Cathi at Grit & Grace Consulting

Happy New Year from me and cat(hi)!

We've got great news and opportunities to share later this week!

Check back here on Thursday..... It's pretty awesome!!

What will you be intentional about as we move into 2026?

Better decisions. Less drama. More momentum.

We've all made great decisions - and really lousy ones, too! Then there's all those in the messy middle. Why can't we learn to be more consistent??

Ready to learn how to avoid the traps of messy decisions? Join me Thursday (3PM CT) or Friday (11AM CT) for a FREE 30 minute webinar to learn how!

Registration links in the first two comments.

How you make small decisions shows up when you make big ones, too! Lots of us fall into traps without realizing it. Join me for an exploration of those traps and ways to avoid them! Registration links are in first two comments.

Why Use Grace as Your Winning Leadership Tool?

Here’s why!

You struggle to create a message that matches and moves your mission.
• You feel your mission in your bones
• You know exactly why you’re doing the work
• But the moment you open your mouth to communicate it?

Everything tangles. Like string in your kitchen drawer….
• Down a bunny hole you go..,.
• Or it’s word salad, or worse, word vomit!

Not because you’re confused.
Because you’re too close to the heartbeat of the work.

Grit tells you, “Push through. Say more. Explain harder.”
Grace says, “Pause. Keep It Simple. Show them the path.”

When leaders get stuck in this kind of fog, it’s almost always because:
• Everything feels important
• Every detail feels connected
• Every word feels essential
• And you don’t want to leave anything out

This is how and where Grace gives you that tactical advantage:
• Grace creates space
• Space to choose what matters
• Space to see the message from the outside, not the inside
• Space to let it breathe.

Here’s what Grace looks like in real leadership:
✔️ Grace helps you focus and prioritize.
Instead of cramming every idea in, you highlight that one element that moves people.
✔️ Grace helps you let go of the noise.
Not everything belongs in this message at this moment. That’s not failure, that’s wisdom.
✔️ Grace helps you guide others into the mission.
Clarity isn’t about knowing more, it’s about helping others see what you see.

When grace is missing, your message gets diluted.
And when the message gets diluted, people get confused.

When Grace is present:
• The world hears you
• People who need what you have begin to ask questions
• Partners lean in
• Your numbers begin to move up!
• And YOU feel like the leader your organization needs

That’s the Grit & Grace dynamic in motion:
Grace clears the path.
Grit drives the mission forward.

You deserve a message that matches and moves your mission.
If you’re done with talking around your mission instead of communicating it with confidence, it’s time to clear the fog.

Let’s get going. Click the link in the first comment to set up our 30-minute Leadership Discovery Call now!

My Leading Lady Lesson This Season: Reclaiming My Unique “Muchness”

For a few weeks, I’ve been wrestling with a simple but telling question: Am I still the Leading Lady of my own story… or did I wander offstage when I wasn’t looking?

Maybe it bubbled up because, fun fact, I played the lead in Alice in Wonderland in sixth grade. And lately that line from the March Hare keeps tapping me on the shoulder: “You’re not the same as you were before… you were much more… muchier… you’ve lost your muchness.”

I hate to admit it, but he had a point.

This past year, my chronic health issues forced me to face what I didn’t want to face: fatigue messes with my stamina, and when that happens, my muchness shrinks down to XS sizes.

What I finally learned is this: if I want to show up fully, for clients, colleagues, family, and frankly, for myself, I have to rest more than I ever thought was “allowed.”

I’ve carved out two weekly muchness-renewal days: Wednesdays and Saturdays. Days when I sleep in, move slowly, and let my spirit catch up to my schedule.

Before I started doing that? I played the Greatest Hits of Overdoing It:
· One more project
· One more Zoom webinar
· One more coffee meeting
· One more networking event that I “really need to” pop into

Then I’d crash! Flat, cranky, foggy, and asleep in my recliner before the winning contestant even made it to the Wheel of Fortune Prize Puzzle! Years (many!) of pushing and “just one more thing” didn’t just steal my muchness; they helped create the very chronic health issues that made me lose so much of it.

Now? My job is to renew and protect my unique “muchness” with a blend that actually works for the long haul. That’s the blend of Grit & Grace.

For a while they battled it out.
++ Grit pushed me forward with a half dozen or more things to do… until I hit a wall.
++ Grace whispered “rest,” then occasionally whispered it a little too long.

But here’s what shifted everything:

Understanding and Owning “The Power of the Ampersand!”
When I slow down long enough to feel where grit and grace meet, that little swirl of “both/and” inside me, I’m able to find my footing and regain my balance.

P**f & Voila! That unique & special “muchness” that’s my best me returns. It’s where I remember who I am, what I bring, and why I choose to serve.

The quiet is where I hear the truth: the perfect mix for me is inside the connection of my Grit & my Grace. That’s where my Leading Lady shows up again, ready to listen, connect, strategize, write, and lead with gratitude and a servant’s heart. It’s where and how I lead intentionally from my center.

Here are my questions to share with you. The ones I sit with myself:
Where have you drifted from your own special “muchness”…
and, what will it take for you to reclaim (& keep) your center stage again?

Gratitude is the very CORE of leadership.

Sending My Thanksgiving Greetings & Blessings to Each & All!

Let's Get to Know More About Grace!

We all know that Grit is critical for strategy, ex*****on and success!

Grace can be misunderstood! Grace isn’t a personality trait or a “softer edge” to balance out hard decisions.

It’s a tactical advantage.

Recently, I coached a leader whose team was missing deadlines, communication was breaking down, and tensions were high.

Her instinct was to “tighten up,” get stricter, push harder.

Instead, I asked her to do the opposite.
To lead not with softness, but steadiness.
Here’s what that looked like in practice:

Pausing to focus before responding
++ She stopped doom-scrolling on Insta while frustrated. Instead she took 60 seconds to ground herself so that her tone matched the outcome she wanted.

Asking a clarifying question before giving direction
++ Instead of, “Why is this late again?” she asked, “What’s the obstacle here, and how do we solve it together?”

Leading with presence, not pressure
++ She held the standard without putting the stress on her team.
The results were remarkable.
++ Her team didn’t get defensive. They were more open than in a very long time.
++ Together, they found and fixed the one broken process that prevented 3 weeks of delays.

That’s the tactical power of grace:
It lowers resistance.
It raises clarity.

And it reveals what leaders can’t see when they and their team are on edge.
That’s strategic influence, and when you master it, performance can accelerate without pressure, burnout, or too much stress.

Curious to learn more? See the first comment to schedule a 30 minute call with me!

What Have Been Your Primary Challenges Over the Last Two Years?
Every business has its battle stories! The seasons that tested you, that stretched you, and sometimes made you question everything.

Ah, but those seasons! They hold wisdom.

If you don’t stop to reflect on what went wrong (and right), you risk carrying the same patterns year into year.

So let’s be honest — what’s been hardest for you these last two years?
• People: Clients, employees, contractors, or even yourself?
• Processes: Systems, communication, or trainings that aren’t keeping up with your growth?
• Profit: Costs that have shifted, margins that feel tighter, or unpredictable cash flow?

Taking a clear-eyed look at your challenges doesn’t mean you failed! There’s gold in those items that helps you see what needs your attention. Now. As a priority before you bake them into next year’s plans!

Monday's Leadership Mindset Minute