What I Actually Do (It’s Not What People Think)

Most people assume I spend my days doing “strategic planning,” “board development,” or “governance consulting.” And yes — those are the tools. But they’re not really the work.

If I describe what I do as a list of services, people politely nod, and I can actually watch their eyes start to glaze over. Because services don’t explain why people hire me.

So here’s the real answer:

People bring me in when something isn’t working the way they need it to.

It often sounds like:

• “We can’t seem to get everyone on the same page.”

• “Our board and staff say the same words but mean completely different things.”

• “We’ve been talking about this issue for a year and nothing is happening.”

• “We’re stuck in the same conversations.”

No one wants to say the quiet part out loud:
It’s exhausting to function inside misalignment.

When I walk into an organization, my job is to surface what’s actually happening beneath the surface — cleanly, safely, and without blame — and then help everyone move forward.

Here’s what that looks like in real life:

I help boards and staff work together without tension or mixed messages.

Not because they don’t care, but because no one has actually defined the rules of the road.

I untangle situations where everyone is frustrated but no one knows how to say it.

I make the unsaid… sayable. And then solvable.

I turn a year of “we should fix this…” into an actual plan.

Momentum is a choice, not an accident.

I give leaders a way to move forward when they’ve been stuck circling the same issues.

Stuck patterns feel personal, but they’re usually structural.

I help organizations work like they’re on the same team again.

Because at their best, boards and staff want the same thing: a clear path that connects mission, people, and priorities.

The deliverables — the strategic plan, the governance refresh, the leadership alignment sessions — are important. But they’re just the container.

The real work is helping people use clarity, structure, and honest conversation to get somewhere they couldn’t get to on their own.

That’s what I actually do.