Rootstories

CLIENT STORY: WRIR

Service: Custom Facilitation

CLIENT STORY: Gallery 5

Service: Custom Facilitation

"Serena has been incredible at breaking down the enormous goals and projects into feasible discussion, creating structure, and holding all of us accountable." - Chanelle Vigue

CLIENT STORY: PlayArts

Service: Leadership & Management Development Series

“Through this series, you have been able to connect all of the dots into an understanding of what these themes mean for our larger organizational problems and opportunities, and actually translate those into tangible solutions.” - Krista Yutzy-Burkey

CLIENT STORY: Lolita's

Service: 1:1 Strategy Sprints

"This process helped me feel like I can accomplish things, they’re not just slipping from my mind, like I have a grasp on everything now. That has helped with balancing my work life with my personal life, where I now have more energy and not am not distracted by work all the time.” - Karina Garcia

CLIENT STORY: Cleanbooks for Creatives

Service: 1:1 Strategy Sessions

“You really helped me get to the root of the problem, stay in line with my values, and not let my fears override the outcome I want long term.” -Ainsley Maloney

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Cleanbooks for Creatives

February 8, 2023

Service: 1:1 Strategy Sessions

Ainsley started her company, Cleanbooks for Creative in 2019 and took it full time in 2021. In the past two years, she has doubled her client list each year and hired six people. With an eye on continuing to grow her business, Ainsley came to Rootspace to strategize on how to support her team as the business grows. Through our monthly 1:1 Strategy Sessions, together we address topics like her leadership and management style and philosophy, team structure, how to meet her employees’ needs, while also meeting the needs of the business, hiring decisions, and how to develop onboarding systems and internal processes to make it all run smoothly.

Snapshot

In a recent call, Ainsley was preparing for a conversation she needed to have with a team member about expectations. She wants to provide her team with autonomy and flexibility, but also wants to make sure their work is getting done and there is agreement on what that looks like. During our call, I helped Ainsley uncover what was contributing to her unease about the conversation, and prepare an approach that felt aligned with her values.Here's a note from Ainsley after our call:

“I am so grateful for our call. I have been having the best and most positive conversations with my team member and it just reframed everything for me. The timing was beyond perfect.You really helped me get to the root of the problem, stay in line with my values, and not let my fears override the outcome I want long term. You also reminded me to treat my team as people I care about, and to clarify the outcomes I need them to hit in order to provide the work environment they want and will perform better in.Fear makes you hold on tight and constrict. You helped me expand and have trust in people. It feels so much better this way.”

Do you find the art of managing people tricky? Do you need to talk through some challenges you are having with your team?

Striking the right balance between directive and flexible can be challenging, and what approach is needed can differ depending on the person.If you are looking for ways to support a growing team, flex and adapt your management style, or develop a solid hiring and onboarding experience, let’s talk!E-mail me at [email protected] to set up a no charge discovery call.

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PlayArts

April 14, 2023

Service: 1:1 Management Essentials Training Series

Based in Philadelphia, PA, PlayArts offers play-based arts education through preschool, afterschool, and summer camp programs, classes and workshops for parents and kids, and facility rentals. Executive Director Krista Yutzy-Burkey opened PlayArts in 2016. The team has grown significantly since then, now with 30+ full-time and part-time staff, including 8 staff members in leadership positions.Krista was seeking a way to support the development of her leadership team as she looks to transition the business into its next phase of growth, and sees this team playing a big role in the sustainability of that transition. Many of the members of PlayArts leadership team are new to management and hungry for tips and tools that will help them grow as leaders and effectively support their teams.

Snapshot

I believe that good managers are made, not born. Like any other technical skill, managing people is a unique skill set that needs to be nurtured and developed. One time trainings are nice, but typically don’t lead to any lasting behavior change. For that reason, this series occurs over the course of 4-6 months and is designed to be customized and responsive to the unique needs of each organization, rather than a one size fits all approach.The PlayArts series started in December with a kickoff session, where I gathered input from participants on their needs, questions, and challenges around leading and managing others. From there, I draft a training plan, knowing the plan might need to shift as new or more pertinent needs arise during the process.Each month, I start with a training session with the group. So far, we’ve covered topics like manager mindset, core conversations, goal setting, coaching versus managing skills, listening, asking questions, navigating change. Next month we will wrap up with feedback and direct communication.I also have monthly 1-on-1 coaching sessions with each of the PlayArts leaders to make their learning actionable and address their unique challenges and questions. These sessions provide a space to process and practice the mindsets, skills, and behaviors covered in the trainings.At our monthly check-in’s, I provide Krista with an update on themes, issues, and opportunities I am seeing and together we discuss strategies, solutions, and upcoming training needs. We have used this space to also address topics like Krista’s leadership and management style and philosophy, team structure, how to meet her employees’ needs, while also meeting the needs of the business, hiring decisions, and how to develop onboarding systems and internal processes to make PlayArts run smoothly.We close the month with a group coaching session that serves as a peer accountability and learning space for participants to reflect on their development, process management challenges, and share examples of ways they put their learning into practice.

