I am a builder, writer, and advocate. I live what I call a “portfolio life” and show others how. Why? Because there are some things in life that I choose not to let go of for the sake of work and an earned living. For me, that’s writing, mentoring, and living my best life. With that, I flex my writing muscles to share insights gathered over years of working in the trenches of Silicon Valley, growing up in rural Hawaii, the contradiction between those two lives, and the people

Losing a job feels like having our legs knocked out from under us. We're thrown into a pit without a lifeline to hoist us back up. Even before grief takes hold of us, we question everything, even the meaning of life itself. We ask why over and over again, and across those thoughts are the could ’ve-and-should’ve moments that leave us in a state of suffering. Unbeknownst until something or someone jerks us out of that moment. But until then, we feel stuck. There is also guilt

Former Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins and Eleanor Roosevelt at the 50th anniversary commemoration of the Triangle Fire, March 1961. Source: Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library. This blog post is adapted from a broader research paper I wrote that examines ageism, caregiving responsibilities, workplace discrimination, and workforce participation among single mothers over 50. As a single working mother over 50 myself, I fi

Take It With A Grain of Salt

Featuring artwork by Matt Willey (https://www.thegoodofthehive.com/) “Bees never forget that they are part of something bigger than themselves… their hive is a part of them. What if we embodied this idea? What if we got curious about the world and each other again instead of intimidated by it? This is why I turn walls into windows—to remember that we are all connected… that separation is an illusion. — Matt Willey, Artist Hustle culture has been on my mind lately as I’ve retu

Ansel Adams “Wonderment is the first passion of all.” — René Descartes I was sitting at dinner with a group of entrepreneurs when someone asked a simple question: What was the greatest lesson you learned during your last big adventure? Without thinking, I answered, “I learned how to play.” In September 2013, I had just left Google after nine years and accepted a role at a little-known startup in San Francisco called Uber. Leaving Google felt like stepping off a moving train.

Mahalo, Tommy Peirucki (pineapplesunrise.com) “Do not think that what is hard for you to master is humanly impossible; and if it is humanly possible, consider it to be within your reach.” — Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, often regarded as the last of the Five Good Emperors of Rome, was born Marcus Annius Verus in Rome around 121 CE and was educated within an intellectual environment that placed extraordinary emphasis on Stoic philosophy. From a young age he was de

Lionel Logue: “You still stammered on the ‘W.’” King George VI: “Well, I had to throw in a few so they knew it was me.” In The King’s Speech, Prince Albert ascends the throne but carries a stammer into a microphone that will reach a nation at war. Queen Elizabeth seeks help not to change who he is, but to strengthen his ability to stand inside who he already is. His speech coach, Lionel Logue, does not erase the impediment but teaches the king to regulate under pressure and d

Old London Bridge, Claude de Jongh (c. 1603-1663) London Bridge is falling down, Falling down, Falling down. London Bridge is falling down, My fair lady. The London Bridge has been in constant disrepair throughout history, falling, being redesigned, reinforced, and rebuilt. According to history, it was reconstructed multiple times between 1666 and 1972, surviving fire, war, commercial expansion, and the evolution of the modern world. It adapted to larger ships, heavier traffi