Slower Growth, Richer Soil: Finding Peace in my Second Planting
It's common for us to compare our station in life with others. I find myself comparing my life to others my same age, or people I know, wondering where I stand relative to where they are. Social media often offers us brief glimpses into the lives of others. I know, I know. We all know social media is a "highlight reel." But sometimes knowing that doesn't make it any easier when we feel like we're behind in life.
But Slower doesn’t mean behind.
Same Roots, New Direction
The second planting allows the soil to be reused by a new plant after harvesting an earlier crop. Gardeners or farmers don't toss the soil away, they reuse it, enriched by the first planting.
It’s no different than humans finding their new direction, planting the seeds of change but staying true to who you are. Sometimes the path forward doesn't look the same as the path we’ve taken to this point. It’s scary - yes, but also exciting.
Harmonies on a Train: Finding Community Where You Least Expect It (Thank you Dolly Parton)
Dolly Parton built an empire, a theme park, a literacy program that's put books in the hands of millions of kids and somehow never stopped being the kind of person a stranger would harmonize with on a train. Ambitious and warm were never opposites for her.
So here's the lesson, if you want one: Show up. Sing loud, even if you don't know the words yet. The people who are supposed to find you will.
Working With Your Brain, Not Against It: Routine Hacks for Neurodivergent Minds
Ever start a new routine with the best intentions, only to watch it fall apart within a week? You're not lazy, and you're not doing it wrong. For those of us with neurodivergent brains, routines don't fail because we lack discipline — they fail because we're trying to force our brains into a mold that was never built for them. In this post, I'm sharing the routines that actually stuck for me (including some that probably look "weird" from the outside) and the mindset shift that made all the difference. If routines have ever felt harder for you than they seem to be for everyone else, this one's for you.
Our 5 Rituals and Routines (aka, things that make our lives run better)
As we step into this season of reset, it’s easy to group routines and rituals together, but they play very different roles in our lives:
Routines are our brain. They give us order, streamline our daily decisions and build consistency needed to move toward our goals without burning out.
Rituals are our heart. They bring intentionality, presence and emotion to our actions, turning ordinary habits into moments of grounding and joy.
Rejection Sucks, Navigating The Crappiest Job Search of All Time
Rejection sucks. This job market is the worst. Whether you’re chasing a career-defining growth opportunity or just trying to find a way to pay your rent, the stakes feel higher than ever. Instead of smashing your computer, try a few other ways to handle the rejection.
The Fragility of Freedom & Connection
Many of us have put parts of our lives on auto-pilot - our finances that we know we should look at but are embarrassed to see how “behind” we are, our careers where we don’t see a path forward at our current company but stay anyway, or even in our relationships with family, where certain behaviors hurt us, they are our family so we let it persist.
Not going after what we need or want keeps everyone else’s ecosystem stable, but inside of ourselves, there are little earthquakes happening.
If You Are At An Inflection Point, You Are In the Middle
If you know something needs to change, you are in the middle. Don’t stop there!
When The Middle Isnt By Choice, Managing The Unknown
I did everything right. I followed every rule. And I still found myself waiting to find out if I’d lose my career. This is what that experience taught me about The Unknown and why sitting with uncertainty might be one of the hardest things we ever have to do.
June Theme: The Messy Middle
Some of these middles are by choice, others are not and often it doesn't feel good when we’re here. Our little sunflower friends remind us that even in the deepest darkness of the night, growth doesn't stop. They don't just wait for things to get better; they quietly reposition themselves in the dark so they are ready to catch the very first ray of morning light. They remind us that we have the power to reset our focus, every single day.
Reframing Failure: Turning Mistakes into Career Growth
Recently, I was in an interview and the interviewer said to me, “This is my favorite question: Tell me about a time that you failed.”
The Grace of Imperfection: Moving Beyond the Pressure to be "Right"
Making a mistake is often demonized in adulthood. We’re supposed to know exactly what to do and get it “right” the first time.
But where does this expectation and pressure come from? It’s different for everyone, but for me I believe it began with school. Making a mistake in school usually resulted in a lower grade, and lower grades meant you didn’t understand or were “stupid”. That is what my inner voice was telling me.
Why Intention Is Your Most Underused Career Tool
Most of us don't think about what we actually want from a job until something forces the question: a reorg, a departure, an acquisition. By then, the decision is already being made for you. Here's the one question that changes that.
My Boundary Lesson: Unlearning the “should”
We’re all carrying rules we didn’t choose. I used to call mine being nice. It took moving across the country to realize some of them were just getting in my way.
It’s Not That You Can’t, It’s Just That You Haven’t Yet
Change is hard — but the way you think about change might be making it harder than it needs to be. Your mindset shapes how you respond to challenges, feedback, and even other people's success. The good news? It's not fixed. Check out our post to find out which mindset you're operating from and a few practical ways to start shifting it.
I asked AI About My Reputation and I Feel Seen
If he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly.
Breaking the "Competition" Cycle: What I Wish I'd Known Sooner
In your 20s, it's almost impossible not to look sideways. When you're still figuring out what your path is supposed to look like, your peers become a kind of compass but a wildly unreliable one.
Celebrating Female Bonds (and Leslie Knope)
Galentine’s Day is not as trivial as it may seem.
Milkshake or Mushroom?
We often can “logic” our way through any situation. By using logic, we are often using shame to convince ourselves to choose the “right” option (which in my work tends to be the option everyone else wants you to choose rather than what you want to choose).