We all live in bubbles. Not the fragile kind that float in the air and burst with a touch, but the invisible kind - durable, deeply embedded, and often unexamined. They are formed by what we inherit and what we endure. Our bubbles are filled with our upbringing, our culture, our traumas, our … [Read more...]
Decide or Discover – But Not Both at Once
We spend a large part of our professional lives in meetings. Some are energizing, many are draining, and far too many are just ... confusing. In my current role at the Ottawa Community Foundation and through my years in executive leadership, meetings with different teams, partners, funders, and … [Read more...]
The Leader Who Looks Twice
There’s a moment, often unnoticed, when a piece of work travels from a team member’s hands to their leader’s desk. It could be a memo, a slide deck, a contract, or a campaign draft. That moment may appear routine. But in truth, it is a quiet test of trust. What happens next - what the leader … [Read more...]
The Illusion of Progress and the Discipline of Priority
There’s a strange kind of exhaustion that sets in at the end of the day - not from working hard, but from working on the wrong things. Most people don’t waste their time; they give it away. They wake up, open their inbox, start replying, join the calls, jump between tasks, and try to keep up. By … [Read more...]
The Beautiful Limits of Impact: When Enough Must Be Enough
There’s a quiet truth that seasoned leaders, parents, builders, and dreamers eventually collide with - sometimes softly, sometimes headfirst. No matter how much you care, no matter how fiercely you try, no matter how skillfully you intervene, there is a limit to the impact you can have. It’s not a … [Read more...]
The Age of Attention and the Death of Audacity
Last night, I found myself deep in conversation with a dear friend, one of those meandering dialogues that starts with casual reflection and spirals, before you know it, into something far more revealing. We were talking about the world around us, but not in the way headlines do. He was … [Read more...]
The Rhythm That Replaces Resolutions
How intentional check-ins can shape a life more meaningfully than any new year plan ever could I’ve never believed in January 1st resolutions. It’s an arbitrary starting line drawn by calendars and collective sentiment. But life doesn’t begin on schedule. Purpose doesn’t wake up with … [Read more...]
Show Up Like You’re Already There
When people talk about getting promoted, they often focus on timing, performance reviews, or waiting for someone to notice. But the truth is, the most reliable way to grow into the next level of your career is to start behaving like you already belong there - before the title ever arrives. … [Read more...]
Put Your Mask on First: The Responsibility of Choosing Yourself
We often live under the quiet weight of expectations — of being available, of showing up, of putting others first. It’s a subtle script that plays in the background, shaping how we move, what we give, and how much we tolerate before finally asking, “When is it my turn?” But here’s something I’ve … [Read more...]