Redefine Success
A few weeks ago, I made a decision that a younger version of me might have questioned. After more than a decade leading communications for a mission I cared deeply about, I stepped away. Not because the mission (or my passion for it) changed. Not because I ran out of ideas. But because I finally got honest with myself about what I actually wanted success to feel like — and it looked a lot less like a packed calendar and a lot more like being present for the people who matter most to me.
I'm a communicator. It's not just what I do — it's how I'm wired. I think in stories. I translate complex information into language that moves people. That brings them in and helps them feel seen. I've spent 15+ years doing that work, and I'm proud of it. But somewhere along the way, I conflated doing important work with doing it inside a structure that required every hour of my day. Including the 3 am wake-ups and the 8 pm panics and the Sunday night dreads.
So I made a change. I'm back to freelancing — which, for me, means choosing my clients intentionally, bringing my full expertise to the table, and protecting the time I want to give to my kids and my community.
Saying No to the Grind
There's a particular kind of professional pride that comes from always being the busiest person in the room. From managing the team, driving the strategy, and keeping every plate spinning at once. I’ve lived in that mode since I was 14 years old. (Yikes.) I won't pretend it didn't feel meaningful — because it did. I somehow felt that because I could work like that I was expected to work like that.
But busyness is not the same as impact. And hours logged are not the same as time well spent.
What if we redefined success not by how much we produce, but by whether we're spending our time — and the time of the people we work with — wisely? What if the best business decision you could make this year was getting the right expertise in the room, so you could get out of meetings and back to the work only you can do? (By — and don’t forget this — listening to them.)
What you actually get when you hire an expert
When organizations bring in experienced communications support, the obvious return is the tangibles — a stronger website, a larger social media presence, a sharper campaign. But the less obvious return? Time.
Let me spend 20 minutes writing that email copy instead of your two hours agonizing over phrasing. Let your operations director get back to running the business, not running the email newsletter. Save the stress of the last-minute scramble and let me calmly come in and plan something of meaning.
My mother used to marvel that I would come home from school knowing everyone’s life story. It might have seemed complex, but to me it felt the most basic of all human skills — the ability to stop and listen. To ask the right questions. To hear what mattered most.
I’ve spent a lifetime learning how to drive two-way communications efficiently and well — from leading international awareness campaigns that reached tens of millions to helping a local financial planner make his clients know how much he cared about them as people. Listening to what you need and what your audience wants is 100% scalable — because we all have an innate desire to be heard.
When I take you on as a client, I’m bringing that full depth of experience to bear — which means faster results, fewer revisions, and a communications function that runs smoothly without consuming your bandwidth.
Spending time wisely
The shift I made — from leading a team to running my own practice — is, at its core, a decision about how I want to spend my time. I want to do excellent work for clients who value it. I want flexibility. And I want to be mentally and physically present at the dinner table every night.
That's not a small ambition — it's actually a pretty radical one in a culture that still tends to equate sacrifice with commitment. But I've watched too many talented people burn out chasing a version of success that leaves them too depleted to enjoy what they built. People I admire who have done so much good in the world, apologetic for taking time to recharge.
What if your organization made the same kind of choice? What if you decided that the goal isn't to have someone on staff doing everything — but to have the right expertise showing up when you need it, so everyone, including you, can spend their time on what matters most?
Tell me your thoughts
This is the first post in what I hope becomes an ongoing conversation about communications, community, and the choices we make about where we invest our energy. I'm writing for nonprofit leaders, small business owners, and anyone doing meaningful work who wants to do it more sustainably.
If something here resonated — or if you're ready to free up some time and strengthen your communications — I'd love to hear from you. Send me a message or connect with me on LinkedIn.
XOXO,
Laney