I’m sitting at my dining room table across from my son finishing his homework, my fingers thawing out from the outside where I was taking in the remnants of our first snow and an end-of-the-day beer. If we look around we see changes everywhere. Changes we’ve chosen, and changes that happen to us, seasonally, and erratically. How to live in change without losing ourselves— this has always been at the heart of our work at the Hive.
We are going through tremendous change at the Hive and I’d like to share more of that with you today.
In the new year, I’ll be stepping aside as director of the Hive to make room in my own life as well as in the structure of our community for new growth. There is inner vitality calling all of this forth. For the Hive and me. Let me explain.
We are moving into a transition from start-up to long-term sustainability. We are creating new structures to grow our impact and create more space for inner and outer transformation. We are also leaning into donors and members to own more of the responsibility in this new season. This is already afoot!
In this transition I’ll still be around the Hive, continuing to facilitate courses, and applying my experience, as the founder, to the formation of the Hive Advisory Board (more on that later). This will open space for me to pursue other work as a facilitator and transformational coach using contemplative approaches to building capacity in businesses and movements that benefit the common good. I’m looking forward to the open space and the challenge to personally grow in the areas that inspire me most and seem best suited to serve the world. This rhymes with what we’ve been building the Hive to facilitate for everyone— courage for transformation.
My last day as executive director will be December 31st, after which I’ll be taking a two-month Sabbatical to restore, write, seek inspiration, and focus on my work for the future. These five years have allowed me to walk closely with so many in short and long stents. If this news is coming as a surprise, I ask for your grace to know that I could not possibly tell everyone personally. But I invite you to reach out for coffee or a walk or to drop notes, as I’d love to hear what this transition means to you as well as any questions you might have about what I anticipate it to mean for me. I’d also make a plug for this Saturday’s Holiday Party (December 11, 5-7pm), where I’d be more than glad to talk about any of this over a hot toddy. Finally, please save the date for a community appreciation gathering planned for the evening of March 19, after my Sabbatical, to mark my departure and inaugurate these next steps.
Before we proceed, at the risk of being melodramatic, I invite you to take a look up from the page and consider where this hits you in your body. As I write I feel pride along my back, below my shoulders, coexisting with feeling loss in my gut. I picture so many faces, I recall so many tears, so many brave steps we’ve all taken, our daily Facebook meditations throughout the lockdown, even the failed projects or partings-of-ways that occurred as the organization and I made way through our early days. I count founding the Hive as one of my greatest life accomplishments and it never would have been possible without community, without you. I've come to trust the arising that happens when a community makes reliable agreements. You've taught me this.
This transition process has been in the works for some time and many leaders and stakeholders of the Hive are busy at work with me planning for what the new year has in store. I’d like to share more of that below:
The Lead Team
In the new year, Geralyn Sparough will step up as interim director, supported by Niki Pappas who’ll serve as Membership and Operations Director, and Chris LaRue serving as Director of Communications and Formation. These three have been the hands of the organization for more than two years now, my most trusted colleagues in delivering community offerings and holding the hospitable container for what you’ve come to expect from Hive classes and teaching. In this new structure, we’ll be elevating their authority and responsibility to have a greater impact on the growth and impact of our organization. You’ll notice that their new roles will feel like deeper personal focus on members, more gatherings, facilitator development and consistency, and leveling up our marketing to increase attendance and membership.
The Advisory Board:
As you may know, the Hive is a subsidiary of a larger nonprofit, Relational Tithe. The blessings of this relationship are too many to count here, but one is the support and oversight of their board of directors. As the Hive moves to sustainability we have formed a local Advisory Board who will serve as “the light of the mind” for the organization. Already, we’ve met, sharing enthusiasm and a clear focus on the nuts and bolts I used to hold on my own. I’ll introduce them all in a future email, but we are a team of 5, seasoned members and facilitators, including me and chaired by long-time Hive member, Jane Gerdsen. The responsibility of this board is to review goals and budgets to inform strategic decisions of the right-sizing of the organization, hiring, and fund development.
The Wisdom Circle
The heart of the Hive, the Wisdom Circle is a council of facilitators and mentors who commit to caring for the soul of the organization. Many of the Wisdom Circle will be familiar to you—proven facilitators, wise leaders, and people who are able to articulate the vision of small group formation for inner and outer transformation. Upfront, you’ll be hearing from Hive Wisdom Circle members in these emails, social media offerings, and in periodic community gatherings. Behind the scenes, the Wisdom Circle will be supporting the Lead Team by considering themes for courses, curriculum objectives, facilitator norms, and the Hive’s core intentions including healing, community action, inclusion, and collective change.
In spite of all this transition, so much of 2022 will remain consistent. I’ll be around for celebrations and various courses and events. Membership offerings will continue expanding to include cohorts. Classes and events in all of our domains will be expanding. And we’ll begin to lean into rhythms for the long haul.
It is with deep gratitude, hopeful anticipation, some sadness, and an overall sense of right-timing that I extend three bows: to what is within, to those of you with whom I’m honored to share practices, and to the wider world brimming with gifts and possibility.
Warmly,
Troy Bronsink
Hive Founder/Director