My Brothers,
I’m excited, grateful and honored to share my new role with the FRD team and community as Chief Transformation Officer!
Chief what???
Time for a quick story –
6 years ago I found a podcast episode that changed the trajectory of my life. Many of you already know my pathway into FRD. Many of you also found the Brotherhood from the awesome FRD podcast (props to Jon and Jamie).
Then I attended my first VIP retreat in 2019 and knew instantly that THIS was a space for me. I also knew it was a special space for men to become intentional fathers. And after years of attending events and creating experiences with many of you, I’ve realized it is a space for transformation.
Fast forward to this very day, and that’s the word that best describes what I’ve experienced from FRD – TRANSFORMATION.
I’ve experienced transformation in so many ways, which I intend to share with you guys as we continue growing together.
So what does this role mean for the Brotherhood?
The simple version is that I’ll be supporting Jon and the team in a fractional COO type role. Leaning into more systems, leadership and change.
The detailed version is that I’ll be involved in all kinds of beautiful transformation. New culture creation, event design, technology updates, community growth and more.
FRD has reached a healthy inflection point that calls for new things. My role is to help support organic growth and deeper roots.
Some of the things I plan to help lead include:
New Learning Journeys
Some of you have been curious about the evolution of previous Summits. What happened to those??
Well, we’ve transitioned to member led Deep Dives, which are already in motion. The intention is shorter calls with more intimate opportunities to connect and learn with fellow brothers.
AND… we’ve been intentionally crafting something new, which we’ll be calling Learning Journeys!
We’re rebuilding the online learning experience to support more connection, learning and accountability. Some of you will be asked to help co-create as we call forth more guidance and mentorship from within the community.
The first Learning Journey is scheduled to launch in April, which will be free to all existing members. We also plan to make some journeys available to non members and referrals who join our waitlist or want to get a taste of FRD.
Challenges
We’re designing brotherhood challenges that will test our range and capacity in new ways. Get ready to dance with discomfort and do epic things with your brothers.
We plan to experiment here with various challenges that align with our pillars, and the team is working on ways to help us track and engage in some good ole’ competition.
The first challenge is scheduled to launch in March!
New Events & Experiences
We’re introducing a new Summer event this year that I’ll be leading, in addition to the annual Colorado Adventure. I intend to bring my full expression and creativity to these experiences.
Chris Emick and Mike Brcic will also be leading the first FRD Rites of Passage event, which will be an awesome new adventure!
I also intend to stay curious and aware on how our events may need to evolve.
The VIP retreats are a special experience, for example, that Jon has masterfully designed for years. He will still continue to design and lead most of them, but we’re going to call more veteran members forward to share their gifts and leadership.
Overall, we’re entering a new season of the Brotherhood where new leadership will be cultivated.
Jon is still the active CEO and more focused than ever, to be clear. He just needs our collective support to write the next chapter in FRD history. You are a part of the story and impact we’re co-creating.
Remember that.
Finally, a few personal details that are important for me to share:
1. I’m still a member.
You will still see me at events, on Zoom and anywhere else that members participate. While I’ve chosen this transition and deeper work with the FRD team, I still plan to be a Front Row Dad.
2. I’m pumped and ready!
I’m ready to support Jon, the FRD team and YOU as we evolve the Brotherhood. Ready to build some new stuff, experiment, fail and cultivate deeper learning!
We are co-creating something extraordinary. I believe that.
3. I’m also scared…
This is new territory for me. I haven’t “joined a new team” in years. I was hesitant to lean into a formal leadership role at risk of messing with something I love and cherish…
But I feel called into deeper work with FRD.
Jon and I are very aligned, after years of friendship and months of navigating conscious agreements on this new role. I’m grateful for his invitation and trust to help lead.
I’ve also been warmly accepted by Rach, Tonia and the rest of the team. They do some heavy lifting behind the scenes to help our community thrive. Collaborating with them these last couple years has been a gift, and now I’m clear that my path is to support them as they also continue to grow in their roles.
In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been more clear.
This is exactly where I need to be.
This is also exactly where you need to be. Now and in every moment. So I would invite you to pause and reflect on the following:
- What has your own journey of transformation looked like?
- What’s calling you forward?
- What do you want to help co-create?
These questions have guided me here. I’m excited to see where they guide you as we continue walking together.
To that extent, I want to end with some gratitude.
Thank you for reading this. Thank you for investing in FRD. Thank you for being a part of my transformation as we continue walking together.
Much Love,
Ali
p.s. My personal inbox (ali@frontrowdads.com) is always open if you want to send me a note or message. I want to hear from you when you feel called to share 🙂