A little over a decade ago, there’s a photo of me in the local newspaper. I’m standing in front of the school board, barely holding myself together, explaining why my family had decided to sell our home and move. The school had become a place where my son wasn’t safe. The system was broken and I had done everything I knew how to do to fix it. And yet, nothing changed.

What the photo doesn’t show is how invisible I felt in that moment. I was the PTO president. I volunteered constantly. I was in the school almost daily. But I was nobody these people had ever heard of. I thought being involved was enough, but I hadn’t realized I was showing up in all the wrong ways. And when it counted most, my voice didn’t carry. We were leaving our home, the place where we had started our family, because I didn’t have the social resources to affect change. Looking back, I see it clearly now: I was underconnected.

So, when we moved to our new town, I decided something had to change. I didn’t have a strategy at the time, not in the formal sense, but I knew I wanted a place where I felt heard. A community where my voice mattered, where my son had opportunities, and where we belonged. I didn’t want to be on the outside of things anymore.

I started small. I joined the PTO again, but this time I made a point to learn the names and faces of the people who shaped the day-to-day experiences in the school: the principal, the librarian, the teachers who everyone listened to. I introduced myself to my neighbors and organized a contact list. I joined the HOA board, the library board, and sat in the township meetings.

I kept showing up. Not to be busy, but with intention.

Years passed, and things shifted. I was invited into conversations. I was asked to be part of decisions. I wasn’t just in the room anymore. I had roles, a voice, and relationships I could lean on. The town became home. Not because it was perfect, but because I became a part of it.

One night, not too long ago, I got a text message with a photo. It was 27 of my neighbors at trivia night for the community group I started. They were laughing and talking and building friendships with one another. And I wasn’t even there.

That was the moment I understood the kind of wealth I had built.

No amount of money can buy the feeling of belonging, not just for yourself, but also in creating it for others. Social wealth multiplies when shared. And here’s the part I want you to hear: I didn’t come from money, I didn’t have connections, and I didn’t know anyone when I started. I didn’t do anything extraordinary. What changed was how I showed up. I stopped just being present and started showing up to be connected. That made all the difference.

Maybe your goal isn’t building community. Maybe it’s building a business, growing in your career, or rallying support around an idea that matters. The truth is the same: your progress is people-powered. Your future is shaped in the small, consistent patterns of showing up.

The hidden wealth of connection is available to you every day with every choice you make to show up.

Let’s Keep Growing Together

If you’re ready to build your own foundation of social wealth not just more contacts, but real connection, let’s talk.
If you’d like to explore how this work could support your team, organization, or community, or if you want to stay informed about upcoming social well-being workshops, I’d love to stay connected.

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