Planting Seeds for a New Way of Leading and Living
Growth, connection, and a vision for what comes next — together.
Hi! I’m Michelle Lasley, curator of Balance Shared — the idea that we are all better together. Now and then, I like to reintroduce myself to you, whether you’ve been following me for a while or are brand new here.
I’ve been writing about ideas and new ways of doing things for almost 20 years — starting with a daily blog challenge (some of which you can still find on my blog) — and now, I share my work here on Substack because we are always growing, evolving, and stepping deeper into our purpose and power.
It became clear to me many years ago that we must focus on healing — and we must focus on community. Don’t get me wrong: I love my alone time. I thrive in it. I was one of the rare people who didn’t mind the “stay-at-home orders” during the pandemic. But it’s foolhardy to believe we can do life all alone.
Our culture loves stories of rugged individualism, but real life tells a different story. When my son was four years old, he choked on a fry. My husband and I were able to dislodge it before help arrived — but I will never forget the wave of relief when the firefighters and EMS showed up within minutes. Community saved us that day.
Sometimes, looking out at the world, it feels like everything is on fire. I am fortunate to work full-time uniting people around childcare. But this is a hyper-focused issue. And, while I believe it is the issue that can scale massive change, it often feels like it’s still not enough. Since I was young, I’ve understood — even without the right words — that much of our suffering is socially constructed. And if suffering is a social construct, then so too can growth, joy, and abundance.
We can choose to build something different. The old ways of working — top-down leadership, hustle culture, extraction — are failing us. We need models that center people, planet, and purpose. We need leadership that is collaborative, equitable, and human-centered.
Over the next season, we’ll explore:
How anti-oppression practices transform work and leadership
What flat leadership looks like in action
Parenting beyond obedience and control
How to cultivate balance through joy and radical hope
This is work for all of us.
And I want you on this journey with me.
One of the greatest joys in my organizing work is seeing how collective messaging can scale change, power, and solidarity. And, I’m excited to see what we can scale, together.
This space grows through connection, conversation, and care.
If you’re new here, welcome — I hope you’ll stay awhile and subscribe to keep building this conversation.
If you’ve been here for a while, maybe you know someone else dreaming of new ways to lead and live — I’d be honored if you shared this space with them.
And if you’re feeling called to deepen your roots here, upgrading to a paid subscription is one way to help sustain this work and keep these ideas moving out into the world. (Paid subscribers can comment and access the complete archives.)
We are called to more than working, commuting, and surviving. We are called to build meaningful relationships, seek our purpose (even if it changes from season to season), and love wholeheartedly.
As we step into deeper power together, we need networks of care and collaboration. Balance Shared can be one of those networks.
We are a community.
We are the rain that brings the flowers.
We are in a moment of renewal, visioning, and brave new growth.
Let’s build this future, together.