It all started with a tree-climbing ropes course more than a decade ago. 

I was scared out of my mind. 

The doubling over, nearly vomiting on myself kind of fear.

We were invited to do the climb in honor of our life purpose, 

Life purpose? My knees were knocking so loud, I couldn’t hear myself think.

So I did the only thing I knew how to do.

I got quiet.

And intuition whispered in the stillness:

Be deeply present in the moment while expressing yourself authentically on your voice.

I let that intention settle into the back of my mind and started climbing. 

One foot.
One grip.
One breath.

And to my surprise… it was going well.

I was even enjoying myself.

Until I made the mistake of looking down.

Instant regret. 

Suddenly my body was certain helicopters and rescue crews were required.

And then something happened.

A wave rose up from deep within me. 

Raw sensation. Emotion. Energy.
Wanting to be expressed.

At first, I did what I had been trained to do for most of my life.

I clenched my throat.
I suppressed it.
I tried to hold it together.

And then I remembered my intention.

Be deeply present. Express authentically on your voice.

So, I opened my throat and let the sound come out.

What emerged was primal.

A crying, birthing, tantrum-roar on the side of that tree.

(People on the other side of the forrest heard me. I’m just sayin’)

And something extraordinary happened.

Once the sound moved through me — once I stopped fighting the fear and let it have a voice —

I popped up and scaled the rest of that tree like Spider-Man.

That day changed me.

Not because I conquered fear.

Because I learned something about intention.

Intention doesn’t eliminate fear.

It anchors us inside it.

That’s when I understood: 

Leadership lives in a creative tension:

Between presence and vision.
Between now and what’s next.

Leadership means being deeply present in the moment while at the same time moving forward to create change.

Intention allows us to stand in that tension without collapsing. 

It makes leadership possible.

Not by suppressing the roar.

But by giving it purpose.

So I’m curious…

What intention is asking to guide you right now?

With love & passion,
Lauri