Are you tired of acting like you're okay?


Cindy Gross

Befriending Dragons

Hi Reader,

"I’m tired of acting like I’m okay when I’m not."

This was shared by a leader in my Befriending Dragons community, and it perfectly captures what I'm hearing in dozens of private conversations right now.

My new article on the "Layoff Echo" is striking a nerve. We're all seeing it: the burnout of indispensable "Keystone Leaders," the isolation, and the immense, unspoken pressure to just... keep performing.

If this resonates, I want to invite you to a space where you don't have to pretend.

On Tuesday, November 11th, I'm hosting the Befriending Dragons Roundtable.

This is not a webinar. It’s not training. It’s not a performance of strength or strategy.

It is my free, monthly, confidential space for women and non-binary leaders to connect with peers who get it. It’s a space to process what’s real—the grief of layoffs, the weight of being "the strong one"—and learn to lead without abandoning yourself.

You don’t have to arrive with clarity or confidence. You just have to come as you are.

The Roundtable is free for all members of the Ember Circle (my private, no-cost community).

If this is the space you've been looking for, I invite you to join us.

Click Here to Join and Get the Zoom Link for Tuesday https://community.befriendingdragons.com

I hope to see you there.

P.S. If you missed the "Layoff Echo" article that sparked this conversation, you can read the full analysis here. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/layoff-echo-hidden-crisis-your-workforce-cindy-gross-pcc-jrkxc

With dragonfire warmth and enduring wisdom,

Cindy Gross | Founder, Befriending Dragons
Your Leadership Navigation Coach

🐉 ​https://befriendingdragons.com

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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Befriending Dragons

For senior women in tech who are operating without a map in terrain that keeps changing. I'm Cindy Gross — leadership navigation coach, 25-year tech veteran, and the person who helps high-capacity leaders separate what's them from what's the system. Subscribers get tactical frameworks, named patterns, and honest intelligence on the dynamics most people won't say out loud: scope creep, political feedback, survival mode, and how influence actually works. Built for leaders who want precision, not pep talks.

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