Memoir Excerpt | Chapter 25: The Moment Everything Shifted

Lotus in the Concrete™: Blooming Through the Cracks of Life as a Gen Xer

There is a moment in every transformation where the truth refuses to stay quiet.
For me, it happened in the middle of a workday — during a season when survival had become muscle memory, and silence had become the cost of staying afloat.

By then, I had led teams through impossible deadlines, broken systems, and cultures held together by fear, fatigue, and the kind of unspoken tension you can feel before anyone says a word.

And in the middle of one of those days, it hit me:

• Organizations don’t break because of process.
• They break because of people in pain.

That realization gutted me — and changed me. It forced me to confront what I had been absorbing for years:

• The weight of unspoken truths.
• The ache of blurred ownership.
• The quiet harm of cultures that mistake silence for harmony.

That moment became Chapter 25 of Lotus in the Concrete™.
But it also became something else — a blueprint, a method, a way forward.

• A way to name what hurts.
• A way to repair what breaks.
• A way to rebuild trust without shame, blame, or chaos.

That moment became the seed of Circle Forward™ — the 90-day cycle of truth, ownership, and repair that would emerge much later… but was born right there, in that instant of clarity.

Introducing Circle Forward™: The Underbelly + The Kitchen Sink™

A 90-day corporate culture repair framework that moves teams from awareness → action → visible change.

I built Circle Forward™ because “circling back” was never enough.
It’s a new way to see, heal, and rebuild workplace culture — born from lived experience and designed to bridge what metrics can’t measure: trust, accountability, and humanity.

In most organizations:

• "Collaboration” turns into control.
• “Flexibility” erases boundaries.
• “Psychological safety” stays on the slide deck.

All of that lives in the Underbelly™ — the unseen layer where culture fractures quietly until someone names it.

Circle Forward™ Overview & Alignment Call (Complimentary)

The Circle Forward™ Overview & Alignment Call  is a focused, confidential conversation designed for HR leaders, executives, DEIB teams, and operational partners seeking a meaningful and measurable approach to culture repair. 

This is not a coaching session and not a sales pitch.

It is a clarity and alignment conversation — built to assess readiness, explore culture signals, and determine whether Circle Forward™ is the right intervention for your team. 

If your organization is experiencing trust erosion, post-layoff fatigue, cultural drift, or leadership misalignment, this call offers a grounded starting point to name what’s happening and explore what repair could look like.

What We’ll Cover

During this 30 minute session, we will: 

1. Provide a High-Level Overview of the Circle Forward™ Framework 

• Underbelly™ – surfacing truth
• The Kitchen Sink™ – prioritizing what hurts most
• Onus/Kuleana™ – ownership and accountable repair
• 90-Day Timeline - Conversations, Readiness Design, and Culture Go-Live

2. Explore Your Organization’s Culture Signals 

We’ll take a quick read of: 

• Communication Gaps
• Misalignment or Friction Points
• Trust Patterns
• Team Readiness
• Leadership Appetite for Truth + Repair

3. Assess Mutual Fit 

Circle Forward™ is deep, honest work. We’ll evaluate whether: 

• Your organization is ready for the level of transparency required.
• Your leaders are committed to clarity, accountability, and follow-through.
• The timing and internal dynamics support a 90-day transformation cycle.
• Our partnership style feels right for your team.

4. Recommend an Appropriate Next Step 

If aligned, we’ll outline the path toward: 

• 90-Day Circle Forward™ Partnership Scope
• Readiness Indicators
• An Ideal Project Timeline

If not, you’ll still leave with a grounded next move your team can start immediately.

Guiding Values: The Culture Compass™ 

Every Circle Forward™ conversation is rooted in Hawaiian values: 

• Aloha — kindness, respect
• Kōkua — help without hierarchy
• Kuleana — ownership and accountability
• Lōkahi — harmony and unity
• Pono — integrity in action
• Ho‘ohui — connection and belonging

These principles guide how truth is surfaced and how repair is approached.

Good to Know 

• Bring your top 2–3 culture concerns or questions.
• The call is confidential and pressure-free.
• This is not a diagnostic deep dive — that happens inside the 90-day engagement.
• This session ensures clarity before commitment.

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The Response

Circle Forward™ brings clarity, accountability, and compassion into the same room — powered by shared Onus/Kuleana™ (responsibility) and one core checkpoint: Status Quo or Action Plan?

Foundation & Shared Language

The governance structure of Circle Forward™ is  grounded in Hawaiian values.

Every engagement blends data and dignity, rigor and reflection—guided by the Hawaiian values that form the Culture Compass™.

Circle Forward™: The Underbelly + The Kitchen Sink™ | 90-Day Culture Repair Partnership

Circle Forward™ 90-Day Culture Repair Partnership
From data to change. From whispers to proof.

Overview
When culture feels heavy with “listening fatigue” and light on visible change, Circle Forward™ bridges the gap between insight and impact.

The Circle Forward™ 90-Day Culture Repair Partnership  is built for organizations ready to move from status quo to action plan — fast.

Rooted in 20 years of PMO leadership, SaaS implementation, and lived frontline experience, Circle Forward™ blends project discipline with human repair. This is not theory — it’s traction.

We surface the Underbelly™ (what hurts but stays hidden), clear the Kitchen Sink™  (everything that needs a look), and prioritize meaningful fixes using the MVP, Meet MoSCoW™ method.

By Day 90, you’ll have visible deltas, measurable trust recovery, and a culture that feels lighter — and functions better.

