Jessica's Friday Five

Hi Reader, Every Saturday afternoon, my husband and I sit down (coffee for him, diet Mt. Dew or tea for me), with a legal pad on a clipboard, for about 20 minutes. The kids get screen time (they love it), and we get quiet, focused time together before the week's chaos hits. We go through the calendar, the meals, the money, the house projects. This stuff that used to turn our couple time into logistics check-ins instead of actual conversation and fun. I want to teach you how to build this for...

Hi Reader, I haven't showered since Monday. You're right, it's not great. I am in the midst of a 5-day allergy test where they put big stickers with 36 common allergens on your back, and you can't sweat or shower while it's happening. Later this afternoon I get the final results read and can get back to my normal life of Pilates and hygiene. Hooray! Oh - mark your calendar - next Tuesday (8/4) is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day if you're in the US. Might be some free cookies near you (I...

Hi Reader, I hope your Thursday is going okay over there. Let’s get right into your Monthly Management Memo - as always, with something bold, something new, something borrowed, and something to pursue. 🔥Something Bold - Share This Quote with Your TeamI lead a lot of workshops on project management (it's my most-taught topic in 2026). Here's an idea that came up recently in one: "A lack of communication is a lack of performance." That's a quote from CEO Sam Corcos, and I agree 200%. Let your...

Hi Reader, Next week, it's the first day of school here in my community. I love the "shorter summer" approach our school district does, where summer break for kids is just 7 weeks and the "extra time" is built in as a double-length spring break + a 2-week fall break every October. My wish, though? That the back-to-school vibes were paired with some fall weather. That is probably a few months out for us, sadly. Let's get to your Friday Five, shall we? Little things that make a big difference:...

Hi Reader, This week, I got some pretty gnarly scratches across my chest from a certain kitten that got into an unfortunate situation due to an...odd choice from one of my children and needed to be rescued but wasn't happy about it. So I've been grateful to have a few first aid items on hand that I didn't have on my radar a year ago - first, a roll of hydrocolloid bandage, and also hypochlorous acid spray. Hydrocolloid bandages are the material pimple patches are made of - but they're way...

Hi Reader, A special shout-out to everyone who joined yesterday for the Team Communication Expectations workshop! Really impressed by the progress everyone made in just an hour. On a separate topic, I have found myself in the role of co-president of my youngest's school PTA(ish) organization this coming year - anyone else here helping out in a leadership role in a parents club/PTO/PTA org at your kids' school? Let me know. Maybe we can share some tips with each other! Let's get to your Friday...

Hi Reader, Many of you reading this are Americans like me - if so, Happy 4th of July Weekend. The American experiment is ongoing - inspiring often, tragic often, embarrassing at times, and our collective responsibility to shape. Here's a quick watch I enjoyed on this topic. Separately, I’ve updated my workshops page with some additional topics I've been enjoying leading with teams these days. I'm currently booking fall workshops if your company could use professional development - just hit...

Hi Reader, “For urgent things, do we Slack or email or text or DM or..." “What does a 48-hour response expectation really mean?” “Who needs to be in the loop about what?” "Should I just CC the whole team on emails about that?" If your team at work hasn’t established the answers to these questions, then the Team Communications Expectations Workshop was created for you! During this hour, I'll walk you through building a shared set of internal communication norms your team will actually use. By...

Hi Reader, I'm currently on a "team retreat" with my team at work (I'm the only one on the team). I like to do this 2-4 times a year where I get out of my day-to-day life and get to focus on projects and planning for my business while also enjoying the heck out of some extra sleep. Almost every time I do this, it's by finding a housesit on Trusted Housesitters so that I can stay for free and usually have a cute pet or two to cuddle. An adorable cat named Turtle and I are hanging out right now...