Sashn

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝟗𝟑-𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐄𝐫𝐚!

It’s not every day a business reaches 93 years! The roots of my family and the namesake of my consulting business Sashn (https://sashn.ca/), Brisson Castle Building Supply (https://brissoncastle.com/), originally started by my grandfather as Sash & Door, later becoming J.A. Brisson & Sons is a generational chapter in our family’s story and it is coming to an end.

For four generations, unwavering pride, passion, and dedication have shaped this business, marking the end of an era and a legacy woven into our family and the community where I grew up. My dad (2nd generation), pictured here, worked tirelessly, always at the heart of it all.

It’s hard to put into words what this means, not only to me personally but to the community it served for nearly a century. For generations, the store was more than a place to buy lumber, windows, and hardware.

𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞.
𝐀 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫.
𝐀 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭.
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭.
𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲.

Growing up, I watched how deeply my family’s work touched people’s lives. Homes, schools, and local landmarks were built with materials from our store, and lasting friendships grew out of those connections. That legacy of service and community shaped our family in profound ways.

While closing is a difficult moment for our family, I feel immense gratitude for the generations of employees, customers, and community who made it what it was. Few companies last 93 years, and fewer still leave behind such deep pride and connection. Though the doors are closing, there is legacy, values, lessons passed down, and the spirit of resilience. All of this guides the work I do today!

Here’s to 93 years of history and leading with the heart! ❣️
How will you shape the legacy you leave?

Three Trees, Three Cultures

I took this photo this morning and couldn’t help but see a story about culture in it. (Shocking, I know. Me, talking about culture.)

🍁 The first tree is in full transformation. Its leaves once vibrant, now falling. It reminds me of a culture that once thrived but is now fading. Maybe it was never nurtured, or maybe it simply wasn’t built to last.

🍃 Tree Two is in the midst of change. A few leaves have turned, others are holding on. It’s a culture that’s started the journey and is learning how to bring them out boldly and consistently.

🌳 The third tree, the largest, shows no signs of change. It stands tall, but still green. Maybe it doesn’t know where to begin. Maybe it doesn’t even realize change is needed.

Culture isn’t static. It evolves....or it erodes.

Where is your organization in this picture? Are you shedding, shifting, or stuck?

At Sashn, we help cultures figure out what kind of tree they are..... and evolve into the kind that makes Autumn proud! 🍁

𝑀𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓉𝓊𝓃𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝑜𝓀𝒾𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒾𝒻𝑒𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃! "𝘈 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘰ʀ𝘬 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰ʀ𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧"

I’m absolutely thrilled to share that I’ve joined Habitat for Humanity Canada as their fractional Strategic Leadership & People Consultant! 🏚️

Visiting their Toronto office this week and meeting the incredibly caring, passionate team in person was truly inspiring. Their energy and dedication made me even more excited to support them strategically, focusing on leadership, culture, and the people practices that drive their amazing mission.

Back in 2021, I had the chance to support Habitat through corporate fundraising campaigns for two builds. Coming full circle to now and being able to contribute in a deeper, strategic way feels incredible.

Visit a Habitat ReStore (https://habitat.ca/en/restore) near you or check out the incredible work they do here https://habitat.ca

Caring about people, teams, and this mission has never felt more meaningful and I can’t wait to get started! 💛

𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞?

I’ve been holding onto this fortune cookie for a while. 🥠

“𝘈 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.”

Starting Sashn was about creating space to do the kind of work I believe in. Helping companies shape people & culture in meaningful, scalable ways. And this week, I get to share an exciting new chapter in that journey. ✨

Opportunities have a way of showing up when we least expect them…if we believe.

What fortune have you been holding on to?

Also, should I play these lucky numbers? 🎲 🙂

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲? 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.

When my son first laced up his skates and throughout the seasons, he was just your average kid, having a good time on the ice. But what hockey has given our family goes far beyond the games; it was teamwork, resilience, lifelong friendships, unforgettable memories, and a true sense of belonging. The community around the sport has been just as meaningful as the play itself, showing us what it takes to support each other and thrive together.

I know firsthand the impact the sport can have, and to pay it forward, I’ve served as a Board member and Registrar with our local hockey association for the past four years. It’s busy work, especially as a new season begins, but incredibly rewarding. Volunteering has taught me that strong communities aren’t built on titles or profit. They grow from showing up, supporting others, and creating the conditions for people to succeed.

I’ve worked to bring this same approach into the workplace, partnering with organizations that are not only in need of support but are actively strengthening their own communities. I’ve collaborated with groups such as Habitat for Humanity Canada (𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞🎉,) United Way East Ontario - Centraide de l'Est de l'Ontario Ottawa Food Bank, Ecology Ottawa, Kanata Food Cupboard, Make-A-Wish, Breast Cancer Awareness, Movember, Upstream Ottawa, Chrysalis House, and one of my personal favorites, Kids Against Hunger. Just as in hockey, building a thriving community at work takes time, attention, and a willingness to show up for others.

As my son skates into his final season before graduating, having earned his stripes as a referee along the way, I’m reminded that the real win comes from the community around him. Our greatest legacy will be the people and communities we help grow.

𝐀𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝, 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦, 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬?

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒍 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑶𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒘𝒂 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒘𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒔. 🏊‍♀️

I really admire how the City manages this rush and the parents who skillfully navigate the chaos, knowing how important it is to teach their kids to swim. After all, there’s only so many instructors and pool spots to go around, classic supply and demand at play (but we’ll save that deep dive for another day).

When my kids were little, registration day was a full-on mission! Multiple devices fired up, the living room transformed into “mission control,” and that panic rush to act before the opportunity vanished. We were toggling between the prehistoric telephone and the temperamental web BTW!

That rush? It’s the same in business. When the stakes are high and the clock is ticking, what are you doing to get your team ready to jump into action the moment opportunity strikes?

𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Good luck to everyone diving into the swim lesson scramble this year. May the odds be ever in your favor! 💪

There’s something uniquely rewarding about working with a client from my hometown.

Not only do I get to support meaningful work, I also get to visit the place where it all began for me.

A lot of business, a heavy hit of nostalgia, and so much gratitude. 🙏

Love when work brings me home. 🏡

And if you ever get the chance to visit Cochrane, Ontario - do it.
Small town, big heart ❣️

Snapped this photo the other night, and it sparked a thought:

When a storm is on the horizon, is your team ready? ⛈️

In times of change, HR plays a crucial role in helping your people and workplace stay strong. 💪

Ask yourself, can your team weather the storm?

📢📢📢

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 🆕 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀!

Wondering how your benefits compare to others in your sector?

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With this service, you’ll be able to:
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