From Brené

All things Olympics, a week in my life, and a new feature on the ABK Edit. WHAT I'M LOVING Rugby, Gymnastics, and All Things Olympics If you’re not... [Several brightly colored mailboxes in a row] From Brené AUGUST 1, 2024 newsletter WHAT I'M LOVING Rugby, Gymnastics, and All Things Olympics If you’re not following the US Women’s Rugby team, you’re missing out. We love them, and [Ilona Maher]( is a great follow on Insta [#beastbeautybrains](. And, congratulations to [Simone Biles]( and the US Women’s Gymnastics team for bringing home the gold! There was a great moment where you could see Simone mouth “You got this” right before a vault. [Simone Biles competing for the US Women's Gynmastics team at the 2024 Paris Olympics with an illustrated speech bubble that says "You got this"]( A Week in My Life [Reading: Nothing — I'm watching every second I can of the Olympics; Song on Repeat: Olympic Theme by Champions United; Grateful for: The heart and soul of all those competing] [Quote I'm Leaning Into: If you're not a leader on the bench, don't call yourself a leader on the field. You're either a leader everywhere or nowhere. — Abby Wambach] I love the Olympics! The one thing that keeps hitting me as I watch the team sports is how powerfully athletes across sports are leading from the bench. Abby Wambach’s book Wolfpack is leadership gold. Her story about finding herself on the bench during an important game and digging deep to reimagine what leading looks like when you’re not on the pitch is one of the all time great leadership lessons. Whether it’s the pool, the pitch, or the mat, leadership is way more about who you are, not the role you’re playing at any given time. [Listen to My Conversation with Abby]( [ABK Edit] Below are some of our new features from the ABK Edit. Thank you for the great feedback on this project. We love that you love reading about people who are being awkward, brave, and kind with their lives and their work! ABK EDIT 5 Questions With Willow Defebaugh [Willow sitting on a moss covered landing while hiking near Portland, Oregon. ]( Willow, captured by Atmos contributing photographer Evan Benally Atwood, while hiking near Portland, Oregon; photography by Evan Benally Atwood. Willow Defebaugh is the co-founder and editor in chief of Atmos, a biannual magazine and digital platform dedicated to ecological and social justice. She shared her insights about storytelling with us in a High Five interview on the ABK Edit: How do you see storytelling as a tool for fostering connection and inspiring activism among your readers? [The American novelist] Richard Powers once wrote: “The best arguments in the world won’t change a person’s mind. The only thing that can do that is a good story.” Storytelling is inherent to what makes us human. Most of us aren’t moved by statistics and data — yet those are the mediums through which the climate crisis has often been communicated. At Atmos, we endeavor to engage readers with this issue on an emotional level, because that is the level at which I believe true change occurs. So our orientation is always toward telling stories of heart. In the end, that’s what we’re trying to change: hearts, not minds. [Read the Full Interview]( What’s New on the Website [Emily Ramshaw and Amanda Zamora with the High Five hands background]( HIGH FIVE Emily Ramshaw and Amanda Zamora by Lauren Smith Ford [Collage of David Ambroz, the cover of his book, "A Place Called Home," an "I Voted" sticker, a keyhole, and the logo of "FosterMore"]( THE DARING INTERVIEW David Ambroz by Laura Mayes [Portrait of Karen Walrond with the High Five hands background]( HIGH FIVE Karen Walrond by Laura Mayes Stay awkward, brave, and kind, Follow Brené on social! If this was forwarded to you, [subscribe here.]( [LinkedIn]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. © 2024 BBEARG, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Responses to this email are not monitored. Our mailing address is: BBEARG P.O. Box 272124Houston, TX 77277 [Add us to your address book](