Remembrance is the first step we take with renowned coach and Reboot CEO and Co-founder Jerry Colonna in his new book, Reunion: Leadership and the Longing to Belong. At its heart, it’s an invitation towards deeper connection to our ancestors, ourselves, and each other. Each reader's path unfolds uniquely—through recognition, reconnection, and reclaiming—bringing them to a sense of belonging within themselves. Then, to one of the book’s central questions: How does my sense of belonging influence the sense of belonging I create for others?
“I think what is often missing is landing into our own experience; Using our own body, almost as a tuning fork, to tune into what the other person is feeling,” he says. “When we do that, there's this wordless connection that feels both safe and nourishing because we can finally just be ourselves. That, to me, is the essence of belonging.”
Our conversation is an exploration of Jerry’s own path to reunion, which takes him to Ireland to visit the grave of his father’s biological mother; To the shade of the cottonwood tree where conversations he had with his father, 30 years after his passing, helped heal their relationship; And, to the “both and” realization he arrives at with his mother, who despite struggling with mental illness, unwaveringly saved $2 a week to buy his brother and him a camera for photography class.
Jerry encapsulates his journey by sharing that—“When I reunite with who they were, I move one step closer to my own wholeness”—and invites us to embark on our own.
*Editor’s Note: While we experienced some audio fluctuations recording remotely, we’re thankful Jerry’s wisdom remains perfectly clear. Thank you for listening and understanding.