Concord Leadership Group.

It’s a name that carries more meaning than most people realize.
And like most things in our life and work, it began with story.

The Word “Concord” Was Already in My Life

Before it ever became our company name, Concord already lived in my vocabulary—two places in nearby states that shaped my childhood geography, and a favorite filling for peanut-butter sandwiches. Nothing particularly symbolic at the time. Just familiar. Comfortable. A word with roots in my story long before I even knew it had a particular meaning.

Names Matter—Deeply

When we moved to South Carolina and needed to re-incorporate the business—ten years ago now—Marc and I gave our company name as much care as we gave to naming our children.

Names matter.
They shape expectations.
They hold vision.
They signal who we are becoming.

Marc studied, researched, and wrote draft after draft of ideas. He looked at all the sides of who we had been and who we were becoming. We had long conversations—just the two of us and also with trusted friends and advisors—turning over possibilities, testing meanings, imagining futures. We were turning a page, and we wanted a name that held both our history and our next chapter.

Our Old Name Told Our Past

Our previous business name—FundraisingCoach—beautifully captured the beginning of our story. Marc served fundraisers and nonprofit professionals. The name explained (in a limited way) what the company did. And it bonded Marc forever with the bowtie brand.

But the name held us inside that one chapter.
And we were ready for what was next.

Our New Name Needed to Hold More

We needed a name big enough for:

• leaders of all sizes, sectors, and seasons
• work that had grown beyond fundraising
• the coaching, teaching, speaking, and community-building we were expanding into
• who we were becoming as people and as partners

Concord Leadership Group gave us that room.

The Imagery Behind the Name

There is a movie—which shall remain unnamed at our lawyer’s request—that positions a lamppost at the threshold of two worlds. A symbol of crossing over. Of noticing. Of stepping into possibility.

That lamppost has captured our imagination for years.

And in our marriage and family, our guiding symbol has long been a lighthouse—a quiet beam of clarity, guidance, and safety.

Concord carries both ideas:
a threshold
and a beacon.

A name that held movement and meaning.

What “Concord” Actually Means

The definitions alone are enough to make your breath catch:

• a state of agreement; harmony
• a simultaneous combination of musical tones that produces resolution
• agreement between persons, groups, or nations
• peace; amity; goodwill

And then there are the word roots—a tiny gift from my high-school Latin class:

Con — with
Cord — heart

Concord: with heart.

It’s simple, grounding, and exactly right.

Why the Name Still Matters Ten Years Later

Every time we step into a client conversation, build a program, write an article, mentor a coach, or speak on a stage—we are carrying this name with us.

Concord Leadership Group is an ongoing invitation:

• to lead with heart
• to create harmony rather than hustle
• to align vision with action
• to build communities where people can become more fully themselves
• to cross thresholds with courage
• to shine light for others, not with bravado—but with presence

It is who we were becoming when we chose it.
And it is who we are becoming still.