Thanksgiving Edition

Hi Reader,

Welcome to Your Dose of Mana — a quick, weekly note with:

1 real story
1 leadership insight
1 practical takeaway
1 dose of art

Thanksgiving Edition

1 Real Story
Thanksgiving used to be my favorite holiday. Full house, multiple tables, and every possible permutation of “family”: in-laws, outlaws, steps, halves, neighbors, stray friends — all of it. After my dad died, Thanksgiving shifted to my brother’s place, and the wonderful chaos kept going. The whole thing felt anchored.

Then, over the years, life did what life does.
My brother moved.
His kids married and started splitting holidays.
My daughter went off to school in Seattle.
And this past year, I started a relationship with a man… in Seattle.

The holiday didn’t disappear — it just changed shape. And for a while, I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

But one thing didn’t change: my morning-after tradition.
Pumpkin pie for breakfast.
It’s ridiculous, perfect, and still mine. Well… mine and Will Warshauer’s, a high school classmate who originated the ritual.

And this newer version of Thanksgiving — quieter, simpler, rearranged, on the West Coast — is just as wonderful in a completely different way.
Different doesn’t mean diminished.
Sometimes it’s just… different.

1 Leadership Insight
Teams change the same way families do.
People come and go.
Roles shift.
What once felt “standard” becomes something else entirely.

Leaders get into trouble when they cling to what used to be instead of paying attention to what is.
Evolving circumstances aren’t the problem — resisting them is.

If you let the new version of things be its own thing, it often ends up stronger, cleaner, or more sustainable than what came before.

1 Practical Takeaway

Don’t force your team (or yourself) into an outdated picture.
Instead:

Notice what’s changed
Name what matters now
Keep the traditions that still serve you
Let the rest evolve

Different isn’t a downgrade.
It’s an update.

1 Dose of Art

A little whimsy. A little joy. A little doodle.

Here you go — clean, vivid alt text without sounding like a robot choking on a thesaurus: **Alt Text:** A hand-drawn abstract illustration showing a row of small, black palm-like trees at the bottom, silhouetted against swirling layers of bright yellow, orange, and red shapes that resemble heat or fire. Above them, horizontal strokes of white and pale gray sweep across the scene like fast-moving mist or smoke. Curved lines in red, gray, and black arc across the upper part of the image, creating a sense of motion and turbulence. The overall effect is energetic and chaotic, as if heat, wind, and movement are colliding in a single moment.

Doodle by Gary Schechner, November 22, 2025

Even though this is a “mass email” I mean it when I say—let me know what you are up to. Reply, book a Zoom, pick up the phone. I’d love to catch up.

And if leadership, culture, or people challenges are taking up too much brain space lately—
→ Book a complimentary 30-minute strategy session.

Thanks for letting me show up in your inbox.
See you next week with another Dose.

More joy. Less friction. Always.
—Amy

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