Welcome to the Helia Library - Going Further Together
Published June 2025
What started as our vision for a resource we wished existed is becoming a real thing! June 20th (beautiful accident to launch on the Summer Solstice) is the official launch of the beta version of the Helia Library!
After decades of getting to be doers, the humans that move ideas forward and get to be at the heart of organizations, we created The Helia Collective to be a Partner in How for the social sector (any for-profits, non-profits, creatives, start-ups and companies working to make our world better). We’re hoping you’re someone we can build WITH and FOR.
We want Helia, and especially the Helia Library, to be a joyful resource hub to help all the doers get a start. What this means??? Fewer blank pages. Less "I wish I'd known this sooner". More feeling of connection. More insight with a bank of resources and stories to learn and build from.
What we’re imagining for the Helia Library
Articles full of the human experience - sharing stories and wisdom from people who've been there - the human side of the experience - to help us all feel seen and heard and a little less alone.
Resources – templates, frameworks, and examples to inspire and adapt and build from
Connections – humans ready to help when you need to bring someone else into your corner
Our business model is simple - we charge for Helia Consulting work - and take a 10% referral fee for any business that our readers might hire through Helia - which keeps everything else free and shared!
This is our first iteration - we LOVE having this be in the world AND we're testing everything – the format, the topics, the tools, even how we share it all. We want to know what resonates and what falls flat, what is helpful and what you're skimming over, what do you want us to add in.
Why We’re Building This (And Why We Need Your Input)
From the early days in my career, I craved templates and specific how-to's. I just wanted to do it 'right.'" Occasionally there would be a great mentor to walk me through – but more often than not I stared at fancy spreadsheets that consultants seemed to build effortlessly (especially after my infamous early attempt where I miscalculated so badly that I reported missing our targets every month for an ENTIRE YEAR). Or, I'd lie awake at night, losing sleep over how to have what felt like an impossible conversation with an underperforming team member.
Sadly, as I learned over and over, there is no checklist or perfect answer or "right" way of doing things. The work of "doers" is evolving and nuanced and there's no magic box or book that teaches you everything or someone who knows it all.
While there was no single source of truth, I did find the secret sauce in one place over and over: When I reached out to others and they shared their hard-earned stories and templates and advice, it was MAGIC.
I felt less alone and okay not always knowing the answer (what a concept!). I had some potential roadmaps and ideas to build on instead of staring at a blank page. These conversations were beautiful AND incredibly powerful – they gave me concrete starting points, helped me see solutions I couldn't have imagined on my own and, most importantly, were full of the humanity in it all. They helped me understand not just what to do but how important humans were - myself and those I worked with - were in what we were doing
Jess’ yard where most of the writing for the Helia Library is happening!
A couple highlights from these joyful conversations:
The colleague who reminded me how good it would feel after I acknowledged I made a bad hire and pushed me to let folks go with generous severance packages. She was so right.
The colleague who walked me through how their organization did internal comms – which made me realize that a) we are all terrible at this(!) and b) there are lots of ways to do it SO much better.
The mentor who gave me tricks for never over-forecasting again after almost a year of sitting in meetings where I was lambasted again for my way too optimistic revenue predictions– present all numbers in ranges, always go with the most conservative number possible and add a 10% contingency on everything.
I spent 2023 focused on how to bring more joy and ease into my life - and sharing and learning and being in community with others was one of the most beautiful ways to do that. It makes us feel lighter, makes our problems easier to solve, and helps us realize we're not alone.
That's what we're trying to create with the Helia Library - or at least be a tiny part of that - and we would love your help to get it “right.”
Liz taking a picture of Jess while dinner’ing and celebrating bringing Helia into reality!
A Quick Snapshot: What’s in the Library
Curious where to begin? From an anonymous story of the journey back to loving their job again (When to Get a Coach) to Sebastian’s brilliance in hosting convenings that bring together folks on “opposite” sides of our political spectrum (Secret Sauce for Good Convenings) to New Harbor’s practical and pragmatic advice on what we actually need to do to safeguard our work digitally (Cybersecurity without the Panic) to .Libby’s transforming her EdTech company to being a place folks wanted to work and schools wanted to work with (OKRs for Results) - we have a range!
Where you come in…
We want The Helia Library to be beautiful, joyous and useful - here’s how you can help get us there
As someone I want to learn from and create for(!), we are automatically subscribing you(!). This means you'll receive 2-4 free newsletters a month with stories, resources, and featured Library contributors. If you'd prefer to NOT receive this, you’re missing out(!)and we totally get it. Consent matters! To be removed from the mailing list, click “unsubscribe” in the newsletter footer or email hello@theheliacollective.com.
Help us make this better! The simplest way? Use this recommendation form to suggest topics you want more on, nominate the most inspirational doers in your network - including yourself - to contribute their wisdom, or share resources you swear by.
Give us feedback on everything (website, newsletter, beta experience) and specific articles and resources.
PS: Want to go deeper?
Helia's Braintrust - a group of folks we can send quick emails to get your take on stuff we're trying. Only requirement is enthusiasm! Sign up here!
UX Testers - throughout the summer we'll hold UX testing events, both async and synch. Help us make Helia a breeze to find what you need (and didn't know you need!) Be on the list to hear what's coming!Have an idea or recommendation that’s not covered in the above? Yes please!!! Email us at hello@theheliacollective.com.
Connie enjoying the Colorado front range on a gloriously Helia-esque sunny day!
A Few Grounding Norms
Starting Points, Not Perfect Solutions: What you'll find here isn't meant to be definitive—it's designed to spark your thinking and expand what's possible. Use these ideas as launch pads for creating your own approach.
Take What Serves You, Leave What Doesn't: Borrow freely from what resonates, and simply set aside what doesn't feel right for your situation.
Remember, We Have All Been There: Our stories reflect our imperfect solutions and imperfect selves. We're all just figuring it out together.
Join Us If It Speaks To You: This is a labor of love because it feels right. We're building this with whoever wants to join – whether that's lots of humans or just a few!
We're Learning and Evolving Together: The more feedback you share, the more we can shape what's next. Send us your questions, ideas, and thoughts – we welcome everything sent with good intent.
Keep It Human: This space is built by humans, for humans. You can count on personal pictures in every article, imperfect punctuation and very real stories - because we celebrate real voices, messy drafts, honest questions, and the people brave enough to show up with all of it.
Thanks for being part of this - and helping us create something that makes all of our lives a little more full of joy and ease!
With excitement,
A little about us
Jess Skylar and Liz Mills launched the Helia Collective in 2025 with the vision to create the resource we always wished existed – a Partner in How! Learn more about what we’re doing and why by checking out our website, following us on LinkedIn and/or reading Helia’s strategic plan.
