The call to lead | rivers and roads flowing to new career heights
Finding a spot near nature has been key to getting into my writing flow. It also helps to honors my inner goddess' enjoyment of the finer things in life. Enter fried green tomatoes...
As I write this I am listening to the soothing summer sounds of crickets and feeling safely nestled by the verdant range of deciduous trees that grace the banks of lazy rivers in the Southern United States. This is a spot I have fond memories of visiting as a child, tucked into the back of a wood paneled station wagon, with anticipation of the riverfront restaurant expedition that awaited some 60 minutes away from our hometown. Even if I showed up slightly nauseated from the winding roads it took to get here, it could not diminish my excitement.
At this moment, my 42 year old version of myself, is accompanied by a Blue Moon beer and indulging in some local fare of fried green tomatoes as I attempt to synthesize the happenings since my last update in April of 2024. I will do my best to hit the high points.
After catching up with a few friends this week who I have not talked to for a number of months, the question was presented, “so where have all have you been (physically) since we last talked,” fully expecting me to regale them with adventures here, there, and yon.
I explain that my adventures this Summer have been more of the career development sort, with a few rivers and roads on either side. Some part of me feels like I am letting people down when I reveal that I have been in my hometown of Danville, Kentucky since mid-June. My ego whispers that I am not living up to the reputation of a “world traveler” which I have firmly established in recent years.
Shortly after returning to the U.S. in May, I headed down to New Orleans for the NAFSA Conference to further my research and collaboration with the Global Engagement Institute. Great to connect with higher education leaders from around the globe who share a belief in the power of cultural exchange as a tool for transformative education!
But in reality, this place (Kentucky) has actually become a key component of my ability to find balance between rooting and expanding into a more cyclical approach to living. Time here reminds me of who I was, and each time my little girl gives me a gift of one new piece of myself that she wants to share and ensure that it gets invited to come along for the next phase of the ride. It seems that this time, she wants to remind me of how powerful and radiant I can be when I take on a stage, as I have been making some appearances at local karaoke nights, with fairly favorable crowd responses.
I have been in my hometown since I returned from a road trip through the Southeast in June, including a stop for a conference for International Higher Education Professions in New Orleans, Louisiana and a Women Travel Leaders gathering in Asheville, North Carolina. Upon my return, I felt a clear sense that grounding and focus were the priorities for the rest of the summer, as I had made a number of professional commitments that I wanted to fulfill.
These commitments started to come together in the Spring as I was touring through Peru (for the travel curious, check out my Peru travel highlights). When I initiated conversations with the Global Engagement Institute about opportunities to collaborate, based upon a shared interest in experiential education, global engagement, and sustainable development in March of 2024, I was not quite sure where things might go.
It was a different approach than some of my previous networking attempts, when trying to create opportunities for myself. I have often led with my curiosity and sought to understand the need, and look in my arsenal to determine what range of tools I might have to solve the presented problem. Or, I have been approached for an opportunity, and excited by the chance to solve a new problem, and learn new skills in order to complete the task. My spirit of openness has allowed me to explore a lot of different nooks and crannies in my professional portfolio.
Road tripping through the Southeastern U.S. to build international networks related to education and travel was a great excuse to also find quality time with legacy friends and their growing families along the journey. Quality time with kiddos this summer has been a welcome reminder to make time for fun and silliness, even as career momentum builds...
But this time, I had already taken time to do my own research about the challenges and opportunities for international collaborations between U.S. Institutions and African Institutions. And from there, put forth my own strategic thinking about how the Global Engagement Institute might be able to expand its existing services, which were mostly short-term faculty-led study abroad programs, to facilitate these additional exchanges and strategic partnerships. In short, I stopped waiting for someone to commission me to do the work I was drawn towards, and proactively presented my own vision and perspective.
In retrospect, what this represented to me was me accepting the next call to lead, which kept showing up in all the different activities I pursued since my time in Peru. Rather than waiting for Postcard Travel Club to direct me to start visiting property partners, I took it upon myself to travel to Peru in March and April to see if doors might open for us to deepen our relationships in this region… and they did. I got to test and learn new forms of content creation with our amazing New Media Producer, Rhea Bambhani, which are currently in the production process.
