It’s 5 PM and you’re exhausted from another day of nonprofit leadership. The board meeting was brutal, your inbox exploded, and a major project partner just ghosted you. Your hand reaches for the wine bottle almost automatically. Or maybe it’s the snack drawer. Or online shopping. You know these habits aren’t serving you, but somehow […]
Last week, I had the privilege of recording three short “chats” about resilience for students in the University of Toronto Arts Management Program. This newsletter is based on my remarks. 🌻🌻🌻 In 30-plus years working in the arts, I’ve seen too many talented leaders hit a wall. Not because they weren’t capable or committed, but […]
Some post-Thanksgiving reflections on how to cultivate gratitude As Thanksgiving fades in the rearview mirror, some of us return to our regular lives feeling grateful for family and friends, delicious food, and opportunities to gather together. But what happens when that feeling of gratitude dims? Or maybe we struggled to find any feelings of gratitude—when […]
In my last post, we explored how to identify your saboteur patterns—those internal voices that keep you safe but small. Maybe you recognized yourself postponing that major donor call, over-researching instead of writing, or talking yourself out of personal experiences you actually want to try. Now that you can predict how your saboteurs operate, you’re […]
Congratulations! You’re making progress with setting boundaries. You’re saying no to time-wasters and energy drains. You’re saying no to tasks and people who violate your principles or don’t contribute to your vision and goals. Now, you see space opening up in your calendar and more mental bandwidth for what matters most. So why aren’t you […]
“Thank you for thinking of me but I’m not available at this time.” This is all I wrote when I declined to write a graduate school reference letter for a former colleague I had worked with briefly. I had been brooding over my reply for a couple of weeks. I was surprised by how resentful […]
Isn’t this spring crazy busy? I see you and how many conferences, grant applications, launches and openings you’ve got going on. I hope you’re taking time to stop and smell the hyacinths! In March, I was busy getting ready for the next cohort of Mental Fitness for Nonprofit Leaders. I did a happy dance on […]
I have a foolproof way to know when spring is coming. No, I don’t rely on Groundhog Day or Easter chocolates appearing on store shelves. It’s the first day that someone in British Columbia posts a photo of daffodils. The collective moaning and kvetching from the rest of Canada is deafening. Everyone else feels grumpy […]