Gut Feelings: Amsterdam Entrepreneurs Reflect on the Power of Intuition

“Leave your game face at the door, and come prepared to share your trials and triumphs to inspire others along.” 

That is the call to action of The Amsterdam Creative Entrepreneurs (ACE) Collective, an initiative born in 2017 to champion bold people doing brave things in Amsterdam. 

On Thursday March 28 at Your Space Amsterdam, speaking to a sold out audience exploring the theme of ‘transformation’ in creative entrepreneurship, Stacey Griffin, founder of Shift Meditation and Jason Fulton, founder of This Memento, bared it all.

While both lead wildly lives, and businesses, both Stacey and Jason shared common messages on why tapping into your intuition, and those ‘niggly gut feelings’ is the secret to success. 

When Jason was confronted with a key decision to ‘embrace change’ through a reorganization at Nike, he asked himself: “how am I going to feel at the end of the day, month, and year? Will I be happy with my decision?” 

Today, 10 years later, his unique consumer insights and brand strategy consultancy has an impressive roster of clients, including Nike, and a talented team supporting his dream. Looking back, at a hard decision made ten years earlier, he reveals his ‘moment of transformation.”

“I was scared, but you can’t fight change. My life as I knew it was uprooted, but I had to take back control and ask myself what I really wanted.” 

After diving deep on this question, Jason spoke about literally drawing an invisible line on the ground, and physically ‘jumping’ over it to mark the end of an era. Tracing an impressive story of pursuing his dreams, at any cost, he reflected on how his ‘gut’ had always guided him. 

“You first feel change; something physically happens in your body. To me that’s the first indicator that I need to stop, and look into what’s going on. Whatever this thing is, it’s going to lead me somewhere.”

For Jason, feeling the fear, taking control, and not being afraid to 'just do it' has proved a winning formula. 

Since starting Shift Meditation in 2015, Stacey has achieved many impressive accolades performing her unique ‘sound experience’ for thousands of people in nightclubs and festivals, and recently, attending Davos World Economic Forum to perform to the world’s most powerful leaders. 

While she is no stranger to crowds, this was the first time Stacey has spoken about her story as an entrepreneur. Reflecting on her journey, she spoke about overcoming her fear of what others would think of her ‘wild ideas.’

She encouraged people to get lost, pursue passions, and take up new hobbies. “By following your gut, you’re able to get closer to your personal ‘USP. For people who aren’t sure what this is, look back at your life so far; it’s the thread running in the background of everything you’ve done.”

Her key message on the theme of transformation was about constant reinvention and taking risks. She called on everyone to ‘regularly stay out of your comfort zone!’ and ignore what other people are doing, and how many instagram followers they have.

Drawing on research from The Harvard Business School, she underscored that the two most effective business tools for twenty-first century entrepreneurs are: meditation and intuition.

“I think one of the most important tools you have in your life, especially as an entrepreneur, is your intuition. Meditation, in whatever form works for you, is a powerful way to tap into this."

The ACE Collective is the official non-official side-hustle of The Humblebrag. To stay posted of upcoming events, sign on here. 

Photography credit: Alina Krasieva.