What connects Stevie Wonder, Barbara Bush, and a teacher from Indiana?

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

…and it’s not a bar.

1 Real Story
Some dreams don’t belong to us.
They’re entrusted to us.

This spring, I’ll be Kathy Nimmer’s sighted guide and guest at the American Foundation for the Blind’s Helen Keller Achievement Awards Gala in NYC.

Kathy spent 30 years in the classroom as an educator. Everything else she’s known for, the writing, the speaking, the advocacy, came alongside that work. Not as a pivot. Not as a platform. A side hustle for good, not gold.

In April, she’ll be honored for a lifetime of impact. Past recipients include Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Barbara Bush.

That’s some serious company to keep.

Kathy has also carried a long-held dream of being a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Not for fame. Not for validation. But because she recognizes something familiar in Kelly’s public joy and generosity. A commitment to lifting people up and making room for others.

Two women stand side by side in a classroom or meeting room, smiling at the camera. The woman on the left has curly light-brown hair and is wearing a light yellow Purdue sweatshirt and blue jeans. The woman on the right has long brown hair and is wearing a dark plum long-sleeve top and blue jeans, with one hand on her hip. Behind them are stackable black chairs, a whiteboard on a cinderblock wall, and a light-colored jacket and bag resting on a chair, giving the impression of an informal talk, workshop, or school setting. — Kathy and me in her happy place: the SEEDS office in her School District. SEEDS is the mentoring program she created.

1 Leadership Insight

Working with, and more importantly, being friends with Kathy over the years has reminded me of something simple and quietly demanding.

Influence isn’t meant to be hoarded.
It’s meant to be used.

Kathy and I talked about how this award felt intimidating. And understandably so. When you see yourself as a high school English teacher from Indiana, and suddenly you’re keeping company with the likes of Ray, Stevie, and Barbara, it can feel unreal.

Until she reframed it. Not as recognition, but as another opportunity to do what she’s spent her entire life doing. Serving others.

Some people might see this moment as building reach. Kathy sees the real purpose as responsibility.

Of course she does.

When someone has spent a lifetime serving others, it feels like the right time to serve them.

1 Practical Takeaway

Notice whose dreams you’re holding.

Use your voice when it is clearer.
Share your access when it opens doors.
Use your network not for attention, but for alignment.

That’s how leadership shows up without announcing itself.
That’s how borrowed light becomes shared light.

That’s today’s Dose of Mana.

1 Dose of Art

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

A hand-drawn illustration shows a coastal scene with a single palm tree leaning diagonally to the right along a sandy shoreline. The palm’s trunk is textured and slightly curved, with dense, scribbled fronds at the top in dark green and black ink. Behind the tree is a low line of green shrubs and a pale, lightly shaded sky. In the foreground, shallow turquoise water meets the sand, with white, swirling strokes suggesting foamy waves washing onto the shore. The overall style is loose and expressive, combining pencil, ink, and soft color washes on textured paper. — After a snow storm and dog walks in single digit temps, this seemed like a good doodle to visualize.

Doodle by Gary Schechner 1/18/26

If you feel inclined to nominate Kathy to be a RAD HUMAN on Kelly’s show click HERE

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

What connects Stevie Wonder, Barbara Bush, and a teacher from Indiana?

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