I created the next Women’s Mastermind Coaching Group of individuals who were ready to launch a new business or concept, and from May-July we collectively and individually gained momentum towards our respective visions. I saw people host their first workshops on Tantra, create their hand-made pottery line, launch their consulting website, and create their first online courses, and knew that we were serving as catalysts for each other to courageously build and share our soul-filled creations.
And lastly I took a course in Grant Development and Management through K-State Extension Office in June & July, which kind of knocked my socks off. Seeking funding for impact-driven concepts has been on my radar for a while, and a recommendation from a trusted colleague was all it took for me to jump into this 8-week course, where we developed a grant proposal for a mock funding opportunity.
Bi-weekly meetings with our Mastermind Group through the months of May-July proved to be such a wonderful way to express my call to building international community, and also learn from participants about topics such as Regenerative Leadership, Tantra Philosophy, and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy.
By the time August arrived, I was kind of exhausted. But in the most fulfilling and meaningful way possible.
I did not even include the flurry of visits and connection points with family and friends that also were sprinkled throughout the summer months. I remembered what it felt like to pour your heart and soul into the multi-dimensional nature of life, and know that you left it all on the court, with no regrets.
One of the images of leadership that has served as an evolving metaphor for me has been that of climbing a mountain. I might have previously shared that in my churchy days, I thought that “staying with the pack” and helping them also get up the mountain was my Christian duty. I believed going ahead was selfish and unkind…why rub it in the face of others that you are faster and stronger than them?
And yet, I have been reframing this in recent years. What if the “pack” actually needs you to go ahead, so you can show them the way? What if the only way you are going to find the right collaborators and allies is by going ahead, and seeing who shows up to help you as you navigate the unexpected challenges of unfamiliar territory?
And my willingness to go ahead of the pack has now surrounded me with people from around the world who inspire me, encourage me, and see the capacity I have to create a positive ripple effect with both my words and actions. It is this community that has helped illuminate an upgraded vision of integrated leadership, honoring the feminine and masculine parts of myself, which I will carry forward into this next chapter.
One of the joys of being back in Kentucky is the space and physical community to enjoy hosting and co-creating in person! We had the chance to reflect on the significance of the August Full Moon through creative expression - how is being in our fullest self-expression connected to the well-being of the collective?
And it is with this momentum that I am now preparing to return to East Africa through my involvement with the Global Engagement Institute for six weeks in September/October for a “listening tour” to understand what partners in the region are looking for in terms of international collaborations.
We will align our investigations with the UN Sustainability Goals and a few core disciplines, including Global Health, Social Entrepreneurship, Engineering, and Agriculture. This will allow us to also learn more about best practices and how to play our part to effectively guide Partnerships for the Goals, which is SDG 17.
Meanwhile, I have also decided that my learning theme for the next three months will be “storytelling” or “story building.” My higher power has connected me with Drew Kahn, a Theater Professor at SUNY Buffalo State, who uses “story-based learning” as a teaching technique in classrooms in both Rwanda and the Buffalo, New York School System. We are learning from him about how to craft and share the stories of our university partners at GEI who have successfully created impactful engagements in Africa, including a review of Story Proof: The Science Behind the Startling Power of Story.
I also hired a Creative Virtual Assistant to help me more intentionally translate my website themes of Choice People, Captivating Places, and Compelling Projects through various outlets, including social media and other content platforms.
I am coming to realize the hero’s journey actually never ends, we answer the call to adventure, we stumble, we fall, we pick ourselves back up, and return transformed. We might drift back towards some comfort and ease as we make meaning, but inevitably that call will come along again. An invitation into the unknown is just around the corner…one that feels undeniable and will not accept our refusal.
Follow along for the next leg of the journey via my instagram and LinkedIn where I will be keeping the updates fresh and frosty for you!
I welcome your feedback as I test out new content themes and formats in the season ahead!
