Cultivating Partnership, Presence & Possibility
When I sat down with Alan and Tina from Liberated Leaders, they weren’t coming to me with a crisis. They weren’t tangled in irreparable conflict or scrambling to salvage a partnership. They were doing what I wish more leaders would do: investing in their relationship early—before friction turned to fracture. They already had clarity, shared values, and real love for the work they were building. But they knew that growth, real growth, would require more than vision. It would require structure, intentionality, and an outside presence to help them see what they couldn’t yet name.
That’s where I came in.
What we did together wasn’t flashy. There were no dramatic interventions or big ah-ha moments. Instead, we spent a few hours in a space of deep presence—getting curious about the small stuff before it could become big stuff. We named tensions, clarified roles, explored financial agreements, and surfaced questions that were harder to ask alone. We laughed. We got quiet. We even cried. And when the session ended, they didn’t leave with a stamp of approval—they left with a shared understanding, a clearer foundation, and tools they could use again and again.
If you’re interested in learning more about our session, check out our conversation which emphasizes the importance of intentionality, vulnerability, and a strong foundation in building successful business relationships, mirroring the dedication often seen in long-term marriages.
What I Offer
My work lives at the intersection of conflict resilience, emotional fluency, and intentional team design. I support leaders, partnerships, and small teams who know that how you work together is just as important as what you’re building.
Many of my clients come to me in one of three moments:
At the beginning of a new project, partnership, or team formation
When tension is rising, and communication is starting to strain
During “normal” transitions—like revisiting agreements, shifting roles, or scaling a vision
You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from this work. In fact, one of my greatest joys is helping teams stay ahead of unnecessary breakdowns by building healthy communication and shared structures before they’re needed.
The Process: Rooted in Presence, Guided by You
One of the things I love most about this work is that no two sessions are the same. There’s no template or one-size-fits-all framework. What I bring instead is a deep capacity to listen beneath the words and shape each conversation around your unique needs.
That said, there are some rhythms that often show up:
1. Start with the Human
We begin not with goals or deliverables, but with the people in the room. A simple check-in—mind, body, heart, and spirit—can shift everything. It sets the tone that who you are matters as much as what you're doing.
2. Get Clear on Intentions
What are we here for? What’s the decision we’re facing, or the pattern we want to change? Clarity around intention gives every conversation direction—and helps us know when we’ve arrived.
3. Name What’s Unspoken
In every session, there are things that don’t get said directly—subtle body language, unasked questions, undercurrents of emotion. Part of my role is to notice those threads and gently bring them forward, with curiosity and care.
4. Support Real-Time Co-Creation
Whether we’re refining a decision-making structure, walking through partnership roles, or exploring a difficult conversation, I create a container where you can try things out—test language, reflect in the moment, or pause when something feels sticky. We’re not just talking about your work; we’re doing it together, in real time.
5. Close with Intention
I come from a background in mediation, and one thing that’s stayed with me is the power of a well-held ending. Every session deserves a thoughtful close—whether we’ve landed on clarity or are still mid-process. We name what’s next, acknowledge what emerged, and leave space for integration.
What’s Different About This Work?
A lot of leadership support is focused on strategies, metrics, or performance. That’s important. But the deeper work—the work I love most—happens in the moments between the strategy. In the pauses. The hard conversations. The quiet realizations.
Clients often tell me things like:
“I didn’t expect to cry, but it felt safe to.”
“That thing I couldn’t name before... I can now.”
“This helped us avoid something that could’ve blown up later.”
What I bring is not just a skillset—it’s a presence. I hold space with clarity, compassion, and a willingness to sit with discomfort. I ask questions that don’t have easy answers. I help teams strengthen their conflict resilience, so when the inevitable tensions arise, they know how to stay in a relationship through them.
And I always hold a deep trust in what’s possible—even in the “goo” phase of change. (If you’ve heard me talk about butterfly goo, you know what I mean.)
Real Impact: What We Created Together
In our session, Tina and Alan didn’t need someone to fix anything. What they needed was a mirror—a way to see their shared blind spots and deepen their alignment.
We worked through:
Refining their operating agreement before a formal partnership
Naming how decisions would be made, and who held what roles
Surfacing questions about compensation and long-term vision
Practicing how to navigate emotion, disagreement, and gratitude in real time
Embedding future check-in rituals to keep things aligned as they grew
They brought a lot to the table—clarity, values, trust—and I helped them shape it into something usable, sustainable, and real.
Today, they’ve fully stepped into their co-founder relationship. And our work together didn’t end there. Now, I’m thrilled to say that I’ve joined their extended team as a Success Artisan—collaborating with Liberated Leaders to support more clients in building relationship-rich, resilient businesses. Our connection has evolved from client engagement to creative partnership, and it’s a powerful example of what’s possible when values align.
A Small Invitation
If you’re starting a new collaboration, sensing friction in your team, or simply navigating a period of transition—let’s talk. The work I do doesn’t require you to be in crisis. In fact, the sooner we begin, the more spaciousness, clarity, and strength we can build together.
Whether it’s a single facilitated session or a longer-term engagement, I’m here to help you hold the whole picture: the relationships, the unspoken dynamics, and the possibility waiting just beneath the surface.
About the Author
Robin Funsten provides Coaching, Consulting, Facilitation and Training for companies, individuals, and communities. Known for designing experiences that are supportive of transformation, Robin makes and holds the space for real and lasting change to occur. She makes it fun to dive deep into topics like emotional fluency and conflict resilience - supporting people to show up in professional relationships with integrity and compassion. See Our Team for her extensive credentials.
Note: This article was 90% human generated and 10% machine (AI) generated.