A Time of Wintering with Guest Janet Rossbach, Founder of Affinity Blueprint
Janet B. Rossbach, founder of Affinity Blueprint, is a changemaker, nonprofit consultant, and career coach with nearly three decades of experience in higher education and nonprofit leadership. Throughout her career, she has built vibrant alumni and affinity networks at institutions including the School of Visual Arts, The Cooper Union, Columbia Business School, Baruch College, Camp Rising Sun, and SUNY New Paltz.
While she loved the work of building meaningful relationships and communities, Janet eventually realized that the realities of organizational life were no longer aligned with the way she wanted to contribute. She made the courageous decision to step away from her full-time role, launch her consulting practice, and later take a sabbatical to “rest, reflect, recover, and reboot.”
Janet describes this time as a period of cocooning, a chance to release expectations, past models, and assumptions about success that no longer served her. It became an opportunity to listen inward and redefine what success truly meant on her own terms.
As someone who studies leadership and organizational culture, I’m often struck by how much we glorify endurance. But what Janet models here is discernment, the wisdom to recognize when alignment has shifted and the courage to trust what’s emerging next.
This episode is an invitation to create space for yourself. Even if a full sabbatical isn’t possible, consider taking a day. A half day. Even an hour.
To pause.
To listen.
To reconnect with what ignites you.
About Janet Rossbach
Janet B. Rossbach is the founder of Affinity Blueprint, a nonprofit consulting practice focused on helping mission-driven organizations strengthen relationships with their communities and constituencies. A seasoned higher education and nonprofit leader with nearly 30 years of experience, Janet has built and led alumni engagement initiatives at institutions. Janet is also a NACE-certified career coach and nonprofit advisor who has consulted with organizations on volunteer engagement, membership strategy, and organizational change. Through her work and coaching, she helps professionals and institutions reimagine what meaningful connection and success can look like.
Contact Janet Rossbach:
Website: https://www.affinityblueprint.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetrossbach/
Email: Janet@AffinityBlueprint.com
Where you can find Dr. Kenya Nyota Lee, host of Creative and Resilient Voices:
Substack: https://creativeandresilient.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenyanyotalee/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenya_the_pathfinder/# [https://www.instagram.com/kenya_the_pathfinder/]
Email: Kenya@Kenyanyotalee.com
Resources Mentioned:
Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Wintering by Katherine May
About Dr. Kenya Nyota Lee
Dr. Kenya Nyota Lee is a storyteller, leader, and strategist whose work explores creativity, resilience, leadership, and the deeply human process of becoming. Through essays, conversations, and community gatherings, she creates spaces where women can reflect on their journeys, recognize themselves in one another’s stories, and step forward with greater clarity and courage.
Read and subscribe: creativeandresilient.substack.com
Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kenyanyotalee
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