how we show up for each other when no one’s watching

A few weeks ago, I got back from a 5-day trip at Disney. Somewhere between the magical experiences and the mickey-shaped pretzels, I realized something precious. Our team lives our core values even when there’s no client project, no deadline, no Zoom call.....when no one’s watching.

The real proof of who we are happens quietly. It looks like naps, NTI days, childcare juggling, college coursework, 70 different commitments, and somehow still showing up for each other with ridiculous amounts of grace.

This is the behind-the-scenes stuff that actually builds a healthy team.

when life shifts, we shift with it

If you want a snapshot of servant leadership, here it is.

Brooke has openly said that she sometimes hits a wall and needs a nap. Not metaphorically. A real nap. A “my brain is done for a minute” nap. And instead of treating that like a flaw, the team respects it. Adjusts around it. Protects it.

Kristen recently had an unexpected NTI day because Emma was home. A whole day she didn’t see coming. And instead of pressure or guilt, the team moved meetings. Shifted timelines. Covered the gaps. It wasn’t a thing, because it doesn’t need to be a thing.

Kali has Madeline, which means schedules are a puzzle of sitter availability, nap windows, and what time toddlers think life should start. The team doesn’t sigh when this comes up. We collaborate. We rearrange. We operate like people who understand that raising tiny humans is real work.

Nat is in college. Full-load college. Papers, deadlines, classes, and still helping hold our operations together. When her academic calendar gets chaotic, we flex. We don’t demand she split herself into seven versions. We make room.

Karri… well, Karri has about 70 jobs. Ministry, abundance, creative, CEO support, mom life, rhythm-keeping, plus the unofficial role of “team encourager and chaos translator.” And when she needed to get away for Disney, the team made sure she actually got away. No avalanche of messages. No panic pile waiting for her return.

Servant leadership isn’t a sentence in our handbook. It’s a lived culture that makes room for people to be human.



(And yes, it is the “heart” of our values, just like our handbook says .)

generosity keeps the whole team breathing

Bountiful harvesting sounds poetic until you realize it looks like Kali stepping in for scheduling support when Kristen’s day gets scrambled.

It looks like Nat covering a workflow so Karri can focus on Abundance.

It looks like Brooke picking up communication threads so someone else can take a breather.

It’s the constant hum of “I’ve got you” running in the background.

The handbook names this: giving abundantly creates overflow, not depletion. We see this every time someone is off. Their work doesn’t pile up like a trap. The team spreads the weight so rest stays restful.

Generosity isn’t an event. It’s how we maintain oxygen.

reliability feels like safety, not pressure

Reliable overseeing is one of our core values, but in practice, it looks like this:

Brooke mentioning she’s overwhelmed, and instead of “let us know what you decide,” someone jumps in and helps untangle the decision.

Kristen giving a heads up about Emma’s schedule, and the team automatically smooths the path so there’s no morning chaos fallout.

Kali saying, “Here’s today’s sitter window,” and the entire team reorganizes without making it weird.

Nat saying she has a paper due, and us adjusting deadlines because school is not “extra.” It’s important.

Karri trying to carry too many things (classic), and someone is gently lowering half of them out of her hands.

Reliability creates the safety net that makes all of this possible. The handbook describes it as creating foundational safety, not spotlight leadership.

And that’s exactly what it feels like.

vision grows from how we treat each other

Vision planting isn’t only something we do for districts.

It grows inside the team first.

Brooke names the gifts that people don’t see in themselves. Karri breathes encouragement like oxygen. Kristen brings excellence to everything she touches. Nat brings precision and creativity. Kali helps everyone see the bigger picture with clarity and calm.

We draw out one another’s strengths long before those strengths hit a client-facing asset. The handbook says creativity thrives from each person’s uniqueness, and that our job is to help draw it out in each other.

That’s why the work feels alive.

That’s why the team feels grounded.

That’s why our partnerships work.



Because our internal culture mirrors what we promise to clients.

the heartbeat

Healthy teams don’t happen by accident. They grow from small, everyday choices to honor the humanity of the people you work with.

Want to lead a team that breathes a little easier?

Pick one small moment this week to support someone on your team in a way that honors their actual life. Notice how quickly that one choice shifts the culture.