Hey Reader! đź‘‹ I made it through my pickleball-free week. What need did you honor? This week, I delivered the fourth session in my new Human-Centered Leadership curriculum. Writing that session was a STRUGGLE. Not because I didn't understand the concepts. Reader, what got in the way was this story: you have an extra week between sessions, so you should work ahead and take the pressure off. Great advice. So why wasn't it working? The first few days go by and I'm not making much progress. My...
10 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader! đź‘‹ Vacation was awesome. I got plenty of sunshine, fresh air, exercise, and rest. So the sudden twinge in my right knee is really throwing me. I can't think of anything I've done to injure myself. I decide to do three things: Limit my pickleball play time Put new insoles in all my athletic shoes Use my PT app to work on my knee pain I've had great success using my TENS unit during pickleball matches to prevent my calf muscle from seizing, so I decide to give it a try on my knee. It...
17 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader! 👋I'm back! Did you miss me? I’m sitting here on the balcony this morning, looking out over the surf, and I’ve been stuck on a single thought: The wave always wins. Right now, I’m watching a set roll in. There’s a surfer about fifty yards out, perfectly poised. He’s not fighting the water; he’s reading it. He feels the swell building behind him, matches its momentum with a few deep paddles, and then—in one fluid motion—he pops up. He’s carved a line right across the face of the...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader! đź‘‹ Happy Wednesday! (Let's just pretend it's Monday) It's been an outstanding, busy week, and I'm just getting a chance to write to you. It's Friday. My husband is at the wheel, and I am a passenger on a road trip through the heart of Indiana. My laptop is open, my head is down, and I am deep in thought. I'm mapping out the Human-Centered Leadership (HCL) program content I'm delivering on Monday morning, and I'm feeling the pressure to get it done. Outside the window, a cloudy...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader! đź‘‹ Last October, I found myself in Venice, Italy, for the Tech For Good Summit. The Venice summit was unique because it was hosted by WOHASU (the World Happiness Summit). The entire theme was "Human Flourishing in the AI Era." Surrounded by researchers and change agents, the air was thick with a single, urgent mission: To shift the AI narrative. While the headlines were busy with "The Great Replacement" and fear-mongering, we were discussing a different reality: The Great...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader ! Thanks for the warm welcome back to your inbox. I want to take you back in time with me to a moment that changed how I understand the "operating system" of our minds. I’m a college freshman. I’ve brought my love of singing to school, joining the choir and a cappella groups. A friend who lives near Busch Gardens in Virginia wants to audition for the summer cast. She begs me to audition with her. I’ve been a soloist for years and won several competitions, but I have no idea what is...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Reader I want to talk about something that is a constant struggle for me: Vulnerability. I’ve been asking myself why it feels like such a battle, and I finally uncovered the "programming" behind it: As a child: I was celebrated for being "smart and competent." That competence earned me freedoms and opportunities others didn't get. In school: Getting it right the first time was praised; getting it wrong and learning was seen as a failure. At work: As a woman, I often felt I had to disprove the...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Reader I have to brag a moment. Tracy is one of my favorite client leaders, and it’s because she understands a fundamental truth that many business owners miss: Technical knowledge is not the same as leadership competency. When she was filling the head position in Client Services Operations, Tracy didn't look for a niche-industry insider. Instead, she hired someone she respected from outside her sector—someone with deep customer service roots and a proven track record of day-to-day team...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Reader I have the worst experience with Google Maps in Europe. It's our last day on Capri. My husband and I are headed out to explore the island and visit several tourist destinations. We bought an e-SIM data plan that's loaded onto my phone. One of the main uses is accessing Google Maps for directions. The problem is that it doesn't work as well on foot as it does in a car. I've had several instances of walking in the opposite direction I am supposed to travel without Google Maps alerting...
3 months ago • 3 min read