There’s something refreshingly obvious about the idea: you can’t cook rice without rice. It’s a phrase that might sound silly at first, even laughable, but it carries a truth so foundational that we often forget it in our daily hustle to do more, be more, achieve more. Because in all of our … [Read more...]
Better Than Yesterday: The Quiet Science of Becoming Exceptional
No one is born a top performer. It’s tempting to think otherwise - to assume the most impressive people we encounter are just wired differently, gifted in ways we aren’t. But when you look closer, you see a more ordinary, more hopeful truth: they’ve simply built themselves differently. Not … [Read more...]
When Everything Feels Urgent: A Better Way to Prioritize What Matters
The older I get, the more I realize that most of our overwhelm doesn’t come from the amount of work we have - it comes from not knowing what to do first. In any busy, purpose-driven organization - whether you're building systems for equity, managing national funding cycles, or supporting … [Read more...]
The Quiet Power of Playing the Long Game
There’s something oddly comforting about short-term wins. They give us something to point to - proof of progress, signs of momentum, applause. But in the obsession with now, we often forget that most of what truly matters happens slowly, invisibly, and without ceremony. The long game doesn’t … [Read more...]
One Intentional Hour
There are days when nothing works. The to-do list stares back blankly. The coffee goes cold. The conversation didn’t go how you hoped. A setback stings more than it should. Maybe there were tears, maybe just the familiar ache of disappointment. Whatever the cause, the spiral feels real. We’ve … [Read more...]
“I Told You So” Is Not Leadership. It’s Ego in Disguise.
There’s a moment - when things unravel, when a plan falls apart, when reality collides with ambition - where someone steps forward and says, “I told you so.” And in that moment, something subtle but powerful is revealed: not insight, not foresight, but failure. Not the failure of a project, or a … [Read more...]
Mentorship is Not a Meetup: On Readiness, Reciprocity, and Respect
Lately, I’ve found myself hesitating when asked to mentor someone - not out of unwillingness, but because of a recurring issue: a lack of shared understanding around what mentorship really entails. It seems many people seek out a mentor as if it’s the next logical step, without pausing to reflect … [Read more...]
Backbone Over Comfort: The Quiet Bravery of Conviction
Leadership is rarely glamorous in the moment it matters most. It’s not the boardroom photo or the inspirational quote; it’s the silence that follows an unpopular opinion, the long pause before someone says, “I disagree,” and the lonely stretch between dissent and decision. True leadership, the … [Read more...]
I Don’t Dream of Retirement, and That’s Not a Problem
Recently, I came across another early retirement post on LinkedIn - the kind that comes with heartfelt reflections, sincere gratitude, and a new chapter wrapped in a bow. I paused, smiled, and genuinely appreciated the discipline, intention, and optimism it takes to design a life that allows for … [Read more...]
The Joy of Building People
Some people build products. Others build companies. But the work I’ve come to love most - the work that energizes me every morning - is building people. Not in the abstract, theoretical way we sometimes toss around in leadership circles. But in the trenches, in real time, through the process of … [Read more...]