Drop An Anchor
Join Janelle Bucci, Moms for Liberty Chapter Chair in Green County, NY as she shares her transformation from being quick to “clap back” with a sharp tongue and lingering bitterness to becoming a steady, joyful servant leader in her small upstate New York community. Growing up in the same rural town she now calls home with one stoplight, pickup trucks, and deep roots, Janelle understands the unique cultural tensions of a place split between longtime locals, city transplants, and hilltown elites who often silence dissent.
Married to her high school sweetheart and raising two musical daughters, Janelle chose not to retreat from uncomfortable spaces, but to “Drop an Anchor” and stay. Over the past five years, that mindset has reshaped her leadership, leading to her second year as PTSA president, her third year serving on the high school Building Committee, and the development of strong, respectful working relationships with district administration and a new superintendent.
Janelle explains why she intentionally shows up in organizations like Girl Scouts, PTSA, and public school committees, not to create echo chambers, but to represent the silent majority of parents who are often too intimidated to speak. She speaks candidly about the toll of leadership in a blue state environment, the social cost of being the dissenting voice, and the courage it takes to stay in the room when you’re the only one who disagrees.
This episode is a compelling conversation about maturity, mission, and the Joyful Warrior mindset. How to choose service over bitterness, presence over outrage, and joyful persistence over cultural pressure. Janelle’s story is a reminder that real influence doesn’t come from stirring the pot, but from planting yourself firmly in your community, building trust over time, and showing up again and again with conviction, grace, and joy.