That Pigeon Knew More About Business Than She Did
A Mentorship Letter for Women in Business on Strategy, Stillness, and Survival
She was mad at a pigeon.
She called it, "disgusting."
Then covered her food with one hand.
The pigeon didn't move.
She shoo'd at it and shouted, "Get out!"
But it was out.
Outside, where it had lived its whole life.
She grew angrier and kicked sand toward the pigeon.
Still the pigeon didn't move.
She grabbed her things, gave the pigeon a dirty look and stormed off in a heated fit.
The pigeon stayed.
Outside.
Where it had lived its whole life.
That was a moment I witnessed today while out on a walk.
I share it here because this was hard to watch. The anger this woman had towards what seemed to me to be an innocent bird stayed with me. It reminded me of how we sometimes treat each other in business and in life.
If you’re contemplating your next move, there may be a time when you’re either the woman or the pigeon.
The observer or the absorbed.
That pigeon reminded me who I’ve become, and why I’m writing this newsletter.
I’ve lived a long entrepreneurial journey. What might surprise you is that I’m not the fierce
“I am Woman, watch me roar” CEO.
I am the pigeon: the observer.
And if there’s one thing I hope to share as we get to know each other, it's the power of that stillness. Not silence, but an unwavering calm. A resilience that has seen me through the brutal realities of entrepreneurship they don’t teach in business school.
This kind of wisdom, this navigation through the dark forest, is why mentors are indispensable.
So, why am I here, writing this now?
Perhaps because the forest has darkened again, for many of us.
And in darkness, we all need light.
When I wandered through the hardest parts of my own entrepreneurial forest, that light, for me, came from mentors.
Yes, gurus offer inspiration, perhaps even practical application.
But mentors?
Mentors are where our fears are met, where they’re truly touched.
They don’t just offer the 'how-to'; they illuminate the 'why.'
I’m here now out of a sense of responsibility.
For legacy, yes.
But mostly out of the joy I feel when I anticipate your success.
I genuinely can’t wait to hear what you're building.
I write about entrepreneurship.
Not the case study stuff.
The real-world, from idea to exit kind.
If you have a business idea or problem and you’re not sure if you can pull it off, I’m that rare bird who will help you figure it out.
I see your vision alongside you, and I believe in it before it’s fully formed.
Entrepreneurship is a tea steeped in belief.
Without it, ideas don’t die, they simply brew in someone else’s cup.
I only warn you, that if you don’t want to be pushed into the greatest version of your idea, you’ll want to steer clear of me.
But who am I?
I’m Dilia Wood.
Mentor, founder, commercial real estate developer, and former CEO.
I’m also a builder.
Not just of brands, but of blueprints, teams, and businesses that last.
I’m the whisper in your ear telling you that entrepreneurship isn’t just about money; it’s about survival, sovereignty, and skill.
I’ve secured one of the largest small business loans awarded to woman-owned startup, for a multi-million dollar venture.
I’ve earned over $500k in public-private grant awards.
I transformed a historic hardware store into an award-winning wedding venue and sustainable business model.
I’ve launched e-commerce brands, guided founders, and mentored women rebuilding from scratch.
I’ve walked through betrayal that became litigation—fighting not just for justice, but for my voice, my work, and the right to keep building without erasure.
Every one of these wins was built the hard way. Not through publicity or followers, but through vision, risk, and staying when it got uncomfortable.
Many of my projects were quietly built. In some cases, you’d have no idea I was the original creator behind them.
That’s something we’ll explore here, too:
the difference between recognition and resonance.
For now, you’ll find a few photos from one of my favorite projects, Inspirador.
But none of that is why this Substack exists.
Why No Cubicle No Cry Exists:
Because maybe my story helps you feel less alone in yours.
I’m not here to promise easy wins.
I’m here to offer the kind of clarity I wish I had sooner.
When I became an entrepreneur, I didn’t need more shiny success stories.
I needed people who were honest. People who didn’t just tell me what they did. They showed me how, and why, it worked.
The mentors who helped me most weren’t the loudest.
They were the ones who said:
“This part’s going to be hard.
Here’s what no one told me.
And here’s what I’d do differently if I were you.”
That’s the space I’m holding here.
A little memoir, a little operator’s manual, for the rest of us.
You already know how to drive.
I’m just here to help you get where you actually want to go.
And maybe this is the part no one told us:
you don’t have to shout to belong here.
You don’t have to be the loudest, the boldest, or the fastest builder in the room.
This is a place for the observer.
The woman quietly watching from the edge of the meeting, the founder sketching in notebooks at night, the one who’s tired of pretending she doesn’t have questions.
Questions like:
Can I leave and still be respected?
Is this idea enough?
Can I build something real, and still protect myself?
That pigeon didn’t answer with noise.
It stayed.
Unbothered. Present. Unafraid of misunderstanding.
That’s the kind of builder I’ve become.
That’s the kind of space this is.
If you’re looking for a place to ask real questions, to steady your footing,
to build quietly, clearly, and without erasure.
You’re already in the right place.
Welcome to No Cubicle No Cry.
Let’s build,
Dilia
