This weekend, my dear friend Miloš let me ride his VIP coattails at the Daisy Chain Fields music festival, as he was capturing footage for his documentary about the iconic alt rock band, Garbage.

Between carefree moments belting “Pink Pony Club,” dancing in flowery Doc Martens to “Denial is a River,” and screaming the moment Alanis Morissette was announced as the surprise guest (see below), I was doin’ my thing: getting curious about the people who make this work.

The whole thing was so passionate powerhouse-coded, I had to dedicate this newsletter to unpacking what I experienced.

Olivia Rodrigo’s spiritual successor to Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair was essentially a wildly successful group project. This project brought together generations of passionate and powerful artists, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and operational masterminds so 45K+ of us could gallivant happily in 90˚ heat for 12+ hours. And the event raised a whopping $20M for nonprofits focused on issues affecting women, from reproductive rights to domestic violence.

Passionate. Powerful. And lucrative. And sustainable (they announced they’re doing it again next year).

Here’s what I observed about making passionate, powerful work actually work

Values-alignment is not optional. There was an oversized pin-back “Planned Parenthood” button on top of the stage, which is a clear statement: We support women's right to choose to have an abortion. This certainly lost them ticket sales and made them a target for hate speech. But it also served as a beacon for a deeply supportive, paying audience—and Melinda Gates’ $10M donation match. A clear, strong stance is not a liability. It’s an asset.

Dreams require spreadsheets. Olivia's vision was clear: women and girls lounging in a field creating daisy chains in the beautiful sunshine. And… they needed to pee, drink, eat, and schlep to and from the venue. The artists needed to practice a lot. The festival organizers needed to have hundreds of Zoom calls. The photographers needed to pack gear. Dream jobs aren’t always dreamy. It's about choosing what work is worth it.

Big swings mean big lessons. Mistakes were made and people noticed. It took people hours to leave the venue. Alanis’ mic technique meant that Olivia’s harmony drowned her out. Garbage’s earpieces stopped working mid-set. The water refills were warm. I had the privilege of seeing how the artists and organizers processed these mistakes. They’re humans, so they stung… but then they moved on. They have to. It’s part of the job.

Human connection is lifeblood. No one rode solo. Whether it was support from family and friends backstage, band members banding together, or a Swiss Army Knife of staff enabling artists to focus on art. I got to witness Shirley Manson and Stevie Nicks have an eye-to-eye convo as two badasses coming up in an industry of men. Ambition is a team sport: we need people to walk alongside us, lift us up, and provide concrete support.

I'm curious: What's your Planned Parenthood pin? Who's your Stevie? What spreadsheets are supporting your dream? I love hearing from you about your passionate powerhouse visions and how you’re bringing them to life.

Onward!
Grace (aka unabashed Alanis Morissette superfan)