If you’re carrying a lot, this one’s for you

​It’s a lot right now, isn’t it?

The news. The uncertainty. The weather. The constant pressure to show up for your team, your community, your mission, let alone what’s going on in your personal life! Sometimes, I don’t know about you, but I feel like the world feels like it’s spinning faster than I can keep up with.
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So, just know, if you’ve been feeling that weight, you’re not alone.

And...Those of us who lead in the nonprofit world are really good at taking care of everyone else. We pour ourselves into our work because we care deeply about the people and causes we serve.

But we’re terrible at extending that same compassion to ourselves.

So if you’re feeling heavy right now, this email is permission to take what you need. Not everything here will be right for you, and that’s okay. Just grab what speaks to where you are.

When you need to be kinder to yourself

A lot of us were never taught how to practice self-compassion. We learned to push through, to be strong, to keep going. But self-compassion isn’t weakness. It’s what allows us to keep showing up without burning out.

If you’re being harder on yourself than you’d ever be with someone you care about, I want you to check out Dr. Kristin Neff’s work on self-compassion. She’s a researcher who’s spent years studying this, and her approach is practical, not woo-woo. I go back to it again and again when I feel off, scared, anxious, overwhelmed or sad.

You can find her work at self-compassion.org. There are free exercises, guided meditations, and resources that can help you shift how you talk to yourself when things feel hard.
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My biggest takeaway from learning about self-compassion was learning to hug myself. I do it often now. I know, it sounds a little weird, but honestly, sometimes there is no one else around to do it, or who wouldn't give you the hug in the way you need it.

Sometimes the most important leadership work we do is learning to treat ourselves with the same kindness we extend to everyone else.

When you need help with a difficult conversation (like, today)

​Speaking of being hard on ourselves, let’s talk about those conversations you’ve been avoiding.

You know the ones.

• The talk with the employee who is underperforming.
• The board member who keeps overstepping.
• The colleague you need to address, something uncomfy with, but keep putting off because what if it goes sideways?

I just put out a new YouTube video called “Scared to Talk to Your Employee? Try This First.” It walks you through my TIP formula, a simple three-step process to prepare for difficult conversations so you can walk in feeling grounded instead of anxious.
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And you know me, the video is practical with strategies you can use immediately. And it might help you finally have that conversation you’ve been dreading.

When you’re done second-guessing yourself

If confidence has been shaky lately, if you’re lying awake at 2 AM questioning every decision, if you’re exhausted from the constant loop of “Am I doing this right?” then this might be for you.

The Mastering Confidence Book Club is a 6-week live program where we work through my book together. But this isn’t just reading and discussing. You’ll get coached on your actual leadership challenges, practice the framework in real-time, and leave with a personal system for rebuilding confidence whenever it wavers.

We start March 6 and meet Fridays from 12:00-1:30 PM Mountain Time for six weeks (with a break for Good Friday, so we run through April 17). I keep the groups intentionally small, so you get real coaching and connection with other women leaders who understand what you’re dealing with.

You can learn more about the Mastering Confidence Book Club and join here

When you need to replenish (not just push through)

​Here’s something I’m excited about: I’m speaking at the Lead with Heart Summit on April 16, 2026.

This is a virtual gathering for nonprofit leaders who are exhausted from being told to just push through. The whole event is designed around this question: What if leading well didn’t mean sacrificing yourself?

I’ll be talking about “The Myth of After-Hours Wellness: How Real Leaders Restore Themselves AT Work.” Because the truth is, most of us can’t squeeze self-care into the margins of our already packed lives. We need to learn how to weave restoration into how we actually show up during the workday.

You can learn more here - Early bird tickets are on sale now until Feb. 3.

If you’ve been running on empty and trying to figure out how to lead without losing yourself, this might be exactly what you need.

When you need deeper support

​Sometimes what we need isn’t another workshop or training. Sometimes we need someone to walk alongside us, help us see what we can’t see on our own, and coach us through the specific challenges we’re facing.

If that’s where you are, I have a few coaching opportunities available right now:

Gallup Strengths-Based Coaching

This is for you if you’re exhausted from trying to be good at everything.
The CliftonStrengths assessment shows you your natural talents, the things you’re already wired to do well. Then we build goals based on your actual strengths, not what some job description says you should be good at.
We stop trying to fix your weaknesses and start leading from what makes you brilliant.

• $2500 for the assessment + 6 months of coaching (bi-weekly)
• $1300 for the assessment + 3 months of coaching (bi-weekly)

Leadership Circle Profile 360 Assessment and Coaching

​This is a 360 assessment that shows you how you’re actually showing up as a leader, not how you think you’re showing up. You get feedback from your direct reports, peers, board members, and anyone you work with regularly.

For nonprofit women leaders who are so busy taking care of everyone else, this matters because you often have no idea how your leadership is actually landing.
You get the assessment, a two-hour debrief where we go through your results together, and coaching to set goals and work on them.

• $2000 for the 360 assessment + 3 months of coaching (bi-weekly)
• $3200 for the 360 assessment + 6 months of coaching (bi-weekly)

If you want to explore coaching, you can book a call with me here or hit reply with any questions.

So there it is. Take what you need. Leave what doesn’t fit.
If you’re carrying a lot right now, I hope at least one of these resources helps lighten the load.

You don’t have to do leadership alone.

~ Kathy
Do the Inner Work. It's Worth it!
P.S. You can't lead with integrity when you're running on fumes. You can't show up with composure when you're overwhelmed. I know taking care of yourself feels selfish or impossible sometimes, but it's actually what makes you better at everything else. A better leader. A better partner. A better mom. A better human.