Your Leadership Big Sister

A Care & Counsel Partner for New School Leaders

Your first year of leadership can feel isolating. You’re expected to remain calm under high pressure. You carry difficult conversations, staff concerns, student issues, parent complaints, and endless decisions that take a toll on your mental health. Everyone looks to your for answers, and no one ever asks how you’re doing.

You deserve a space where you don’t have to have all the answers and have it all together all the time. You deserve a space where someone believes in you and can help you carry the load.

The Care & Counsel Container is designed to be that space. A place where you can unpack the hard moments, think through strategic approaches to your challenges, celebrate the wins, and leave feeling lighter, clearer, and supported by someone who understands the realities of school leadership.

  • Think of this as your go-to support system!

    Your C&C Partner is someone:

    • you can call after the difficult meeting

    • who helps you untangle the situation before you send the email

    • who reminds you that one hard day doesn't define your leadership

    Our conversations might include:

    • Processing difficult situations

    • Talking through conflict before it escalates

    • Venting without fear of judgment

    • Receiving encouragement and honest perspective

    • Working through self-doubt and overthinking

    • Brainstorming solutions together

    • Planning school-wide initiatives and projects

    • Building systems that make leadership feel more manageable

    • Celebrating your growth along the way

    Some sessions may be strategic, and some may simply be about helping you carry the emotional weight of leadership. Both matter, with the overarching goal of supporting your mental health.

  • You spend your days supporting students, staff, and families. This space is designed to support you!

    • First-year assistant principals, deans, instructional coaches, or department chairs navigating the transition into leadership (0-1 years of leadership experience)

    • High achievers and perfectionists who hold themselves to high expectations

    • Leaders who overthink conversations, question decisions, or carry the weight of getting it right

    • Natural caretakers who are used to being the person others rely on

  • Every leader needs something different. Your Care & Counsel partnership is customized around your needs.

    It could look like:

    • A sounding board

    • Leadership guidance

    • Practical planning support

    • Accountability

    • Encouragement

    • A confidential space to process

    This isn't one-size-fits-all support and is designed for the season of leadership you're in.

  • Every partnership begins with a complimentary chemistry call.

    We'll discuss your leadership journey, what support would look like for you, and determine if we're the right fit.

    Your partnership includes:

    • 50-minute private virtual sessions

    • A customized session package

    • Weekly or bi-weekly meetings

    • A confidential space outside of your school community

Meet Your Leadership Big Sister

Chanel Keyvan

Hi, I’m Chanel (she/hers)! With more than a decade of experience as an educator, school administrator, and consultant, I’ve learned that sustainable leadership is built through strong systems, meaningful support, and the ability to navigate challenges without carrying them alone.

Throughout my career, I've helped organizations build stronger systems, healthier teams, and more sustainable ways of leading. I've also seen what happens behind the scenes of new leaders carrying the weight of impossible expectations, questioning themselves after difficult conversations, and feeling like they have to figure everything out on their own.

That’s why I created the Care & Counsel Container. Think of me as your leadership ally! The person you can come to when you need someone to listen, help you think through a difficult situation, offer perspective, create a plan, celebrate your wins, or simply remind you that you’re not alone in this journey!