The North Wind, the Sun, and a time-sensitive new offering

Dear friend,

I hope you’ve been well since we last connected. 

I’ve been reflecting a lot on gentleness and ease lately. Whether I’m consciously letting things unfold in their own time—a lofty goal for my impatient self—or trusting that challenges are gifts in disguise, I’m setting a clear intention to bring a greater sense of peace to my life and the lives of others. 

So when I came across Aesop’s fable The North Wind & the Sun, I felt a deep resonance. As the story goes, the North Wind and the Sun are engaged in a competition to see which of them can make a passing traveler remove his cloak. The harder the North Wind blows, the more tightly the traveler wraps the cape around himself. In contrast, when the Sun shines gently yet persistently, the traveler easily parts with his cloak. 

Good stuff, right?

It makes me wonder how often we exhaust ourselves blustering and blowing when we could just relax and shine a little light. It also makes me wonder how that light would intensify if we felt supported and connected rather than in competition with others.

That’s the motivation for the STANDOUT Professor Confab (ProfCon), a new offering for tenure-track junior faculty I’m piloting from April 24th through May 23rd. 

ProfCon provides structure and community through:
- Focused work sessions for enhanced accountability and productivity 
- Informal virtual gatherings for camaraderie and encouragement 
- Exclusive content for continued professional and personal development. 

Whether you’re struggling to carve out time for solo projects, feeling isolated in your department, or seeking tools to enhance your career and life, I hope you'll consider participating and inviting others to join you.

The ProfCon pilot is open exclusively to clients, email subscribers, and their friends. I’m charging only $25 per person, provided you commit to attending at least three of the 15 sessions and sharing your feedback at the end of the pilot. (The fee is waived for current clients.)

Interested? Learn more and register here.

Not a junior faculty member? Please share this with friends and colleagues who are, and let me know if you’re interested in a similar offering!

As always, thanks for being here, and thanks for being you.

Sending gentleness and ease,

Elizabeth Odders-White