Shawn Fink, Impact & Mission Catalyst

I'm not going to talk about the war.

Not because it doesn't matter. But because you already know. You're already carrying it — in the background of every meeting, every email, every moment you try to focus on the work in front of you.

Here's what I will talk about: what I'm seeing right now in the organizations I work with.

Funding is uncertain. Focus is harder to hold. Leaders are showing up every day for missions they believe in, but the weight of everything outside their walls is heavier than usual.

People are tired in a way that coffee and another meeting can't fix.

And nobody's saying it out loud.

So I will.

It's hard to be alive right now.

It's hard to write a grant narrative about community impact when the world feels like it's unraveling.

It's hard to rally a board when everyone's doom-scrolling before the meeting starts.

It's hard to talk about next quarter when today feels like barely enough to manage.

But here's what I keep coming back to.

The mission-driven work you're doing -- that I am doing -- still matters. More than ever.

The small nonprofit trying to keep families fed. The organization showing up for people no one else sees. The team of three doing the job of ten because they believe in something bigger than a budget line.

That work is what's keeping me going right now. Helping those people do what they do — that's how I stay anchored. Serving others is how I'm saving myself these days.

If you're leading a mission-driven organization and you're feeling the weight of all of it — you're not alone. And the fact that you're still showing up? That matters more than you think.

Keep going. The world needs what you're building.

If you know, you know! 🤩 *tape **kperfect

What a space! What a real, honest, vulnerable conversation. 💗 And, what a room of powerhouse women! 💥💥 Thank you for hosting me and being so welcoming to The Power of YOU.

🙀 "I'm scared."

This was the last line in a dozen that my client shared yesterday in her coaching session to express why she's not painting like she wants to be.

Before that she was saying a lot of things like ... not enough time, don't know what to paint, which paint to use ...

The brain is such a tricky beast.

She wasn't painting for a lot of reasons.

But, what she learned in our coaching call was that it wasn't about the painting or not painting at all.

What she also discovered: If she lets go and paints, she'll lose herself in it and just might actually find herself again.

And that is scary.

And brave.

A bit like a Brave YES, yes? 🦚

Have I mentioned how much I love what I do in private coaching? And in facilitation with groups???? (insert sigh GIF)

Change is so easy!!! You just have to show up and be vulnerable and let the magic happen.

Have you had one of these ah-ha moments lately? Where everything you thought you knew kind of fell into a blob and the epiphany rose up like a phoenix? I live for these moments in my coaching sessions.

😜 😂 🙃

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👋 Hi! I'm SHAWN (she/her) and the peacock is my brand mascot because helping female business owners and creatives discover their authentic strengths and brilliance is always my mission. I am a business strategist, courage coach and leadership consultant for female founders and mission-led teams who want to thrive in the meaningful work they love and make a DEEPER impact in the world.

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What challenge is calling you to expand right now?

Hey Multipossibilitarians! This is for you. ❤️

The soul doesn’t know a thing about deadlines...

I've been writing, sharing more of MY story, offering up wisdom to the collective and it's been a wholehearted YES!

While every essay is available to all, there are self-discovery and coaching prompts for my beautiful paid subscribers.

This week's post: What is the Brave YES in this?

A question for any moment of change, transformation or conflict.

I'd be honored if you would click through and read and share with a friend.

What is the Brave YES in this? My secret to learning how to turn on your Inner GPS (Inner Guiding System) and locate the patterns for your next courageous leap or change.

What's YOUR Human Speed?

In this world of FASTER YET, we want everything to happen yesterday.

I mean, I'm a bit impatient but the one thing I've learned is that while the world seems to be moving at the speed of light, us humans are still moving at human speed.

Brené Brown has been talking about human scale and how we're actually drowning right now in technology and what's possible and we can't keep up and we will never keep up. (Many of us don't want to keep up!)

The funny thing is, while technology advances it still takes a LONG AF time to do things on the computer. Am I right???

A coaching client triggered this post from a session this week. She's close to finishing a MAJOR life milestone -- holding her own book in her hands that she wrote AND illustrated AND self-published.

It's almost ready to move into SALES, which will also be a slow process because everything moves slower than we want, including us. :)

And none of the process went as fast as she thought or wanted and yet ... she's almost done!

This is a big deal.

Slow progress is still progress.

And PROGRESS is powerful.

When you quit because it's taking longer than you'd like, you give up on yourself but, more importantly, you deprive the world of your genius.

Don't do that.

Celebrate all your tiny wins.

Let your GENIUS be known.

☀️ Where are my early risers??? This is for you. ☀️

"I’ve been waking early — long before the sun — for more than 15 years.

It’s the only time I can truly hear my intuition.

It’s the only time the world (well, my world) is slow enough and quiet enough to be able to sift through what’s mine and what’s everyone else’s desires, needs and good-to-haves.

It's only through a quiet mind and an open heart that you can start to imagine more for yourself.

Hush.

Breathe.

Listen."

Read the rest of this personal essay to learn how to put this into practice.

Hush. Breathe. Listen. How to find your inner most desires.

Don’t forget you need a different perspective to grow and evolve and reach your next level. A change of scenery. New inspiration. Refreshing experts and mentors. Honest people. Supporters who value you. A Brave YES Mindset goes a long, long way in life and business. Old narratives are harmful to you and to those you are trying to serve and support. Change your narrative, change your outcomes. 🔥

YOU ARE YOUR BIGGEST LEAD MAGNET ... BUT WHAT IF YOU ARE EXHAUSTED?

Over the years, I've worked with business owners who have some pretty intense life circumstances happening behind the scenes.

Spiraling kiddos (anxiety, depression, rage, health issues)
Aging family members
Death and grief

Caregiving is one of those unpaid jobs that can take every ounce of energy we have ... and yet, our businesses afford us the chance to also have the flexibility to be caregivers.

I've raised twin girls and two businesses over the past decade+ and this week on my latest VLOG I am sharing three tips to help keep your marketing and visibility game consistent and a priority in the messiness of the caregiving trenches.

Watch and listen here -- or read the captions or transcript!

3 Business Visibility Tricks for Caregivers in the Trenches - Shawn Fink | Brave YES™ Business Coach One of the most common conversations I have with clients […]