December often comes with an unspoken expectation to reflect, summarize, and wrap everything up neatly. This year, I’m finding myself doing something a little different.
With so much heaviness in the world right now — constant headlines, uncertainty, and fatigue — I’ve been craving less noise and more intention. Rather than looking backward, I’ve been using this quieter stretch of the year to prepare. To organize. To create space. To clear the runway for what’s next.
That mindset is shaping how I’m thinking about my consulting business, my teaching, and how I want to work in the year ahead.
Preparing StrategiSphere® — and How I Work
Behind the scenes at StrategiSphere®, I’ve been organizing plans for next year, refining my network, making thoughtful edits to my website, and wrapping up year-end work for clients before everyone takes a well-deserved pause.
At the same time, I’ve been preparing for an important evolution in how I consult.
As I begin working more closely with The Collective, there’s necessary groundwork underway — clarifying how we partner, how we show up for clients together, and how we thoughtfully market both our shared capabilities and our individual businesses.
This model — working independently while also being part of a trusted group of experienced operators — is very much part of my future in consulting. lt allows us to bring deeper expertise, move more quickly, and scale support when needed, while still maintaining the focus and flexibility clients value. This kind of alignment work isn’t flashy, but it’s foundational. It’s what enables strong partnerships and better outcomes once the work begins.
How Teaching Sharpens My Consulting Work
Alongside consulting, teaching continues to play a complementary and energizing role in my work.
This fall marked my second semester teaching Consumer Behavior at Saint Joseph’s University. With two cycles behind me, I finally had the chance to step back and assess what’s working, what’s not, and where students are most engaged. The biggest insight wasn’t about content — it was about conversation. The moments that matter most are when students connect theory to real behavior, challenge assumptions, learn from one another and I inevitably learn from them. I’ve been refining the syllabus and assignments to create more space for those discussions and fewer distractions from them.
I’m also finalizing a new Innovation course for the spring. It’s intentionally smaller, more workshop-based, and anchored by a real client partnership with Lassonde. It’s designed to be hands-on, collaborative, and imperfect in the best way — much like real innovation work inside organizations.
Teaching keeps me close to emerging perspectives, new questions, and how future leaders are thinking — and that continually strengthens how I show up for clients.
Being More Intentional About Where I Give
Between consulting, teaching, and nonprofit involvement, I’ve also been thinking more intentionally about how — and where — I give my time and energy.
I deeply value the relationships and impact that come from academic and nonprofit work, and I’m proud of the role I’ve played. At the same time, I’m becoming more aware of the need to be thoughtful about balance, especially when so much meaningful work happens outside of paid roles.
A recent recommendation of the book Give and Take landed at exactly the right moment. I’m planning to read it over the holiday break, not because I want to give less — but because I want to give more intentionally, with better alignment between impact, sustainability, and focus.
Looking ahead, I’m also exploring certifications in facilitation and coaching — not as a shift away from strategy, but as a way to continue refining skills at the core of my consulting work: guiding conversations, aligning teams, and helping organizations move from complexity to clarity.
Heading Into the New Year
I don’t have a long list of resolutions or bold declarations. What I do have is a clearer runway. The quiet work of December — organizing, aligning, and asking better questions — has created space for a more focused and intentional year ahead. Not everything is figured out, but the foundation feels stronger.
As we head into the new year, my hope is simple: that we each find a little room to prepare — not just reflect — and move forward with clarity, curiosity, and purpose.
