Every December, we choose a word for the year ahead. A word that feels hopeful. Inspired. Safe. This year, I chose a word I wasn’t ready for: Push.

I thought pushing meant doing more.
Instead, it meant becoming more.

Push asked me to stretch emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and professionally in ways I could not have planned for. It forced me to step into rooms that made me question if I belonged there. It demanded courage I wasn’t sure I had.

And it changed me.

I said yes to public speaking when every cell in my body wanted to run. I stood on a stage at the university I graduated from — a full-circle moment of stepping back into a place that shaped me, now as a woman rewriting her story in real time.

I flew to Poland alone to teach leadership and civic engagement. Airports, foreign languages, navigating unfamiliar places. Old me would have declined. This year, I went anyway. And I returned with proof that I can do hard things — because I just did.

I always dreamed of creating space for women that was deeper than networking — a space where collaboration, connection, and genuine support scale lives and businesses.

That is what The Patch became. A movement. A place where women rise together.

And I wrote the book I’ve talked about writing for years. Not in theory. Not with pretty Instagram quotes. I wrote it. For real.

Push knocked down the doors I needed to walk through.

2026 isn’t my year to hustle harder.

It’s my year to focus.

Focus means:
• No more scattering my energy
• No more saying yes to everything
• No more urgency driving decisions
• No more sprinting without direction

Focus means:
• Clarity
• Precision
• Depth
• Sustainable growth

Push built the foundation.
Focus builds the future.

The Patch Community is where focused women build.
Where accountability becomes standard.
Where collaboration accelerates growth.
Where momentum doesn’t stall halfway through the year.

And in 2026, we gather again:

The Women Rising Summit — September 25, 2026
This isn’t an event to attend.
It’s an experience to feel.
A catalyst. A shift. A spark.

Get in the room with us.

Listen to the full episode here: [Insert link]
Join The Patch: dandelion-inc.com/patch

If something is stirring in you while reading this — pay attention.
You didn’t build everything you’ve built to stay small.

Let’s grow with focus, depth, and intention.

Together.

Keep Going—with Support

If this resonated, join me inside The Patch—the Dandelion-Inc membership where community, accountability, and honest momentum meet. Explore what’s inside: dandelion-inc.com

Sponsored by Imperium — a unified network helping nonprofit and human service organizations reduce costs, increase efficiency, and scale impact while staying true to their mission. Learn more at imperium.org

Some lessons you learn from books. Others you learn sitting in front of your laptop after a launch belly-flops, wondering what just happened. This year handed me a handful of those lessons—the kind that sting first and serve later.

Here are the five shifts that changed everything for me in 2025. Use what serves you. Leave what doesn’t. But whatever you do, don’t quit. Treat it as data.

1) Clarity Is Leadership (Not a Task You Outsource)

It’s tempting to think a coach, designer, VA, or tool can fix fuzzy strategy. They can help—but they can’t own your vision. If you can’t explain your offer in one sentence and why it matters in one breath, go back to the drawing board and get closer to your customer. Have real conversations. Validate needs. Then build.

Quick prompt:
Who do I serve, what outcome do I create, and why does it matter now

2) Consistency Compounds (Even When It’s Quiet)

I ran a 60-day daily content challenge. It didn’t go viral. But my messaging sharpened, recall increased, and more people said, “I see you everywhere.” Consistency isn’t flashy; it’s trust over time.

Try this:
Pick one channel and one format. Ship three times a week for eight weeks. Measure clarity and conversion, not likes.

3) Community Is a Strategy, Not a Side Effect

Business doesn’t grow in isolation. When I built The Patch, everything improved—retention, results, and the energy to keep going. We learn from experts, yes, but we also learn from each other.

Design it in:
Create recurring touchpoints (office hours, hot seats, co-working) so connection is part of your model, not a bonus.

4) Systems Save Your Sanity (And Your Schedule)

We systemized launches, content, onboarding, client ops, and podcast production. Every hour invested in a workflow returned ten. Freedom isn’t just time—it’s repeatability.

Start small:
Document one repeat task this week: steps, owner, assets, timeline. Run it twice. Improve it. Name it.

5) Rest Is Strategy

Exhaustion is not a badge of honor. My best ideas rarely arrive on Zoom; they show up on runs, in the kitchen, or when I finally stop. Rest restores judgment, creativity, and staying power.

Protect it:
Block recovery time on your calendar like a client meeting. Honor it. Your future self will thank you.

A Simple Reflection to Close the Year

Reverse-engineer your biggest 2025 lesson:

• What was your hardest moment this year
• What did it force you to confront
• What lesson will you carry into 2026 so you don’t repeat it
• Turn failure into data. Turn data into wisdom.

Keep Going—with Support

If this resonated, join me inside The Patch—the Dandelion-Inc membership where community, accountability, and honest momentum meet. Explore what’s inside: dandelion-inc.com

Sponsored by Imperium — a unified network helping nonprofit and human service organizations reduce costs, increase efficiency, and scale impact while staying true to their mission. Learn more at imperium.org

There’s a moment many entrepreneurs don’t talk about. The moment when you put a lead magnet into the world — a beautiful guide, checklist, quiz, or webinar — and it feels like no one is there to receive it.

You’re working hard behind the scenes, hoping your offer will make a difference, but the response feels quiet. Too quiet.

On this week’s episode of The Seed, list-building expert Jennie Wright is here to transform the way we think about growing an audience. Because list building isn’t about numbers. It’s about people.

Why Traditional List Building Feels So Lonely

Many entrepreneurs sit behind the safety of step-by-step guides and long-form nurturing funnels — and wonder why connection is missing.

Jenny explains it clearly:
We’ve turned list building into a transaction instead of a relationship.

When the process shifts from:
“How do I get more emails?”
to
“How do I help someone feel seen?”
your list doesn’t just grow — it thrives.

Connection Is the New Strategy

Jenny has helped hundreds of business owners rapidly expand their reach using:
• Virtual summits that multiply visibility through collaboration
• Community-driven engagement that builds trust
• Micro-audiences who convert better than massive ones
• A non-transactional approach that feels good for everyone involved

Here’s the truth:
People take action when they feel like you care about them first.

The Power of Collaboration

One speaker. One email. One share.
Suddenly your message reaches thousands instead of dozens.

Jenny reminds us that major momentum doesn’t come from going viral — it comes from going together.

That’s how list building becomes:
• Faster
• More aligned
• More sustainable

Your Community Is Waiting

The scariest part of growing a list isn’t the technology or the content.
It’s the vulnerability of showing up.

You don’t have to do it alone.

Listen to the full conversation with Jenny Wright here.

Ready to grow WITH support?

Join us inside The Patch — the membership that combines community, accountability, and meaningful growth.
Explore everything we offer: www.dandelion-inc.com

Sponsored by Imperium — where nonprofit leaders gain the strength of a unified network while staying true to their mission. Learn more at imperium.org