As I write this blog, the sun is shining brightly through my office window, a cool breeze is making the palm tree in front of my patio sway gently, and a delicious harmony of birds is chirping. It feels like Los Angeles in February. 😎

Also…

Our hiking trails are scorched, we’re wearing masks outside because of toxic air quality, and our emergency response nonprofits are still clothing, sheltering, and serving meals to our neighbors whose homes burned to the ground just a few miles away. Meanwhile, the echoes of chaos from Washington D.C. feel like they’ve stretched all the way to the 405 during rush hour. It’s been a hell of a start to 2025.

As a coach, consultant, and trusted advisor to dozens of nonprofit leaders, my days have been full of challenging, emotional, and strategic conversations. I’m not pretending to have all the answers to WTF we’re all encountering right now. But my goal—always—is to uplift and empower the incredible people who choose to dedicate their working lives to building community and resourcing the nonprofit sector.

In that spirit, I offer a few grounding truths that have bubbled to the surface in recent conversations:

For my Angelenos in particular:

LA, you are resilience incarnate. You’ve been knocked down before—earthquakes, fires, recessions—but every time, you rise, wrapped in the golden glow of your sunsets, carrying the dreams of a city that always believes in a better tomorrow. One foot in front of the other, we will grow through this.

I mean… did y’all see the Grammy Awards last Sunday?!

For all of my friends in the nonprofit sector:

I know it’s tempting to bend to despair. To wonder if the work we’re doing can ever be enough. Remember, we are built different. And thank God for that. Because the ones who want to divide, distract, and destroy will never understand the radical joy, connection, and determination that fuels our sector.

For all of us, as we move through this incredibly challenging, frustrating, and scary time, may we remember who we are and why we serve our communities:

• We build bridges, not walls. Our communities are kaleidoscopes of humanity, and we celebrate every piece of it. Diversity is what makes life worth living.
• We stay rooted in mission. No amount of chaos can steal our commitment to serving our community with open hearts.
• We lead with love. In a world bent on division, we remain unapologetically focused on connection and kindness.
• We know joy is an act of resistance. Celebrating a win and sharing a laugh, no matter how small, is our way of saying, “You can’t take this from us.”
• We keep the faith. In ourselves, in our communities, and in the idea that better days are ahead.

Friends, let’s keep our chins up and our hearts open. Let’s lean on each other when the days feel impossibly hard. Keep going. Keep believing. Keep showing those who attempt to tear us down and divide us that they not like us.

With love, grit, and a whole lot of gratitude for you,
Hannah