The Impact

“Once we started the process, the dividends of the investment were immediately coming back to me in a way I didn’t anticipate. I appreciate that your approach to business problems is through a social emotional lens. That is something I care deeply about but don’t always have the capacity to navigate.

Through this series, you have been able to connect all of the dots into an understanding of what these themes mean for our larger organizational problems and opportunities, and actually translate those into tangible solutions.My focus has been on an operational level. This series has helped me focus on the more intangible aspects of running a business that are often what make the operations sink or swim. For businesses like ours where you care about the success of your people, it is really important to have this kind of support in place. Especially when we don’t have an HR department, I want to show my team I am putting my money where my mouth is. There has been a change in their happiness level because they do feel a deeper connection to me as a leader, but also to the business. This series was a way for me to show them I am committed to this work, and committed to their success.”

Are you looking to invest in your leaders and their development?

E-mail me at [email protected] to set up a no charge discovery call.

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Lolita's

March 8, 2023

Featured in "From Mexico with Love" by Wyatt Gordon, Style Weekly, January 27, 2022; @copyright Kip Dawkins

Service: 1:1 Strategy Sprints

Sisters Karina and Rosio Garcia launched Lolita’s in the Carytown neighborhood of Richmond, VA in November 2021. As first generation Mexican-Americans, the Garcia sisters are proud to present a new concept to Mexican dining while still being true to their ancestral food. Lolita's is a restaurant inspired by the women, who through generations instilled in them the love of Mexican culture and food. To them, Lolitas is a space where they can embody and celebrate the traditions passed down to them.If you are in Richmond and haven’t been to Lolita’s yet, I highly recommend the Tuna Ceviche and Baja Fish Tacos - my favorites! Taco Tuesdays and Wine Down Wednesdays specials are every week.

Snapshot

Having hit their one year anniversary in November, the Lolita’s team wanted to celebrate all they accomplished in year one, and do some dreaming and scheming for year two. The team had been throwing around a lot of exciting ideas, but it was time to make some decisions and prioritize their focus areas for the year.We kicked off with a planning call, where I got to hear more about where the business and their grown team is at, what opportunities lay ahead of them, and most importantly, what’s important to them around their values, customer experience, and how they grow.Next, it was time for some strategizing! I facilitated a 2-hour strategy session at the restaurant in a cozy booth. I had the team first plant themselves a year into the future - where did they want to be then? What did they want to be celebrating? Once they were aligned on where they wanted to go, next we brainstormed all the possible things they could do to get there. Cue lots of ideas and post-it notes. After all the possibilities were on the table, I identified some themes and helped the team prioritize. We eventually landed with four major focus areas, each with its own set of strategies.

“I appreciated including several members of our team, which allowed for multiple perspectives to be a part of the process. It was helpful when you brought all of our ideas together in one place where we could see everything and make changes together.”

During a debrief call, I equipped the team with an implementation tool to organize all of their strategies, and together we identified roles, key milestones, and timelines. We also discussed how to communicate progress, make refinements when needed, and overall stay on the same page throughout the year.

The Impact

Here is what Karina had to say about our work together:“I was feeling as though I had so many things I wanted to accomplish, but they all felt so overwhelming that I couldn’t even get to one to get to the next. This process gave me piece of mind and helped us feel more organized, confident, and on top of things.You helped us realize not everything can be done at once, that it helps to pace things out. The process allowed me to break down projects and goals by quarters - when you do that you can digest everything better and have the energy to accomplish them.It’s easy when you’re a business owner for your work to seep into all aspects of your life. This process helped me feel like I can accomplish things, they’re not just slipping from my mind, like I have a grasp on everything now. That has helped with balancing my work life with my personal life, where I now have more energy and not am not distracted by work all the time.”

Does your team get easily overwhelmed by all the ideas and possibilities thrown around?

No shade - this is so common. Dreaming can be SO fun, but sometimes it can be challenging to translate those ideas into tangible action steps and figure out who is doing what. Strategy is the work of deciding what actions you will prioritize to reach your goals, who will do them, and by when.Maybe you are in a fast paced environment and strapped for time. Good news is strategy work doesn’t have to take months. My Strategy Sprints are designed to deliver you a plan in the timeframe that works best for you.Want to turn big dreams into actionable plans? Let’s talk! E-mail me at [email protected] to set up a no charge discovery call.

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97.3 WRIR

October 11, 2023

Service: Custom Facilitation

WRIR is Richmond’s independent radio station. The organization turned 18 this year and for their transition into adulthood, they decided it was time for a new home to house their growing team, needs, and purpose. WRIR is slated to move into a new space in Shockoe Bottom in about two years. Until then, the board recognized the need to align volunteers and board members around a shared vision for the move, gather input on opportunities, and generate excitement.Radio is not dead! Richmonders, be sure to tune in to 97.3 for excellent music and talk programs and get excited for what's to come for WRIR!

