From the Porch (Blog)

Listening isn't just something we do for others. Sometimes the most important conversation is the one happening within ourselves.

Every conversation plants a seed. The question is whether we're planting fear or hope, division or belonging, certainty or curiosity. Our words have a way of growing long after we've spoken them.

We all have "resentment gremlins"—those small frustrations that quietly demand more attention than they deserve. But what if the life we're growing depends less on our circumstances and more on what w...

What began as a simple three-word mantra eventually became something much more. This is a reflection on how a personal compass helped me move from surviving to creating—and why direction often matters...

The strongest leaders aren't always the ones out front. Inspired by the role of the domestique in professional cycling, this reflection explores how serving others, sharing the load, and helping teamm...

Strong people struggle too, but healing doesn't always begin with having the right answers. Sometimes it begins with allowing the people who love us to show up before we've figured everything out.

Last week, I attended a farewell celebration for a leader who has deeply impacted my life, my work, and our organization over the last six years. She’s stepping into a new professional chapter, and wh...

I remember a conversation I had with a woman who had left an abusive marriage. We talked about survival, stress, exhaustion, and the slow ways people can lose themselves without even realizing it. At ...

In this fast-paced, often chaotic world, I keep coming back to a simple reminder: be present… and don’t forget to play. In my new role at work, I have the privilege of sitting in 1:1 conversations wit...

Do more of what you love sounds simple, but in the pace of everyday life, it’s often the first thing we forget. There’s something about being outside that calms me, settles me, brings me back to mysel...

Recess isn’t something we outgrow. It’s something we forget—and then have to choose again. I had the coolest conversation with a colleague this month. He’s a student advisor, and he tells his students...

Something is changing… and it’s happening in the middle of uncertainty. A few weeks ago, I shared that my mentor and new boss is leaving. Not immediately. There is still work for her to do here. We st...

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about depth over reach and impact over numbers. It’s easy to get caught up in numbers. Followers. Attendance. Growth curves. Even in my own small corner, I notice it. M...

Every once in a while, we come back to what we know: routine can help manage times of anxiety and stress, even more than motivation. A few weeks back, Jim and I both had a cold. Nothing major, but it ...

The moment I heard my mentor was leaving, fear asked one question: “What about me?” My promise to myself last year, after a long break from writing, was to be as authentic as possible. To stay aligned...