Ready for the tea?

Warning: This blog post is more love letter than newsletter and I’m planning to be a little vulnerable here.

I made a big decision in Fall of last year that has, and will continue to have, a dramatic effect on my life. At the close of 2021, I resigned from my role as Chief Development Officer and started 2022 as a full-fledged entrepreneur, with no intention of ever going back to being anyone’s employee.

Apparently, my decision was timely. Have you seen the recent New York Times article about how 4.5 million people decided to “quit” their jobs in November of 2021? I just read it yesterday and I must say, I haven’t felt this on-trend since the fifth grade when I received the “best dressed” award from my eleven year-old peers. But I digress…

While there are a number of reasons for this seemingly dramatic shift in our society, I want to share briefly about why I came to my decision. First and foremost, I need to prioritize my health. I won’t get into the details of what’s been ailing me, but I will share that I’ve done a ton of research, worked with several doctors (Western and Eastern), engaged coaches and healers (I’m probably way more “woo woo” than you might expect) and done very intentional work on myself – body, mind, and spirit. The conclusion – stress, chronic stress – is exacerbating what ails me.

The only conclusion I could draw is that I had to gain complete ownership of my time and energy. One could argue we always own our energy and time, but honestly, it’s been a struggle for me over the years. Especially in my most recent role with an organization I’ve been madly in love with for more than a decade. I’ve been addicted to being in service of others – not just the clientele the organizations I’ve worked for serve, but also thousands of donors, dozens of staff members, volunteers, community partners, and the executives and Board members to whom, and for whom, I was accountable on a daily basis. For me, it’s always been too easy to put myself at the end of a very long “to do” list.

I decided I had to change. I’m learning to create and hold boundaries. Admittedly, not having that skill set firmly in place before was a piece of what made me pretty fantastic at fundraising and relationship management, but terrible at self preservation.

There’s a bright side to this testimonial! You may know that I’ve been teaching, consulting, and coaching other nonprofit professionals since 2014. In Board rooms, classrooms, and as of late, by Zoom, and my favorite sensation is the tingle I get when laughter erupts from a group of adult learners in response to one of my “what not to do” stories. Seriously, it’s exhilarating…and hindsight can be hilarious!

I know in my heart that the lessons I’ve learned first-hand will pay dividends in my Coaching practice and make for great wisdom I can share during consulting engagements. The journey has been uncomfortable but I’ve learned so much about creating and maintaining boundaries, managing staff through crisis, open communication, creating safe spaces for people to show up in their authentic expressions, and managing the stress that seems to plague the nonprofit sector. Hopefully, through our connection, my new perspective and experiences will serve to enhance your professional experience as well.

My desire and intention is to be a trusted partner in our community of care. Please reach out if I can provide you with resources or support for your journey. For now, I leave you with my deep gratitude for our connection and a few opportunities that may be of interest.

Happy New Year, beautiful humans!