I was featured in Authority Magazine!

I’m excited to share that I was recently featured in Authority Magazine as part of their series on building more inclusive workplaces!

We covered a lot—how burnout led me to this work, how play shows up in leadership, and the real systems that foster belonging, not just buzzwords.

Here’s how the interview begins:

Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Before we drive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

I was a speech language pathologist and educator for decades, so I literally played for a living. On the floor with toy cars, blocks, singing nursery rhymes. My education had been focused on how and why play was important for children to learn. When burnout struck, as it does, I needed to pivot from that career, but I just KNEW that play was the thread that I would continue to follow into a new career.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

How many examples would you like? Starting a business without an MBA or ANY business schooling is really kind of unhinged, yet so many of us do it. And I love that about us entrepreneurs. In my early workshops, I would sometimes mix up slides or forget what I was supposed to do next. It could have led to a meltdown or at least left me flustered, but I just owned it. I made jokes out of it. And I learned that it was actually relatable to the audience and, surprisingly, it helped build connection rather than causing disrespect or disengagement! Being authentic in front of an audience is almost more important than content (almost.)

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I’m incredibly fortunate to have a long list of people who have helped me along the way, but one of my favorite stories is about Angelica Salinas. She saw me speak at one of my very first paid gigs in October 2022. Afterward, she came up and shared some kind words, then asked if I’d be interested in speaking at their women’s leadership event… in November 2023, a full year later. I was a little discouraged because I assumed she would forget, but sure enough, in the summer of ’23, I got an email from her boss. They brought me in for a workshop, which led to a keynote with the same organization, which then led to two major internal corporate workshops. She believed in me so clearly and said my name in rooms I was not in. That kind of support still benefits me today.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Do unto others as THEY would do unto themselves. NOT the golden rule. We live in an age of such extensive information and “connection” through the internet, yet still so many of us exist in echo chambers. We think….

Finish reading here: Full interview on Authority Magazine

Thanks for reading—and thank you for being part of this community that’s rethinking how we work.