<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[GermaineLife]]></title><description><![CDATA[Germaine Advisory]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/business-success-blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:05:11 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.germaineadvisory.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[The Cost of Funding Isn’t Always Financial]]></title><description><![CDATA[Not all costs show up on a balance sheet. In many cases, funding is treated as the solution. Resources are delivered, expectations are set, and the assumption is that the organization will translate that into results. But the real cost often shows up somewhere else. The cost is rarely the funding itself. It’s what people are asked to carry because of it. It shows up in leaders being asked to carry more than the structure can hold. It shows up in staff taking on work that was never fully...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/the-cost-of-funding-isn-t-always-financial</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ebeb568d49bd7442f2afbd</guid><pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 22:28:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_725af5f6f85d4b71911bbed7d17f1193~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When the Sequence Is Wrong, the Work Doesn’t Hold]]></title><description><![CDATA[In many cases, the issue is not funding. It is sequencing. Organizations are often given resources before the structure exists to carry them. The pattern is familiar: a small nonprofit is funded to hire an Executive Director for a fixed period, typically two years, without a clear expectation that those two years must be used to build the foundation required to sustain the role beyond the grant. The intent is sound. The sequence is not. Funding does not create stability. Structure does....]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/when-the-sequence-is-wrong-the-work-doesn-t-hold</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ebaf668d49bd7442f21283</guid><pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 18:02:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_1c06db3b149d46c989ad80449e63f20d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Leaders Mistake Alignment for Approval]]></title><description><![CDATA[In many organizations, leaders mistake alignment for approval. An organization that avoids tension in the name of cohesion does not become stronger. It becomes less able to do the work it exists to do. A cohesive team, a “happy” board, strong relationships—these are all good things. But they are not the same as a functioning organization. Approval is personal and voluntary. Alignment is structural; it is work that can be challenging and uncomfortable. It shows up in whether roles are clear,...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/when-leaders-mistake-alignment-for-approval-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e57e300c8d230c9e93cce3</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:21:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_deda4bd3dd2e4a8f8ab0dfd596f891b0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Governance is Function Not Process]]></title><description><![CDATA[In too many organizations, governance is treated as a process rather than a function. Meetings are held, approvals are given, and structures are put in place, yet the work still does not hold. That is because governance is not the meeting, the agenda, or the approval. Governance is whether decisions, authority, and execution are aligned, and whether that alignment holds over time. When governance is working, it is almost invisible. Decisions translate into action, roles are clear, and work...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/when-leaders-mistake-alignment-for-approval</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e57d7f5e3a88e8e09e5326</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:12:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_3e44be0afe604c00b948d4f3aff1d210~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Presentation vs Performance]]></title><description><![CDATA[In too many organizations, leadership is being evaluated based on how it presents rather than how it performs.   Confidence, charisma, decisiveness, and even presence or attractiveness are often read as indicators of capability. They are visible, immediate, and easy to respond to in a room, in many cases, actively rewarded.   At the same time, we are all operating within a multi-million-dollar coaching industry focused exclusively on helping people secure the next role, often without equal...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/presentation-vs-performance</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e57bc60c8d230c9e93c84a</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:06:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_1fa3048e82834dc5a7abb40df4f38c81~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Leading On Moving Ground.]]></title><description><![CDATA[An article from the Harvard Business Review on authentic leadership under pressure really resonated with me. See the link below Deepa Purushothaman  and  Colleen Ammerman  describe leaders operating on “moving ground”, multiple disruptions stacking at once: funding shifts, political pressure, technology changes, without enough time to fully understand the landscape before the next decision is required. That framing accurately relays what I’m seeing in real time. Decisions without clean...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/leading-on-moving-ground</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e57a7a5e3a88e8e09e4d87</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:03:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_62bae383b5dd41b394e48c22825bc32f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Living In An Era Of Packaged Certainty]]></title><description><![CDATA[Public figures like Oprah and Mel Robbins, and the broader ecosystem of business influencers, have built powerful brands around simplified pathways to success. Master communicators delivering certainty at scale erode important nuance. And when universal formulas inevitably fail, the failure becomes personal:  Business isn’t growing? You didn’t execute hard enough.  Burnout persists? You didn’t protect your routine.  Structural barriers remain? You didn’t believe enough.  Motivation matters,...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/living-in-an-era-of-packaged-certainty</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e577265e3a88e8e09e472c</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:54:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_3e11370a95504045b39393ec6e83abe6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Change Looks Different to Everyone ]]></title><description><![CDATA[In every organization I’ve worked with, one truth always comes up: change looks different to everyone involved.  We run through life quickly and tend to forget what change actually feels like. Not the big, obvious changes, those we expect and prepare for. It’s the smaller, quieter shifts that slip by unnoticed and unmanaged. The ones without a clear beginning or end. The ones that impact others differently than they impact us. Change rarely happens all at once. It’s an arc, and people move...