Launch Project

During this time of uncertainty and fear, kindness makes all of the difference. I continue to be inspired by the stories I hear of people supporting one another, first in person and now virtually. Tommy, an employee in the Stonestown mall in SF went above and beyond to help my son and me when we were stuck and scared. Link to the story in my bio.
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What stories of hope, inspiration, and leadership have you experienced?

I had a great time talking with on his podcast, My Perfect Failure.
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Learning to fail gracefully is a work in progress for my clients, and in full transparency, for me. Even recording this podcast (and listening to it) felt like a huge risk and one that could have (or could still!) lead to failure.
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One of the hardest lessons I've learned as a coach and as someone running a business is the importance of failing. I've done it a lot in the past few years. And as I share in the podcast, learning to embrace and find joy in the failures is EVERYTHING. Enjoy!

Today is World Mental Health Day. There's so much to say and so many conversations that can make a difference. Too often we hold back because we aren't sure what to ask, how to say it, or we just don't know how to start. We're afraid of offending. And we tip toe around mental health issues, if we even go near them at all.
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Since millions of people struggle with mental illness, you'd expect that by now, it would be something we could openly and easily discuss. But the stigma and fear around mental illness is pervasive and dangerous. Those affected by mental health conditions hide their struggles and experience shame and judgment.
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Today's an important day to shift that. Start by having the courage to have one conversation even it means risking saying the wrong thing. has some great tips if you're not sure what to say or how to start: afsp.org/realconvo. And if talking is not enough, this is an amazing organization to get involved with. Don't wait.

Yesterday, my client showed me a post-it note that she's been keeping on her computer: backbone and heart.
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It's a phrase I offered when teaching a class on Critical Conversations to a group of women in product. Most of us tend to lead with one or the other. Either we're really good at knowing and stating our position (backbone) or we are better at focusing in on the relationship (heart). Sometimes it depends on who we're talking to or what we're talking about.
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The challenge is to bring both backbone AND heart to our conversations and our relationships. This client is committed to focusing in on her goal (more so than easing her discomfort in the moment) and knows that by bringing both her backbone and her heart, she'll build stronger relationships and strengthen her leadership. 💜🔥✨

Still on a high from the great afternoon I spent with the team at Mosaic. We dove deep in a short amount of time and kicked off what's going to be an awesome few months of skill building, leadership development, and "enjoying the journey." The highlight of the day was the designing of communal values around women's empowerment (it's a group of men and women), vulnerability, intentionality, and of course, cheese and wine.
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The best workshops are the ones where the facilitator is inspired and learns from the participants. Thanks for setting us off on the right foot, Mosaic!
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Oh, and the views weren't so bad either.

Being a middle manager is tough. We often acknowledge the challenges and stresses that CEOs and other executives face, but we tend to dismiss the difficulties that new and emerging leaders face.
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Managing a team, managing bosses (sometimes more than one), managing work, and managing yourself is no easy task. You have to jump through hoops, "fake it til you make it," and figure out how to navigate office politics. And it's usually at a time when you are just starting to figure out how you want to lead.
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Earlier this week, I kicked off a leadership circle with 15 courageous female product leaders who will not only learn skills, but who will take a deep look at who they are and how they want to lead. We ended our session by setting intentions for the week ahead and with each leader consciously choosing how she will show up for her team and for herself. Excited to partner with this dynamic group and watch this journey unfold!

Being a middle manager is tough. We often acknowledge the challenges and stresses that CEOs and other executives face, but we tend to dismiss the difficulties that new and emerging leaders face.
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Managing a team, managing bosses (sometimes more than one), managing work, and managing yourself is no easy task. You have to jump through hoops, "fake it til you make it," and figure out how to navigate office politics. And it's usually at a time when you are just starting to figure out how you want to lead.
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Earlier this week, I kicked off a leadership circle with 15 courageous female product leaders who will not only learn skills, but who will take a deep look at who they are and how they want to lead. We ended our session by setting intentions for the week ahead and with each leader consciously choosing how she will show up for her team and for herself. Excited to partner with this dynamic group and watch this journey unfold! @ Pinterest

