Nice Work: Working through the wobbles

Hey there,

Know what I’ve been doing way too much of lately? Hustling. 

In August, of all things! The month when we should all be reclining on a porch with a cool drink! Rude of the universe to do this to me, honestly. 

But this year has been weird. Clients have been laid off. Projects have gone on pause at the last minute. There’s dread oozing out of my LinkedIn feed. Everything feels a bit wobbly. And so despite my intentions to stay calm and present, I’ve spent more of this month stretched and stressed than I’d like to admit. 

Maybe you can relate. Maybe you’ve also been trying to keep it together amid…all this.

If so, I want you to know that you’re doing great.

And I also want you to know that the best antidote I’ve found to this feeling isn’t shutting down and hiding away. It’s connection: Telling the people in my corner what I’m feeling. Opening up about what’s hard. Offering care and support—and receiving it back. 

We’ve got an opportunity for that coming up this fall. It’s our flagship 12-week program all about reconnecting with yourself, finding your most confident voice, and making bold moves in the direction of your values. We’ve been running it since 2020, and it feels like magic every time.

This is the last time we’ll run it this year, and I’ll be honest: I’m more worried than usual about whether those seats will fill. So if this sounds like it might be a fit, I hope you check out the details below. 

And if it’s not right for you, that’s OK. But I still hope you look for new ways to feel connected this fall. No one should have to wobble through it alone.

—Sara

The Courageous Leadership Program

Starts September 21. Registration now open.

You don’t have to become someone else to be a leader.

We live in a world that makes it seem like leaders all need to look and act a certain way: Be a loud voice at the front of the room. Speak authoritatively. Never let anyone see you struggle. (Oh, and it helps to be a straight, cis, white, non-disabled man, too.)

But leadership isn’t about how you look or speak. It’s about understanding yourself, your strengths, and your perspective—and then leading from that place.

That’s a courageous leader.

In this program designed for anyone who wants to feel more confident taking the lead at work, we’ll unpack how societal messages and biased “feedback” have taught us to play small, people-please, and put ourselves last. Then we’ll turn those messages on their head, and see what happens when we embrace our identities and experiences as strengths, not weaknesses.

“This program was an amazing gift. Sara and Jen are all-stars at guiding participants through specific, thoughtful coaching exercises that allowed us all to unlock our own problem-solving tools.”

— Erin Wittkop-Coffey, UX content strategy manager

What’s included

• 6 online learning modules full of videos, readings, and self-reflection exercises.  

• 6 live, 90-minute workshops. Each session will include exercises, discussion, and coaching from your facilitators.

• A detailed workbook full of worksheets and handouts.

• A 1:1 coaching session. You’ll have multiple opportunities during the program to sign up for a half-hour 1:1 coaching session with your facilitators.

• An intimate “pod” of 3-4 peers. You’ll spend part of each live session getting extra support and accountability from this group.

• Private Slack channel where you can share wins, ask questions, and DM your facilitators.

Registration closes on September 13th.

If you want to have more confidence in your ideas, your voice, and your priorities, this program is for you. Seats are limited to 20 participants.

Want to ask questions or chat about your goals before registering? Schedule a 1:1 info session.

On the reading list

Remote work gave them a reprieve from racism. They don’t want to go back

“Throughout the pandemic, survey after survey showed what some workers of color have known for years: Workplace politics and discrimination can make the office an undesirable place to be.”

7 myths about hiring a diverse, equitable, inclusive team

“What if we hired and invested in those who haven’t done it before—but who clearly can?”

The radical promise of truly flexible work

“True, sustainable flexibility is about more than just work location and hours. It encompasses which tasks people do and how they get them done. It’s about making work “fit” people, not the other way around.”