I’m a business owner with nearly two decades of experience as a woman in management. By age 30, I had served in several leadership roles in New York City’s hospitality industry. After moving to Portland, Oregon for a change of pace, I opened a restaurant with my husband and business partner. We stayed open during the pandemic, doubling our gross revenue and staffing during one of the most challenging periods in hospitality history. Our restaurant is on the city’s Top 50 Best Restaurants list. 

Concurrent with operating the restaurant, I followed a personal interest and a job offer and became the Director of Operations at a financial planning nonprofit. This exploration of a new industry allowed me to realize my professional calling as an executive coach.

As a leader, I fully inhabit my strengths. I am a clear, concise communicator, a hard worker, and a team builder. I thrive on efficiency, and I recognize the boundaries I’ve set for myself and those of others. Standing up for your value as a human and respecting your time and energy is a universal good habit that expresses itself with as much uniqueness and variety as there are people on the planet.

Leadership is where I’ve discovered my ability to face challenges with humility. It's also where I’ve realized there isn’t a lot of guidance or help outside cultural norms of leadership that have been traditionally “pale, male and Yale.” There were many times when I needed advice, a thought partner, or some handbook that demonstrated the specific pressures, expectations, and hurdles women leaders have to deal with. I didn’t find that help in my superiors; often, they were there to exploit my labor or make a pass at me. 

I’ve always wanted to be good at my job, but the definition of ‘good’ keeps evolving as much as I and society evolve. This journey of learning what defines and refines leadership has led me to share my passion: learning how to be a leader who earns respect and nurtures a business by being wholly and completely yourself, without apology.