We believe in putting leadership theory into practice.
Thoughtful communications and nimble management create impact.
As the world becomes more complicated, schools and organizations are expected to step up in new and often novel ways. We’re committed to understanding your challenges and goals, providing consultation and support to improve communication within your community, create and implement strategic change efforts and sharpen your skills managing your most precious resource, your people, from the board on down.
Connect with us.
Strategy Development and Governance Advising
We understand both the complexities of organizational culture and the human side of change. We have experience working with both the internal community and in guiding a board of trustees through change.Align and Advance
A school embarks on strategic planning to map out a journey to become the best version of itself. We facilitate a process centered on alignment, establishing a shared reality so a community can discover the most exciting and actionable opportunities for the school’s continued success.
Find more information and a downloadable PDF on our Align and Advance approach here.
We are proud to collaborate with our strategic partner Caravan Brand Partners to deliver this service.
Additional Strategy Services
We love to be fresh eyes. Reach out to discuss a "Strategy Refresh" for those times when the current plan needs a redirect or a tweak. We are also happy to assist with very specific projects such as supporting an analysis and redesign of your admissions yield effots, reivigorating recruting of excellent new faculty or rethinking your internal communications channels.
Governance Advising and Support
Inspired organizational leadership and mission-enhancing change starts at the top with good governance practices. We take into account the complicated ways the "lanes" of day-to-day operations and governance intersect as well as the stress on trustees occupying several different roles at once within a community. Our training, advising and support, with options for stand-alone workshops and ongoing coaching, honestly acknowledges this complexity and aims to provide trustees will skills and tools to productively partner with heads of school and executive directors.
Trainings - Retreats - Speaking Engagements
Training Workshops for Schools, Trustees and Administrative Teams
Titles link to full descriptions:
For Administrators and Faculty
Managing Complicated Parents II: Skills for Effective Parent Communication
Governance Training
Principles of Independent School Governance: Mission, Money, Momentum
Governance in Action I: Balancing Board and Community Membership
Governance in Action II: Practical Communication Skills
On site and virtual formats available - pricing starts at $1500.
Customized workshops and trainings also available
Contact us for more information.
Building Better Teams retreat facilitation
Spend a full or half day with a leadership team, board of trustees or faculty leaders increasing trust and creating better connections for more effective collaboration, problem solving and overall team performance. No trust falls or personality tests, our approach centers on coaching the team in processing a real issue facing your school or organization while highlighting principles that will improve your group dynamics. Virtual workshop version available. Read more about our approach to team retreats here.
Keynotes and Speaking Engagements
Julie presents on topics related to communications, leadership, emerging trends and school change for groups across the United States, including NAIS, TABS, NEASC and the Association of Academic Leaders Forum. She is happy to work with you to speak onsite or virtually on any topic that has appeared in the Talking Out of School newsletter. Contact us for more information.
Leadership Development & Coaching
Leadership CoachingWe believe coaching can be a powerful professional development experience, going beyond providing a "management sounding board" to become a pathway to gain clarity and reflect on both your strengths and your growing edge as a leader. We focus on supporting you putting your insights into practice to be both a more effective leader and to find balance and boundaries between the professional and the personal.
This service can also go beyond traditional leadership coaching to provide support in refining and developing your voice in communications of all kinds - speeches, articles, constituent letters, etc - and to provide a crisis/sensitive situation triage partner for difficult moments. Customized to your specific needs and situation, we look forward to discussing your goals for a coaching relationship.
Group Leadership Development Programs
Women's Leadership Cohort 25-26: Stepping into your Authentic Authority
in collaboration with
Jane Moulding of Smarter Wisdom
In its third year, this cohort brings together a small number of senior administrators in student-facing roles to support and elevate each other with a core goal of exploring the complexities in day-to-day work while developing your best self as a leader within your community. Offered remotely - next session begins in August, 2026.
NEW Boss Skills Lab - a remote management training pilot for 25-26
The Boss Skills Lab is designed to introduce concepts based in organizational psychology that are both “bite sized” and significant enough to move you forward. It will allow room to process these concepts in small groups with peers and then return to your job and experiment applying the concepts and building your skill set.