Tap, Tap, Is This Thing On? 🎤
Well, I did say I might be back...
Hello? Anybody still out there?
Back in July 2023, I sent an email to a group of people who had been following my writing, thinking and occasional ramblings for years. Some of you had been with me since the original Change Nuggets newsletter in 2009!
The email announced that I was putting my Dr Jen newsletter to bed.
At the time, I was juggling two brands, multiple businesses, writing, speaking, consulting and the seemingly endless demands of feeding the social media machine. And I was tired.
I'd also reached a point where the work I was doing personally overlapped so much with the Agile Change Leadership Institute (ACLI) that it didn't make much sense to keep producing two sets of content.
So I put Dr Jen on the back burner and focused on growing ACLI.
But I left myself a little escape clause:
"You never know, this publication may resurrect and I will see you again in this form."
Well, here we are. November 2026. And I appear to be resurrecting.
So, what have I been up to?
Quite a bit, as it turns out.
I've grown a business that doesn't need me five days a week.
This is probably the biggest change.
Over the past three years, I have continued building and scaling the Agile Change Leadership Institute. We've grown our global reach, expanded our course portfolio, developed new products and put the systems and people in place to make the business less dependent on us personally.
For an entrepreneur, that's quite a milestone.
It means I now have the freedom to spend more time on other things I love: writing, researching, consulting, experimenting and following the occasional intriguing rabbit hole.
Which, if you know me, can lead to all sorts of places.
I've published another book.
In July this year, I launched Change. Communication., my fourth book.
It's the culmination of years of research, practice, conversations and thinking about how communication shapes organisational change. It explores where change communication has come from, what good practice looks like today, and where it might be heading next.
I'm rather proud of this one.
And I'm writing another. But it's a little different.
The working title is Persephone's Descent, and it’s a “femoir”.
Part feminist reflection, part memoir, it has its origins in my 90 Days of Winter Instagram experiment, where I explored winter as both a season and a metaphor.
It's a rather different writing adventure from change leadership, and one I'm enjoying enormously.
You can follow the original experiment on my Instagram - scroll to July 1 2026.
I've become a bit of a searchlight operator. 🔦
One of my favourite developments has been Searchlight Intelligence, a series of short explorations of emerging signals, unexpected connections and developments that I think deserve more attention.
I've now published 30 editions!
They cover everything from technology and AI to changes in how we work, think, lead and organise ourselves.
The premise is simple: sometimes the most important developments aren't the ones making the most noise.
I love the research and detective work involved in these, and they seem a natural fit for this newsletter.
I've also started giving people a monthly pinch and a punch. 👊
No actual violence involved.
A Pinch & A Punch is a new series built around one provocative question on the first of each month.
The idea is to give your thinking a little nudge. Something you might ponder over coffee, take into a leadership meeting, or use to start a different kind of conversation.
November's question was:
"If we solved the problem you've described, what would still be getting in the way?"
Sometimes a good question does more useful work than a very clever answer.
I've been helping women design their Third Acts.
This year I launched the 3rd Act Business Lab, a program for experienced women who want to turn decades of knowledge, skills and expertise into advisory, consulting or coaching businesses.
We've now run two cohorts, and I'm gearing up for the 2027 intake.
It's been immensely satisfying to help women recognise the commercial value of what they know and start building something of their own.
And yes, there's a certain amount of practising what I preach going on here, as I continue designing my own portfolio career.
And I'm still getting my hands dirty in organisations.
I'm currently working with a client on the execution of their safety strategy.
I continue to enjoy the complexity of organisational life, particularly the challenge of translating ambitious strategies into decisions, behaviours and everyday practices that make a difference.
It's good to be back in the thick of things, working with leaders and teams to make change happen.
So why bring the newsletter back?
A couple of reasons.
The first is that I've missed it.
I've been blogging since 2008, and I genuinely enjoy sharing interesting ideas with people who are curious about the world. I enjoy the replies, the disagreements, the unexpected connections and the conversations that follow.
The second is that I'm increasingly uncomfortable relying on social media platforms to maintain those relationships.
LinkedIn has been a wonderful professional platform for me over the years, but its algorithms are constantly changing. People who have actively chosen to follow my work don't necessarily get to see what I'm sharing.
I'd quite like to be able to talk directly to people again, without having to hope an algorithm decides I'm interesting that day.
And finally, my world has expanded.
Change management and leadership are still very much part of it, but I'm also exploring business building, the future of work, organisational psychology, technology, creativity, ageing, portfolio careers and whatever else catches my curiosity.
I want a place where all those interests can coexist.
What I'm thinking for the next chapter
I'm contemplating bringing back a monthly email. Nothing too elaborate. Just a good old-fashioned note from me to you.
It would include three regular features:
🔦 Searchlight Intelligence: An emerging signal, an interesting development or something I've discovered that I think is worth your attention.
👊 A Pinch & A Punch: One question each month to challenge assumptions, provoke a conversation or nudge your thinking.
💬 Dispatches from my world: What I'm working on, writing, speaking about, experimenting with or learning along the way. This might include new books, business adventures, courses and programs, or the occasional invitation to work together.
I want it to be useful, occasionally surprising and enjoyable to read.
And I promise not to turn it into another full-time job.
But first, a question for you.
Would you like to come along for the next chapter?
If you were a subscriber to my old newsletter, I'd love to know whether you'd like to keep hearing from me.
Yes please, keep me in the loop! (I need your explicit permission to email you).
And while you're here, I'd love your input.
What would you like me to shine a light on?
Is there something happening in leadership, business, technology, change or society that you think deserves a closer look? A question you've been wrestling with? A topic you'd love me to explore?
Leave a comment below. I'm genuinely interested.
It's rather nice to be back.
Cheers,
Jen
Still curious. Still asking questions. Occasionally causing trouble.