Love and the Power of Showing Up

Valentine’s Day is sneaking up again—love in the air, cards on the shelf, chocolates in those shiny little boxes. But what else is love in?

For me, it’s in the everyday heartbeat of family. It’s in the giggles at the dinner table, the backpacks by the door, and the late-night “Dad, one more thing…” conversations. They are my heartbeats. 

It’s also in the stuff I can’t not do—those passion projects that nudge me out of bed early and keep me up just a little too late. It’s in the work. Not the sterile kind of work that fits neatly on a timesheet, but the kind that asks you to care—about people, about well-being, about the community that forms between the two.

I’ve even been reminded lately about how much love shows up when entrepreneurs get in the same room. When we gather, a few things happen every single time:

1. I can fully be myself. No polish required, just the honest version who’s trying, learning, and showing up.

2. We operate in a shared thinking space where ideas generate (instead of die). You toss out a spark, and someone else brings kindling. Before you know it, you’ve got something warm enough to gather around.

3. We develop relationships that turn into partnerships and friendships. Those last-minute “Hey, can you help?” moments mean everything.

There’s absolutely no way (in my mind) that these things can be created without love. Because love is the decision to make room for each other’s dreams, for accountability and encouragement, for the messy beginning of a good idea. As Charles M. Schulz said, “Love is sharing your popcorn.” Pass the bag. Scoot closer. Invite someone new into the circle. That’s where it all starts.

So if you’re scanning the aisle for a card this week, don’t forget to check your calendar, too. 

Where can you share your popcorn? Is it lunch with a fellow business owner who’s in the thick of it? A quick hand-written note to a client who trusted you when you were still figuring it out? A Saturday morning spent cheering on a youth team, buying from a booth at the market, or supporting a school fundraiser?

Love is in the air, sure—but it’s also in the doing. It’s in the way we choose to build something together, one conversation, one introduction, one small act of generosity at a time.

Here’s to the kind of love that grows companies, yes—but more importantly, grows communities. Pass the popcorn. There’s plenty to share.

— Jason