Connections through Coffee and Food

We are connected more than ever. Text messaging, FaceTime, and social media all allow us to connect. But are we truly connected?

At the end of the 2023-24 school year, I felt less connected than ever before. I was missing something. My social media circle continued to grow, and my reach was greater. I had thousands of followers, and I was beginning to be recognized because of my soon-to-be-released book.

But I was missing something.

I decided to make it a point this summer to reconnect with colleagues through face-to-face conversation, coffee, and good food. I was going to return to the basics.

As of the middle of July, I have had coffee and broken bread with six different school leaders. The meals have provided me with laughs, insight, networking, and friendship. They have fueled me with the energy needed to recharge and provided me with the human interactions I was missing. The conversations revolved around family and friends. We talked about food, TV shows, and maybe work. It has also given me hope that I can continue to do the job at the high level needed.

As campus leaders, our job can be the loneliest in the world. We are on an island, and it can be incredibly isolating. If we don’t make it a priority, we will be alone.

I have a book that will be released this summer. The Blueprint is my journey through school leadership. I share my story of failing forward in leading a middle school and a high school before, during, and after COVID-19. I have mixed in interviews with successful leaders and inspirational stories, and I hope to provide all leaders with a plan to develop their own blueprint for success.

Throughout my book, I share how the pressure of the job can be completely overwhelming. I have coined the phrase “Administrative Overwhelm.” It is real, and the quicksand can take down anyone.

The book is me at my most vulnerable. I hope that, bearing my soul, other leaders will realize they are not alone. Leaders will recognize that the imposter syndrome is real and can affect leaders in year one or year 20.

As I enter year 11 as a principal, 4.5 at a middle school, and 5.5 at a high school, I am constantly battling the overwhelm of the job. I have not figured it all out, but I have developed structures that allow me to survive and thrive in this role.

Even with that said, I was missing the connections with people because the job overwhelmed me. I didn’t make it a priority, and it swallowed me up.

In 2024-25, I am adding monthly face-to-face conversations to my calendar. As a leader, you know it will get done if you add it to your calendar. This is a priority for me.

If you feel this will benefit you, let’s connect over coffee, a slice of pizza, or a great cheeseburger; let’s make it happen.

Let’s connect on social media.