Get the support to live out what you believe at work

Is this you?

I’m not sure how open I can be about my faith and values because most people around me don’t have a positive view of faith.
I get stuck in either/or thinking: either my values or the bottom line and find it hard to see a way toward both/and.
I start thinking I have to make everything happen myself.
The company sets up systems and structures that are supposed to be empowering, but take way too much time to handle. And I worry I might have to break my word because of management decisions or business setbacks.
I spend most of my time with people with lots of resources when I’m concerned about helping others less fortunate.
I have to deal with people who make me anxious, or I feel intimidated by certain people.

Sustain Yourself Through This Unprecedented Time With the Working Your Faith Mastermind

The Working Your Faith Mastermind, designed for women executives, can help you make progress in three major areas of leadership:

Get Clear – know what you want in your work and your life, and know yourself and your deepest values more deeply. Plus get clear on what you think about the day-to-day challenges that arise at work.
Stay Connected – know who to spend your time with and how best to relate to them.
Keep Calm – expect challenges to arise, and stay grounded (or get back on track more quickly) when setbacks or criticism comes your way.

Here’s a way to learn what every leader needs to know for this time and for any time, in conversation with other women executives. Long before the pandemic, I created groups like these Masterminds as a way for faithful leaders to make connections and troubleshoot their problems with others around the U.S. and Canada who really get it.

The Masterminds surround you with motivated women who appreciate the value of growing alongside others – professionals who also have a faith perspective and who want to bring themselves and their values to their work and all of their life.

“I was struggling with balancing my work and home life. Throughout this process, I’ve made some major changes in the past 6 months. While I still find balance to be challenging, I find I also have a lot more joy. The lessons of honesty and integrity, as well as radical self care, have filtered into every area of my life. Margaret’s leadership is direct, compassionate and transformative.”

Jennifer Brownell, Portland, Oregon

This is not a gripe session. It’s a focused opportunity to do solid work on critical issues. You’ll walk away with new ideas and a fresh way of thinking about yourself and your leadership. Plus, you’ll gain several new colleagues.

Joining a Working Your Faith Mastermind will help you to:

Be a still presence in a chaotic time.
See where God is working in the relationships in the workplace and where the challenges can help you grow spiritually and emotionally.
Be of service and support to staff as well as clients/customers, without wearing yourself out or getting walked on.
Treat people as you want to be treated no matter what others are doing or saying.
Realize it’s not all up to you.
Align your faith and values with your work by doing what’s best for staff, customers and clients–not to mention yourself.
Lead with attention, and your best presence and listening.
Handle difficult people with greater grace and ease.

You’ll get accountability, action, and encouragement. You’ll have an opportunity to brainstorm someone else’s challenges, and receive feedback and ideas on your own. You’ll be more motivated to plan and follow-through on making your goals a reality. It’s not a support group per se, but you will receive encouragement and support from your colleagues.

“I needed a place to safely vent and receive valuable insights, understanding, non judgmental hearing of situations and a place where appropriate boundary issues are not violated. It was great speaking to someone who knew the turf and didn’t think I was crazy and was able to encourage me to persevere. I have continued to learn that I need more steps in my life to implement and practice positive self care. I have learned to be a little more lenient with myself and to be more present in some exchanges. My challenges are still there though not as overwhelming – and there will probably always be these challenges for anyone in my position. I have been able to emotionally step back and enjoy the job. Margaret has a wonderful sense of humor which I treasure and enjoy! …Margaret is light-hearted, easy to talk with and helps you breathe more freely.”

Bonnie Garcia, Portland, OR

Imagine spending time with women who appreciate the value of growing alongside others – professionals, just like you who want to bring their best selves, and their values and faith–to this time. Imagine a fresh perspective on the tough staff meeting you just had or your most difficult client, where you may say, “Oh….I never thought about it that way before. Now I have a better idea what to do.”

The Working Your Faith Mastermind is a 6-month program where members meet every three weeks via Zoom. Groups are made up of 4-6 experienced women leaders who are carefully vetted through an application process.

Sessions last 90 minutes, and include brief teaching about a thoughtful and faithful approach to leadership, as well as time for sharing and getting support from your colleagues. During each session, two members will have an opportunity to present a specific challenge where they want support, brainstorming, and feedback from the group. There will be eight sessions during the six months.

In addition, you’ll get an initial 45-minute coaching session to help you get the most out of the six months, and a concluding 30-minute session to help you integrate what you’ve learned. If you have to miss one out of the regular sessions during the six months, you can have an extra 30 minutes with me instead.

How Much Is the Working Your Faith Mastermind?

The 6-month program is $500 per month, or $2000 in a one-time payment (no obligation for applying).

Membership is by application only.

Who is Margaret Marcuson?

I help women leaders live what they believe. I do it because I know the difference faithful leaders can make when they’re at their best. I’ve seen this over and over in the many leaders I’ve coached over the last 20 plus years.

I’m a minister, small business owner, experienced teacher, facilitator and coach to leaders around the US and Canada, expert in leadership and relationship processes, author of Leaders who Last and Money and Your Ministry. I’m based in Portland, Oregon.

“Small groups have the potential to be really helpful, or just a waste of time. Time spent with Margaret Marcuson as a facilitator is never time wasted. She creates a small group environment that allows for personal growth and self-discovery, while moving towards your goals. As a member of her small group, I’ve personally benefited from that environment, her cogent insights, and though she never offers advice, have been often challenged by her, “What ifs?”

Jon Singer, Hyannis, MA

How Do I Join?

Your first step is applying today. You don’t have to pay a dime to apply. Then, you’ll sign up for a brief conversation with me to make sure we both think it’s a fit.

Whether you’re curious about this opportunity or you know it’s exactly what you’ve been looking for, apply before Wednesday, March 31 to join us.

When do the Masterminds meet? Every three weeks on Thursdays at 12:15/3:15 Pacific/Eastern time or 2:00/5:00 PT/ET. You can indicate your best times when you apply.

What topics are we going to discuss? Each session I’ll share briefly some of my best ideas on leadership, using the Get Clear, Stay Connected, Keep Calm model. Then we’ll discuss the topics that YOU find most relevant as you share what’s up in your work and where you need thoughtful support. I’ll coach you through your specific challenge and your colleagues will have a chance to weigh in with their questions and perspective. You’ll have the chance to share a challenge every two or three sessions (depending on the size of the group).

Is there homework? I’ll suggest a brief reading before each session. If you are presenting a leadership challenge you will need to send out one page describing it at least one day before our meeting. I’ll give you a format to use. For the rest of the group, you will need to read the leadership challenges for the session before we meet.

Can you ensure confidentiality? I will ask each group to make a commitment to confidentiality before the groups begin. Sharing inside the group is encouraged and each individual is in control of what they feel comfortable sharing.

Do we get a recording of the groups? I will record the coaching portion of the group and share it with the individual who presented the challenge. This way, as you’re discussing your situation, you can stay present and don’t have to worry about taking notes or writing down all the ideas.

What’s the application process like? It’s an online form that asks a few questions about your leadership context, your hopes for your work and your life and what you want to get from the group. Then you’ll get a link to my schedule and set up a brief time with me.

When will I know if our application is accepted? I will let you know by email, usually within 36 hours of our call.

What to do next:

Click the button. 2. Fill out the application and submit. 3. Use the link to sign up for a brief conversation with me.

You don’t have to say yes today. All you have to say is maybe, then click the button to apply for the Mastermind.

Questions: Email me here. Or call me at 503-701-7621