Last week, my house went from 100 to 0 in a matter of hours. My son headed back to medical school right after the new year, and my daughter left late last week for a semester abroad.
The abrupt switch from the frenetic pace of the holidays, which brought an unusual mix of sadness, love, laughter, fun and food, was pretty jarring.
As I think about it now, it was a fitting end to what was, in fact, a jarring 2025. But I’m now ready to move forward.
This is my first “official” week back to work and I’m really glad I carved out extra time to get back to me. Besides the fact that Jan. 5 was my daughter’s 21st birthday, I knew that saying so many post-holiday goodbyes to family and friends would bring a certain degree of tenderness I needed to honor and protect.
In the communications industry, we’re often on overdrive. Some of us pride ourselves on our ability to move fast. On the immediate response, we were able to give. On the perfectly scheduled launch we’ve pushed everything aside to get done.
All good when the moment requires it, but “fast” should never be our default.
I don’t know about you, but I’m focused on ease this year. On working smarter and even more strategically – and advocating for this even more with my clients and the communications leaders I support.
At the very end of December, I discussed two big life transitions I faced in 2025 with my friend and Shameless Leadership podcast host, Sara Dean. We talked about how I navigated them along with all the demands of my professional life. It is hands-down one of my favorite interviews.
- The difference between mentally preparing for change, loss, and grief and actually enduring them
- How navigating change and life transitions has improved my leadership focus and personal and professional goals
- Practices that help leaders stay centered and purposeful when personal life changes collide with professional responsibilities
- The unique opportunities that come out of hard seasons to create new and transformational experiences
- The PR framework leaders can use to sustain visibility and consistency in their communications without burning out or losing themselves in the process.
You can click the link above to listen and watch, or find the Shameless Leadership podcast on your favorite platform. Please write back and let me know what resonates with you!
Here’s to a year of greater strategic focus and ease for all of us!