For the High-Functioning, Highly Responsible Ones

On patterns, conditioning, and finding your way back to yourself

This post is for the high-functioning, highly responsible ones.

Often women. Often first-generation at something — first-gen professionals, leaders, immigrants.

But not always.

You grew up with strong, rigid rules —

and shame, humiliation, or punishment when you fell short.

And underneath all that structure, there was chaos. Unpredictabili…

A leadership story about reclaiming your voice after a toxic boss.

Mara Was One of Only Two Women on the Call

The conversation had taken a familiar turn.

Interruptions.
Dismissals.
“You don’t get it.”

The subtle tone that says your perspective isn’t really valued here.

For a moment, Mara felt the old tension rise in her chest.

Was she going to stay silent… again?

And then something shifted.

All the work we had been doing together clicked.

Mara had been doing the deep internal work  -  reb…

This morning, I was onboarding a new coaching client. As we discussed her desired outcomes, a familiar topic surfaced:

Procrastination.

Waiting until the last minute.
Putting things off past the point of comfort.
Developing an almost stubborn resistance to do even the things you truly want to do.

Sound familiar?

Procrastination rarely comes alone. It brings guilt. Wasted mental energy. Self-judgment. Shame.

We often explain it away as laziness or poor discipline.

Sometimes it’s tied to per…

When pushing through no longer works, right action offers another way. A reflection on resistance, consistency, and rebuilding trust with yourself.

The idea of right action first bubbled into my awareness a few years ago—at a time when I was still deeply shaped by childhood and cultural messages like “push through,” “stick with it until it becomes a habit,” and “discipline is the answer.”

That mindset kept me locked in a familiar loop.

Every time I tried to be consistent—writing blog posts, f…

Weekly Wisdom from the Journey

(I’ve chosen a photo from the Travel Archives from Mazatlan Mexico.  I love street art and this cute bat reminds me that just like I tend to shy away from bats out at night so many people avoid grief)

Grief.

Last week—and even this week—I hesitated to share about grief in my weekly wisdom post. It feels vulnerable. But despite my fears, I’m finding the courage to talk with you about grief.

Recently, Oprah interviewed Brené Brown on Super Soul Sunday. Brené said…

Have you ever considered that your desire to help others, combined with the urge for everyone to be happy and possibly a fear of not being liked, might be the root cause of your stress and life's imbalance? Today, let's delve into the intricate link between empathy, stress management, and achieving a harmonious work-life balance.

As an authentic business and leadership coach, I've seen how empathy, while a profoundly beautiful trait, can become a double-edged sword. Empathy enables us to unders…

Change is a constant we all face in life. 

Learning how to ride the waves of change and navigate the shifting waters brings us into harmony with life so we can partner with it instead of fighting it. This series of Courage to Change wisdom lessons will bring you new insight into how to live a life that moves you consistently toward greater harmony with life itself. The level of harmony we have internally measures the level of influence and impact that have on ourselves and the world around us.

Have you ever noticed that some leaders are highly effective, while others seem to actually draw those around them backwards?

What is an Authentic Leader?

(Prefer Video?  Check out the 4 part video series on Authentic Leadership!)

Authentic Leaders are highly influential and impactful in the best ways. I define an authentic leader as one who desires to lead with a heart of service, with a spirit of curiosity, trust, and respect, and grows their leadership ability through personal growth and d…

How to Increase Balance and Have Less Hectic Days

(Update from the original post: March 2, 2020)

As a leader juggling numerous responsibilities, you likely find yourself trying to balance an endless task list, an overflowing email inbox, and the aspiration to be the parent you deeply wish to be.

I often see recurring themes among the leaders I work with: too much to do and not enough time to do it all. The demands seem to be ever-increasing, threatening to overwhelm anyone who dares to pause …

The Leveraging Power of Focused Coaching in Leadership

Stop trying to focus on everything at once!

In the world of leadership coaching, there's a unique approach that stands out for its effectiveness: focusing on one key area for improvement. This approach is based on the understanding that improving one pivotal skill can have a cascading positive effect on various aspects of a leader's performance and well-being.

The Power of a Leverage Point:

My work with managers often revolves around ide…