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/change-looks-different-to-everyone</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e575592caf3ee79a403c00</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:42:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_499942589c7c41299c9c9a1dfc477de9~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Building Your Annual Meeting]]></title><description><![CDATA[First Steps 1.  Define the results you are seeking to achieve by the end of the meeting, allow that to drive a theme for the event. 2....]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/building-your-annual-meeting</link><guid isPermaLink="false">617f0e1b7bc05e0017bc91da</guid><pubDate>Sun, 31 Oct 2021 22:48:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_7876c2bda56947068d588fabea810ab6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sharing Responsibility                                                                              ]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of the more challenging struggles leaders have to work through is the realization that the excellent news of business success is very...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/sharing-responsibility</link><guid isPermaLink="false">617f44993cc2b30017f64d0b</guid><pubDate>Sat, 16 Oct 2021 02:03:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f2efd12b0d1847248ac81a5e65c0d586.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Random Facts ]]></title><description><![CDATA[There is a space between a job well done and perfection where discontent lives. Peace comes from managing that discontent. Multitasking...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/random-facts</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61801ed3ce63a70016e7d5e9</guid><pubDate>Mon, 13 Sep 2021 18:08:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_6835b44d12d242adae2f437821858d59~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[You Cannot Ignore LOE When Building a Strategic Plan.            ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Actually, any plan that does not include a level of effort calculation is a disaster waiting to happen. Plans that offer value move...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/you-cannot-ignore-loe-when-building-a-strategic-plan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61801cdf8556c8001690859c</guid><pubDate>Thu, 12 Aug 2021 17:02:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_f22cb3a00c0e420989ad1a200a653526~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_539,h_347,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Conscious Non-Attachment…Caring While Not Caring ]]></title><description><![CDATA[by Coach Michele Caron mylifecoach.com An office is a funny place. There are all sorts of deliverables, deadlines, goals, etc., to be...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/conscious-non-attachment-caring-while-not-caring</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61803559fdadb900161c5233</guid><pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2021 18:51:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_6a5c40cd38f94b97aa93a429c69fae82~mv2_d_4500_3500_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Don’t Let Nice Get in The Way of Being Kind ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The words nice and kind are often used interchangeably. In failing to recognize their different meanings, we do ourselves, and those we...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/don-t-let-nice-get-in-the-way-of-being-kind</link><guid isPermaLink="false">617ffda91abb2b001665b9e5</guid><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jun 2021 15:06:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_137c6f956873474aa638dc9044ff8fe4~mv2_d_1932_2576_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Being Coachable ]]></title><description><![CDATA[When seeking out a coach, be decerning; make certain the two of you are a good fit; make certain the coach you select shares your values,...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/being-coachable</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6091a3e44a7e690015d1c049</guid><pubDate>Tue, 04 May 2021 20:13:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/57db2f_61a082dce62648ac90ed3fc9a7562df1~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Accepting a Gift is an Act of Generosity]]></title><description><![CDATA[NOTE: Wounded Knee - Pine Ridge Reservation SD is one of the most thought-provoking places I have ever been to.  In 1890 Wounded Knee was...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/2020/08/03/accepting-a-gift-is-an-act-of-generosity</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f68c4ccaa240800176fac50</guid><pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2021 13:04:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/221da0_4451cffcbec444c6a72d0467102b0477~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_604,h_453,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin G Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Knowing When You Need a Coach, a Cheerleader, a Mentor...]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Kristin G Bainger It can be mind-numbingly difficult to tell who, in this crowded market space, to turn to when you need a little help...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/2016/05/03/why-consulting-jobs-are-on-the-rise</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f68c4ccaa240800176fac51</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Feb 2021 15:21:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a27d24_92e075b77fe84fe2b70350e86110ef90~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_604,h_459,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin G Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Phil Jackson and The Last Dance –  Why Jackson is a Great Coach  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Maybe you saw the documentary The Last Dance during the height of our 2020 quarantine. As of late May, it averaged 5.648 million viewers...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/2020/09/18/bradley</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f68c4ccaa240800176fac4f</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Feb 2021 18:54:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a27d24_ac920b85b97f40598c685b9d1974209d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_692,h_453,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kristin G Bainger</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Defining success]]></title><description><![CDATA[Success can mean different things to different people. Whether you define success in terms of money, a career position, happiness, or...]]></description><link>https://www.germaineadvisory.com/single-post/defining-success</link><guid isPermaLink="false">60197149dda91e001780d51e</guid><pubDate>Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:38:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ba9f53060f094b3b96f01e8016e19444.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FYI</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>