Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Clients,
We hope this finds you well! As we prepare to welcome 2025 and complete the first quarter of the 21st century, may this be a time for self-reflection.
At this point, in the workplace, we all know that the pace of life is in constant acceleration, and slowing down requires incredible determination. Working hard, playing hard, and resting in proportion might be the saving formula for many leaders and organizations. By work, we mean focused engagement with meaningful challenges. By play, we mean activities that spark joy and creativity. And by rest, we mean any activity (or non-activity) that allows our body and brain to repair – whether it’s doing absolutely nothing, engaging in gentle movement, letting our mind wander, or actively journaling. Sometimes, rest takes the form of making sense of our experiences with others and clarifying those ‘icky vibes.’
While some conversations can be restorative, having to clarify icky vibes can feel more like hard work than anything resembling rest or certainly, play! Yet, avoiding them often creates a hidden tax on our energy – the mental load of unresolved tensions, the emotional weight of unsaid or misspoken words, the stress and solitude of navigating around issues rather than through them-ultimately does more harm than good.
In 2024, we’ve been fortunate to work with individual contributors, leaders, and teams who believe that addressing tensions and misunderstandings -even if the process is imperfect and the experience difficult- is essential for genuine restoration and sane leadership.
We continued to offer leadership and culture development services through: · Executive Coaching that helps leaders transcend ego patterns and reconnect with authentic purpose · 360-Degree Feedback paired with compassionate coaching to develop sane leadership skills · Executive Team Retreats that strengthen relationships through shared vulnerability and realignment of collective purpose.
We remain committed to addressing both personal and systemic challenges. We collaborated with other facilitators to lead Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives. When we feel seen, valued, and understood in all aspects of our identities, we can more easily move past defensive patterns that block honest dialogue. Most importantly, when sharing the same mission, we must learn to engage and support each other beyond our differences.
In 2024, we successfully launched our all-staff sessions – shorter, focused workshops (2-3 hours) that bring personal development opportunities to entire organizations rather than just leadership teams. These sessions, which we’re excited to expand in 2025, make our work accessible across all levels and address themes that deeply matter to team members: · Building trust and communication · Creating safe frameworks for problem-solving and creativity · Managing our image in culturally diverse teams · Rewiring emotional hot buttons and lowering stress levels
Our mission remains constant: create learning environments where people look inward with compassion and outward with curiosity and courage. Strong workplace relationships aren’t optional—they’re fundamental to collective success and personal fulfillment.
Thank you for your continued trust and connection. We look forward to continuing this journey together in 2025. Please reach out anytime to stay in conversation.
Carole and Jean-Pierre
(The Trust Factory!)