IN THIS ISSUE:

• From Kim’s Desk → A bittersweet shift into winter and a call to support small businesses
• From the Schoolhouse → What Brené Brown teaches us about leadership, vulnerability, and taking off the armor
• Field Notes → A curated holiday gift guide featuring artists, makers, and small businesses I love
• Grace + Grit → December adventures with Jolene, her rubber ducky advent calendar, and hair with a mind of its own
• Coming Up → A look at what’s ahead inside Mapphouse as we move into the new year

Hey Reader! Snow finally arrived in the West Central Mountains of Idaho, and with it that quiet shift into winter, the season of twinkle lights, long evenings, and the slow drumbeat into the holidays. This year feels different. It’s the first holiday season in four (…maybe five?) years that I haven’t been running a product-based business. For so long, December meant pure mayhem: throwing as many pieces as I could on the wheel, timing drying cycles, coaxing the kiln to cooperate, packing orders late into the night, and hoping I could make enough sales to justify the exhaustion. It was beautiful and brutal all at once. I loved that world, showing up to winter markets, talking with people who built their businesses with their hands, watching makers pour their whole hearts into their booths. Being part of that community changed the way I saw the holidays. What once felt like a season of “buy, buy, buy” became a season of supporting the people behind the work. Every mug, every print, every handmade wrap or ornament held a story, a livelihood, a small act of courage. Stepping out of that world this year is bittersweet. I’m not racing the clock or running on fumes, but I’m watching from the sidelines as thousands of small businesses push themselves through Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the unspoken pressure to run sales they often don’t actually have the margins for. We’re conditioned to expect them. They’re conditioned to offer them. It’s a cycle that’s hard to break. ​ ​ ​ ​

So as we move toward the holidays, buying gifts, wrapping packages, doing all the things we do this time of year, I’m challenging myself (and you, gently) to think about how we can support even one small business. It doesn’t have to be big. It could be a handmade mug, a local shop gift card, a print from an artist you admire, or even something as simple as choosing wrapping paper designed by an independent illustrator. These tiny choices ripple. I felt that ripple every time a repeat customer placed an order and I tucked a handwritten note into their box. Those sales mattered. Deeply. So here’s my invitation: ​Choose at least one gift this season from a small or local business. Let your purchase be a moment of connection, not just consumption. And if you need inspiration, I’ve linked some of my favorite artists, makers, and creators at the end of this email. With grace and grit,

+ In each issue, The Schoolhouse is where we pause to learn. A short reflection, a lesson in progress, a reminder worth keeping - focused on the three pillars of Mapphouse (Leadership, Pedagogy and Systems).+

I’ve been reading Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead, and one idea keeps echoing:
​Daring leaders care. They connect. They take off the armor.

In my twenties, when I first stepped into leadership roles, I was told more than once, “You’d be a great leader… but you show your emotions too much.” At the time, it stung. I felt like caring deeply was part of being a great leader.

Now, with years of experience (and life) behind me, Brené’s words hit differently. Emotions weren’t the issue, disconnection was. We’ve been taught that strong leadership means stoicism, but true leadership requires presence, humanity, and the willingness to say, “This is hard, and I’m working through it with you.”

And in online education, this matters even more. Your students aren’t in the room with you, they’re on the other side of a screen. Humanity has to be intentional. The way we show up as leaders shapes everything else: our content, our systems, and the experience we’re trying to create.

The lesson: Being a strong leader isn’t about staying stoic, it’s about staying human. When we take off the armor and lead with both grace and grit, we create the kind of connection online education desperately needs.

​

SHOP SMALL EDITION​
Shopping small and shopping local creates a far bigger ripple than we realize, you’re supporting someone’s craft, someone’s courage, and the heart behind the work. Here’s a curated list of artists, makers, and small businesses I love and wholeheartedly recommend this season.

Art + Illustration

​Nicole Freshley — A painter and illustrator whose nature-inspired work captures the quiet rhythm, color, and movement of the outdoors.
​Brittany Finch — A botanical and scientific illustrator creating finely detailed renderings that bring the natural world to life.
​Ash Cascade — A painter and surface-pattern designer blending organic textures, soft palettes, and modern design into thoughtful, art-forward goods.

Ceramics

​Klei Ceramics — Modern, sculptural ceramic pieces ranging from vases to lamps, each one rooted in bold forms and intentional design.
​Wolf Ceramics — Small-batch, modern pottery focused on mugs, plates, and functional dinnerware, known for clean lines, geometric glazes, and a contemporary aesthetic.

Candles + Home Fragrance

​Lost Sage — Small-batch candles inspired by nature and ritual, crafted with warm, earthy scent profiles and an emphasis on intentional living.

Wearables + Textiles

​Powers Provisions — Hand-knit hats made with care, color, and a cozy sense of place — the kind of winter staple you reach for daily.
​Needle & Axe — Off-grid sewn bags, slings, and everyday carry goods made on a treadle machine, blending rugged functionality with timeless design.

Body Care + Ritual Goods

​AK Waterbody — Small-batch body care rooted in Alaska’s landscapes, featuring botanical oils, bath salts, and nourishing self-care blends.

Printmakers + Paper Goods

​Gingerly Press — A letterpress studio creating tactile prints and stationery that feel like small works of art.
​Quail Lane Press — Hand-printed cards and paper goods made on vintage presses, inspired by home, nature, and the quiet beauty of everyday life.
​Atwater Designs — Cyanotype botanical prints and paper goods made using sunlight and real plants, resulting in striking blue-and-white pieces that blend art and science.

Disclaimer: This letter was “written” by Jolene — Kim’s 19 month old — and typed up by her mom. Hopefully it’s a breath of fresh air in the middle of the chaos, and a gentle reminder that we’re all just doing our best on any given day.

Hi everyone, Jolene here, your resident tiny human and official Holiday Cheer Captain. Big update: my Aunt sent me a rubber ducky advent calendar, and I’m pretty sure this is the greatest invention ever made. Every morning, Dad opens a little door, and out pops another duck, which I immediately carry around the house like it’s a priceless treasure. We now have ducks in the bathtub, ducks in the living room, ducks hiding in Mom’s shoes, and one duck who has mysteriously disappeared (I will neither confirm nor deny involvement). I don’t say a lot of words yet, but I do say “quack quack,” which Mom thinks is adorable. Personally, I think it’s essential communication now that I am responsible for supervising an entire flock. Mom keeps calling it a “new holiday ritual,” but I think she mostly loves that it keeps me entertained long enough for her to drink half a cup of coffee while it’s still warm. ​

Anyway, I hope your December has something silly and surprising in it too, preferably something that quacks. Love and duck patrol, ​Jolene (and Mom, who is learning that sometimes the best way to celebrate the season is one tiny rubber duck at a time).

Let's get messy together

I'm looking for a few brave souls who want to get in the weeds with me as I bring the Mapphouse Model to life.

If you've got an idea for online education brewing, or maybe you've already created a course that hasn't quite hit the way you hoped it would, I'd love to sit down with you. Think of it as a strategy session where we dig into your vision and see how the three foundations (Leadership, Pedagogy, and Systems) might transform what you're building.

I'm genuinely seeking people who want to give feedback, ask hard questions, and help me refine this work as I get it out into the world.

Ready to explore what's possible? Let's talk.

Book a (free) Discovery Call

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