When COVID hit, I was working as a Stakeholder Development Director in the Business Strategy and Operations group at a nonprofit. In that role, I relied heavily, almost exclusively, on my interactions with other employees and key stakeholders, so I felt the impact of the COVID shutdown deeply.

Fortunately, our VP at the time valued connection above all else, and as a way of keeping the larger team connected, he started sending out a daily email which included a motivational quote and a song he liked. Some days, the email was just the pick me up I needed. Other days, it helped provide a necessary shift in perspective. And other days still, it was too much, mainly in that the “how many days since COVID hit” counter hit like a ton of bricks. But every day, I appreciated his commitment to keeping us connected, I reflected on the quote, and I channeled the energy of the music.

Eventually the VP went on temporary medical leave and then ultimately left the organization, leaving a gaping hole in the soul of our department. We were sad, of course, but being in the remote work environment and physically detached from one another made it that much to emotionally detach too.

I didn't love it, but there was work to be done…and life moves on. Until one day, in September of 2021, I felt the detachment, viscerally. So I sent out an email to the old team saying, essentially, “I was thinking about our VP, I miss them, and found myself thinking about this quote and this song…they made me feel better, and maybe they'll make you feel better too.” I wasn't trying to fill any shoes…I was just being my authentic self. People asked if I'd take up the daily email, and I resisted—I knew I had neither the time nor the energy. So I did what I could, which was to send a weekly email. And because it just so happened that that first email I sent was on a Wednesday, Wednesdays it was.

A year later, I was no longer with that company, and not by choice. Well, not by my choice anyway…but that's a whole other story. By then I was familiar with publishing on Substack, and so I made the decision to migrate to that platform, launching my Wednesday…Whatever… series. Over time, that weekly piece has evolved, but it has also stayed true to its roots.

Now, each week features a quote, a song, some commentary by me, and (as of January 29, 2025) a link to a discussion/reflection guide. I don't think—as a rule—we make time to reflect and rethink, so I created these companion pieces to help enable that process.

The Wednesday pieces can be an important piece of how you keep employees connected, engaged, and growing professionally and personally. You can use the pieces to facilitate reflection and discussion among your employee base individually, in teams, or organization-wide—weekly, monthly, quarterly, or in whatever way best fits your organization. Karmic Footprint Consulting can help you develop and implement voluntary programs that are integrated with performance management to ensure that employees are connected to strategy, committed to continuous improvement, and achieve sustainable improved outcomes.

Check out the content and the discussion guides, here: Wednesday...Whatever... | Nicole Comeau | Substack; contact us for more information on getting your organization thinking differently.