How to live—and lead—in the mess
I’ve been thinking about how hard it is to lead in transition. Indeed, what we now call “hard” would have been deemed “impossible” even two short years ago—pre-pandemic. Most of my 1:1 clients are senior leaders in organizations and are at the helm, steering across vast oceans with what feels …
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Calling in the Women
There was a moment in my life nearly nineteen years ago when I struggled to believe something seemingly natural—and as old as time—was even possible. “Struggle” is putting it delicately, actually. It was full-on doubt…a hair away from resignation. I was in the throes of delivering my first son and …
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The (Re)Birth of a Nation
Years ago, as I rapidly approached the birth of my first child, I started to wonder (panic, honestly), “How the $&%$ is this all going to go down…exactly!?” My wise midwife gave me great counsel. She said that nature would run its course. She reminded me that my body was …
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Daily Verse 11.28.20—My Ancestors
I was listening to an interview with Rachel Cargle, activist and founder of the Loveland Foundation, the other day and she shared she had a stickie note on her fridge that read: “I am my ancestors’ wildest dream.” It was intended to inspire her to do right by those who …
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Daily Verse 11.24.20—Before…and After Caste
I want to write a love letter to Isabel Wilkerson for writing her book Caste. I want to go up to every white person on the street, every history teacher in white suburban America, every white CEO in the country, every white board chairperson, every senator, and state representative and …
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Daily Verse 11.20.20—Riding Thermals
I read this great passage the other day in The Enchanted Life by Sharon Blackie—so good it stopped me in my tracks. Someone was explaining to her the difference between gliding and riding as it relates to the sport of hang gliding. Anyone can glide, it seems. It’s a simple …
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Daily Verse 11.2.20: Being Awake
I am a menopausal white woman in the middle of a pandemic. And I’m awake. Not just in the political/activist sense (which honestly makes me twitch a little every time I hear it—because it feels self-righteous and congratulatory when a white person says it), but in a very literal sense. …
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What a 16-year-old girl and fishing for marlins reminded me
“Our house is on fire”, She said quite plainly. That was Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish climate activist who spoke to hundreds of world leaders at Davos back in January of this year. She then went on to say that now was the time for us to speak clearly, and …
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Feminine C4
“Please don’t let me blow shit up,” She said. It was literally one of the first things she said to me when she came into my office that day—a stranger, who would soon become my client. I smiled at her as she plopped down on my couch that day, because …
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Run, Lady, Run
“I feel like a feral cat pacing back and forth in a cage,” She said. I looked at her and everything about her seemed like it wanted to be wild—her hair, the laugh that exploded out of her in a snort when she was caught off guard, the way …
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