What I’ve been doing
2025 has been another busy year at Connected by Data and another year of new experiences and professional stretch. It is not exaggerating to say every month I have to do something I haven’t done before and I keep learning from that. I also keep learning about working in a collaborative and ‘work in the open’ organisation. Sometimes (often) it is challenging to me to have everything one does scrutinised / commented upon / changed. It makes the work better but it really requires one to be comfortable in discomfort and truly receptive to feedback (and honestly, that’s not always me). I love the generosity of the space in which I continue to learn here, and that is entirely down to the wonderful team. Thank you all for a wonderful 2025. 🫶
Having reduced my hours at Connected by Data I found myself starting to do freelance operations manager work. 1 day per week for WRKWLL and the same for Kinship Works. Both are interesting engagements and I look forward to seeing what 2026 brings with them too.
What I need to take care of
The first few months of 2026 show no let up in level of workload. In addition to doing our end of accounts and annual report, we’ll be developing our strategic roadmap for 2026-27 which is the final year of Connected by Data.
We’re also going to be delivering on two big projects (PAIRS including in person and online events); our own conference coming in March (watch this space) and wrapping up our DfE work (and hopefully identifying some funding for the next steps of that).
What I’ve been inspired or challenged or moved by
I’ve shared a bit about Kamala Harris before. I find her to be inspiring and I have loved seeing clips from her book tour for ‘107 Days’ by Kamala Harris. This is her sharing of one of the most consequential US presidential campaigns in recent history (and the 107 days she had to run).
In this clip in particular she says:
Here’s the thing about breaking barriers. And I mentor a lot of people, so sometimes I just say to them “you know, what do you think breaking barriers is? You start on one side of the barrier and you end up on the other side?” No. … There’s breaking involved. And when you break things you get cut, and you may bleed. And it is worth it - every single time.
This has sat with me since I first saw the clip. In these times when it feels like the fight back against hate is never ending, when it feels like positive change is an uphill slog, it is useful to be reminded that it is hard and it is painful, but it is also right… Every.Single.Time.
What I’ve been reading
I finally finished my “reading for pleasure” book (borrowed from my local library of course) ‘Thunder City’ by Philip Reeve. It is a prequel to the previous Mortal Engine series and is a great tale of adventure. That it has taken me so long to finish should be no reflection on the storytelling (only on my lack of focus).