<aside> <img src="/icons/token_blue.svg" alt="/icons/token_blue.svg" width="40px" /> **You’re looking for…**a space where social sector leaders share their real experiences and practical tools, so you don't have to figure it out alone.
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TL;DR Welcome to a space built for sharing real experiences, practical tools, and human connections in the social sector. No more staring at blank pages or feeling stuck alone – we're creating a community where leaders can learn from each other's journeys and build on what works.
What's in it for you (WIIFY):
From the early days in my career, I craved templates and specific how-to's and detailed instructions to help get me through. I'm sure there are LOTS of reasons we can imagine for this - and the reality is, I just wanted to do it "right."
Occasionally there would be a great mentor to walk me through - but more often than not I stared at the fancy spreadsheets that consultants seemed to build effortlessly (especially after my infamous early attempt where I miscalculated so badly that I reported missing our targets every month for an ENTIRE YEAR). Or I'd lie awake at night, losing sleep over how to have what felt like an impossible conversation with an underperforming team member, desperate to "get it right" (especially challenging since I'd avoided saying anything for days/weeks/months, letting frustration and hopelessness reach an all-time high).
Sadly, as I learned over and over, there is no checklist or perfect answer or “right” way of doing things. There’s no magic box or book that teaches you everything or someone who knows it all. I mean, there is business school - and I’m pretty sure even that can’t take you all the way!
While there was no single source of truth that folks were hiding from me, I did find the secret sauce in one place over and over and over.
When I reached out to others and they shared their stories and templates and advice, it was MAGIC. I felt less alone and okay in not being perfect (what a concept!). I had some potential roadmaps and ideas to build on instead of staring at a blank page. Or remembering how terribly I failed. Or, my favorite - googling “how to tell my customer service lead that they have to be kind AND effective”.
These conversations were beautiful AND incredibly powerful. I felt my world open and started saving templates - and folks on speed dial - so that I could build with and from others’ insights, ideas, experiences. Inviting others into the conversation and sharing what did exist takes us all a LOT further than sitting in it alone. A few highlights from these joyful conversations:
Sharing - both giving and receiving - makes us all feel lighter, makes our problem easier to solve and, perhaps most importantly, makes us all feel a little less alone as we can inspire each other with the paths we have walked before.
Welcome to our Helia Library - which is just starting, and absolutely evolving attempt at creating a space for each of us to share our stories and ideas and advice and resources - the paths we have walked before - with each other.
As one of my favorite humans, Jane Leu, once told me, "no one likes a blank page" - so when things are feeling tricky and hard and leaving you "stuck" at work, we want the Helia Library to be a space where you can find inspiration, to feel less alone and to move you further in building the "right" solution for our organization, right now.
We’re going to bring together (1) real perspectives from those that have been there, (2) practical tools, templates and examples you can build from AND (3) connections with get it done humans when you need more. We know this will shift and evolve over time - yes please(!) - and for now, you can and will see these foundational building blocks.
Interested in more of our vision? Check out THIS (iterative/evolving!) overview.