Growth mindset

Why Saying “Yes” to New Opportunities Can Be Your Career Superpower

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I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of “yes” lately. It’s been just over a month since I said farewell to my last job, and instead of jumping straight into what’s next, I’ve intentionally made space — and within that space, I’ve said “yes” to things I wouldn’t have before.

  • Yes to spontaneous lunch or zoom calls with new people.
  • Yes to volunteering for a nonprofit’s AI fundraising project (completely unfamiliar territory!).
  • Yes to showing up at events just to see who I might meet or what I might learn.

And honestly? The results have surprised me. I’ve made more meaningful connections and sparked more ideas in these five weeks than I usually do in half a year. It’s reminded me of something important: you don’t have to leave your job or make a big life change to open yourself to growth. You can start saying “yes” right where you are. ...  read more

Farewell and See You Out There

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rollercoaster ride

After 4+ unforgettable (and occasionally truly unhinged) years, it’s time to say farewell.

When I joined, I thought I was signing up for one job… but 4 months in, surprise! A merger turned all of our jobs upside down and gave us a front-row seat to a masterclass in change management (and “how to bond with strangers over shared chaos”).  From there, it only got more interesting—company collapse, another acquisition, new teammates, new systems, new acronyms. ...  read more

Embracing Change: Why Leaving My Job Feels Like a Blessing

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A Surprising Calm in the Face of Change

After two weeks of traveling, attending conferences, and meeting with my boss in person for the last time, I received my year-end review—solid performance, full bonus payout, no surprises. But the bigger conversation was about what’s next.

Since I had turned down an offer to lead Risk & Control for digital, the writing was on the wall. My boss, Sam, even fought to keep me, but the decision was made. They needed my salary to fund that role, and my work was too far ahead of their priorities. Plus, as Sam put it, I was “too expensive” to be redirected elsewhere. (Guess I negotiated well five years ago!) ...  read more

How Making a Career Limiting Move can Lead to Greater Opportunities

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A lot happened last week, leaving me with a tough decision. I received an unexpected invite from my big boss (let’s call him Richard) for a one-on-one meeting at 8:30 AM on Tuesday. The invite simply stated that he wanted to discuss “upcoming opportunities.”

Unsure of what it meant, I reached out to my immediate manager (let’s call him Sam) to see if he had any insights. Sam speculated that it was likely about me helping out with some risk-related work we had discussed plus some Chief of Staff responsibilities. ...  read more

Three Unexpected Benefits from “Talking to the Duck”

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working partnership
In my role as the Digital Experience Strategy leader, I started working with a lot of new partners this year. At first, I spent hours explaining the context of the work ahead, sharing the intricacies of what we can do next together, and trying to align everyone on the vision. It was exhausting, and it felt like I was rehashing the same information over and over. But one day, about six months ago, something shifted. I was venting my frustration to a partner, saying how tiring it was to repeat myself, when they stopped me and said, “You know, there are benefits to ‘talking to the duck.’” The phrase made me pause. “Talking to the duck” is a playful reference to saying things out loud to get clarity. It turns out this approach with my partners has three unexpected benefits that go beyond simple updates. Here’s what I learned:

1. Getting My Partners Truly Up to Speed

When I take the time to explain the context of the work ahead, what we can do next together, and share my thoughts on challenges, my partners gradually start to see the whole picture. Yes, it can feel repetitive, but the process of “talking to the duck” builds a foundational understanding that goes deeper than a one-time briefing. My partners begin to connect the dots for themselves, anticipate what’s needed, and can even make informed decisions without waiting for me to spell things out each time. This understanding means they can proactively suggest solutions or spot potential issues sooner. ...  read more

When Things Go “Wrong,” Can I Still be Happy & Grateful?

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This seems like such a counter-intuitive question.  Usually when things go “wrong,” we can have a pretty negative response.  This may include anger, frustration, disappointment, fear, guilt, or any number of negative emotions.  Aren’t we justified to feel these in  a “bad” situation?  Perhaps or perhaps not.  While it’s natural to feel the sting of any unexpected situation when it first happens, how long we keep feeling that sting is our own choice.   We can keep recounting the unfairness of what happens for days, weeks, months or we can choose a different perspective – look for the gift and opportunity in the situation and act from there.   Let me explain with an example. ...  read more