When the world shakes — literally and metaphorically — we may wonder if our work still matters. But in the midst of grief, fear, and uncertainty, there is tremendous power in showing up as we are each called. There’s power in presence, in kindness, and in each tending to our small part of the web.

Tending to our inner flame as fundraisers means that we can keep the fire kindled among our donors and colleagues. Often there’s a slow burn in donor outreach and we can find ourselves discouraged. But then when the spark finally catches, it’s exhilerating and our faith in the process is restored!

As I coach my clients I return to this truth again and again: So much of our suffering as leaders comes from denying our humanity. What if we can soften and welcome this humanity, instead of pushing it away? When I do, I find that my suffering lessens and I can show up as the leader I want to be.

When I first learned that 2025 is considered the Year of the Hermit in Tarot, I felt tears of relief. I had been wondering: What’s wrong with me? Why do I feel the urge to pull inward, to pause, to sit in the quiet rather than push forward with boldness and urgency? But it turns out—nothing is wrong. In fact, something is very right.

If persistent negative thoughts are sabotaging your leadership, please know you’re not alone.  This was a huge issue for me when I was a new Development Director.  These thought patterns froze me up, caused me a lot of suffering, and hampered my ability to lead. Here, I share a powerful strategy for loosening their grip and getting back into aligned action.

Having a “problem focus” is, in fact, a facet of human nature. Unfortunately, this tendency keeps us stuck. In this post, I talk about how the power of visioning — looking up ahead to where you want to go — can help you glide past whatever rocky obstacles and problems are in your path.

You’ve heard about a daily gratitude practice… but what about a wanting practice? If you’re someone who has felt disconnected from your true self — hiding in the shadow of all that others need and want — this post is for you. It’s time to connect with what you want!

Let’s say you had a great chemistry session with a potential coach, you could see a lot of benefit in working with them, but now you’re stuck in fear and indecision. Totally normal! I this post I offer some coaching questions to get you unstuck!

What happens when we invite nature to speak to us and through us? In my latest session with my own coach, my body and the natural world had powerful, clear messages that will resonate with me for a long time.

In this post I talk about how I came to embrace a new identity as a bad-ass karate black belt, an identity I never in a million years thought I would hold. Is there a more powerful, new identity calling you? It can be game-changing to step up to the plate and say YES to it.

Dragging your feet on corporate fundraising? Have a visceral reaction to the idea of promoting business interests via your small nonprofit? I feel you! But I’m here to share that there are ways to do this work that are easeful and values-aligned. It doesn’t have to be complicated and you don’t have to sell your soul to do it.

Is there only one way to be a successful fundraiser? Do you have to be smooth-talking, ever confident, outgoing, with decades of major gifts that you’ve “won” from influential philanthropists? I don’t think so. Not today anyway. But when I was a new Development Director, that’s what I thought.