This summer, I joined 24 heads of school from across the country to spend five days and four nights whitewater river rafting and kayaking the Salmon River as part of a leadership development program designed specifically for school leaders

While I have extensive experience whitewater rafting, this was my first experience doing whitewater kayaking.

Being on an inflatable kayak is a much different experience than being in a raft!

Every rapid forced a decision: left, right, or straight down the middle.

The wrong choice could send you spinning, but staying still isn’t an option either

Twice, I hit a Class 3 to 4 rapid and got completely thrown from the kayak, swirling me in whirlpools that felt like I was being punched in the throat by fistfuls of water.

It was honestly a terrifying experience, but I am proud of myself for getting back in the kayak and continuing down the river!

Luckily, I was not on the river alone

“The river is alive. It teaches, it humbles, and it invites us to listen.”

Robert Macfarlane, in his remarkable book Is a River Alive?, urges us to see rivers not as “things” to conquer or control, but as living presences—storytellers with wisdom of their own. That truth resonated with me all week on the Salmon.

The river was beautiful and brutal, serene and savage

It demanded respect, not mastery

And yet, there were also these moments of beautiful repose

Moments between the rapids, where the river opened into long, calm stretches allowing us to look up and take in the sheer beauty around us.

At night, with no cellphones or digital distractions, we pitched our tents on sandy beaches beneath an endless canopy of stars.

It was there, in these quiet moments that allowed us to listen to the “voice” of the river that we genuinely heard each other, unguarded and human as we are

People opened up. Stories were told. Songs were sung.

It was presence at its purest—presence that leadership rarely allows, yet desperately needs.

On the river, community wasn’t just a nice bonus — it was survival.

It was the community of practice that rescued me when I got severely tossed by the churning rapids

It was the community that literally provided life-giving sustenance to each other meal after meal

It was in community that we cooked together, hauled gear together, and swapped stories under the stars.

In those moments, titles disappeared, and we weren’t “heads of school” competing for enrollment or resources.

We were simply people, bound by the shared work of keeping each other safe, encouraged, and moving forward.

People opened up, became raw, shared concerns and fears, and become, in a word, human

It was a beautiful experience that comes about only when we are truly with another person

This experience viscerally reminded that we all need a community of support to help us when things get tricky or we feel we are drowning and downright terrified

Leadership can feel isolating, but when we choose to step into authentic community — with peers who understand both the rapids and the calm — we discover strength, wisdom, and certainty that no single leader can muster alone.

The Salmon River was beautiful and brutal — a force you respect, not control.

There were times it was majestic and times it was downright terrifying

The water was relentless and the rapids fierce

But I left the river reminded that stillness isn’t wasted time; it’s the source of wisdom, creativity, and resilience.

I left thankful for the moments of genuine presence that I was able to cultivate with people in authentic, transparent, vulnerable ways

I left humbled by the experience that still resonates in my soul

I left feeling genuinely reconnected to the deep purpose and why that drives my work

I left with a drive to create experiences like this for others so that they too can feel reconnected to their work, to their purpose, to their humanity, to themselves, and to others

One thing we did as an all group activity over the course of the week was to truly drill down into our purpose statement

Mine is: I spend my life creating opportunities, resources and experiences so that others may flourish

I am in the midst of creating resources and experiences to help you flourish and thrive as an educator and/or school leader

The latest resource to launch is the Flourishing School Leader’s Field Guide

Inspired by my time on the river and my 30 year career in education and school leadership, this guide is your invitation to listen to the deep waters in your own life in order to lead with purpose, enthusiasm, depth, hope, inspiration, and care

This resource distills decades of leadership wisdom into actionable strategies you can start using immediately.

You’ll walk away with fresh insights, clear tools, and renewed confidence to lead your school toward greater purpose, passion, and flourishing.

And…the best part is…it is on sale for 25% off for the next three weeks!!

Just use the code FLOURISH at check out and you can get this 120+ page resource jam packed with inspired strategy, deep reflection, guided retreats, and personal action steps to help you rekindle your joy, purpose, and hope for education for 25% off.

This offer is ONLY available to subscribers of this newsletter

GRAB YOUR COPY HERE:

Come With Me

My purpose is to create opportunities where others can flourish

This vision—this movement—is born from a deep longing to help educators and leaders rediscover why they said yes to this work in the first place.

And to give them the tools, language, and support to stay rooted in it

I’m creating an entire ecosystem of tools, resources, experiences, and opportunities to help you flourish, thrive, and feel connected to your purpose and to others doing the invaluable work of eduction

But I’d love to hear from you!

I want your feedback on what you need most in this season as school leader

I have created a Google Form Questionnaire to give you an opportunity to share with me what you need most in this season to help you flourish as a leader, as an educator, and as a human being

This questionnaire is designed to discover exactly how I can serve you best. 

To let me know what tools, opportunities, and experiences would be most valuable to you. Your honest feedback will directly shape the resources I create—ensuring they are meaningful, practical, and immediately helpful. Your responses are completely confidential. 

Click on this link to give me your feedback on what you need most as a school leader:

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