Dear Reader, Last week was my birthday. And while I don't spend much time worrying about age, I did spend a little time talking with a friend about certain things I am apparently too old for now. Some examples: 👉 Standing for 3+ hours at a concert when there are perfectly good seats available. 👉 Tiny restaurant menus that require either reading glasses or my phone’s flashlight (usually both) 👉 Staying up until midnight and pretending I'll be fine the next day. 👉 Working all weekend because...
16 days ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, A client of mine recently ran a pretty challenging trail race. Now, before you panic, don't worry: he did not inspire me to do the same. 😂 The only trails I enjoy are the ones that lead me to a concert venue, a baseball stadium, or a really good brunch spot. But his story stuck with me. He was describing the race and all the uncertainty that came with it. The weather. The terrain. The route. He had a map, but not a particularly useful one. In other words, he knew where he was...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, A few weeks ago, I facilitated a leadership event for women working across a global tech company. Participants joined from different countries, backgrounds, and levels of leadership. We spent time talking about some of the hidden pressures women often carry, particularly in male-dominated environments. ➡️ The pressure to prove ourselves. ➡️ The pressure to get everything right. ➡️ The pressure to be ambitious, but not too ambitious. ➡️ The pressure to excel at work while also...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, When I was in corporate, I confused a lot of my stress responses with being “good at leadership.” I thought being highly responsive meant I was supportive.I thought over-preparing meant I was responsible.I thought anticipating everyone’s needs meant I was strategic. In reality, a decent amount of it was just my nervous system masquerading as professionalism. Some examples: ➡️ Responding to messages immediately because I didn’t want anyone to think I was dropping the ball ➡️...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, We all know this leader: The calm one. The one who stays steady in the meeting. Who doesn’t overreact. Who keeps things moving when everything else feels chaotic. Maybe I’m describing you. And on the surface, it works. People trust you. They rely on you. You’re seen as grounded, capable, in control. But behind the scenes you are holding a LOT. Managing your reactions. Filtering what you say and what you don’t say. Absorbing other people’s stress so the room doesn’t tip over. Yet...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, In a recent coaching session, a client told me something simple and surprisingly powerful. She’s decided to take one day off each month. Not for errands. Not for appointments. Not to “catch up on life.” Just for her. Her goals? ✅ Better mental health ✅ A real break (not a half-break while checking email) ✅ Modeling healthy leadership for her team ✅ Building trust that things can get done in her absence ✅ Letting go of the small frustrations that quietly pile up over time And my...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, This week in a conversation with one of my clients, we talked about something deceptively simple: What would it look like to just read the lines... instead of reading between them? Specifically when it comes to written communication - Slack, Teams, email, texts. Because here’s what happens all day long at work: “Can you send that when you get a chance.” And our brain goes: “They’re annoyed. I’m late. They’re losing confidence in me. I'm not good enough.” And yet none of what we...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, A leader I work with shared a moment with me that was a true breakthrough. Two members of her team ran into a problem that needed solving. Historically, this would have been her cue to:➡️ Step in.➡️ Clarify.➡️ Translate.➡️ Smooth things over.➡️ Quietly absorb the stress so everyone else could move on. Instead, she tried something new. ✅ She listened.✅ She asked a few thoughtful questions.✅ She offered a couple of options. ✅ And then - brace yourself - she did nothing. No...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, I’m successful. I’m grateful. And still... I’m tired. Not "I need a nap" tired. More like "I rested all weekend and somehow I'm still tired" tired. I hear this from clients all the time, and when I do, I feel like somehow, many of us absorbed this unspoken rule: If you’re doing well, you don’t really get to be exhausted. If you’re tired, you must be ungrateful. Or dramatic. Or doing something wrong. So instead, we normalize pushing through. Functioning beautifully. Holding it all...
4 months ago • 1 min read