Going’s Post

After being here for a week, I finally made it to the beach! Where the heck am I, you might ask. Since I live in Calgary, Alberta, there is no beach anywhere in sight. The only wet is from melting snow. I should rewind to tell you the back story... Here’s how last week started for me: Monday morning, just as I settled at my desk, coffee in hand and Do Not Disturb on, I got a text from my sister. The photo showed an X-ray of a broken leg. Her text was surprisingly cheerful for someone who had just tripped over one of her dogs and broken both her tibia and fibula. She lives in the Cayman Islands (a fun fact that makes this story feel a little less “Well, that sucks” and a little more “Wow, life’s an adventure”). What’s a good little sister to do? Luckily, my husband Dale made the decision easy for me: “You should go. She needs you, and she’ll appreciate the help.” So here I am, adjusting to island humidity 😅 . Helping my sister, being a nurse, driver, cook and temporary animal whisperer by managing her collection of stray cats. The dogs are (temporarily) in a kennel while she gets mobile again. What does this have to do with you? The simple fact is: Community matters. When you surround yourself with people who support you, believe in you, and work with you to handle the unexpected, it makes all the difference—whether that’s family, friends, or clients. This week, I’ve had: ~ A few client projects experience minor delays ~ Several deliverables reorganized (or disorganized) ~ Some in-person meetings converted to virtual ones And you know what? Everyone has been absolutely amazing. That’s the kind of community I’m grateful for and the kind I strive to create. Thank you for being part of it. Now, let’s build supportive networks, cheer each other on, and keep lifting each other—whether in life or business. Maybe next time, I'll get to swim! #SmallBusinesses #SalesandMarketing #WomenInBusiness #WorkFlexibility #ContentStrategy

Hi everyone, it's been a while since my last post, but it was time to take a break and enjoy a short #vacation with the #family. You can read about it in my latest blog post: https://lnkd.in/gVD2YGeu

Top Resident Engagement Events for your community ⬇️ 1) Community Pool Party 🌊 - Bring your residents together for a fun day of food, drinks, and water activities. Pool parties are a great way to foster community spirit! 2) Neighborly Meet & Greet 👥 - Host an event to connect residents and foster relationships within the community. It’s the perfect way to create a welcoming environment, and it allows for your residents to get to know each other. 3) Pet Picnic 🧺 🐶 - Have a pet friendly community? What better way to bring your residents together than to host a picnic where pets are welcomed. 4) Food Truck on The Lawn 🍱 🛻 - Bring the food to your community and let the rest do itself. This zero cost event, allows your residents to go out while still being right at home. Mingling amongst good food and good neighborly company. Want an opportunity to win a sponsored resident event ? All you have to do is a share an event in the comments below ⬇️

We have finally come up with a name for our family journey! 🙌 We discussed several options with the kids and wanted to have a name that conveys the spirit of this voyage, both for us and those who follow our adventures. Until now I called it a family sabbatical but that did not really express what this journey is about for us. For us, a sabbatical sounded like focusing mainly on fun and relaxation – and while we certainly will have these elements, our intention is to go beyond the enjoyment. This journey is about letting our kids learn about different realities and get a better understanding of global issues: what these issues are, how we are part of these issues and how we can act in responsible ways. 𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. So, we wanted a name that encapsulates the very essence of this journey in a way that is relatable to both adults and kids. Our kids will write regularly about their experience during this journey and some friends and classmates will follow our adventures, so it had to be a name that makes people curious, regardless of age. After some discussion, and some very creative names, the name that we all liked is 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 & 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆. This expresses the two aspects that are really important to us: 1) This is not a trip of traveling from A to B; this is a journey that leads us both outward, to places unknown to us and inward to self-discovery and self-growth. 2) We want to engage on three levels and we want us and our children to experience this journey with their  🧠 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀: use their cognitive skills, deepen their knowledge and strengthen their critical thinking 💚 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀: be empathetic, compassionate, kind and caring towards self and others 🤲 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀: learn to plan, organize and do things in collaboration with others; pull up their sleeves and get their hands dirty; How do you like this name for our family journey of discovery and volunteering? #HeadHeartHandsJourney

Cheating is cheating right? Well maybe not. Many of my clients seek support from me after they have discovered an affair in their relationship. However, the type of affair isn't really one of their questions, nor has it ever been? So why then should I be talking about it now? Whilst cheating is painful and devastating regardless of the type, if you want to work through it and understand it then the type is really important and it can help you stop it from happening again. Check out my blog below where I explain a range of different affairs and what they mean x jo https://bit.ly/3RdJGLV . . . . #cheating #affairs #helpforaffairs #typeofaffair #marriagecounsellin

