Chad Dickerson, CEO of Etsy, discusses finding courage through following your dreams and passions. He shares his own story of moving across the country with little money to pursue his dream. He emphasizes that courage comes from taking action, persisting through challenges, learning from mistakes, and following your heart above all else. Etsy sellers also share words of wisdom, stressing the importance of starting wherever you are, getting support from community, and going your own way if needed. Ultimately, finding courage means finding your heart and taking that first step.

1. Finding your courage
Chad Dickerson
CEO, Etsy
Hello Etsy (Berlin) - September 17, 2011
Video of talk: http://helloetsy.com/session/dickerson/

2. What is courage?

5. Courage

6. Fr. corage (12c., Mod.Fr. courage)
"heart, innermost feelings; temper"

7. Finding
your courage

8. About
your heart

9. What do I know
about courage?

13. Dad Mom
Me Brother

15. My grandfather
was a farmer.
He couldn’t
read or write.

19. Fascinated by
publishing

20. First job at a newspaper.

21. Things were moving
to the web.

22. I worked really hard,
teaching myself.

24. I became a
software engineer!

25. All the while, I had
a vague dream...

27. Reasons not to move there:

28. I was “settled.”

29. I knew no one there.

30. My whole family lived
in North Carolina.

31. I had little money and
SF is expensive.

32. My own mother didn’t
want me to move.

33. So, lots of reasons not to do it.
There always are.

34. One reason to do it:
I wanted to do it.

35. So I just did it.
(That was 13 years ago!)

36. It was difficult.

37. I almost went bankrupt.

38. It was totally worth it.

39. That decision to move
changed my life.

48. That’s just one story.

49. Etsy is a community of
inspired stories.

50. http://etsy.me/findcourage

51. I also looked for wisdom
from people I admire on the
subject of courage.

52. What I learned.

53. Courage comes from doing.

54. You get [courage] by courageous acts.
It's like you learn to swim by swimming.
— Mary Daly

55. Take the leap!

56. "Start Anywhere."
You will never have enough time, or training, or money, or
items to sell to feel like you are ready to start.
— jennybuttons (Etsy Seller)
http://etsy.com/shop/jennybuttons

57. Once you start,
you have to persist.

58. Opportunity is missed by
most people because it is
dressed in overalls and
looks like hard work.
— Thomas Edison

59. [Persistence] is the key to success, because no one will be
as committed to your dream as you. Every single day,
minute by minute, you have to step forward, put yourself
out there, and be courageous.
— peaseblossomstudio
http://etsy.com/shop/peaseblossomstudio

60. Recognize that there’s
no failure.

61. I have not failed 10,000 times.
I have not failed once.
I have succeeded in proving that
those 10,000 ways will not work.
When I have eliminated the ways
that will not work, I will find the way
that will work.
— Thomas Edison

62. You can only learn from your mistakes
and when you're not making mistakes,
enjoy the serendipity when it comes
your way.
parispennsylvania
http://etsy.com/shop/parispennsylvania

63. Get support from
your community.

64. sometimes you just need someone
to believe in you to find the courage
in yourself to overcome your fears.
— daniellexo
http://etsy.com/shop/daniellexo

66. ...but be prepared to
go your own way!

67. I did hear from discouraging or well-meaning people
that I did not know what I was doing, which was true
enough but I figure I'd learn along the way.
I heard there was no money in art, and the funniest, to
me, anyway, was that the name I pick out for my shop
was too foreign, that someone might think I'm a
terrorist.
I kept going because it felt right.
— MajafariDesigns
http://etsy.com/shop/majafaridesigns

68. Listen to your truest self.

69. Courage. . . . came from a burning
desire to make our own path.
— theferriswheels
http://etsy.com/shop/theferriswheels

70. When in doubt,
go with your heart.

71. I’m not perfect,
I’m perfectly myself.
— sherrytruitt
http://etsy.com/shop/sherrytruitt

72. That’s what courage
is all about.

73. Start.
Persist.
Make mistakes.
Be true to yourself.

74. Finding your courage
is really finding your heart.

75. Good luck in your journey.

76. Thank you.
http://etsy.me/findcourage