▼ CLICK BELOW TO EXPLORE ▼
A DECADE+ OF STORYTELLING POWERED BY THE BEST WRITERS ON THE PLANET

BE PART OF THE LEGACY

TAMPA BAY • FEBRUARY 23-24 2026

This FINAL encore experience will be unlike any other. Because like everything we do, it's been "reimagined" from beginning to end. It's not a virtual or hybrid event. It's not a conference. It's not a seminar, a workshop, a meeting, or a symposium. And it's not your typical run-of-the-mill everyday event crammed with stages, keynote speeches, team-building exercises, PowerPoint presentations, and all the other conventional humdrum. Because it's up close & personal by design. Where conversation trumps presentation. And where authentic connection runs deep.

Fog Fosters Focus

On a clear day, the meteorologist says there’s 10-mile visibility. Not that we can see 10 miles in most locations, but the sky is clear enough that there are no environmental barriers to our sight.

Many mornings, a dense fog devours the landscape, especially after rainstorms or when cool nights allow the moisture in the air to cool and settle to the earth’s surface. It takes the sun’s heat to warm the moisture and coerce it to dissipate into the atmosphere.

At first glance, fog is a limiter. It takes away our ability to see everything in our normal purview. Sometimes I cannot see my neighbor’s house across the street, or cars in close proximity on the highway. This can create dangerous situations if we are not cautious.

However, fog fosters focus. By naturally eliminating the things in our distant view, fog brings the things closer to us into sharper focus by simplifying what we can and cannot draw our attention to. In a world of clutter and distraction, this can be of benefit to us.

No billboards. No buildings in the distance. Just what’s right there in front of us.

When I am fishing on foggy mornings, I love how the world around me slowly transforms from an intimate and small space to the entire landscape, sometimes allowing the sun to appear as a faint disc in the sky before breaking out in all its glory.

But in those precious minutes before the fog lifts, you can really dial in on what’s right there: Me with my a rod and reel, and a stretch of river pinched off at both ends by hazy gray.

What a benefit to eliminate the clutter and allow us to focus on what’s really important.  How can you use this natural phenomenon as a teacher for days when the sky is clear but your mind is not?

Photo Credit: Fog at the train bridge by Rich Gassen

Rich Gassen
Rich Gassenhttps://campussupervisorsnetwork.wisc.edu/
Rich Gassen was born and raised in Wisconsin and is a lifelong resident of the Madison area. He supervises print production at UW-Madison’s Digital Publishing and Printing Services, focusing on empowerment and autonomy with staff, and process improvements. He came to the UW in 2010 after working in private sector print shops for much of his career. Rich also chairs the planning committee for the Campus Supervisors Network (CSN), a community of practice at UW-Madison with over 1300 active members. CSN supports other supervisors in their roles, offering training and networking events on campus, a weekly newsletter, and a website of resources. CSN facilitates group discussions, book clubs, and other events, and also mentors other leaders on campus. When not at work, Rich enjoys spending time with his wife and two adult boys in the outdoors and fishing the many lakes and rivers of southern Wisconsin are the main hobby of choice.

DO YOU HAVE THE "WRITE" STUFF? If you’re ready to share your wisdom of experience, we’re ready to share it with our massive global audience – by giving you the opportunity to become a published Contributor on our award-winning Site with (your own byline). And who knows? – it may be your first step in discovering your “hidden Hemmingway”. LEARN MORE HERE


RECIPIENT OF THE 2024 "MOST COMPREHENSIVE LIFE & CULTURE MULTIMEDIA DIGEST" AWARD

WE ARE NOW FEATURED ON

EXPLORE 360° NATION

ENJOY OUR FREE EVENTS

OUR COMMUNITIES