From Grizzlies to Galas

Recently, amidst a race against time at the airport, sprinting to catch a flight to Florida via Charlotte, I found myself the last passenger to board, a bit flustered from the rush after swapping my car for an Uber to eliminate the parking hassle. Initially relieved to have made it, my relief soon gave way to a sense of déjà vu. Two years prior, I shared about an extraordinary encounter with a minor league baseball player on a flight as he was called up to the majors. The lesson then was simple: ditch the headphones and embrace the people around you. Despite subsequent failed attempts to replicate such an experience, fate smiled on me during this recent journey. As my seatmate shifted to the window, revealing his college ice hockey background, we delved into an enjoyable conversation about his athletic and professional experiences. Before touchdown, we exchanged business cards and connected on LinkedIn. His genuine kindness shone through when he acknowledged my gratitude for alleviatin...

I was lucky enough to participate in a book club discussion yesterday of Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It where the author and former Google executive, Jenny Wood herself, joined in. How cool is that!! I love her chapter about WEIRD! I have done some unconventional things in an office setting that set me apart such as start a classroom instruments band (ala Jimmy Fallon) and ring a large cowbell for important gatherings. While admittedly not everyone loved my cowbell, it set me apart and was part of my unique secret sauce. The classroom instruments band was a lot of fun and the company used it to set it apart as its WEIRD. Thanks Jenny for validating my WEIRD and for so many other tips related to getting out of your own way and asking for what you want.