Hello!

Welcome to my new eNewsletter! You’re receiving this email because our professional / personal / adventure paths have crossed and I’d love to (re)connect. Thank you for being here.

In this (roughly) quarterly newsletter, I hope to share my favorite writings, tips for your communications toolkit, and any fun news from my consulting clients. Today, I have a new piece about how much EQ - and my lack thereof - impacted nearly every part of my life (and what I did about it). I also share updates about my new dream job, take a look at another dream job you can apply for, and offer up a favorite from the archives: The Shower Rule.

And, in case it’s been a minute and you'd like a refresh: I started blogging about travel in 2005 (the dark ages). Over time the blog evolved into an educational, hopefully-entertaining, and occasionally irreverent home for my stories and soapboxes. I recently expanded to incorporate professional experiences helping small- to mid-sized businesses design and scale their communications. Oh, and I continued traveling the world to bike, ski, climb, and hike, then had a surprise wedding and birthed two little boys who are full of smarts and sass. If you share a passion for adventure, storytelling, NY pizza, and sarcasm, you’re in the right place.

Thanks for reading!
-Kristina

p.s. If I added you to this list and you’re just not that into me, please accept my sincerest apologies, click the Unsubscribe button, and I promise not to bother you again.

My Journey to Emotional Intelligence: When Being Good Isn’t Enough

“I peaked in Kindergarten. 1989 marked the apex of my popularity and influence. Everyone wanted to hang out with me - the spunky, curly-haired girl who ever-so-slightly resembled Shirly Temple, an idol unrivaled in the 1900s. The tables weren't big enough to accommodate the tens of kids who wanted to sit with me at lunch.

“Then it all came crashing down in first grade when I got glasses and broke my arm in the same week. Oh how the mighty will fall.”

My New Dream Job

Last July, I left my dream job after 11 wonderful years. I wanted to start my own communication consultancy, but I let fear get in the way for six months. In January, I jumped (because sometimes you do it scared), launching my new dream job: Occasionally Epic Communications.

Just six months post-launch, it's going better than I could have ever imagined. Thanks to networking and lots of luck, I now have - as they say in the biz - a full dance card. I'm working with the Arboretum Foundation as an Interim Communications Director on an exciting new venture (more on that below), am dipping my toes into Public Relations, and just signed on to provide interim communications support to Rainier Scholars, a nonprofit I've long admired. I also already wrapped up a strategic communications plan for a nonfiction author and designed a new website structure and compelling language for a transportation nonprofit. And, I recently MC'd an incredible event for SheJumps (check out the recap and reach out if you're looking for an event host).

I'm so grateful for the community that continues to support me. Thank you for being among this incredible group of people.

New Name Survey

I've been working with the Arboretum Foundation for six months to help support a potential merger, and I'd be so grateful if you could weigh in on this New Name survey! We especially need feedback from folks who are loosely or not at all familiar with the Washington Park Arboretum, the Seattle Japanese Garden, and/or the Center for Urban Horticulture. It'll just take 2 minutes.

Background: The Arboretum Foundation and the University of Washington Botanic Gardens (UWBG) are engaging in discussions to combine strengths into a single, united organization. We are exploring new organizational names that would reflect our shared mission, places, and future. We'd love your input!

SheJumps is Hiring a Volunteer Manager

Speaking of dream jobs, SheJumps is hiring a full-time Volunteer Manager to lead their expanding regional volunteer network. I’ve had the immense privilege of serving on the SheJumps Board of Directors for the last seven years. I believe deeply in this organization and their mission is to increase the participation of women and girls in the outdoors. If you know someone who might be good for this job, send them this link to apply (and feel free to send them my way with questions!). Applicants must live in CO, OR, or UT.

(And, if you’re inspired to make a donation, let me know and I’ll send you some Girafficorn stickers as a thank you!)

The Shower Rule

“The smell hits you in the face before you can put your key in the door. An aromatic mixture of wet dog, aggressive sweat, and stale Fritos wafts through the air, stinging your eyes and assaulting your nose. It’s so bad, you can taste it.”