Dreams of Irrelevance
I dream to be … Irrelevant. 💭
Well, in a professional sense at least (I’d like to think my kids will still want my company even when they don't necessarily NEED me anymore). Why exactly is this a dream of mine? In my consulting career I was drawn to my previous company because in my interview my future manager told me his primary goal for projects was to “work ourselves out of a job.” I LOVED this philosophy and the idea that we weren’t coming in to make people or organizations dependant on us but—more importantly—to equip and empower our clients to do the work themselves. There was always a focus to train, educate, and document our work so that organizations could replicate and repeat the processes and support we provided.
So what does this mean for me now?
That dream remains the same for me with Fount + Flourish. If I am being honest, I wish there was no reason for this company to exist in the first place. In my dream world, companies take care of, support, and build up women as leaders and parents in the workforce. In my dream world, communities support personal well-being and operate more like that “village” we were always told it takes. I wish women had places to go in their day that naturally provide space to nourish the mind, body, and soul.
Unfortunately, this isn't always true, and Fount + Flourish—both the community and coaching elements—was born out of necessity. I started this company because I have personally experienced a void in both my ability to gather and connect with women and in my need to navigate the workforce, first as a young woman and then as a mom. Without harping too much on how the United States has completely missed the mark, let’s just say there are some gaping holes to be filled when it comes to supporting women.
As F+F grows, I will continue to prioritize education, training, guidance, and structures that can be replicated and repeated. My goal is that by teaching women new ways to gather intentionally, they can in turn connect to their immediate communities more deeply as well. My goal as I come alongside and coach woman through maternity leave and work entry, is that I also support and train companies to rethink their systems and structures to better allow parents to thrive at work.
The Fount + Flourish tagline—Redefine the Female Experience—is a call to challenge the infrastructure around women in community, work, and family as well as challenge women and their own behaviors and beliefs.
In my work, I hope to change women’s behavior so women in our community don’t need “special” space or incentives to participate. Rather we are ignited to make our own space and participate because we prioritize our needs and believe in the right to meet them.
Then, when this transformation has occurred and I have worked myself out of a job, I hope you pass me and my teen/pre-teen girl squad on the street and say, “Oh, that’s the woman that used to hold those events for women,” or “That’s my old coach … I wonder what she's doing now.”
