With Love.
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
I love celebrating people. I love birthday parties (especially planning and throwing them for other people). I love anniversaries and work-aversaries. I love celebrating big accomplishments and little wins. And I especially love when I can spotlight good people doing meaningful work in the world.
The last many weeks have felt out of balance, as I’ve over-indexed on talking about my own work in the lead-up to More than Words' release. This is not my comfort zone. Actually, it gives me hives.
So, I decided to make this week’s Finding the Words about the people who inspired my new book and the people who grace its pages.
For that, I'm turning to page 205 of the book: Gratitude, with a couple of additional love notes scattered in:
To everyone who participated in making this book, I thank you.
To Brian, my love, who reads everything I write and always tells me if it’s okay or not. B.Fox, thanks for making me a better writer and giving me the courage to find my words.
To Don Foley, my mentor, friend, and most trusted counsel. So many of the ideas in this book started as conversations with you. Thanks for seeing something in me that I have a hard time seeing in myself.
To my daughters Sophia and Kate, whose questions can be as innocent as they are impossible to answer. Your curiosity and kindness inspire a deeper curiosity and kindness in me, too.
To Fred, for always keeping my lap warm on the most challenging of writing days.
To my partners and colleagues at Mission Partners and all those who contribute to making Mission Partners a truly special place to spend my days. You inspire me with your wisdom, warmth, and courageous leadership.
A special thank you to Sadie Lockhart for being on every step of this book release journey with me and for bringing coffee and cake pops.
To the early readers of this manuscript, particularly Fern Fernandez and Stefanie Weiss, whose feedback inspired some of my favorite parts of this book.
To every client, past and present, that has invested in me, believed in me, and partnered with me along this path to build more just and equitable outcomes. I am honored to be in community and partnership with you every day, and I’m so proud of what we’ve done together.
To my editor Amy Pattee Colvin. Thanks for being my guide and partner in this book-writing journey. And to Anne Kerns, who perfectly captured the spirit of my words on the cover and inside each page.
To Mauricio Miller, Natalie Burke, Deepti Rohatgi, Ashton Lattimore, Alicia Bell, Leonard Burton, and all those who inspire me with their courage of conviction and challenging of the norms. This book is a love letter to you.
To my mom, Carol, whose heartful approach to life and lifelong learning inspires me daily.
And finally, to YOU (yes, YOU!) for reading these weekly blogs, for putting these words into practice, and for giving me a reason to keep writing.
Bottom line: This book isn’t about me. It’s about the people who inspire me, and it is for you. I hope you appreciate its message.
Pick up your copy of More than Words now, and tune in to this Thursday's Mission Forward podcast for a special repeat performance of last week's book talk with Georgetown University's Center for Social Impact Communications.
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
