Yesterday, while engaging in a fun conversation about the meaning of the word CONTEXT, my head was swirling. I used to use ‘context’ all the time to make clear points in my work, but now… I couldn’t remember! I felt my heart rate pick up as I tried to pull up in my mind the relevance of the word ‘context’ in my world… … and couldn’t. Context is what determines what becomes possible. The pH level in blood that either encourages or discourages the growth of cancer cells. The temperature in an oven that bakes a cake or doesn’t. The level of warmth and trust in a relational field that supports a significant agreement to exchange value or not. In yesterday’s conversation, the context didn’t allow me access to my typical use of the word ‘context’. If a context can make it possible for me to forget a core aspect of my work, what else is it making possible, both as individuals and as a collective, beneath our conscious awareness? Context is the water we’re swimming in. We don’t notice it as it shapes every possibility. Our stories are only stories because of our context. In the world of the Story of Separation (term coined by Charles Eisenstein), we observe a particular context that allows for specific conditions to proliferate: 🔸 scarcity 🔸 extraction 🔸 fear In the world between stories, we can observe a context as well: 🔸 curiosity 🔸 generosity 🔸 interconnection Right now, if you’re sensing both worlds, like many are, the experience is quite conflicting. It can feel very dissonant as these two contexts vie for our attention. And once we see what’s actually controlling possibility, we can’t unsee it.

Recently, I was reminded of the challenge of operating inside the overlap of two very different stories. It was in a lively discussion with other women learning AI, when one person noted the contrast between the “genuine interest and care” she found in our group and the “create an avatar to connect with people” advice she found elsewhere. In that moment, a light bulb went off in my head (complete with a ding) and I had a flash before my eyes of a resource - a rudimentary map. What she shared is very real: the dissonance between being forced to pay bills in an extractive economy, and wanting to enjoy genuine, deep connections with other humans in a way that feels nourishing. This is the dance of the two stories we’re living in now; one is declining and one is emerging. For a while now, I’ve been sitting in a question: How do we accept what is real right now while creating what we want for the future? In conversations, I often notice the disconnect between stated intentions (regenerative, conscious, heart-centered, life-affirming) and chosen language and strategies (pay to play, capture, crush, dominate, eliminate). In the transition, it gets challenging to stay aware and tuned in, both to our individual and collective experiences, while still being forced to operate in ways that go against how life actually works. It’s easier to numb, to not give it thought. This is true for everyone; none of us would function if we fully sat with the weight of the human experience torn between two different realities right now. And yet, what if each of us as individuals sat with one question: What is *mine* to do right now?

What happens when ‘more money’ is no longer the goal? We get to the real priorities! Yesterday, I had the honor of being in the presence of a wise financial advisor with over 50 years experience in M+A and more with some of the wealthiest and most powerful business leaders on the planet. Someone asked him what, beyond finances, did family offices preserve for the lineage? I’ll never forget his answer: “Passion, accountability, responsibility, caring for others”. When he said this, immediately I felt my heart expand in my chest. This is the whole point. One of the best parts of my work is having older, wiser and vastly more experienced and accomplished leaders share their own findings that corroborate it, consistently. Wisdom is universal. One can stumble upon it or intentionally grow it through many paths. In successful business leaders like him, whatever the path, the wisdom has many common underpinning themes. He gifted us this theme directly from his firsthand witnessing of the consequences of building in one area while neglecting other more important areas. I suspect that many high net worth patriarchs reach the end of life to have an unpleasant ‘discovery’ that really, what mattered most to build and preserve was not financial wealth. In this time of global transition, it has become glaringly obvious that the success of what we’re building is determined by how we’re building… The ways of dominance, extraction, deception and scarcity seemed to reign for centuries. Now, we’re being offered alternate ways… Curiosity, generosity, transparency, interconnection are slowly beginning to be recognized as equally valid conduits of success. If you pay attention, you’ll see that these ways have always underlain leadership success, even in business as usual. However, they were mixed in with a lot of ways that were out of harmony with what supports thriving life. Once you see the whole picture of how all of the universal principles that grow genuine wisdom work together, you can’t unsee it.

What’s up everyone, Brandon here. I’ve been showing up on the 5pm calls consistently, listening more than talking, and getting a lot of value from the conversations here. Figured it was time to introduce myself the right way. What I HAVE I’ve been in finance and business since 1996, so just over 30 years now. Most of that time has been spent building behind the scenes. I tend to stay out of the spotlight and focus on creating systems that actually produce. Over the years I’ve: - Built and managed high intent traffic in regulated spaces where trust matters - Created lead generation ecosystems that turn attention into real conversations and revenue - Worked closely with operators and sales teams to make sure what gets generated actually closes - Learned how to navigate compliance, scale, and real world execution without cutting corners A lot of what I do is not visible on the surface. I’ve always been more focused on building the machine than being the face of it. Outside of work, I’ve spent years living abroad in Southeast Asia, traveling, training martial arts, working out, hiking, and pushing myself in different ways. I even spent a period of time paragliding and jumping off cliffs, which probably says a lot about how I approach risk and growth. What I WANT At this stage, I’m looking for clarity and better leverage. I’ve spent a long time building for others and inside other people’s structures. It taught me a lot, but it also showed me where the limits are. Now I’m focused on: - Owning more of what I build - Creating structures that compound instead of reset - Building partnerships that are aligned long term, not just transactional I want to be around people who are actually in it, solving real problems, and building real businesses. What I NEED Two things I’m actively working through: 1. Positioning at the next level. Figuring out what stays, what consolidates, and what becomes the next version of everything I’ve built. 2. Smarter leverage decisions.

Do you ever have this pervasive thought: “I should be…” fill in the blank with somewhere other than where you currently are? I know I do. When I was younger, I would push myself super hard to satisfy this standard, to get to where “I should be”. It could be meeting a deadline, milestone, or physically getting invited to some event or group. Sometimes I ‘succeeded’; most of the time, I didn’t. But even ‘success’ felt hollow. When I got where I thought I wanted to be, I slowly realized in the pit of my stomach that it wasn’t a welcoming place for me. AND I was exhausted. Using all of that energy to push myself to be somewhere I wasn’t weakened me to the point I could not stand. Over time, it was clear that I wasn’t actually ‘supposed’ to be there, in spite of my thoughts that I “should”. Now, I’m learning to remind myself: my only job is to accept the truth of where I currently am. When I forget that, I encounter many forms of fear that feel stifling. When I remember and practice that, I immediately experience a sense of freedom and expansion. As purpose-driven leaders, we want to be responsible, make the most of the gifts we’ve been entrusted with. The challenge is: not falling back into the exhausting performance spiral of constantly trying to be somewhere we’re not. The tug is so strong all around us. It’s hard to resist. This is not a knock on goal-setting but a practical choice to appreciate in each and every moment where we already are, and not needing that to be different. Then the growth can slowly become an experience to enjoy, as opposed to a pressure to endure. This goes counter to what we were taught to value, and that, my friend, is the whole point. In this period of global transition, we can sense that the old way of succeeding will NOT get us through to what’s coming. This way, the way of accepting that where I think I should be is not where I currently am, and that’s ok, is a way that I keep returning to.