Cowboy Boots, CEO Wisdom, and Getting Better by Monday

I’m writing this from Nashville, Tennessee, after delivering Grounded: Wellness Practices for CEOs at the Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF) CEO Retreat.

I had the pleasure of working with an incredible group of charter school CEOs—leaders doing important, demanding work in service of students, families, and communities.

I also had the “privilege” of leading the very last session on Friday, right before everyone headed home. LOL!

But let me tell you, these leaders SHOWED UP! They came ready to engage, reflect, and learn practical strategies to manage stress, take ownership of their time, and lead with greater intention.

I shared movement and breathing techniques to regulate the nervous system, guided participants through a simple, practical weekly planning practice, and helped them commit to small changes to strengthen their well-being and leadership.

Our goal? Better by Monday.

One of my favorite parts of facilitating is hearing what attendees are taking away:

"I'm going to use the shaking practice to shake off the stress of the day before I go home to my family."

"I'm so good at remembering the negative. I'm going to make it a habit to savor my successes."

"I'm going to make sure that when I leave encounters with my staff, they're leaving with their own monkeys!" (A reference to the classic Harvard Business Review article Who's Got the Monkey? about delegation and ownership.)

These are practical, intentional shifts that can make a meaningful difference in how they live and lead.

A huge thank you to Charter School Growth Fund for inviting me, to my friend DeLano Ford for recommending me, and to Alicia Milner, who was an absolute joy to collaborate with!

I believe that when leaders thrive, the people and communities they serve benefit, too. That's why I love creating experiences that help leaders pause, reconnect, and leave with tools they can use right away.