Fifth Season Consulting

07/31/2026

Excited to take my knowledge of Continuous Improvement to Kirkwood Corporate Training with this series!

Whether you work in manufacturing, healthcare, education, government, business, or a nonprofit organization, one challenge remains the same:
How do we improve results without creating more work?

Learn from experienced professionals Kara Hinzie, Robert Rathje, and Steve Wilson as they share practical tools for leadership, process improvement, problem-solving, and workplace effectiveness.

This series is designed for professionals who want to improve the way work happens every day.

07/16/2026

I’ll be leading the Health and Wellness breakout sessions this year 🧘🏼‍♀️🙏🏻 Tickets are officially for sale

Mark your calendars for Sept. 24th and purchase your tickets here: https://whova.com/portal/registration/-A8yetWRjCljRqm/

07/01/2026

You get home from a long day at work.
Late.
Tired.
Hungry.

And you get asked the question, “What’s for dinner?”

Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook…but not three times a day, everyday.

So the other week I asked Chat, “What’s for dinner?” before I would get asked.

I listed off what protein, veggies and pantry ideas I had on hand. I let it know what produce was about to go bad and what was available in my garden.
I also gave it Scotty and my diet restrictions which is what has made cooking lately sooooo much more difficult, mentally.

It gave me three different options, macros, and recipe WITHOUT having to “Jump to Recipe” and fight through ads only to find you don’t have all the ingredients or prep time.

Let me know if this is something you find useful and I’ll keep the series going! 🍽️

All ingredients from ALDI USA

06/30/2026

Anyone else feeling the heat this week? 🔥

Everyday the first thing I do is look at the weather forecast, because for over 11 years in transportation, the weather was part of my job.

* Which states are under advisories?
* Will a wildfire close a route?
* Are refrigerated loads at risk?
* Will drivers run out of Hours of Service because of delays?
* How many contingency plans do we need today?

Weather wasn’t background noise.
It influenced thousands of decisions.

This week reminded me of something else, weather doesn’t just affect freight.
It affects people.

Then add in a holiday week and a full moon! Sending thoughts and good vibes 🙏🏻

Fewer drivers.
Fewer coworkers.
Customers taking vacation.
A shorter work week.
The pressure to do the same amount of work, or more, with fewer resources.

Then Mother Nature turns up the heat ☀️

Whether you work outside, behind the wheel, in a warehouse, or in an office trying to keep everything moving…your body is experiencing that stress too.

Maybe today the weather forecast isn’t just another thing to manage, can it be part of your wellness too?

Heat index climbing?
💧 Drink more water before you’re thirsty.

Working outside?
🧢 Wear breathable clothing and take the breaks you can.

Stuck inside dispatching the chaos?
🚶 Stand up. Stretch. Step outside for five minutes ☀️ before diving into the next fire.

The weather is something we monitored for business decisions AND for ourselves.

After all, we’re not separate from nature.

We’re part of it 🌳

06/26/2026

Great week with the leaders at Frontier Co-op 🌱 partnered with Kirkwood Corporate Training

It’s inspiring to see a group so dedicated to investing in their people. They showed up authentically, were completely engaged, and built trust with vulnerability.

We even had a few laughs 😀

06/25/2026

After a full day of making decisions, the last question I want to answer is…”What’s for dinner?” 🍽️

So I’m starting a new series.

Instead of scrolling for recipes or ordering takeout (which I’ve done way too much lately!) I’m delegating this task to Chat.

“Chat, what’s for dinner”
-Here is what I already have 🗣️
-These are ready to use out of the garden 🌱
-Here is what is about to go bad 🥬
-There are my health goals and diet restrictions 🏥

Oh yeah, and make it budget friendly because everything is going up in cost! 💰

Each “What’s for Dinner?” post will include:
🍽️ The meal
💪 Nutrition highlights
❤️ Health-friendly options
💰 Cost breakdown
♻️ Food waste wins
🧠 How AI reduced the mental load
🌿 How it supports the 7 Pillars of Wellness

Tonight’s dinner:
💵 $11.65 total
🍽️ 4 servings
💚 Less than $3 per portion

Real food. Real life. Real wellness.

Would you try this?

06/19/2026

Sunrise hike with the Kick Ass Lady’s 🥾 on Mount Trashmore yesterday ☀️🦃

06/11/2026

Free time? Actually liking what you do?
Crazy concept, or is it?

06/10/2026

Redefining Success and Well-Being at Work 👩🏻‍💻

Somewhere along the way, many of us learned how to achieve more, but not necessarily how to enjoy it. Why can’t we have both?

Excited to partner with Kirkwood Corporate Training in exploring what sustainable success can look and FEEL like.

✏️First class > December 1st 2026 in Cedar Rapids
Registration > https://lnkd.in/gx4mHhR9

✏️Second class > March 24th 2027 in Washington County
Registration > https://lnkd.in/gDpuMeXf

🌉 The Bridge – Washington County Session
Redefining Success and Well-Being at Work
📅 March 25, 2027 | 9 a.m. – Noon
📍 Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center
Burnout may be common—but it doesn’t have to be your norm. In this interactive workshop, you’ll explore the science behind burnout, reflect on your own experiences, and learn practical ways to interrupt the cycle. Walk away feeling energized, more self-aware, and equipped with a sustainable definition of success that works for you.
✨ Led by Kara Hinzie, a forward-thinking leader with 20+ years of experience developing people and leading through change.
💡 Additional session available:
Coaching & Developing a CI Culture – April 28, 2027 with Steve Wilson
✅ Join with a seat bundle or register individually for $169/session
👉 Learn more & register: www.kirkwood.edu/thebridge

05/22/2026

Packing for this long holiday weekend?

Try the Sudoku Packing Method:

✨ 3 tops
✨ 3 bottoms
✨ 3 layering pieces
= 15+ outfit combinations

I recently tested it on a weekend trip to Lake Okoboji and only packed a duffel bag 🤯

The best part?I still had outfits for:
☀️ sunny beach walks
🌧️ rainy lounge days
✨ a nicer dinner out
☕ cozy coffee runs

The trick is choosing pieces that all work together:
✔️ every top matches every bottom
✔️ layers work with every outfit
✔️ neutral/color-coordinated shoes
✔️ sticking to a color palette is KEY

I used greens + neutrals based on my seasonal color palette 💚🤍🤎🖤

My favorite part wasn’t saving space, it was reducing the mental load.

Less overthinking.
Less decision fatigue.
Less “just in case” packing stress.

More energy to actually enjoy the trip ✨

Be kind to your mind ♥️