🎅 Something Not On My Resume: Lessons from the North Pole 🎄 Once upon a holiday season, Michael Mendenhall and I moonlighted as elves at a mall Santa set to help pay off a hefty veterinary bill for our dog, Jovie. I juggled elf duties while serving in AmeriCorps, and he did the same while editor of the Newton Daily News. Balancing service projects, news deadlines, and Santa’s busy schedule taught us the highest levels of organization, planning, and multitasking—because managing breaking news and candy cane distribution isn’t for the faint of heart. Career Lessons from the North Pole: 1️⃣ Time Management: Try keeping a line of excited kids happy while Santa takes his "milk and cookies" break. We could run a Fortune 500 meeting in 10 minutes flat now. 2️⃣ Conflict Resolution: Navigating toy disputes between siblings is basically corporate mediation—only with more glitter and fewer HR forms. 3️⃣Customer Service: Ever explain to a local meteorologist—skeptical about the cost of a 5x7 photo—why it’s highly unlikely that we as elves set the price? Let’s just say we mastered empathetic communication real quick. Bonus points if you can do it with a straight face while wearing pointy shoes. 4️⃣ Multitasking: Filing news stories, running community service projects, and snapping Santa photos in the same 24 hours? Call us productivity pros with a flair for festive hustle. Working at Santa’s set taught us that showing up with joy and a little holiday spirit makes all the difference. Plus, we can say we’ve reported directly to the biggest CEO in the world—Mr. Claus himself. 🎁 Would we do it again? Only if there’s a sleigh upgrade and a hot cocoa stipend. 😉 ☕🎄 #happyholidays #holidaywork #santaclaus #multitasking #productivity #journalism #americorps #buddytheelf #santaphotos

It’s true – our pets can help us network! Earlier today, we held a “Petworking” event encouraging our team members to join virtually with their pets and connect with colleagues across the organization.  Wary of those dreaded networking icebreakers? No wary needed when pets are involved! We can learn a lot about co-workers when discussing shared passions like our furry family members.  If you’re looking for new ways to encourage connection and collaboration, I encourage you to bring pets into the mix. Has your organization done something like this before?  #workplaceculture #petsatwork #pets 

I was very excited to join the waterfowl count at Lake Chivero Bird Sanctuary yesterday🦆🦜🪶🍁. But, as fate would have it, I missed the bird walk🤦♀️. Here's what happened: I left home at 6 am, thinking I had enough time to get to our 6:30 am meet-up point. I stay just 10 minutes away from town, so I thought I was safe. However, the kombi(omnibus) took a longer route and I arrived in town after 20mins. With just 10 minutes to spare, I ordered an InDrive. But, the driver didn't know the exact location, and neither did I. We relied on GPS, which took us to the wrong gate. Seeing there was no one in sight, I had to make calls fast to locate the team. Unfortunately the person I called wasnt going but told me I wasnt at the correct gate where the team was meeting. So i had to walk back to the other gate further down. I arrived at 6:37 am, only to find out that the team had already left at 6:30 am. I was disappointed and had a dull morning💔. It was my fault though. I now know better, next time I will be early🤞😂. As I reflected on what happened, I realized that a lack of preparation and planning had led to my missed opportunity. If I had: → Known the exact meet-up point beforehand not just the name → Left home earlier to account for unexpected delays → Communicated better with the team beforehand I probably would have made it on time. This experience taught me about the importance of planning and preparation. Life doesn't wait for anyone. Time keeps moving, and that one second or one minute can be the difference between an amazing opportunity and regret. New week, new chances! Don't let lateness hold you back from seizing opportunities. Plan ahead, stay focused and #HappyNewWeek! Have you ever missed an opportunity due to a lack of preparation? Share your story and lets learn from each other!🙃 #BirdWatching #OpportunityLost #TimeManagement #PunctualityMatters

Woke up this morning to two dogs in my house. They’re not ours—both are dogs of friends who are traveling, and we’re dog-sitting. Since our own dog passed two years ago, we’ve embraced hosting friends’ dogs. But here’s something I find interesting: people are often uncomfortable even asking, and then they’re surprised when we offer to dog-sit for free—just because we love dogs, love the energy they bring, and want to show our kids that helping others is the foundation of a strong community. It seems that as a society, we’ve forgotten how to lean on one another. We’re so worried about the discomfort of asking for help or the potential obligation to “pay it back” that we prefer to pay for everything—whether it’s dog-sitting, moving, or other favors. But what are we losing in the process? We’re losing the interdependence that strengthens communities, both personally and professionally. We’re avoiding the interpersonal risk-taking that creates real connection. And then we wonder why we see silos at work or why people don’t collaborate or speak up as openly. It’s all connected—the willingness to ask, to take small risks, to help without expecting something in return. It’s these simple, human acts that foster connection and trust, both in our personal lives and in our teams at work. #CommunityBuilding #LeadershipDevelopment #HumanConnection #ExecutiveCoaching #TeamCollaboration

❄️ Winter break isn’t just for rest—it’s a golden opportunity to explore career possibilities! From skill-building to networking and volunteering, discover simple ways to make this time both relaxing and productive.  #CareerExploration #WinterBreak #CareerGrowth #SkillBuilding #FutureGoals #CareerDevelopment