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Dear Reader,

I think I want ease and creativity to be my compass next year. Progress is better than perfection, right? I believe in the sh*tty first draft philosophy, so instead of not revealing my next year's intention until it's fully baked, I like revealing my working draft. How do you want to show up in 2026? It's your life and your journey and you get to choose.

🌟 Moments We’re Celebrating

💙 A Raving Thank You to Our 2025 Partners

Your commitment to leadership development, community, and growth makes our work meaningful. We are proud to recognize our 2025 clients. It's brave to put time and money into developing your culture and people. I applaud your priorities and look forward to another impactful year together.

💡 Advisory Panel Gathering: Looking Ahead to 2026

Who advises you? Lancaster Leadership has an advisory panel that meets 2x/year. I want to hear loud opinions and fierce feedback and challenges to my way of thinking. Thank you for envisioning 2026 together, Advisory Panel and honored guests: Scott Lewis, CT McMurry, Marica Martinic, Mariah Zavala, Ron Hurle, Maraka Oltrogge, Mike Collins, Shane Metcalf, Hadassah Ziegler, Park Howell, John Gartin, Emily Holden, and DeeAnn Tracy.

🎓 Celebrating Our STEP Academy Graduates

We are proud to celebrate the graduates of STEP Academy, whose dedication and commitment to leadership growth made this cohort truly exceptional. Each graduate brings renewed skills and vision to their service.

Congratulations to our graduates:

• Alison Zuercher — Maricopa County Department of Public Health
• Amy Wolkowinsky — Northern Arizona University
• April Trevett — Valley Metro
• Brenda LoBue — Mohave County Department of Public Health
• Clint Welty — Mohave County Department of Public Health
• Emily Markel — City of Flagstaff
• Jennifer Stasinopoulos — City of Flagstaff
• Jessica Baglione — Coconino Community College
• Joey Zamora — City of Flagstaff
• Justin Cuevas — City of Flagstaff
• Justyna Costa — City of Flagstaff
• Holland Fields — Northern Arizona University
• Michelle Rucker — Northland Family Help Center
• Sanoma Boynton — City of Flagstaff
• Storm Kinion — Mohave County
• Tara Stanec — Mohave County Department of Public Health
• Joseph Carver — Coconino County Legal Defender

We applaud each of you for completing STEP Academy and look forward to seeing the impact you continue to make in your organizations and communities.

🎤 Unmasking on the Moth Stage

I stepped onto The Moth StorySLAM stage to share a story about a yoga retreat in Spain, a new friend, and an unexpected lesson in connection (yes—mouth tape makes an appearance).

What I didn’t expect was how clearly it revealed this truth: real team building doesn’t come from a perfect agenda. It comes from unmasking, being human, and letting trust form naturally.

🎥 Watch the full StorySLAM to hear the story in my own words.

📖 Beyond the Books

✨ A November Highlight​
We’re excited to share that Beyond Words was named one of Bright Side Bookshop’s November Best Sellers. Thank you to our community of readers for the incredible support and for helping this book find its way into so many hands.

📖 Book Club with the Author (that's me!)

We’re excited to announce a Book Club with the Author this spring, centered on Beyond Words. Join us for three guided sessions designed to deepen reflection, spark meaningful conversation, and bring the book’s insights to life.

✨ Only $29 for all three sessions (Valued @ $600. Prerequisite: buy & read the book, of course!)

📚 Resources

🚀 MASTERCLASS: Succession Planning Strategy for 2026: Storytelling, Influence & Inspired Action​

February 10th at 11AM Arizona Time, In this interactive 75-minute remote workshop for $29 (Valued @ $200), you’ll learn how to transform your everyday experiences into authentic stories that connect, inspire, and drive action by activating 31 leadership competencies.

📖 2026: The Year of Leadership Storytelling

For years, I was told I talked too much—and told too many stories. What I eventually learned is this: stories aren’t the problem. Unfocused stories are.

In this article, I share why 2026 is the year leaders must reclaim storytelling as a strategic skill—and how the REST Method helps turn everyday experiences into stories that create connection and inspire action.

👉 Read the full piece to learn how to tell stories people actually remember.