On change, friendship & what’s ahead

Good morning!

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about change—how we change, why we change, and what actually makes change stick. There’s something about the start of a new year that makes us hyper-aware of it. We make plans, set intentions, and try (sometimes desperately) to shape what’s ahead. But if there’s one thing I keep coming back to, it’s that change rarely happens in isolation.

We’re living in a time of immense uncertainty—economic shifts, global tensions, and the ripple effects of policies that shape how we work, trade, and connect. The impacts of the US/Canada tariffs, like so many other global events, aren’t just about economies; they’re about people, relationships, and the ways we rely on one another. When the world feels unpredictable, it’s easy to pull inward. But history (and research) tells us that connection—not isolation—is what sustains us. The more we invest in relationships, in gathering, in shared wisdom, the more resilient we become.

We change in relationship—with our communities, with our work, with the ideas that stretch us, and the people who hold us up along the way. We change when we feel seen. When we feel safe. When we feel connected. And if there’s anything I know for sure, it’s that connection is something we have to actively build.

Good Talk 2025: A year of connection

With that in mind, I’m excited to share that all the dates for Good Talk 2025 are now live, and you can register today! This season, we’re diving into topics that matter most to this community—starting with friendship.

The next Good Talk, happening in May, is all about how we build, sustain, and deepen friendships as adults. This is a theme we’ve heard requested again and again from attendees:

• How do we make space for meaningful friendships in our already full lives?

• What does it mean to be a good friend?

• How does friendship shape who we are and how we show up in the world?

We’ll be exploring some of the incredible research on friendship—including insights from Cat Vellos’ reflections in We Should Get Together. And as always, we’ll be gathering, sharing, and making space for the wisdom that already exists in the room.

💡 You can register for any 2025 Good Talk now! And if you want to attend more than one, buying all three events as a bundle saves you some cash. Check out all three events and secure your spot by selecting “2025 Good Talks (3 events)”.

We’re also thinking about future topics and want your input! Keep an eye on our social media (you can find us on Instagram and LinkedIn) where we’ll be asking for your thoughts over the coming months. Or hit reply to this email and let me know what topics are on your mind.

A shift in where we write & share

Some of you may have noticed a shift—while the Tilia Consulting blog remains the home for facilitation, strategy, and organizational change, I’ve also started a Substack for the bigger, messier, more personal questions I’ve been thinking about.

Conversations in Progress is a space for reflections, questions, and curious explorations of the in-between. It’s where I embrace nuance, navigate group dynamics, and try to make sense of human connection—one conversation at a time.

If you’re into deep dives into how we connect, why we do it, how we hold space for one another, and what it means to live a good life, you can follow along there. My latest posts dive into change, wonder, neutrality and why they matter. You can find them here ⤵️

Conversation starters

Some sources of inspiration and information I’ve found compelling lately:

To experience:

• Antidote Movement Club (Edmonton) – Movement is a beautiful way to process, reflect, and reconnect with ourselves. Antidote Movement Club brings people together in a way that feels expansive, joyful, and deeply rooted in community—exactly the kind of space I love.

To read:

• Kat Vellos – We Should Get Together – So many of us struggle with making and maintaining friendships as adults, but Kat Vellos breaks it down in a way that’s practical, compassionate, and deeply affirming. If you’ve ever wondered why is this so hard?—this book will make you feel seen.

• Dacher Keltner – Awe – This book reframes awe not as something rare, but as something we can cultivate in our daily lives. Dacher Keltner’s work has shaped a lot of my thinking about how wonder connects us—to ourselves, to each other, and to something bigger.

To listen:

• Krista Tippett – On Being – Krista Tippett has this way of holding space for the stickiest, most beautiful conversations about what it means to be human. If you need a moment of grounding, or just a reason to sit with a big idea for a little while, On Being is always worth a listen.

An invitation

As we move into this year, I keep coming back to this: What if 2025 isn’t about striving, but about deepening? What if instead of fixing, we focused on tending? What if we measured success not by output, but by connection?

Good Talk is one of my favourite places to explore those questions, and I’d love for you to join us. Our first event of the year is in May, and tickets are now live—come be part of the conversation.

More soon,
Lindsay