Inspiration for Your Journey
When my son was in elementary school, I put his clothes in the dryer every morning before I woke him up. It was a survival tactic. Getting him out of bed had become a daily negotiation. He hated leaving his warm, “tozy” bed, and he told me so every single morning. So I flipped the … Learn More
I grew up in the woods. Once I discovered horror movies (Freddy, Jason, Chucky), walking outside after dark set my heart pounding. I was sure that whatever waited past the porch light wouldn’t just kill me. It would take its time with a blade, a chainsaw, or an ax. I learned early that “out there” … Learn More
My first therapy session was in 2002. My brother had just taken his life. My husband was one month into a seven-month Marine Corps deployment. I was stuck in a job I didn’t enjoy. I was alone in a heavy, dark place, the kind where even the things you love stop bringing joy. My friends … Learn More
“I just can’t.” I hate that expression. Yet I hear it often from a surprising group of leaders: high performers. Clearly, they can. Look at everything they’ve already done. So what can’t they do? These talented leaders are at their wit’s end. Yet there’s one more thing they can’t do: quit. They’re not quitters. So … Learn More
Is this real? I find myself asking that question more and more. It started when I shared a video with my sons. They laughed at me, the same way I used to laugh at my parents when they fumbled with technology. The video was completely fake. I didn’t know. Worse, I couldn’t read the signs. … Learn More
The question behind the question Whenever I tell someone I served in the Marine Corps, I get the same surprised look. Then come the questions. Eventually, they get around to what they really want to know: what was it like being a woman in that world? There are roughly 175,000 Marines, and when I served, … Learn More
I had an ah-ha moment last week, and I can’t take credit for it. It came from Shan Escobar, Director of Talent Development at CoVolt Power. She was one of our panelists at Time to Lead. The panel was focused on career development, and Shan said something that flipped the script on conventional wisdom: “It … Learn More
A client called me recently, still shaking. Mascara everywhere. She’d just been called into her boss’s office, where he informed her — at volume, with fist-on-desk percussion — that she wasn’t getting it, her thinking was dim, and an intern could’ve done better. Each insult came with a little crescendo, like he was building to … Learn More
“Can you help?” That’s how this whole thing started. A client – an oil and gas association – was hosting its annual conference, the intent was solid: build real relationships across the association. I was challenged to deliver a keynote not on leadership, but on the nuts and bolts of relationship building at events. This … Learn More
“Calm down, Mom.” I don’t know why my kids are always telling me to calm down. Maybe because I’m always excited by news, small or big. In this situation, I wasn’t going to calm down. My son and I moved this summer. As the NKOTB, he wasn’t sure how he’d measure up on the sports … Learn More
I’m embarking on a new journey: I’m writing my fourth book. Sure, I’m an experienced writer. But this project is different. It’s a solo act; all of my other books have had co-authors. And it’s a different time. In the age of AI, publishers are wary. Writing a book with an AI tool is relatively … Learn More
I did the hard look in the mirror thing. It wasn’t pretty. But then, neither was my life at the time. I was in my mid-20s. Professionally, I was unhappy, making great money in a sales career that used none of my real talents and fed none of my sense of purpose. I missed the … Learn More
