At The Roots LLC

01/13/2026

Before any of this work existed, I spent years in HR and recruiting.

I have literally interviewed thousands of people who are talented, motivated, and clearly trying their best.

I also saw how often what they needed didn’t fit neatly into a job description, a policy, or a benefits packet.

I watched great employees burn out (myself included).

I noticed strong leaders struggling because they didn’t have the right support or language.

I saw organizations who were held back by their inability to recruit candidates - often because their own policies were acting as barriers, not protections.

And I witnessed organizations who kept losing people they genuinely wanted to keep stay stuck in a costly cycle.

What stuck with me wasn’t “HR problems.”

It was how much influence workplaces actually have in people’s lives - often without realizing it.

That experience shaped how I think about work now.

I see work (and the data backs me up here) as a key driver in our wellbeing.

In today’s world, it’s where many of us spend the bulk of our time.

It’s sometimes where we find community, connection and purpose. But it can also be the biggest driver of stress, loss of confidence, and hurt.

And if I’m honest, in my work on death review teams, it’s the one of the common threads connecting people.

I know it’s a space we could be making a bigger difference and ultimately saving lives.

That perspective is at the heart of the news we’re sharing this week.

I know I keep dropping these teasers but I don’t want to fully spill the beans until after the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce HR Conference on Thursday.

I’m just really excited. -r

01/11/2026

Something new is taking shape over here and we’re excited to start sharing it this week!

Over the last (almost) five years, as we’ve asked ourselves how to reach more people in meaningful ways, the same truth keeps coming up:

Work is what we have in common.

Across diagnoses.
Across substance use struggles.
Across industries.
Across roles.
Across pay grades and titles.

Work is where people spend most of their waking hours… too often just trying to hold it together.

But it’s also sometimes where people build relationships, feel supported, and find a sense of purpose.

In our modern world, whether we like it or not, work has become one of our biggest connecting points.

A home away from home.
A community within a community.

We absolutely need more true third spaces.

But in the meantime, workplaces have become places where people are turning for support, guidance, growth, and connection - often without the tools to do that well.

This week, we’re beginning a soft rollout of a new offering with a handful of partners and our team will also be talking about this work at the Eau Claire Chamber HR Conference.

Shameless plug: if you’ll be there, I’ll be unpacking why burnout isn’t a badge of honor (and never was), so come hang out with me!

This isn’t a big, flashy launch.
Some of the web pieces are still under construction.
Some of the language is still evolving.

But the heart of it is clear:
Better work happens where people belong and where support, training, and real conversations are built into the work itself.

Stay tuned.
-r

01/09/2026

We hear it all the time in mental health and boundary conversations:

“You’re not responsible for other people or their feelings.”

And in a lot of situations, that’s absolutely true.

You are not obligated to fix, rescue, absorb, or sacrifice yourself to keep someone else comfortable.

But I also think we’ve taken that idea too far.

Because somewhere along the way, “I’m not responsible for anyone else” turned into “what happens to you isn’t my problem.”

And that’s not boundaries, that’s disconnection.

Being in community means our choices do affect other people.

Our words land somewhere.
Our silence means something.
Our presence (or absence) makes an impact.

We don’t need to carry everyone.
But we do need to notice each other.

Boundaries aren’t about opting out of care.
They’re about staying connected without destroying yourself.

We can say:

“I can’t take this on right now” and “I can help you find support, though.”

“This isn’t mine to fix” and “I can still love you through it.”

“I need space” and “I want to stay connected.”

We are not meant to live as isolated, self-contained units.

We are meant to be in relationship - accountable, compassionate, and human.

We don’t have to carry the whole world.

But we do have to be our neighbors’ keepers.

That’s not unhealthy.
That’s community. ♥️

-r

01/07/2026

Pretty much every year, I make a vision board and hang it somewhere I’ll see it every day.

And I think these photos are a pretty good example of why.

At the end of 2023, with zero savings and absolutely no business doing so, I added this architectural rendering to my vision board.

It wasn’t some generic “dream house” image. I had been looking at actual house plans, and this was the one. I wanted a house on a river (not a lake… specifically a river). I loved the cottage-y vertical siding. I wanted a porch where I could sit and watch the water roll by while I slowly and methodically indoctrinated the local waterfowl into my army of domesticated, emotional-support geese and ducks.

