Jessica's Friday Five

Hi Reader, It was a delight to see so many of you at the free workshop I led earlier this week on planning your week. Thanks for your engagement and excellent questions! If you know of any groups or communities that could use workshops like that for their people (here's a list of topics I love to teach), let me know! Let's get to your Friday Five, shall we? The Smartest $5 Safety Upgrade for Your Home: I have one of these fire blankets, and I think it's a great idea for every home. They...

Hi Reader, I hope you have been finding some joy during this month - perhaps for you it's watching some Olympics coverage on TV or enjoying cozy time inside if it's rainy or snowy where you are. I'm here with some practical resources for your leadership at work. Let’s get to your Monthly Management Memo - as always with something bold, something new, something borrowed, and something to pursue. 🔥Something Bold - Appreciate Your Peers MoreIn a conversation with Joyfully Managed Worklife alumna...

Hi Reader, Next week is a major week for many cultural and religious holidays, with some overlapping for the first time in decades. If you'll be celebrating the Lunar New Year, Ramadan, Mardi Gras, or Ash Wednesday, I hope it's a lovely respite and a time of connection. And if you're doing any celebrating of Valentine's Day this weekend (maybe ordering a heart-shaped pizza for delivery from the many pizza restaurants that have them available today and tomorrow?), I hope that's also...

Hi Reader, Well, you made it through several months of January. The groundhog says we have 6 more weeks of winter, though. I'm hanging in there by ordering a box of this new soup menu and revisiting photos and videos from our local Black History Month Oratorical event from last weekend that inspired the heck out of me. Let's get to your Friday Five! Print for Sunday: If you'll be watching the Super Bowl this Sunday, I made this for you. It's just a fun sheet of "prop bets" (the silly things...

Hi Reader, This week has felt nonstop over in my little world. The kind of week where it feels like nearly every minute is focused on a deadline that is coming up very soon, and there's no margin for anything that isn't urgent. Kids home sick from school. My husband is away on a trip. Multiple sessions with smart people I got to lead this week. An amazing Black History Month community event with 600+ neighbors that I'm helping lead this weekend. Amidst all the tugs for my time and energy, I...

Hi Reader, Let’s get to your Monthly Management Memo - as always with something bold, something new, something borrowed, and something to pursue. 🔥Something Bold - Making Policies More EquitableYears ago, I pulled together this public collection of employee policy language and practices that can help organizations be more equitable and family-friendly. I'd love to freshen it up and add new ideas for 2026. Got any great policies you've seen that you can suggest? Send my way! 🆕 Something New -...

Hi Reader, The horrors persist. But so do people doing good in coffee shops, in churches, in medicine, and beyond. If you want to help but are not sure how, try this tool my friend Alexis built for figuring out how to help with your specific passions, skills, and resources. New iPhone setting might be draining your battery: Found out about this new iPhone setting this week that was not at all on my radar and turning it off does seem to have made a meaningful impact on my battery life. Podcast...

Hi Reader, I want to say a big thanks to those of you who joined me on Zoom earlier this week to brainstorm about this idea. It was so fun to chat with you and get your reactions and feedback. If you're in the US and heading into a long weekend to celebrate Dr. King's legacy, here are some ideas for how to spend Monday that will be both helpful and a balm for your spirit during tough times. Let's get into your Friday Five! 5 mins of your time could save a life: Did you know that signing up to...

Hi Reader, This week was a rollercoaster. I celebrated my birthday on Monday (escape room, nap, dinner!), my son got la rosca baby on Día de Reyes, and my government here in the US lied about the sedition that happened five years ago at our Capitol, despite primary source evidence showing exactly the opposite. They also lied about the circumstances surrounding a woman who was murdered by ICE agents this week. Oh, and also this. Damn. I wish I had all the advice for us about how to somehow...