Anchor & Action – Planning Sessions by Deepthi Welaratna

Anchor & Action

Hold fast. Hold still. Then set sail.

Anchor & Action is a highly focused planning session to help you move your creative work forward with clarity, structure, and care.

I designed Anchor & Action for the moments when you can’t afford to tread water — when a project, decision, or transition demands your best thinking and forward motion. Over years of navigating my own creative work, I built a way of working that keeps me connected to instinct while moving through the fog of deadlines, doubt, and distraction.

In each session, we create space for clarity to surface — and for the unexpected to emerge right when you need it most. You’ll leave with a plan you can actually follow, grounded in your own rhythm and understanding, not someone else’s template.

We start with whatever you’re carrying: an ambitious project, a critical decision, a nagging block, or the sense that something in your work or life needs to shift. I’ll bring design-led questions, intentional tools, and a structured yet intuitive process shaped by years of working with artists, founders, and creative teams. You’ll bring what matters most to you right now.

Philosophy

We live in a culture obsessed with urgency — rushing forward even when the destination is unclear. Anchor & Action offers a pause, a recalibration, and a way to move forward that fits your true pace.

This is planning that honors creative cycles. There’s no single system to impose. Instead, you get a custom-built framework, tailored to help you see more clearly, choose wisely, and move forward with confidence.

A close-up of green fern fronds bathed in golden evening light, symbolizing quiet emergence and natural clarity.

What Participants Say

  • Meegan Denanberg is the Founder and Chief Strategist of JEME Agency.

    "The needs for our exhibit on redlining ‘A Dream Deferred’ were fairly complex. Deepthi was refreshingly innovative and approached our initiative with the necessary nuance and empathy to craft solutions specific to our needs."

    Meegan Denenberg, JEME Agency

  • A whiteboard filled with yellow sticky notes, containing handwritten notes and ideas, and some notes overlapping each other.

    “I am most appreciative of this learning atmosphere. The patience in learning is crucial to continue breaking barriers.”

    Anonymous workshop feedback gathered by an independent evaluator

  • Mark Taylor is a San Francisco-based writer, professor, and visual artist.

    "Love Deepthi. She's a really wonderful writer who has on more than one occasion turned me on to interesting cultural information that I would have otherwise been oblivious to. She's fun to work with, creative and has great style and energy."

    Mark Taylor, filmmaker and visual artist

  • Two people are sketching and brainstorming ideas on a white sheet of paper, with various notes, diagrams, and illustrations.

    "Brilliantly facilitated large and small group conversations. Clear focus with plenty of time for peer learning and engagement—reflected in the final collaborative work product. How great is that?"

    Anonymous workshop feedback gathered by an independent evaluator

  • Andy Maas is a partner at Kekst CNC in New York.

    "I found Deepthi to be an excellent strategist and writer, and her grace under pressure was without equal. I look forward to the time we can work together again."

    Andy Maas, Kekst CNC

  • A large bulletin board covered with pink and yellow sticky notes, printed images, and notes.

    “A terrific introduction to a group of passionate and excellent professionals. The day offered exposure to and reflection on important areas of discussion, challenges, and potential solutions.”

    Anonymous innovation program feedback gathered by an independent evaluator

  • Portrait of Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, PhD—healthcare startup founder and former client—who brought Deepthi on to lead a collaborative innovation program.

    "Deepthi is an accomplished business leader who demonstrates integrity, capability, and determination to do quality work in every situation. I would hire her again in a heartbeat."

    Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, HyperVigilant

  • Portrait of a woman with curly brown hair and glasses, smiling at the camera, wearing a striped top.

    "Your openness to working on this with us across continents, oceans and time zones has been great. Your incessant drive to improving the output to the best it can be has been amazing."

    Gina Rembe, ProjectTogether

  • Woman with curly red hair wearing glasses, a white shirt, and a navy blazer, smiling outdoors with green, blurred trees in the background.

    "A great team-player who is simultaneously able to take a decisive leadership position with grace, Deepthi has my highest recommendation."

    Tatiana Zwerling, Datavant

A lit oil lantern hanging from a tree branch in the dark, offering a warm glow and a sense of calm guidance.

Not sure where to start?

You don’t need to have it all figured out. Here’s a simple way to find the right kind of session for where you are now:

✧ I’m working solo, and I need help making sense of what’s next.

You might be in a transition, mid-project, or deep in a fog. You want structure, but also space to think.
→ Go with the Individual Session

✧ I’m part of a team or collaborative project, and we need to make a big decision or move something forward together.

There’s complexity on the table. Clarity would change everything.
→ Go with the Full-Day Sprint

✧ I’m looking for something meaningful to give someone else — a friend, collaborator, or creative person I care about.

Maybe they don’t need advice. Maybe they need time, structure, and support.
→ Go with Gift a Session

✧ I’m part of a small team or creative org, and we’re stuck or misaligned.

We don’t need a big strategy retreat. Just a session to reconnect, reset, and figure out what matters.
→ Go with the Strategy Activation Workshop

 FAQs

  • Anchor & Action is designed for anyone navigating a moment of change, whether you're an individual rethinking your next steps or a team working to realign your focus. If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or full of ideas with no roadmap, this is for you.

  • We meet on video or in person. Using guided exercises and visual tools, we’ll surface what matters most, name your stuck points, and create a flexible but focused action plan. You’ll leave with renewed clarity and a tangible next step — or five.

  • Individual sessions are one-on-one and deeply personal. They offer a space to sort out what’s next for you. Team sessions are collaborative and facilitative. They’re designed to help small groups (up to six people) align, get clear, and take action together.

  • That’s totally fine. We can use the session to identify it. Many people come in with a tangle and leave with a map.

    • Individual sessions are $400

    • Team workshops are $3,500

    • Full-day sprints start at $16,000

    Any associated facilities, printing, travel, and lodging expenses are not included and will cost extra. That said, travel fees local to Los Angeles, zoom calls, and digital-only follow ups are included and do not cost extra.

    I offer one sliding-scale spot for individuals each quarter. If cost is a barrier and the work feels like a fit, please reach out.

  • Yes. I offer one sliding scale spots to an individual per quarter. If $400 is out of reach but you’re a great fit for the session, just email me. I trust you to know what you can afford.

  • I offer four individual sessions, four team workshops, and one to two full-day sprints per quarter to ensure each one gets the care it deserves.

    • Sessions are fully refundable within 24 hours of purchase. After that, all sales are final.

    • You can reschedule a session up to 72 hours in advance at no cost.

    • If you need to reschedule within 72 hours of your appointment, a 10% rescheduling fee will apply.

  • I’m based in Los Angeles, but Anchor & Action isn’t tied to any one place. Sessions happen in cozy studios, sunlit living rooms, video calls across time zones, or anywhere a new direction begins. I travel for on-site facilitation when the fit is right—just say the word.

Curious if Anchor & Action is right for you?

Schedule a free 20-minute discovery call. We’ll talk through your goals, walk through the process, and see if it feels like a fit.