I’m emerging from a long winter publishing hibernation.

It felt a bit gauche to lob 3000 words at you after a cold spell— inhospitable even! As in corner you at the party to launch into an hour-long monologue about my shitty ex. I mean, geez, we haven’t spoken in ages.

I will keep this one brief.

What I’ve been thinking about, some random snippets:

- Growing a high performing team is as much about a cohesive ecosystem of structure and policy as it is about so-called soft skills like managing power, giving and receiving feedback, and building capacity for self-awareness. It’s easy to let policy get ahead of practice, but it’s far better to roll out policy at the pace of practiced skills.

- “The part that frustrates me isn’t being public. What I struggle with is the cadence. The things I want to say and make take time. I don’t want to hit “send” on something and immediately cringe because it doesn’t feel like me. I don’t want more stuff that’s here today and gone tomorrow.

I haven’t yet found a satisfying way to bridge the content creation demands of running a modern business with a pace that suits my sanity. I worry about “work hard on something you love” metastasizing into “work hard to keep pace with the machine.” — A self-serving excerpt for my machine-avoidant self, from the best founder advice I’ve read in ages.

- I am unavoidably thinking about AI more than I would like, and this week’s thought is that we need to acknowledge and accept the trade offs we make with any tools brought into our businesses: any ongoing tasks or skills that we hand over to AI tools will atrophy. We can’t ignore this. (“Easier” and “more efficient” are slippery slopes, and, yes, have tradeoffs.)

- “Do you really think you need to be judged to grow?”

How we can help this year.

A few reminders of how we (all of us at Wanderwell) can help.

• BOOKKEEPING & ACCOUNTING SERVICES with a strategic backbone to provide you thoughtful, clear financials. We specialize in creative problem solving for growing companies led by non-finance-nerd founders.

• ADVISORY SERVICES to help you transform your business and your relationship to your business: navigating leadership and business growth, (re)designing your business model, structuring your people and systems, and projecting and benchmarking your financial performance.

• ZINES to expand entrepreneurial imagination, including exploring post-capitalist business models and the purpose of profit for a radical enterprise.

• Lots to read in the ARCHIVE, I suggest starting here.

If you’re interested in any of the above, hit reply, I’d be delighted to start a conversation.

Enjoy today,

Kate

PS: Remind me who you are again?
Wanderwell is an accounting and advisory firm partnering with founder-led small businesses, creative & professional service firms, and mission-driven companies to build financially healthy, people-centered, thriving businesses.

I’m the founder, and my writing mixes practical advice on running a business with (mostly radical) thinking around economics, systems, and creative practice, with lots of links and resources mixed in along the way.

In nearly 15 years I’ve never published on a schedule, so have no fear, that 3000 words? When it’s ready.