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Ep. 123 Winter '26, Lesson Three: Community, Service, and the Truth I Learned
In this deeply personal episode, Bree Johnson shares the third major lesson from the “Winter of 2026”: the incredible power of community rooted in service.
What began with a phone call from a grieving teacher — and a devastating story involving a young student — became a catalyst for Bree’s immersion into community care work across Minnesota. Through rapid mobilization, fundraising, storytelling, and connection-building, Bree discovered a radically different understanding of community than she had previously experienced in her career and life.
This episode explores how authentic community is not an audience, not followers, and not transactional relationships. Instead, it is a two-way exchange grounded in service, mutual learning, and shared humanity.
Key Themes
The difference between being “part of” something and being truly in community
How crisis can catalyze purpose and clarity
Service as the foundation of meaningful connection
Moving from transactional audiences to reciprocal communities
The emotional reality of witnessing others’ pain
Why businesses and leaders must center impact, not ego
The connection between work stress, societal disruption, and the need for recovery
Love as the underlying force of both community and work
Core Insight
The richest communities are built on a two-way street.
You give. You receive. You learn. You serve.
And the work becomes love in action.
What This Means for Work Recovery
Bree connects her experiences to her broader mission:
Work stress is intensifying due to economic instability, industry disruption, and AI-driven change
Many people are experiencing panic, uncertainty, and identity disruption related to work
Recovery from work harm is not just an individual issue — it is collective care
Work Recovery is not self-care. It is community care.
Questions for Listeners
Where in your life are you truly in community versus simply adjacent to people?
What gifts, resources, or skills do you have that could lessen someone else’s pain?
Does your work create impact for people you care about?
What kind of community do you want to build or belong to?
Memorable Quotes
“There’s a difference between being part of something and being in community.”
“If you are serving a real need, you are meeting people in their pain.”
“The work is to love. Work in action is love in action.”
“Work recovery is community care.”
Connect with Bree
View all episodes
By Bree JohnsonIn this deeply personal episode, Bree Johnson shares the third major lesson from the “Winter of 2026”: the incredible power of community rooted in service.
What began with a phone call from a grieving teacher — and a devastating story involving a young student — became a catalyst for Bree’s immersion into community care work across Minnesota. Through rapid mobilization, fundraising, storytelling, and connection-building, Bree discovered a radically different understanding of community than she had previously experienced in her career and life.
This episode explores how authentic community is not an audience, not followers, and not transactional relationships. Instead, it is a two-way exchange grounded in service, mutual learning, and shared humanity.
Key Themes
The difference between being “part of” something and being truly in community
How crisis can catalyze purpose and clarity
Service as the foundation of meaningful connection
Moving from transactional audiences to reciprocal communities
The emotional reality of witnessing others’ pain
Why businesses and leaders must center impact, not ego
The connection between work stress, societal disruption, and the need for recovery
Love as the underlying force of both community and work
Core Insight
The richest communities are built on a two-way street.
You give. You receive. You learn. You serve.
And the work becomes love in action.
What This Means for Work Recovery
Bree connects her experiences to her broader mission:
Work stress is intensifying due to economic instability, industry disruption, and AI-driven change
Many people are experiencing panic, uncertainty, and identity disruption related to work
Recovery from work harm is not just an individual issue — it is collective care
Work Recovery is not self-care. It is community care.
Questions for Listeners
Where in your life are you truly in community versus simply adjacent to people?
What gifts, resources, or skills do you have that could lessen someone else’s pain?
Does your work create impact for people you care about?
What kind of community do you want to build or belong to?
Memorable Quotes
“There’s a difference between being part of something and being in community.”
“If you are serving a real need, you are meeting people in their pain.”
“The work is to love. Work in action is love in action.”
“Work recovery is community care.”
Connect with Bree