Soar to new heights in your personal life and professional practice with the WINGBEAT Newsletter full of Birds, Business, and Beyond.
Wingbeat | Falcon's Focus
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Before the gifts, before the rush, Christmas began with a moment of wonder. This season is filled with distraction - special gatherings, ordering gifts in time, writing cards, and all of the end-of-year tasks of running a business. Personal and professional demands tug our attention in every direction. Everything feels urgent, each request competing for our limited time and energy. Yet beneath the hustle and bustle, there is a deeper reason for the season. That deeper reason doesn’t stop at Christmas—it reaches into how we live and work. Beneath the projects, proposals, and deadlines, there is usually a quieter motivation shaping our decisions: how we work, who we want to serve, and what kind of life we’re actually trying to build. So much of our work—our businesses, our practices, our creative efforts—begins with a deeper why. Over time, that reason can get buried under deadlines, deliverables, and expectations. We stay busy, but the clarity that once energized us fades into the background. When that happens, work can start to feel heavy rather than purposeful. That’s what struck me about my conversation with Heather Rose Dunning. The deeper reason behind her work is embedded right in the name of her firm: Yellow Dog Studio. Heather shared that her business partner named the firm after her “yellow dog”—the thing she looks forward to at the end of every day. For Heather, that yellow dog is her family. Her family is the reason she does excellent work for her clients. It’s the reason she’s selective. It’s the reason she focuses. Her sights are set beyond the daily tasks and deliverables. She isn’t working just to work—she’s working toward something that matters deeply to her. Her focus is like a falcon. A falcon doesn’t scan the sky in a panic. It perches. It stills itself. From that quiet branch, its vision sharpens. When it moves, it does so with clarity and intention—because it knows exactly what it’s aiming for. So, let me ask: What is your anchor? What are you truly working for? When we lose sight of that deeper reason, work can quietly become the end goal. Architects, in particular, get a reputation for never stepping away. There’s always one more drawing to finish. One more deadline to meet. One more thing that feels important right now. The movie Click captures this tension well. Adam Sandler’s character is an architect who becomes so focused on productivity and deadlines that he fast-forwards through his own life. In chasing success, he skips the moments that actually made that success meaningful—the family dinners, the small conversations, the ordinary days that never show up on a résumé. His focus was sharp, but it was aimed at the wrong thing. This film reminds us, every time you fast-forward, you miss something you can’t get back. Christmas is a time to hit pause. To reset our focus. Christmas didn’t begin with a big production of meal planning or gift exchanges. It began with a moment of intention - with people pausing long enough to recognize the fulfillment of a great promise. A moment to acknowledge the true reason for this season. For me, that deeper reason includes intentional reflection on God’s gift to the world: Christ. He is my example of living selflessly, giving generously, and loving others—even when it is difficult. Christmas invites me to slow down enough to remember that truth, and to let it shape how I live and work. Whatever your deeper reason may be—earning enough to enjoy life, having control over your time, supporting your family, or faithfully using the talents you’ve been given—make time this season to enjoy. Like a falcon on the branch, clarity comes before the dive. When we still ourselves and remember what truly matters, our goals come back into view—and when we move, we move with purpose. Spend time this season with your own Yellow Dog. And if you are willing to share, hit reply. I’d love to hear what you look forward to at the end of the day. Keep Flying! Katie Kangas Flying Solo PodcastListen to the full interview with Heather Rose Dunning of Yellow Dog Studio on Flying Solo Episode 15 | Heather Rose Dunning (Falcon). And check out @yellow_dog_studio on Instagram, Facebook, or their Website. Check out the Flying Solo Podcast on your favorite platform. Alli's JourneyBelow is an excerpt from the poem “Twas the Night Before Life for Alli Would Change,” co-authored by Katie Kangas and Mary Nelson Keithahn. Originally prepared for the EntreArchitect (Virtual) Christmas Party on December 19, 2025. The Falcon (Precision)
A glint split the sky, then dipped with control.
A falcon swept low toward a rustling vole.
She caught the small rodent with talons deployed,
then flee to a branch, hard-earned meal enjoyed.
Her fierce focus shocked Alli, so direct and so true.
Quite foreign from Heron’s awaiting some clues.
Alli looked down at her wings that were small and around,
and her beak far too flat for such hunting renowned.
She approached Falcon, hoping not to look tasty.
(With one so fierce, she did not want to seem hasty.)
“Miss Falcon,” she asked, ”How might I start
to achieve my goals with such focus and heart?
“I know my one target, “the Falcon declared.
“I’m lean. I’m efficient. I’m keenly prepared.
No motion wasted, no excess weight,
Skill honed by years. I move fast. I don’t wait.
MORAL:
If you know what you want, keep your intent clear.
Then go for it boldly and shed all your fear.
Winged Wisdom"Purpose gives you direction. Priorities give you focus. When you know what matters most, saying no to everything else becomes easier.”
Gary Keller The ONE Thing
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Flying Solo
Soar to new heights in your personal life and professional practice with the WINGBEAT Newsletter full of Birds, Business, and Beyond.
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