Compass Communications LLC

Three years ago, Sarah Robertson, and I met at a Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce event.

We commented often on each other's LinkedIn posts and then we saw each other when we were each having coffee with someone else. We laughed and agreed we needed to set our own coffee date.

Sarah is an executive advisor and leadership coach who works with CEOs and entrepreneurs, helping leaders build stronger organizations and develop their people. Our work comes from different disciplines, but we share a belief that nurturing relationships is important, curiosity helps you grow as a person and as a leader and making the time for conversations can lead to new or exciting opportunities.

We talked about business, leadership, entrepreneurship, community, and life. Sarah also shared of her personal journey as a breast cancer survivor. Listening to how that experience shaped her perspective on leadership, resilience, and purpose was inspiring.

Everyone has a story. You may only know the headline, and when you slow down over a cup of coffee, you discover the chapters that made them who they are.

A couple of friends and I headed out along Lake Superior after dark to look for Yooperlites, or rocks that fluoresce under UV light. The shoreline was dark, the water was cold, our time was limited, and we weren't sure we’d find one.

We didn’t.

So much of work involves searching without knowing what you’ll find. You pursue an idea, a lead, a partnership, a solution. You prepare. You show up. You search. Sometimes you find what you hoped for and sometimes you don’t.

There’s still value in trying, learning what to look for, getting comfortable with uncertainty, and having the right people beside you.

No glowing rocks this time. I’ll take the reminder that not finding something isn’t the same as coming away empty-handed.

A lot of work happens after a disaster that most of us never see.

For weeks, I’ve been part of the team working in the Emergency Operations Center following the Winnebago County tornado. I’ve talked with many people about that work, and most aren’t familiar with what an EOC does or the role it plays in a large response.

There is value in knowing how our communities, agencies and organizations work together when so much needs to happen at once.

I explain the puzzle that is an EOC in my latest blog: https://compasscommunicationsguide.com/2026/08/17/emergency-operations-center-where-the-pieces-come-together/

(This is a LinkedIn post from Menasha Police Officer Matt Roe. He is a friend, and a colleague, and he was once a student. I am proud of what he has accomplished and am happy to be working alongside him during the tornado recovery work.)

This photo is a still from a video I took on July 27, as the tornado was devastating the Menasha community. Just a couple blocks east of where I was standing, homes and businesses were being heavily damaged.

My first instinct was the same one I have had for more than 20 years as a police officer. I started gearing up to head out and help with rescue and response operations.

Then I stopped and realized that my most important role in that moment was not out on the street. It was as the PIO.

I stayed at the department, pulled up a draft emergency press release I had created after attending PIO training with Megan Mulholland of Compass Communications, and started working. Less than 15 minutes after the tornado moved through, we had public safety messaging out telling people to stay away from the damaged areas and giving the community immediate guidance.

That first release was really the beginning of almost three weeks of the most intense PIO work I have experienced. Press conferences, media briefings, talking points, interviews, social media messaging, monitoring questions and misinformation, coordinating information across departments and agencies, and constantly trying to anticipate what the public needed to know next.

Before this, I understood what a PIO was supposed to do during a crisis. Over these last few weeks, I have experienced what that responsibility actually feels like.

One of the biggest realizations for me has been that crisis communication is not something happening alongside the emergency response. It is an operational part of the response itself.

Accurate and timely information can keep people away from dangerous areas, help responders do their jobs, reduce confusion, connect people with resources, and eventually help a community move from response into recovery.

Almost three weeks later, I am exhausted, but I also know I have grown tremendously as a PIO. This has been one of the most challenging and valuable professional experiences of my career.

I had to laugh the other night.

I was out to dinner when a friend stopped by our table with her daughter, a recent college graduate working in the nonprofit sector. I gave her a shout-out on LinkedIn a year ago.

Before anyone could say much, her daughter smiled and said, "You're kind of a LinkedIn celebrity."

Celebrity? Hardly. 😂

There were no paparazzi. No one asked for an autograph. (Probably for the best.) But I have to admit, it made my night.

I'm genuinely humbled people take the time to read what I share. I don't post to become an influencer. I post because I love connecting people, telling stories, sharing what I've learned, and hopefully encouraging someone else.

So, to everyone who reads, comments, shares, or simply follows along: thank you. Your support means more than you probably realize.

Now, if anyone needs me, I'll be practicing my autograph... just in case.

"You are out there being brilliant."

That was the sendoff from my client's CEO after a recent meeting.

It made me smile, not because I believe I'm brilliant every day (far from it), but because those little moments matter.

Culture is built in the comments leaders make when no one is trying to make a point. It's encouragement. It's noticing people. It's celebrating contributions. It's making someone leave a meeting feeling a little more confident than when they walked in.

I've worked with leaders who bring out the best in people simply by believing in them and saying it out loud.

Never underestimate the impact of a few genuine words. You never know how much someone needed to hear them.

Every nonprofit wants to be someone's favorite charity.

Not the only one they support. The one they never stop supporting.

That was one of several insights Shane Kohl, froThedaCare Foundation shared when we talked about radical gratitude and building lasting donor relationships.

Many people support four, five, or six nonprofits each year. The organizations that earn long-term loyalty don't get there by focusing only on major gifts. They make every donor feel like they matter.

A handwritten thank-you note. A meaningful update. Recognizing that someone who gives $10 today could become one of your strongest advocates tomorrow.

The latest Giving USA Foundation report found charitable giving reached a record $617.2 billion in 2025. Yet other national fundraising data tells a different story: organizations are raising more money from fewer donors, with the steepest declines among small-dollar supporters.

That makes donor retention and stewardship more important than ever.

It was a thoughtful discussion with Shane and the reminder that radical gratitude isn't a campaign. It's a mindset.

I love helping people tell their story.

Recently, I had the opportunity to coordinate a photo shoot for Kim who needed updated headshots along with lifestyle and branding photos for her website, social media, and other marketing efforts. It was a fun morning collaborating on how to capture not only Kim's professionalism, but also her personality and the work she does.

A huge thank you to Diane Verhagen for partnering on the project and bringing her talent and creative eye to the shoot. It's always exciting to work with fellow entrepreneurs and support new business owners as they build their businesses.

We're also grateful to Entrusted Technology Solutions and Tempest Coffee Collective for welcoming us into their beautiful spaces and allowing us to use them as backdrops for the session.

It truly takes a team to create great content, and this was a wonderful example of collaboration in action. I can't wait to see how Kim puts these images to work!

DV Photography

Amanda from Rawhide Youth Services found me through the new Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce Speakers Bureau, which connects organizations with local speakers on a variety of topics.

A Rawhide leadership survey identified difficult conversations as an area where managers wanted additional support, so I had the opportunity to lead training I titled "The Conversation You're Avoiding" at a recent leadership meeting.

I appreciate organizations like Rawhide that make time to invest in their leaders and respond to what their teams are asking for. It was also a bonus to reconnect with friends and former colleagues throughout the day.

I also am thankful for the new Speakers Bureau. and the Chamber's support of local experts. I hope to do more trainings with local businesses, and I hope other speakers and trainers see success through the networking tool, too.