With Brogan’s resignation, many folks within November Project may be wondering how this news will impact them, their Iocal communities, and the organization as a whole.
While Brogan’s vision and energy were instrumental in building NP into an organization that spans across 50+ locations, the work that we’ve done in the last few years as a community has been invaluable in setting ourselves up for growth. November Project is as strong as it’s ever been and will continue to grow and evolve because of the involvement of its members, leadership, and dedication of its Co-leaders, generous contribution and guidance of the Board of Directors, and tremendous support of our sponsors.
I will continue my role as an Executive Director, running the operations, representing November Project brand, working on sponsorship development, strategy buildout with the Board, and Co-leader management. I take this role seriously, and I’m confident in my ability to rise to the occasion. But, I’m not alone on this journey.
Last fall, led by Board member and professional brand strategist, Ashley Shaffer, we deployed a Survey in which almost 500 people from all walks of NP life shared their thoughts about what NP is and what it has the potential to be. We used those results in our Repositioning Project in which we synthesized the learnings into the core values, positioning statement, and principles that are guiding focused inclusion efforts. These internal documents and frameworks are used by each city to identify ways to utilize free fitness as a tool to make their communities more welcoming and inclusive. This ongoing project is currently in the early launch stages where the Co-leaders are evaluating the needs of their communities and identifying potential ways to get involved. The upcoming leadership gathering in July will be a great opportunity for Co-leaders to come together with their peers from around the world and continue to build these ideas out.
Similarly, a Board member and a Leadership Development Coach, Lynn Gonsalves interviewed Co-leaders of various tenures and identities to understand the needs of their roles in an effort to help them be more effective and continue to have fun. As a result, we identified various ways that our communities can get involved on the local level through committees and projects based on their interests and talents, etc. We also identified ways for retired Co-leaders to continue to be a part of the organization outside of leading workouts through mentorship opportunities with the pledging process or guiding small cohorts of incoming and existing Co-leaders during their tenure. We empowered active Co-leaders to engage in project-based committees that are assisting with internal communication, the buildout of various tools and resources, and education just to name a few.
Our Board of Directors has also formed a DEI committee that consists of Board Members and Co-leaders that are tasked with including DEI initiatives in all aspects of the organization. The committee is currently identifying key performance indicators that will be used to objectively measure the engagement of each city, cataloging workouts with DEI components, and defining the process for handling DEI issues on the local level.
As mentioned above, we are getting ready for our annual leadership gathering, Meeting of the Minds (MOM) where the Co-leaders from around the world will come together to connect, share experiences, learn from each other and collaborate.
In September, we are getting ready for our 10th annual November Project Summit in Philadelphia where we expect a great turnout and good vibes to flow through the city of Brotherly Love.
November Project was started 10+ years ago by two former rowers who wanted to race each other on the steps of Harvard Stadium but realized that racing became irrelevant as the fun they were having, the friendships they were making, and the connections to their city grew stronger. Today that realization is at the heart of this organization and I am confident that our best days are still ahead.
With love and respect, Bojan
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