Almavina Insights

Welcome to Almavina Insights, Reader! I am beyond excited to officially kick off Almavina Insights, twice-weekly nuggets of wisdom and truth about organizational culture, career development, and women in the workplace, delivered straight to your inbox. When I left my full time job last fall, I wasn’t sure where I was headed. I spent some time prioritizing my health, considering my options, looking at job postings, reading (a lot), and writing (even more). I realized two things – I loved...

Dear Reader, This week I am traveling in Spain. We spent the weekend in Barcelona and today are headed south to Benalmadena. Two and half days is not enough in Barcelona, but we've made the most of it! International Women's Day March Basilica de la Segrada Familia -- photos do NOT do this justice! Let's talk about self-sacrifice... Somewhere along the way, many of us got the message that leadership is sacrifice. Not the kind of sacrifice that makes you feel proud. The kind that leaves you...

Dear Reader, A few weeks ago, someone in a Slack community I’m part of asked a simple question: “What are you reading?” It was posted in a subgroup of nonprofit consultants—people who, like me, spend their days thinking about systems, strategy, and human-centered leadership. The question was casual, maybe even intended as a little break from all that. A soft pause in an otherwise very purpose-driven space. As the responses started rolling in, I noticed a pattern. When someone shared a...

Dear Reader, When someone names a toxic work experience, why is our first instinct so often to question their judgment? What if—just for a moment—we started from a place of belief? A former client once told me that the hardest part wasn’t surviving the dysfunction—it was the moment she finally worked up the courage to name it out loud… and someone said, “Are you sure it’s not just a tough boss?” She had receipts. Patterns. A history of exclusion, silencing, and retaliation. But that one...

Dear Reader, This month has felt like the winterest of all winters. I don’t know about you, but the pull to hibernation has been strong for me this year. A friend sent me this Instagram post at the beginning of the month and it has really stuck with me. Here’s the punchline: If January feels heavy, slow, or resistant – nothing is wrong with you. You are listening to the Earth. Leaning into that idea, I’ve been trying not to be too hard on myself. I set small, achievable goals for the week....

Dear Reader, Happy new year! I hope the holiday season has provided you with an opportunity for rest and reflection in addition to celebration with family and friends. It’s that time again – time for my annual reading recap! I just took a moment to go back and read last year’s recap. And it was yet another marker to signify my journey this year. Last year I wrote about why I read. And yes, all of those things are still true. This year, I uncovered the science behind why I read – which is...

Dear Reader, Here we are – in that “in between” time. Thanksgiving has passed and the year-end holidays are on the horizon. If you don’t pay attention, it will go by in a blink. And yet, it’s a whole month of the year! For many years, Thanksgiving has felt like the weekend I wish all my weekends could be. I would wake up Saturday and Sunday thinking, “Woo hoo! Another day!!” And then I’d go back to the office on Monday morning and one of two things would happen. There would be a hard core...

Dear Reader, It's been seven months since Promises Broken was released into the world. (Isn’t that wild?) The most common feedback I’ve received from readers is: “I saw myself in these women.” That’s the power of story. It mirrors us back to ourselves—and reminds us we’re not alone. When I first started writing, I simply wanted to do justice to the stories that these brave women were willing to share. I knew toxic work culture was a problem that existed in so many mission-driven places, and...

Dear Reader, Have you ever walked through an open office space and not been greeted by a single person? How about being in a meeting when it’s clear that people are "side-chatting" over text? Maybe you’ve even side-chatted yourself? What about hearing the same generic critical feedback tossed out in group settings over a period of months and suddenly realizing the person is referring to you? Culture isn’t built by slogans or slide decks. It’s built in motion—tiny behaviors that signal...

Dear Reader, On a typical Monday morning (or Tuesday after a long weekend), you might be asked, “How was your weekend? Do anything fun?” If I worked in an office and was asked this question today, I would say “Great! I went to a college hockey game. I cooked a meal for my son and his roommates. I rooted for all of my teams, made some chili, and baked banana bread. And during yesterday’s storm I went to the boardwalk to check out the *very* high tide.” Not too long ago I remember being very...

Dear Reader, If you speak to people who used to work on my teams over the years, I think they would tell you that I prioritized health, wellness, and family over work demands. If someone had a sick child, I encouraged them to focus on the child rather than worry about the work. If someone had a personal crisis, I worked with them to cover their responsibilities so that they could manage the crisis and not let things slip. And yet. Here are two actual scenes from my work history: I once fell...