Journey Into the Unknown | Chapter 5: Winter Reflections and What’s Next | December, 2025
Slowing down to move with intention
Recently, Sara and I went to The Carpenter Center at Cal State Long Beach to see Baratunde Thurston, a “social creative,” who posed some great questions to the crowd–the ones that nudge us toward a different kind of leadership and a different kind of citizenship. He writes about the intersection of technology, nature, and human connection, and he reminds us that power is not simply the ability to act — it’s the ability to act together.
“How we show up for one another is the foundation of power.”
—Baratunde Thurston, How to Citizen
This feels especially true right now. Whether we are CEOs, managers, work with virtual assistants or AI… We live in a moment when artificial intelligence is accelerating the world around us. The real work, however, the work that matters, is still deeply human: Relationships. Creativity. Curiosity. The courage to ask better questions. The willingness to slow down enough to notice each other. The work of adrienne marie brown says it is all about relationships and connections, that we are all distant cousins, that we are not apart from nature but a part of it. This is symbiosis, humans imitating nature, biomimicry… the underground network that connects all life and teaches us about leadership and how to solve social problems, is at the heart of my thinking these days.
So I’m practicing a new kind of leadership myself — one rooted in presence rather than pace.
Have you ever written a love letter to yourself? Try it. It’s a magical experience, taught to me by Jewish Studio Project, that allows us to truly see ourselves, to flatter ourselves, and to be at peace with ourselves. I’m taking more walks in the middle of the workday. Breathing fresh air, and encouraging my little ones to do the same, to help them regulate their little bodies. I’m listening to new podcasts, old music, and making phone calls to old friends. It’s a necessary part of my day to keep me going.
Deeper Work, Fewer Clients
This year I’m choosing fewer clients and deeper partnerships — relationships where we build together, and where creative practice is not an add-on but the heartbeat.
I want every engagement to feel like a retreat with a purpose — a space where leaders can breathe, reflect, and explore what they actually believe about the future.
As I look ahead to 2026, I want to plan not by filling time — but by making time.
“What we pay attention to is what we create.”
—Adrienne Maree Brown, Emergent Strategy
