Auli Takala is joining Todd and me for Behind the Build this Wednesday, and I'm really looking forward to it! ❤️ Some of you may remember that Auli recently invited me to be a guest on her Backstage Roadshow. We had such a wonderful conversation, and now we get to turn the tables on her! 😂 Wednesday, November 4, at 12 PM Central We're going to get to know the woman behind Backstage. What inspired her to build it, what she's learning along the way, and what it means to create a place where other people can be seen and discovered. And there's something else I want to share about why this conversation matters to Skoolology. One of our promises to you is that we won't just help you design a community. We want to help you get your community in front of the right people, too. That's one reason we're building relationships with other communities. Auli welcomed me into Backstage to share our story. Now we're welcoming her into Behind the Build to share hers. And through those conversations, we're creating opportunities for our communities to get to know one another. That's the kind of community building I believe in. Not simply showing up somewhere to promote what we do, but taking the time to get to know people, support their work, and find ways to help one another grow. I'm excited about what this relationship with Backstage might mean for our builders, and I'd love for you to be part of it! Come join us Wednesday! I'll add the link to our calendar, too!

One of my favorite things about Skoolology is getting to know the people behind the communities. And somewhere along the way, those connections turn into friendships. That's certainly been true with @Jen Ps ❤️ I've watched her pour her heart into The Room to Breathe, ask hard questions, make thoughtful decisions, and keep coming back to what matters most to the women she serves. But there's so much more to Jen than the community she's building. And today, I wanted to take a few minutes to tell her what I see. Jen, this one's for you. ❤️ And to everyone here, I hope you know that I see you, too.

Just a little something from me to you tonight. ❤️ If you're anything like me, there's always one more thing you could be doing. But maybe you've already done enough for today. A little over a minute of encouragement before you call it a day. Give yourself a listen. ❤️

It's Halloween, so we're conducting some very important research today. You're going through a haunted house with a group of friends. Which one are you? A. The Screamer. You haven't even made it through the door, and everybody knows you're there. B. The Investigator. You're too busy figuring out how they made the ghosts move to actually be scared. C. The Protector. You've got somebody by the hand, and you're determined to get everyone out alive. D. The Troublemaker. The haunted house isn't nearly as scary as YOU are to the people who came with you. E. The NOPE. You're outside holding everybody's stuff and eating their candy. And here's where it gets interesting... If someone who knows you is here, they get to challenge your answer! So, which one are you? And do we have any witnesses who might tell a different story?

@Jewels Sherriff shared a fun post about birth flowers in her community, and it got me thinking! October's birth flower is the marigold. And since Todd is an October baby, that makes it his birth flower! ❤️ But here's why I love marigolds so much. Years ago, when I was working in education, I came across an article called Find Your Marigold. It was written for teachers, but the message has stayed with me. Marigolds are often planted alongside other plants because they can help protect them from certain pests and create a healthier environment for growth. The article uses that idea as a beautiful analogy for the people we surround ourselves with. Marigolds are the people who help us grow. They're the ones who encourage us, share what they've learned, celebrate our wins, and remind us what we're capable of when we're having a hard day. And I've been thinking about how much that applies to building communities, too. We all need people who make the journey a little easier. People we can think out loud with, laugh with, learn from, and lean on when things get messy. And sometimes, we get to be that marigold for someone else. ❤️ Here's the article that started it all: Find Your Marigold 🌼 A little Common Ground fun for today! 🌸 🌷 What's your birth month, and do you know your birth flower? (I had to look some of them up!) 🌼 And who's been a marigold in your life? Someone who's helped you grow, encouraged you, or simply made life a little brighter? P.S. Thank you, Jewels, for the birth flower inspiration! I had no idea your post would bring me back to an article I've loved for years! 🥰