Life After Selling a Business and Stepping Into What’s Next

Life after stepping away from something that has defined you for years is a strange transition. It marks the end of a chapter you once assumed would always be there, and no matter how prepared you think you are, there’s usually a moment where the reality of it finally settles in.

For many high-performing people, work is never just work. It becomes part of how you structure your life, how you spend your time, how you measure progres...

Why the People Around You Shape Your Growth

I remember exactly where I was when I heard it. I was watching the USC vs. TCU bowl game when one of the broadcasters made an offhand comment while sharing the story of a young player who had been taken in by another family during a difficult period in his life. He said, almost in passing, “Everybody needs somebody.”

It wasn’t delivered like a headline, and it wasn’t meant to be impactful, but it stayed with me. There was something about the simpl...

There’s a pattern I’ve noticed in my own life more than once, and if I’m being honest, it’s one I still have to catch myself falling into.

It’s the habit of putting my own progress on hold for someone else.

Not in the obvious ways people usually talk about. Not for a major sacrifice that everyone can see and applaud. But, the ones that seem reasonable in the moment but slowly start to redirect your time, your focus, and your energy away from what you know you should be building. Delaying somet...

As I was watching the Olympics this year, something caught my attention during a segment about Mikaela Shiffrin. The commentators mentioned that she works with an all-female coaching staff. That detail made me pause.

In professional sports, you rarely hear about an entire coaching team made up of women. Yet Shiffrin spoke about the arrangement with complete clarity. She explained that the dynamic works because her coaches understand how she communicates, how she processes pressure, and how her ...

There is a difference between performing at a high level and leading at a high level. Most people are rewarded for execution early in their careers. Fewer are taught how to lead when the stakes are real, the margin for error is thin, and the outcome depends on more than just individual effort.

That is why this conversation matters.

I recently sat down with Ken Ham, a former NASA astronaut. He’s not just a decorated professional with two spaceflights and decades inside one of the most disciplin...

Recently, I was asked to do a simple exercise: highlight a woman who supported me in my career. Someone who mentored me, shaped me, or helped me rise.

It shouldn’t have been hard. And yet, I struggled.

Not because there weren’t women around me. There were plenty. But when I searched for women who truly influenced my career trajectory—women who opened doors, advocated for me, or helped me navigate leadership—I came up short.

If I’m being honest, it was far easier to list the men who shaped my ...

When I stepped into my first management role, I didn’t take the time to define my leadership philosophy. I wasn’t asking myself how I wanted people to feel working for me or what kind of culture I wanted to build. I did what many people do early on and mirrored what I had already seen.

I grew up in the automotive industry in the 80s and 90s, where leadership was firm, hierarchical, and unapologetically tough. My father and his management team ran the dealership with authority. You performed, or...

I’ve always loved the Olympics.

I’m a huge fan of Lindsey Vonn and Simone Biles. And from the very first moment of the Opening Ceremony to the last seconds of the Closing Ceremony, I’m usually glued to the TV. I’ve been that way since I was a kid.

When I was younger, I dreamed about becoming an Olympic athlete. I loved the idea of representing something bigger than myself. Now, I’d be happy just to sit in the stands and soak it in. There’s something about the Olympics that feels sacred, like w...

Every leader eventually faces a dilemma that keeps them up at 3:00 AM, staring at the ceiling and weighing the numbers against their people. They have a high performer who drives revenue and closes deals but poisons the culture.

I’ve had toxic employees before, and I’ll be honest, it’s not always easy to spot them right away. On the surface, they look like your greatest asset, closing deals and bringing in money. They are the superstars you can’t afford to lose. But what you don’t see at first ...

The Christmas Tree That Changed How I Think About Leadership

I am not the woman who decorates for every holiday.

You will not find me hanging pastel streamers for Easter or pulling ceramic pumpkins out the moment September hits. I’ve always found the cycle of constant decorating to be a poor use of time and money. If that’s your thing, truly, I admire it. Invite me over. I’ll compliment your house and happily drink the wine.

It just doesn’t inspire me. Between running a business and managi...

When Women and Boundaries Collide

I learned this lesson the hard way, and honestly, more times than I’d like to admit.

For years, I softened boundaries to “keep the peace.” I said yes before checking my energy, time, or capacity. I told myself I was being flexible, but the truth was simpler: I was avoiding conflict.

And each time I backed down, people didn’t treat me better. They simply pushed harder because I taught them they could.
This is the reality for so many women in business leadershi...

 The Turning Point That Taught Me to Get Out of My Own Way

Life has a way of shifting the ground beneath your feet long before you’re ready. When I look back over my journey, I can see a few defining moments, true turning points, that forced me to grow, evolve, and rethink everything I thought I wanted. My husband calls them “TSN Turning Points”: those moments where the plan changes without your permission, and suddenly you’re standing at the start of an entirely new direction.

One of the earl...