Welcome to The Joyful Rebellion!

Because setting boundaries, resting well, and building healthier systems is radical.

🧪What's New In the Lab

Sometimes you just need a break.

Earlier this month, I found myself feeling like I was hurtling through the year at a breakneck pace. I also realized that I work best when I have time - to think, to explore, to create, and to change my mind. So before I get too deep into the year, I decided to take a step back and just breathe.

I spent time in snowy Michigan, relaxing with friends, reading books, and enjoying the stillness of winter. I am coming back refreshed and with a new perspective about how to stay grounded, planful, and connected. And that's what this edition is all about.

✍🏽 The Better Boundaries Brief

Strategic Planning Is a Boundary-Setting Tool: Why Employee Engagement Belongs in Your 2026 Plan

My grandpa used to say, “Plan your work, then work your plan.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about how strategic plans quietly shape our boundaries at work, giving us a framework to say yes or no, and to design our days with intention.

Whether you are a solo-preneur or part of a large organization, planning for healthy ways to work is essential.

As we end the first quarter of the year, I invite you to ask yourself if you still have a plan and are following it. Where might you need to make some adjustments?

Read Now

🎧 Work Is Third: Podcast Spotlight

When Women Share Their Stories|The Power of Intergenerational Learning with the Raised by Her Podcast

What happens when women share their stories honestly across generations?

Sometimes the conversations we need most are the ones we were never taught to have. In this episode of Work Is Third, I talk with the hosts of the Raised by Her Podcast, a mother-daughter duo exploring womanhood, identity, and life through an intergenerational lens. In this episode, we talk about storytelling, mentorship, women’s health, and the lessons we can pass between generations. This conversation is a reminder that when women share their experiences openly, we create space for learning, connection, and collective growth.

Listen Now

📊Data That Matters

Just 52% of respondents in this Deloitte survey indicated that external communications regarding their organization's purpose are consistent with internal practices.

Why this matters

Employees want to experience meaning and purpose at work, and this is an important factor in workplace mental health & wellbeing. However, organizations continue to struggle with embedding purpose - actually making the connection between what they say and what they do, especially internally.

One thing you can do is look at your organization's mission statement and values and make a list of the way they are visible in employee and leadership behavior. For example, if you value flexibility, that might look like implementing flex schedules and remote work policies.

Link: Deloitte Insisghts, Mind the Purpose Gap

💬Quote of the Week

Quote by Jacinda Ardern: If you have impostor syndrome, or question yourself, channel that. It will help you. You will read more, seek out advice, and humble yourself to situations that require humility to be conquered.

📓 Journal Prompt

What do I need this week to feel fulfilled - connection, creativity, rest - and how can I plan for it?

🌞 Affirmation of the Week

I plan my joy and wellbeing with intention.

💫 Closing Reflection

Wellness happens by design. It comes through the rest we give ourselves, the connections we nurture, and the plans we create. And that applies to organizations, too.

If something in today's newsletter resonated with you, hit reply and let me know. I'd love to hear from you.

With care and rebellion,
Dawn ✨

🤝🏽Let’s Work Together

Ready to build systems that support better ways to live and lead?
I partner with organizations to create the conditions for everyone to thrive, through education, training, skill building, strategic planning, and implementation.
👉 Book a call and let’s build something better together.

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