Mining & Shining Idea Lab
Excavating Hidden Gold—In People, Creatives, Leaders, and Organizations
“Life really does begin at 40. Up until then, you are just doing research.” — Carl Jung
I'm James Robinson, the executive director at Project Reflect, a non-profit organization in Madison, TN -- founded by Sister Sandra Smithson -- where we manage a charter school, pre-k and more. I'm also a Christian and trained Jungian Coach , writer, and excavator.
My practice is simple: dig deep into the shadows—personal, historical, organizational—and bring forth the nuggets worth shining.
Whether it's unearthing your sidelined masterpiece, or helping a school/nonprofit confront uncomfortable truths , I help individuals polish overlooked opportunities into lasting impact.
It's the mining and shining way.
1:1 Coaching
Jungian Coaching for Undercover Creatives is for those who are 40+ who create or simply want to create. It doesn't have to be a novel, it could be your growth strategy. You choose. There are two packages-- Take a Peek at Your Gift ( One Quarter) and Full-Disclosure (One Semester).
Courage Gap and InfoGraphics
Lo-fi talks and rants about education. Nothing like them anywhere. I dare you to watch. But if you can't , check out the infographics. You may be surprised.
U-Turns
U-Turns: A Life in Schools is the title of my substack. It's part memoir, part field guide and part critique of education. During the school year, I share the tactics we're using at Project Reflect, where I serve as the executive director, to elevate the first charter school founded in Middle Tennessee. -- Smithson Craighead Academy. In the summers, I go back to opinions, policy and the Courage Gap.