What is culture, and how do we shape it?
We finished the school year last week and the change of pace and routine has me feeling like I just stepped off a moving walkway at the airport.
It’s tough to find your footing this time of year, when schedules feel untethered and bedtimes don’t really count.
In a recent journaling session, I reflected on how our family’s summer plan really revolves around being still. Around more rest, less hustle. Around focusing on a few, big things, instead of striving to get to everything.
And how that feels totally, completely, impossibly hard!
It turns out, just like one of my favorite books says, Stillness is the Key. So that’s what I’m practicing this month (emphasis on the word ‘practice!’).
How are you approaching this transition into Summer? I’d love to hear from you.
In the meantime, here are a few fun updates to share. Wishing you and your family the best this June.
Onward,
Ashley
What is Culture – and How Do We, As Leaders, Shape It?
Last month’s Innovative Leadership Salon focused on one of my favorite topics: Culture.
In the session, titled “The Quiet Forces Shaping Culture,” we dove into a deep and rich discussion of what culture is and the role that each of us plays in influencing culture on our teams and in our organizations.
As always, the goal of these sessions is to open up your perspective on an important topic of leadership, and connect you with other leaders walking the walk with you. They are complimentary to attend, take place every month, and are intentionally not recorded so as to make the space intimate and interactive.
On June 25th we’re diving into “Small Moves, Big Momentum: Why Iteration Outperforms Big Bets.” RSVP and save your spot! I’d love to see you there.
Visualizing Community Connections + Impact
How do you visualize community collaborations?
That was the challenge that my friends at The Harwood Institute set out for me recently, and I gladly accepted!
The Harwood Institute guides and supports divided communities across the US to find their way back to one another – through honest conversation, brave action and shared purpose. One such community was Alamance County, NC.
In their latest Ripple Effect Report, the Institute shares the story of the committed people of Alamance County – their experiments, learnings, and wins. And I am incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to illustrate it all!
Check out the entire report, and hey – if you need an illustrator to help bring your impact story to life, let's chat!
Is Summer 2026 the Right Time to Make Your Move?
I was in my early 20s when the woman sitting next to me on an airplane (who I had just met!) leaned over and said,
“Ashley, there’s never going to be a good time to get pregnant. So you might as well just do it!”
At the time, I thought she was totally out of her mind (I remember saying to her, “I don’t even have a boyfriend!”). And yet…
The truth is that there is never a perfect time to do, well, anything. If you’re thinking about making a change – in your work, or in your life – sometimes you’ve just got to make your move.
That’s why I am delighted to share with you my latest on-demand workshop for Life Design School:
Make Your Move: From Stuck to Unstoppable in 60 Minutes
In this workshop, I’ll show you how to:
Name the move you’re ready to make – and anchor into why it matters
Reframe and embrace risk so fear stops driving your decisions
Create a small-step action plan you can start right now
Ready to get started? Get immediate access here.
Here’s to making the moves that matter to you this summer (at a pace that works for you, of course).
