Shifting Success

Jackie Brown January 4th The Open Line Honest conversations. Real presence. Leadership people want to follow. ↓ Choosing Less, Creating More As we integrate new Christmas gifts into our lives — sweaters, socks, books, toys — something else often happens quietly alongside the joy. We take a fresh look at what’s already there. What still fits? What feels worn out? What no longer matches who we are now? That sweater that once felt perfect is suddenly too tight. Some old toys have lost their...

Meaningful eMail Resources for crafting a meaningful second half Hi there Reader, Happy New Year! I hope the turn into 2026 is feeling spacious, steady, and full of possibility for you. This time of year naturally invites reflection — what we’re carrying forward, and what feels ready to be released with care. As I’ve been doing my own reflecting, one thing has become clear: it’s time to bring the Meaningful emails and the season of Shifting Success to a close. This work has centered on one...

Jackie Brown December 21st The Open Line Honest conversations. Real presence. Leadership people want to follow. ↓ A gift you already have Cozy, quiet mornings near the Christmas tree are moments I truly treasure. The glow of soft lights makes our glittery mementos sparkle just a little more. Wooden silhouettes mark special traditions: a simple nativity scene near the top, a handful of national park animals tucked along one side. Each one tells a story. And beneath the tree are the gifts —...

Jackie Brown December 7th The Open Line Honest conversations. Real presence. Leadership people want to follow. ↓ The moment she felt her value. Her fork froze halfway from plate to palate.Her eyes froze too, staring at me like I’d just sprouted reindeer antlers. Then she sat back and said, “Why didn’t I think of that? How could I have forgotten something I’ve done for years?” My lunch companion—courageously taking college classes mid-career—had been thinking about picking up a retail...

Jackie Brown November 23rd The Open Line Honest conversations. Real presence. Leadership people want to follow. ↓ The moment a client stopped rehearsing and started leading. “You gotta help me with this performance review I’m doing tomorrow!” She was so worried about it. I could see the tension in her shoulders, her face, and hear it in the rushed tone as she launched into just how difficult this employee — this conversation — was going to be. The employee was passive aggressive. A long-timer...

Jackie Brown October 26th The Open Line Honest conversations. Real presence. Leadership people want to follow. ↓ The silence that turned me into a leader It’s one of the loudest silences stored in my memory bank. A silence so transformational it still speaks to me decades later. And it all started with a simple request to meet up over lunch. Yet, in that pivotal moment, my brain shut out the noisy restaurant. The discussion at our table full of local advertising leaders had snapped into a...

Meaningful eMail Resources for crafting a meaningful second half Hi there Reader, Welcome to this edition of Meaningful eMail with the most recent takeaway and updates linked here at the top, and list of resources below. Grab what's helpful today, then save others for future reference. You never know when you or someone in your network could use a boost! Recent Takeaways & Updates Top Takeaways: Radical Listening Check out the six skills and one surprising mindset shift that'll lead to deeper...

Jackie Brown October 26th The Open Line Honest conversations. Real presence. Leadership people want to follow. ↓ Unleash your listening superpower. You hear things others miss — the tone shifts, the pauses, the meaning behind the words. People leave conversations with you feeling seen, supported, and ready to move forward. You might chalk it up to being a natural people person, or that you’re passionate about the project or you might even say it’s just years of experience. But don’t sell...

Jackie Brown October 12th The Open Line Honest conversations. Real presence. Leadership people want to follow. ↓ The cost of silence. We’re in the middle of a bathroom remodel. This one crept up on us as we watched the space between the floor and the door get wider and somehow go slanted? The cracking floor tiles and chunks of grout popping out every few months just added to the signals that something underneath was undone. As the demo began, trouble was revealed with the removal of each...