best work happens when I stay present and follow where my energy naturally wants to go.
So that’s what I did.
I listened to the nudge, because a calm voice within me said:
“Do this.”
Three days later, friend of the walks Ethan Brooks asked for the Partnerships page I’d literally just created. And he featured it in his popular newsletter, Austin Business Review, that goes out to the exact audience of people we’re looking to meet.
I'm starting to think trusting your intuition isn't about knowing the nudge is right.
It's about being willing to follow it before you know why.
I posted a quick video about this today, because the details are better out loud.
Let’s dive in… 🧡
From our walking villages in 18 cities around the world:
San Francisco showing up strong, a growing crew turning strangers into regulars. 🌉
London's 41st walk. Three regulars, one second-timer, two brand new faces. 🧡
San Antonio Walk #1 is in the books. Big thanks to host Forrest, and everyone who kicked off our second city in Texas! 🎉
Good vibes in Atlanta, skyline and all. ✨
(Don’t see your city? We post the photos on Instagram or each Meetup group after the walk. Otherwise this email would be longer than a CVS receipt.)
🏆 In San Antonio, City #18 took its very first steps. Host Forrest said he was a little trepidatious going in, then found the thing every host finds: "it's easy to break the barriers of being strangers when you know people are present to connect." Also delightful: several walkers only ever see each other around a board game table, and got five miles to know each other differently.
🏆 In San Francisco, an unhoused man walked up to the opening circle with tears in his eyes and a yellow leaf in his hand, introduced himself, and said: "I am grateful to be alive and for seeing all of you today." Host Alice has led 50 of these walks, and she said she's never seen someone that happy to simply be alive, in a city where everyone is chasing more. Her question afterward, still unanswered: “when do you know it's enough?”
🏆 In Nashville, the group has quietly turned into regulars, and one woman who recently moved told host Hannah that finding this crew is what's making Nashville feel like home. A few weeks ago, this walk didn't exist. 🧡
The intuition story above is the short version.
The long one has Cam secretly running my DMs, a 4 AM website sprint, and the exact moment I realized the thing I almost talked myself out of was the thing that mattered.
I grabbed my phone and recorded this story in my pajamas this morning, because some stories lose their shape on the page.
The short lesson: your intuition doesn't schedule a meeting with your logic first. It just moves, and expects you to keep up.
This week on The Board Walks, people brought these topics:
"What's one part of yourself that you're learning to stop apologizing for?"
"How do you know when you've truly been seen as the real you?"
"What drives you and makes you get up every day?"
"What is the purpose of consciousness?"
"How do you know when it's time to quit your dream?"
Screenshot these. Steal with pride. Bring one to your next dinner party to shift the conversation from “meh” to marvelous.
Quick hits:
🧡 Thank you to friend of the walks, Ethan Brooks.
Ethan runs one of the most beloved newsletters in Austin, and he featured our call for sponsors to his (extremely on-brand) business audience. Ethan is a certified king. If you're in Austin and anywhere near the business world, go read him.
✨ A mystery we'd love your help solving.
Last week, one of our articles got picked up by a big newsletter we can’t find. Thousands of people came flooding into the website from it, and we have no idea who to thank. So: if you spotted us somewhere on 8/4, hit reply and tell us where. We'd love to say thanks to whoever sent all these curious humans our way. 🧡
🎉 Recently launched walk chapters:
Boston, Massachusetts
San Antonio, Texas
Nashville, Tennessee
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Madrid, Spain
We’re looking for great hosts to carry the torch in Denver, NYC, and Huntington Beach. If you know someone, send them our application.
🤝 Sponsorships are underway, and we’d love intros.
We’re partnering with values-aligned sponsors to bring our free walks to 100 cities. If you can introduce or feature us (like Ethan!), we’d be grateful. We’ve been touched by the amount of people offering to help. Thank YOU. 🧡
What’s alive in The Board:
We’re hosting a Salon for honest, mind-expanding conversations about Identity, Purpose & Becoming on September 17th at 6 PM CT.
We’re especially excited to dive into how AI has impacted your work, your day-to-day tasks, and how you see yourself. How has it impacted your life? Have you had a standout conversation that shifted something big?
Do you love AI, hate it, or are a little scared of it? 👀
Somewhere in your week, there's probably a nudge you've been arguing with.
The thing you keep almost doing. The message you keep almost sending. The Sunday you keep almost giving to the wrong-looking project.
You don't need a reason yet… the reason usually shows up late, out of breath, three days behind the instinct.
Saturday is a good place to hear the quiet stuff. Five miles, no phones, nobody keeping score.
Have a whimsical week,
Founders of The Board Walks
P.s. The other lesson buried in this story: people want to help you. All you have to do is ask. Be an Ethan for somebody this week. 🧡
