Jessica's Friday Five

Hi Reader, I've been doing a lot of "scrubbing" my email list lately! If folks aren't opening emails for several months, I'm gently letting them go to help keep my email list healthy and engaged. Thanks for staying engaged - opening emails, clicking on things that interest you, and replying to me. It's so lovely to be connected to the 12k+ of you, and I genuinely enjoy hearing from you. And one of you is the lucky winner of Unmuted: Leaders Discover Their Voice to Speak Up and Stand Out from...

Hi Reader, My family's annual tradition of random acts of kindness is coming up in a few weeks. Each year, on July 3rd, we set aside time to practice intentional kindness to honor the memory of my brother Nick, who passed away suddenly in 2015, and we encourage others in our community to do the same. To learn more about Nick and our commitment to practicing kindness, watch Nick Was Kind: One Simple Day of Kindness That Makes a Real Impact. #nickwaskind Also - quick tip if you've got...

Hi Reader, Thank you to everyone who voted last Friday for where we should donate our Friday Five affiliate proceeds! The $257 from the last few months was donated yesterday to the Environmental Protection Network! We'll vote again in a few months once we've got another good amount to give to charity. And happy Pride Month to all the folks who celebrate! I had a disappointing experience earlier this week that reminded me why it's so critical that we celebrate this month, but I was also so...

Hi Reader, Thanks for the kind words so many of you sent last week about my friend Matt, who recently passed away. I am grateful to be a part of this thoughtful Friday Five community. This week I did my best to be present and grateful with all of my blessings as I know he would have wanted me to - a baseball game with friends, my daughter's orchestra concert, my son's grade-school music performance, getting to Pilates classes even when my to-do list or grief tries to tempt me to skip it, and...

Hi Reader, My oldest friend, Matt, passed away this week. I got the news in the middle of a work block yesterday, and it knocked the wind out of me. I'm grateful for another friend who dropped everything to spend an hour on the phone with me as I walked around my neighborhood trying to make sense of it. Hug your people, friends. In the midst of it all, I am genuinely excited to see some of you at next week’s Management Memo Workshop. I’ve got additional fantastic workshops planned in the...

Hi Reader, I am hopeful that your May is bringing lots of joy and fun, even if it's also bringing an overflowing to-do list or a packed calendar. Hang in there if the latter is true for you, like it is for me. Let’s get to your Monthly Management Memo - as always, with something bold, something new, something borrowed, and something to pursue. 🔥Something Bold - Answer this QuestionImagine I walked up to you right now and told you I was forcibly canceling one of your recurring meetings for the...

Hi Reader, This weekend, we're taking my daughter and her friend to Stars on Ice, where the US Olympic Figure Skating team is performing in a nearby city. If you're in the US, have seen this show, and have any tips, send them my way! Let's get to your Friday Five, shall we? Best day of the week to buy gas: I saw a study on the weekly rhythms of gas prices and found that the best days to get gas are Sunday and Monday. Around the world, gas prices are soaring, so every little bit counts. School...

Hi Reader, I just put three workshops on the calendar this summer, and I wanted to make sure you knew about them first as one of my email subscribers. 📋 May 27 | Create Your Management Memo to Better Lead Your TeamThe best managers aren’t mysteries to their teams. In this one, you’ll build your own Management Memo — your values, communication style, and working preferences — so your team knows how to work with you. We’ll borrow from a memo I’ve been refining for 15+ years but make it very...

Hi Reader, Recently, I've been unsubscribing from emails like it's my job. And every time I do, I think about how grateful I am that you all are still here. You could unsubscribe at any time, and frankly, if this email isn't serving you, you should! I like an essentialized inbox even if it means my emails aren't in it! But you have stuck around, helped grow this little business, and I am just so grateful. Truly. Thanks for being here. And hello to the 250+ new Friday Fivers who have joined...