To be fair, I had to add my own fowl to the image. It did not come with them.

I also added a very obviously doctored photo of me holding a sloth. I love sloths. No further explanation needed.

About six months later, on a bit of an impulse, I applied for a mortgage.

Denied.

We had filed bankruptcy a couple of years earlier, and there’s a waiting period. They told me to try again after a specific date in the fall.

In the meantime, we unexpectedly got the opportunity to travel with some of our county partners to Seattle for a law-enforcement-related conference. (This was not on my vision board or my bingo card, but life is funny like that.)

We extended our stay a few days to sightsee and visited an animal sanctuary where I got to hang out with a sloth (along with otters, porcupines, armadillos, a bobcat, and more) up close and personal. While I didn’t actually get to hold the sloth, I did feed it grapes by hand, which is honestly almost as good.

Before we left for the trip, though, I applied for a mortgage again and this time, we were pre-approved.

So when we got back from Seattle, we went full-tilt into house-hunting mode.

On one of the very last days of 2024, we found our home (which is a whole other eerily coincidental story for another time). Less than 60 days later, we were handed the keys.

I don’t think any of this points to magic - at least not in the movie sense.

In fact, I’d kind of resent that idea.

Because while there were plenty of surreal, uncanny moments along the way, I worked my goddamn ass off.

We made real sacrifices.
It wasn’t easy.
Not even close.

In the end, the vision board didn’t make it happen - I did.

But the vision board helped me get crystal clear about what I was working so hard for. It gave me something to come back to when life made the path forward hard to see.

Did the universe (or whatever you want to call it) give me an assist or two along the way?

Sure.

But none of this would have happened on its own.

The real magic is in vision, focus, and intention.

And vision boards are just one of many tools that can help make the big (and little) things happen.

I’ve got a whole bunch of experiences like this (along with actual studies and data to back it up) that I’ll be sharing at our upcoming online digital vision board event, where you can create yours from the comfort of your own home.

No mess, no scissors, and no glue required.

👉 🎟️ check the comments!

PS: I’m still working on the waterfowl army. I’m starting to suspect it might be a long game. 🤷‍♀️ I’ll keep you posted.

01/05/2026

Heads-up: There are reports of ICE activity in Eau Claire.

(Photo from the EC County Building, reports on London Road as well.)

If you or someone you care about may be impacted, we encourage reviewing resources from trusted immigrant advocacy and legal aid organizations.

We're not experts or lawyers, but we can help point folks toward reliable know-your-rights information so people can make informed decisions for themselves and their families.

If you know of reputable local or national resources, please feel free to share them in the comments for others.

Our goal isn’t to cause alarm or panic, but to share information where we can and support ALL of our community members.

Community care matters, especially in moments like this.

Please take care of yourselves and each other.♥️

EDITING TO ADD: Turning off comments (and deleting any without info) on this post because, well... you know how the internet is. I don't want helpful info to get lost. If you have a resource to share, please message us and we'll add it.

12/31/2025

This feels like a personality test.
Pick your fighter.

12/31/2025

Last chance for our holiday offer!

If you register for the January Curious Communities training by tomorrow (Jan 1), you can request a code for 50% off a second spot for a friend or coworker.

Curious Communities is an 8-hour, small-group experience focused on real communication - how to listen deeper, show up with curiosity, understand disconnection, and help without burning out.

No Roleplaying. No scripts. Just skills you can use anywhere people matter.

If this is something you’ve been thinking about, this is your nudge.
👉 attherootsllc.com/cctraining

12/29/2025

Is anyone close by and able to help?

**SOS** the team scheduled to prep and serve at The Community Table, Eau Claire today is snowed in and unable to volunteer. If you are able to volunteer at all today between 9 am to 2 pm, please sign up or msg. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E4FA8AD2BA1FB6-weekend #/

12/26/2025

As the year winds down, a lot of us start thinking about what we want more of in the next one.

More calm.
More connection.
More real conversation instead of surface talk.

That’s exactly what Curious Communities is about - practicing curiosity, communication, and care in ways that make relationships (and communities) stronger.

Our next Curious Communities training is in January, and when you register, you can request a code for 50% off a second spot for a friend or colleague - but the offer ends January 1st, so don’t wait!