Rabbit, rabbit. 🐰🐰
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Happy July! And happy halfway through 2019.
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It is so easy to race through our days, months, this year (!!) without stopping to pause and be conscious of how we spend our time. Meetings, obligations, appointments, bills, and to-do lists fill our calendars.
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AND, taking just a few minutes to intentionally pause and reset can make such a difference. Slow down to go fast.
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During a run the other day, I literally slowed down. I detoured to a small rose garden. This change of pace allowed me to stop and notice what was happening around me, something I don't do nearly enough. This year - like this garden - has had its share of thorns, events that have caught me by surprise and hurt. It's also had some amazing roses that have bloomed and allowed me to grow and experience new beauty. Most important, however, I took notice of all the buds that had yet to fully develop. It's these buds that give me so much optimism for the rest of the year ahead.
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As we stand at the midway point today, I am giving myself the gift of celebrating where I've been, letting go of what's not working, consciously designing what I want for the rest of 2019, and most important, noticing where I am today.
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What's your plan to make 2019 bloom? 🌸 @ Rose Garden

Being human is pretty great.
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We spend way too much time hiding our emotions or pretending we don't have them. If we just push them down deep enough, maybe they'll go away. Maybe no one will notice.
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But emotions are just energy in motion. And when we let ourselves feel that energy, notice the sensations, and uncover the information that those feelings are there to offer us, that's when we can let them go and move forward with greater intelligence and creativity.
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The next time you feel yourself "getting too emotional" at work, pause and remember you're human and those feels are just information designed to help you make your best choices. @ San Francisco, California

I spend a good portion of my day working with other to create change. Career change, relationship change, life change. I know change is hard, and the desire and motivation for it is something I require of my clients.
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This past month, I've had the challenge and privilege of having the tables turned and living into change myself. I found myself ruminating in a cycle of victimhood and frustration with my home and the way life was "happening to me." Everything seemed harder than it should be and the "woe is me voice" reverberated loudly and often.
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I decided to take a page from my own leadership playbook and be responsible for the change I desired. I'm grateful to the perspective that responsibility is not just about duty or obligation, but rather, it's about being able to respond.
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Thankfully, I have a partner , who constantly challenges me and won't let me settle for the status quo. Together we decided to make some changes, most visibly to our home environment. What could have been a really painful process was full of excitement and possibilities.
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I committed to pushing through to find a new home better suited to my family's needs and where life could be more easy and joyful. I chose - and continue to choose - to take responsibility for the circumstance of my life, whether it be the physical location of a home, the busyness of my schedule, or my ways of interacting with the people I love the most. It's a work in progress, and one that I'm celebrating each day. These views of the new neighborhood - and in particular, the view from my office at sunset - are my motivation to continue choosing to take responsibility and encouraging those around me to do the same. @ Inner Sunset

I spent the better part of yesterday working with a team to "go low" and get clear on their passions and purpose. I love that I get to partner with to support leaders in doing their deep inner work so that they build strong teams capable and motivated to "win the game." 👊💜🥇

Feeling inspired and invigorated after kicking off another women's leadership circle last night! This morning's run on this beautiful beach was full of reflection and gratitude for the work I am privileged to do.
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We closed the evening with the poem, Beginning, by . A few of the words continued to run through my head while soaking in the ocean breeze:
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Beginning is difficult, and our procrastination is a fine, ever-present measure of our reluctance to take that first close-in, courageous step in reclaiming our happiness. Perhaps, because taking a new step always leads to a kind of radical internal simplification, where, suddenly, very large parts of us, parts of us we have kept gainfully employed for years, parts of us still rehearsing the old complicated story, are suddenly out of a job. There occurs in effect, a form of internal corporate downsizing, where the parts of us too afraid to participate or having nothing now to offer, are let go, with all of the accompanying death-like trauma, and where the very last fight occurs, a rear guard disbelief that this new, less complicated self, and this very simple step, is all that is needed for the new possibilities ahead.