Our Fort Worth Business Plan Competition Experience: A Love Letter to Our City

We love Fort Worth. That simple truth has never been clearer than it was this past week when we took the stage at the Fort Worth Business Plan Competition at The Modern.

When we applied last spring, we had no idea what an incredible journey awaited us. Over the past several months, we completed a four-week intensive business course, received invaluable counseling from Frost Bank and benefited from mentorship with the outstanding teams at Tech Fort Worth and Ensemble Cowork, who have quickly become some of our favorite people in the business community.

While we didn't take home a top prize, we're incredibly proud to have made it to the top eight finalists out of roughly 50 businesses that applied. For communications experts who admittedly "don't do math," this experience pushed us far outside our comfort zone and taught us lessons we'll carry forward in our business.

But here's what really struck us: we didn't spend a single dollar to participate in this competition, yet leaders from across Fort Worth showed up on their own time to help us learn and grow. That's the kind of city we live in, one where successful people invest in the success of others, where community matters more than competition, and where small businesses are genuinely supported.

Fort Worth is a very special place full of great people, and this experience only deepened our appreciation for calling it home.

If you're a small business owner (with a company under five years old), we strongly encourage you to apply for next year's competition. The education, connections and experience are invaluable, regardless of where you place.

And to this year's winners (XO Halal, Create + Collaborate and Fort Worth Steam Academy): congratulations! The judges clearly knew what they were doing. You all inspire us and we can't wait to see what you accomplish.