What’s Included

Month 1 — The Underbelly™

• Leadership intake + stakeholder mapping
• Employee pulse or small-group Truth Sessions
• Draft Culture Risk Register (R/Y/G dashboard)
• Synthesis of root-cause themes
• Duration: 4 weeks of guided discovery + trust-building

Month 2 — The Kitchen Sink™ 

• Translate insights into a prioritized MoSCoW backlog
• Identify 10–20 micro-fixes across policy, process, and practice
• Facilitate 1–2 governance sessions to align ownership
• Duration: 4 weeks of collaborative design + action planning

Month 3 — MVP, Meet MoSCoW™ 

• Launch 3–5 Minimum Viable Practices (quick wins that last)
• Publish Visible Deltas + Green Criteria for cultural health
• Wrap-up debrief + sustainment recommendations
• Duration: 4 weeks of implementation + stabilization

Investment

$24,000 flat (one-time payment)
24 sessions • 48 hours • Hourly rate: $375/hour
Payable via Stripe, ACH, Wire, or Zelle.
Kickoff within two weeks of signing.

Deliverables

• Underbelly™ Report (10–12 pages) with key insights + synthesis
• Culture Risk Register (single-source R/Y/G dashboard)
• Kitchen Sink™ Backlog (prioritized with owners + due dates)
• Manager Playbook (1-pagers, templates, meeting cadences)
• 90-Day Sustain Plan (optional continuation retainer)

Best For

• HR, DEI, and People & Culture leaders facing “listening fatigue”
• Post-survey organizations stuck in “insight-without-action”
• Founders/executives who want proof, not platitudes
• Teams experiencing burnout, misalignment, or trust erosion

Why It Works

Empathy + Structure — Every story has a system; every insight has a path.
Visible Change — We track deltas you can see. No corporate smoke.
Shared Kuleana — Accountability you can feel and measure.
Faster Trust Recovery — Because people stay when repair is visible.

Next Steps

• Receive your SOW + kickoff plan
• Sign + submit one-time $5,000 payment
• Begin your 90-Day Circle Forward™ Partnership
• Kickoff can begin within two weeks.
   

Optional Retainers (Ongoing Support)

Retainer Lite: $3,000/month (1 session per week + dashboard updates)
Retainer Core: $6,000/month (2 sessions per week + deep implementation)
 

Proprietary Framework

Circle Forward™: The Underbelly + The Kitchen Sink™
© Sensei Red Lotus™ LLC. All rights reserved.
Rooted in Aloha, Kōkua, Kuleana, Lōkahi, Pono, and Ho‘ohui.

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Circle Forward™ Retainer Lite (30-Day)

Circle Forward™ Retainer Lite is available exclusively to organizations who have completed the full Circle Forward™ 90-Day Culture Repair Partnership.

Circle Forward™ Retainer Lite provides a steady, supportive rhythm to help your team sustain new practices, protect trust recovery, and continue building cultural alignment. 

What’s Included 

• Weekly Circle Forward™ Session
  60-minute check-in to review progress, unblock challenges, and support ongoing accountability.
• Dashboard Updates
  Real-time R/Y/G refreshes on trust patterns, ownership items, and micro-fix progress.
• Sustainment Coaching
  Light-touch guidance to help leaders maintain new communication habits, meeting structures, and repair routines.
• Micro-Fix Support

  Continued rollout and reinforcement of small, high-impact changes that were    prioritized during the Kitchen Sink™ phase.

Best For

Teams who want continued stability, gentle accountability, and a structured rhythm without a heavy implementation lift.

Investment 

$3,000 flat (one-time payment) 

4 sessions • 8 hours • Hourly rate: $375/hour 

Payable via Stripe, ACH, Wire, or Zelle. 

Kickoff within two weeks of signing. 

Proprietary Framework 

Circle Forward™: The Underbelly + The Kitchen Sink™ 

© Sensei Red Lotus™ LLC. All rights reserved. 

Rooted in Aloha, Kōkua, Kuleana, Lōkahi, Pono, and Ho‘ohui. 

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Book Your Circle Forward™ Retainer Lite (30-Day)

Circle Forward™ Retainer Core (30-Day)

Circle Forward™ Retainer Core is available exclusively to organizations who have completed the full Circle Forward™ 90-Day Culture Repair Partnership.

Circle Forward™ Retainer Core provides a steady, supportive rhythm to help your team sustain new practices, protect trust recovery, and continue building cultural alignment. 

What’s Included 

• Weekly Circle Forward™ Session
  60-minute check-in to review progress, unblock challenges, and support ongoing accountability.
• Dashboard Updates
  Real-time R/Y/G refreshes on trust patterns, ownership items, and micro-fix progress.
• Sustainment Coaching
  Light-touch guidance to help leaders maintain new communication habits, meeting structures, and repair routines.
• Micro-Fix Support

  Continued rollout and reinforcement of small, high-impact changes that were    prioritized during the Kitchen Sink™ phase.

Best For

Teams who want continued stability, gentle accountability, and a structured rhythm without a heavy implementation lift.

Investment 

$6,000 flat (one-time payment) 

8 sessions • 16 hours • Hourly rate: $375/hour 

Payable via Stripe, ACH, Wire, or Zelle. 

Kickoff within two weeks of signing. 

Proprietary Framework 

Circle Forward™: The Underbelly + The Kitchen Sink™ 

© Sensei Red Lotus™ LLC. All rights reserved. 

Rooted in Aloha, Kōkua, Kuleana, Lōkahi, Pono, and Ho‘ohui. 

CTA / Button 

Book Your Circle Forward™ Retainer Core (30-Day)