January is supposed to be about fresh starts.
New calendars. New goals. Clean slates. The sense that if we just organize ourselves well enough, the year will fall into place.
But some years don’t begin quietly. They begin loudly—disruptively—with headlines that demand attention, global events that raise more questions than answers, and personal losses that stop you mid-sentence. This month is one of those.
I’ve found it incredibly difficult to stay focused this month when it feels like the world is unfolding in real time around us. The news cycles don’t pause. And grief, personal or collective, doesn’t respect deadlines.
Yet here we are. Still showing up. Still leading. Still supporting clients. Still expected to produce, decide, and move forward. That tension is real.
We’re often told to “separate personal from professional,” as if that’s a switch we can flip. But leadership, especially in small businesses, nonprofits, and community-centered organizations, doesn’t work that way. When the world feels unstable, it shows up in our work whether we name it or not. And that doesn’t mean we’re failing. It means we’re human.
I’ve felt the weight of loss close to home recently with the unexpected deaths of two close friends while also watching a world that feels increasingly volatile. It’s a strange thing to toggle between condolence messages, client strategy calls, and global headlines—all before lunch.
Moments like these remind me that leadership isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s about acknowledging that not everything is, and still choosing how we respond.
Sometimes that response is action. Sometimes it’s restraint. Sometimes it’s simply creating space to breathe.
At MARQUEE, our work is rooted in storytelling, strategy, and service. January reminds me that those aren’t just professional skills—they’re human ones. Helping organizations communicate clearly during uncertain times is not separate from what’s happening in the world. It’s a response to it.
So if this month feels heavier than usual, you’re not alone. If focus comes and goes, that doesn’t make you ineffective. It makes you aware.
We don’t control the headlines. We don’t control the speed of change. And we don’t control loss. But we do control how we show up – for our families, for our teams, our clients, and our communities.
Sometimes, staying focused doesn’t mean blocking out the noise. It means acknowledging it and choosing to keep doing work that steadies the ground beneath us. That’s the kind of focus I’m carrying into this year.
— Aundréa Cika Heschmeyer, President