No better time than today

Welcome to the first issue. Every Monday, this letter rounds up everything I shared that week, across my consulting work, my writing and my kitchen, plus the places I showed up and the causes I'm supporting. One letter, so you don't have to follow me everywhere.

Why now? Because there's no better time than today. Those close to me have heard my newest mantra: "I'm tired of losing." I realized I was only losing because I stopped competing. Not that this is a competition, but I do my best when I have a goal and something to strive for. I've dedicated my time to building my business, and this letter is how I'll bring it all together.

Thought

Five Windows, one year later

A year ago I started writing Five Windows into a Fragile Economy. This week I marked the anniversary with the window that started it all: housing. The system called our exit "positive." My income was still 26% below the local median. Read Five Windows, One Year Later

And I shared something personal: 62 pounds down, with no surgery and no shots. Much of it started in my own kitchen, which is a big part of what SZND is about. See the post

This week at ToyBox

• Selected to 10 City of Seattle consultant rosters for 2025 to 2030. Read the announcement
• Housing instability doesn't stay at home. It shows up at work, and a stay interview is one way to catch it early. Read the post
• A new series on ToyBox's three areas: Operations, Programs and Leadership Development. Start with the intro
• ToyBox is on TikTok with short daily lessons, from building a logic model on one page to how consultants actually get hired by a city. Follow @toyboxconsulting

Taste

SZND by Katoya: cooking in season

SZND is the homemade side of me: what I cook, what I grow and what I make with my hands. Every recipe has a home on katoyapalmer.com now. This week it was a split pea soup I made two nights in a row, the second batch with fresh jalapeño. On Saturday came the kitchen-extras soup I kept going all through Thanksgiving week last year, with my homemade cream of mushroom. Get the split pea soup · Get the kitchen-extras soup

Lipstick on My Fork: Primo's, Bellevue

Lipstick on My Fork, now rated in lip prints. 💋 This week: chicken and waffles that took me back to my grandma's fried chicken, and a house salad with steak wrapped like a bouquet. Four lip prints. Read the review

Presence

Where I was: 4Culture's Network of Support mixer

Wednesday night I was at 4Culture's Network of Support mixer at El Centro de la Raza's Centilia Cultural Center, my first year as one of the program's consultants. Over three rounds of 10-minute conversations, people asked what a board is really for, how to grow the next layer of leaders, and where to start on a strategic plan, a succession plan or a grant. A warm, welcoming room.

Where I'll be, and what I'm supporting

• Wed 10/14, 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM · "From First Conversation to Yes" at the Bellevue Chamber, 330 112th Ave NE #100. Register
• Sat 10/17, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM · The Sophia Way Fall Community Brunch, St. Luke's Lutheran Church, 3030 Bellevue Way NE. A warm meal, bingo, seasonal clothing and free haircuts, nails and facials for the women Sophia Way serves. I serve on the board. See the brunch
• Fri 11/6, 6:30 to 8:30 PM · Coming Home, Hilton Bellevue, 300 112th Ave SE, celebrating the women of The Sophia Way who got the keys to a home of their own. Get a ticket
• Now streaming · Drowning in Silence on Apple TV, Chezik Tsunoda's film about drowning prevention after the loss of her son. I'm in the film, and I'm proud to stand with her work. Watch on Apple TV
• Wed 10/14 · "From First Conversation to Yes" at the Bellevue Chamber, 330 112th Ave NE #100, 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Register

Mindfulness in the Middle

One practice for the week: one full breath. In for four, hold for four, out for six. It's what I do before every speaking engagement or presentation.

Mindfulness in the Middle is my space for staying grounded in the middle of a full life. It began as my healing journey, a path to finding myself again, and that path inspired Lipstick on My Fork and SZND. It has a home here now. Find more practices

One more thing

My work has two homes. This letter is the story. ToyBox Consulting & Management is the how: practical breakdowns for the people making decisions in business, government, the arts and nonprofits. Starting this week, ToyBox also shares "What's Your Problem?": you bring a real challenge, and I show how I'd approach it. If you lead a team, a budget or a board, follow along there too.

LinkedIn · Instagram · TikTok · X · toyboxconsulting.net

And starting in November, ToyBox sends Out the Box once a month: practical lessons from its work in operations, programs and leadership development.