Snapshot

We started the day by visiting the new studio space in Shockoe Bottom and envisioning what magic could happen there in 2 years when they are slated to move. We had prompts on flip charts and the actual walls. While they will be painted over eventually, the group made WRIR history, their vision now permanently being a part of the studio.Then we transitioned to Gallery 5, where board members and volunteers debriefed what they heard folks want the new station to be, and aligned on a shared vision for this next phase of WRIR. We discussed why the move is important, what values will guide their decisions, and what the change process will look like to get there.

The Impact

"In a room full of people with big ideas and different perspectives, Serena was able to direct the conversation so that no voice was ever excluded while ensuring the discussion served our larger purpose. Her deft handling of our planning process resulted in actionable items that will prove invaluable as we move forward as an organization." -Melissa Vaughn, Board President, and Eric Steigleder, Board Member

Do you need to get your team on the same page about an upcoming change, project, or new idea?

Let’s talk! I think every group is different and will work with you to co-create a custom facilitation design that meets your needs. Email me at [email protected] to set up a discovery call.

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Gallery 5

August 28, 2023

Service: Custom Facilitation

When I moved to Richmond in 2017, one of the first spots I checked out for live music was Gallery 5. I forget who was playing, but I don’t forget how I felt - inspired, at home, grateful. I love places that bring together so many diverse ways of being, especially under the arts umbrella. Gallery 5 is just that. Over the years, I’ve seen live music from a wide array of genres, tons of art exhibits, and poetry shows, learned about Richmond history, danced my heart out, and been wowed by drag, burlesque, and fire spinning performers. I’ve attended clothing swaps, purchased treasured offerings from local vendors, and made countless connections.Gallery 5 opened its doors in 2005, in an effort to save the life of a National Historic Landmark built in 1849 known as Steamer Company No. 5. Since then, Gallery 5 has become an anchor in the local arts community and a facilitator of meaningful memories for many Richmonders, myself included.

Snapshot

So, when one of the board members reached out to me for support this year, I was excited to work with an organization that is so near and dear to my heart. This nonprofit board was going through a substantial leadership transition and in the words of Board Co-chair Katie McBride, “We needed help creating and maintaining a structure around board governance that would help us run our meetings effectively and productively, while the board members themselves were occupied with more day-to-day operational logistics.”Since March, I have been facilitating the board’s monthly meetings, which involves developing the agenda with input from members, keeping them on task during the meeting, and holding them accountable to process for their communications and collaboration outside of the meeting space. Early on, I helped the group develop a set of agreements that has guided how they want to commit to showing up with each other. This often means I need to redirect contributions or questions that aren’t aligned with the group’s purpose, commitments, or agenda. I hold them accountable to what they stated is important to them.

The Impact

On the value of this role I have played, Katie McBride shares, “Serena's ability to keep the group operating at a high level that is rooted in established shared values has been especially valuable. Understanding the group dynamics, and how to thoughtfully acknowledge issues, while refocusing the group on goal- and mission-oriented tasks in a way that would be difficult for someone inside the org to accomplish at this stage has been critical. Even more importantly, I think it has created a template for us to use when working together in the future without her mediating influence.”The board will be experiencing this transition for a while. I am focusing on helping them develop the muscles they will need to navigate the change in the short term, and simultaneously work towards their long term goals.

“Serena has been incredible at breaking down the enormous goals and projects into feasible discussion, creating structure, and holding all of us accountable. Serena has been a lighthouse in our meetings — as well as before and after — not only keeping us focused and on task, but helping us to maintain a solutions-based mindset, and helping to align our time allocation with our priorities.”
- Chanelle Vigue, Board Member

Do you need meetings and systems that are more purposeful and effective in reaching your goals?

Humans are complex. Sometimes figuring out how to work together effectively takes a lot of time and energy - perhaps resources the people on your team don’t have space for at the moment. That’s where I come in!Whatever your facilitation needs are, chances are we can co-create an approach together that addresses your unique situation. Let’s chat! E-mail me at [email protected] to set up a no charge discovery call.

“Serena has been an extremely important key in working with our team to streamline the reconfiguration of our 501c3 non-profit organization board of directors, staff, volunteers, and overall mission. Her leadership, management skills, clear communication, and assigned action items have been an integral part of solidifying the focus, growth, and sustainability of Gallery5.”
- Parker Galore, Board MemberDo you love Gallery 5? Show the organization some $love$ so you can keep making memories there for years to come!

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PlayArts

April 14, 2023

Service: Leadership & Management Development Series

Snapshot

The Impact

Are you looking to invest in your leaders and their development?

E-mail me at [email protected] to set up a no charge discovery call.