And my paying clients have decreased as well. Five years ago I began working fulltime as an independent consultant. The majority of my income-producing gigs were outside of Asheville. In Asheville, I mostly volunteered my time with the occasional paid, local gigs. I didn’t market my services, people contacted me after experiencing my facilitation or engaging in meaningful conversations that led to collaboration. Word of mouth and direct experiences was my marketing.

With COVID, my circle of engagement has narrowed to predominantly Western North Carolina and I don’t experience the spontaneous spaces of connection and imagination. In addition, people are navigating through life with increased uncertainty, whole new dimensions of stress, and collapsing myths and social systems. I get more SOS calls, more requests to listen, process, and explore together how we move forward. This labor of relationship, supporting and being supported by fellow humans devoted to social change, also takes time and energy. It’s valuable and necessary work. Hours in a day pass quickly and I feel fulfilled serving life and humanity. I am contributing to my community, not contributing towards my bills.

My work is a practice of cultivating more love and justice in groups, individuals, companies, and our society. People hire me to facilitate meaningful conversations, design learning experiences, coach white leaders, foster a more equitable culture, or clarify a game plan and take the next steps. All of my work is grounded in an equity lens.

Please keep my services in mind, refer me to a friend or colleague, or reach out if you want to talk about how we might work together.