I've been busy. A FAANG company, the Out in Tech stage, and a birthday week to follow.
The episode nobody talks about but everybody needs. Money, freedom, and what I learned the expensive way.
I'm taking on my final coaching clients of 2026. If you've been thinking about it, now is the time.
Sorry for the Radio Silence. Here's Where I've Been.
It's been a busy few weeks and I want to catch you up.
First, I was at a FAANG company moderating a career panel. I've coached over a dozen people from this organization over the years, so when they invited me in to work with their team it felt like a bit of a homecoming. The theme was something I think about a lot: what happens when the obvious next step isn't the right step, or simply isn't available?
Did I mention my cousin works at this company so I got to see her too!
Here's the reality nobody talks about enough. As you get more senior, the path narrows. Not because the bar gets higher, though sometimes it does, but because there are just fewer roles. It's a numbers problem. So what do you do when you're still ambitious, still hungry for a challenge, and still want to stay at the organization you've invested in? You stop looking straight up and start looking around. A career lattice instead of a career ladder.
I moderated a panel of senior leaders who had each done exactly that, chosen a different path when the traditional one wasn't available or wasn't right for them. And then I got to share my North Star framework for finding career clarity and evaluating options when the path forward isn't obvious.
The feedback was wonderful. But honestly? That wasn't even the best part.
The best part was seeing clients (and my cousin) in-person! Most of my coaching work is virtual. Which means that even for clients who also live in New York City, I may never have actually met them in person. So walking into that building and seeing half a dozen former clients IRL for the first time was something I didn't expect to feel as meaningful as it did. There is something about in-person energy that is a special treat.
Then the following week I was back on the Out in Tech stage for the Leadership Institute conference. And I'll be honest, I got a little emotional before I even started.
I know I'm doing the right work because people came up to me before my talk to ask how my kid was doing. Because the last time I stood in that room I was eight months pregnant and they remembered me!
And then, on top of that, people told me they still use the DUCK framework from my managing up talk two years ago. That it changed how they navigate upward relationships at work.
There is no better feedback than that. Not applause, not a comment card. Someone telling you that something you shared two years ago is still living in how they work. That's the whole goal.
This time I brought my Get a GRIP framework, my leadership prescription for team dysfunction. What I kept hearing afterward was that attendees loved how I took a complicated, messy problem and turned it into something simple and immediately usable. People love to be inspired. But they love it even more when inspiration comes with something they can actually apply on Monday. That's what I try to do every time I get on a stage.
I also facilitated a smaller session on Friday with a cohort of leaders working through how to navigate challenging thoughts and create a path to action. Different energy than a keynote, more intimate, more real. Just as rewarding.
I'm just so thankful to the Out in Tech team for trusting me with their stage and attendees twice now. It was the perfect way to kick off my birthday week.
And if your organization or employee resource group could use some career and skill development programming, reply back and let's talk!
The Episode Nobody Talks About But Everybody Needs
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Money is one of those topics that makes people uncomfortable, which is exactly why podcast co-host Teresa and I decided to do a whole episode on it.
Here's something I don't talk about a lot. Growing up, my dad talked about finance and the stock market with my older brother. My relationship with money was sorting coins with him and putting them in collection books. I loved my dad, he was supportive, but the conversations were different. And years later, even after studying finance and working at major companies, I still found myself sitting in meetings with a financial advisor nodding along without fully understanding what was being explained. People assumed my background meant I knew. I let them assume.
I suspect a lot of smart, capable women will recognize some version of that.
The early financial decisions I eventually made, to earn well, to save intentionally, to build something underneath me, are the reason I was able to switch jobs, then switch careers, then switch again. I even paid off my own graduate degree in full within three years of finishing. But I also made expensive mistakes along the way. And so did Teresa, who works in finance. Being smart doesn't make you immune. Having the right background doesn't make you immune. We are all just figuring it out, usually after the fact.
The financial knowledge you build now is what earns you freedom later. Not someday freedom. Real, immediate, I-actually-have-options freedom.
Teresa wrote a beautiful piece on this that goes even deeper, and I'd encourage you to read it and subscribe to her Substack, On Your Terms. She's thoughtful, honest, and really good at making this stuff feel approachable instead of overwhelming. And then go listen to our full conversation on the podcast.
Spots are filling up and I want to make sure this lands in front of the right people before the year is gone.
If you've been sitting with questions like: what is actually next for me, or how do I position for that promotion, or why does my career feel off even though everything looks fine on paper, this is the work I do. And end of year is honestly one of the best times to do it, because January feels different when you've already done the thinking.
I'm taking on a limited number of new coaching clients before the end of 2026. If you've been thinking about it, now is the time.
Share some initial info using the link below and I'll send you everything you need to know about what working together looks like, plus an invite to schedule a free consultation.