Maven Council

The place seasoned women gather on the bridge between here and there to fuel up and fortify ourselves to lead in these dark times.

/māv(e)n/

From the Yiddish word, meyvn, “one who understands”. Mavens are the people we turn to. You don’t become a maven overnight…it comes from years of accumulation of knowledge.

———————

This invitation-only circle is my response to this question: How can my generation of women (GenX) show up for the women of future generations who are navigating these dark times—and what will we offer them as guidance?

Answer: to keep doing our own work to embody (radiate, even) what it means to be whole and powerfully unapologetic women. We need to model something different than what we’ve had.

I envision this small (but mighty) council of seasoned women gathering during the winter months on an underground bridge that only we know about—we share resources, swap stories, tease apart the sticky bits, and fortify ourselves to go back above ground to lead the way forward.

We remember we aren’t alone, we aren’t crazy, and we cannot afford to be distracted by the noise and darkness which threatens our vision—and action.

We remember our power and assume deeper responsibility for it.

It’s our time.

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Intentions

To support ourselves for the long haul—knowing these times will try us (on a good day) and tax us (on a bad one), our aim is use these pull-off points to keep us from going off the road.
To fortify ourselves with physical, emotional and intellectual nourishment so we don’t lose sight of what matters—our sanity, clarity, and connections (to self, others and this planet.
To remember we’re not alone—tapping into the power of community to light our way forward with insights, stories, perspectives and resources we’ve picked up along the way.
To inspire us to make conscious choices and take actions that align with our truth—and to plug us into how our courage is a service to others when we falter, fumble or feel like giving up.
To make a joyful noise together—space for our laughter, tears and wild bits to bring lightness to the gravity of these times and remember we’re human beings.

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1

Intellectual

Contextual models for understanding, thought leadership that’s emerging, helpful frames for how to hold complex ideas, threads of meaning and truth, and ways of seeing the connective tissues of our times—this is how we’ll fuel our minds and organize the data we’ve been taking in.

2

Emotional

Words, images and metaphors to express the energy swirling inside us, space to access and name what’s inside our bodies, a safe container to process all the complex, contradictory and intense emotions we (and others) are feeling—that’s how we’ll fortify our hearts.

3

Mystical

Ways of understanding what we can’t comprehend, tools to ground ourselves in gale-force winds, accessing data and insights outside conventional thought, and space to strengthen our intuition, listen to our instincts, and plug into the wisdom of the earth—that’s how we’ll tap into our power.

What you can expect:

The format and feel of these gatherings will be in the similar vein of my other women’s circles—informal but meaty, focussed but fluid, and lively but grounded. You know me well by now.

Unlike my women’s circles, however, there won’t be central theme each gathering. Instead, we’ll organize our conversations around 3 frames each time we gather—intellectual, emotional, and mystical.

There won’t be an official “reader” for this circle, and nothing needs to be “done” in advance of each monthly gathering—but there will be a resource page on my website that will be filled with thoughtful poems, podcasts, excerpts, articles if you’re hungry to go deeper into your own thoughts or reflections. We’ll use these seeds and threads each month to grow and weave our conversation..

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Details

The series of five gatherings is $575 (monthly payments are available)

The council meets one Tuesday evening a month from November to April (excluding March). All gatherings are in person at my office from 6:00-8:00 pm

Registration includes participation in all five gatherings as well as access to the Maven resource page on my website (entirely optional) with supportive content organized by month.

Not just anyone is able to apply for this as it’s invitation-only, so if you want in, let’s have a conversation so I know you’re out there.

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Dates: ’25-’26

November 18

December 9

January 6

February 3

[no council in March]

April 7

Good to Know

The council is designed for 5-8 women. You might know someone from a previous circle—but the common thread between us all is generally me and my relationship with each of you.

Participants are expected to attend all five gatherings.

There’s nothing in particular you need to DO before or after each gathering—just showing up is enough.

This circle isn’t therapy, and we won’t fix, advise or rescue each other—but we do keep it real and let it be messy, unfinished and evolving. All of you is welcome here.

I wanted to carve time out for myself and connect with other women who wanted to do the same. I wanted to have a chance to listen to my own voice as inspiration on how to fully live my own life. The circle gave me all of that and more.

On Being a Woman served as a launching pad for some deep changes that had been brewing within, but that I could not give form to. I ended the circle with a level of clarity that has been missing for years.

Under Lael’s guidance (a perfect cocktail of masterful orchestration and gentle coaxing), the group settled into itself and in the deadest part of winter the magic happened.

Lael’s constant quest at reframing the topics of discussion from many different perspectives allowed the dialogue to expand and generate a really rich and full flavor. She is able to direct the group in many uncharted directions and somehow not allow anyone to feel like they are veering off course.

Fiery missives. Stories with heart. Fresh perspectives. Nutrient-rich field notes.

Invite me into your inbox and I promise to make it worth your while with e-mails that feel like conversations.

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