Flourish.
Belong.
At 22, freshly graduated from Duke University, I embarked on a 40-year career in technology, at both large corporations and small start-ups. Over time, I learned that regardless of corporate culture, when I nourished relationships with self and peers, I experienced real Belonging. And when I treated Belonging with the same care I treated projects and productivity, I experienced real success: safety in risk taking, rewards from honest communication, durable satisfaction.
At Intel, I honed my own art and craft of project management, leading hundred-person teams through highly complex, multi-year product and technology explorations. I developed a faith in my abilities to stand before anyone in the company–executives, senior technologists, international sales teams–to ask for what I needed and achieved corporate approvals for investments exceeding $100M.
My personal life has also evolved and flourished. I count my two grown daughters among my friends, speaking daily through text and phone calls as they pursue careers of their own. I ski, hike, cycle, swim, and volunteer my planning, writing, and persuasion skills to the State Forests Trust of Oregon. And I enjoyed 27 years of marriage, the last three years of which I supported and cared for Julie through a life-ending cancer. Throughout the trauma of her illness and my grief, I leaned into concentric circles of support from my family, my friends, and my work colleagues. I leaned into Belonging.
As my career progressed, I felt a calling to extend myself beyond mentoring others in job-specific skills. I wanted to support others build holistic and sustainable practices to achieve their professional goals and became an Certified Integral Coach through New Ventures West.
I will listen attentively to you, enquire with curiosity, and offer perspectives with humility. Together, we will grow your authentic sense of Belonging, and with this foundation, you’ll flourish in your professional career.
Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, speaking about the passing of his son, and the power of belonging
“…the thing that I perhaps have been most struck by is what an unbelievable support system that got built around us in even the local community around Seattle…..[My son] was born when I was working at Microsoft, and he passed when I was working at Microsoft, and everything, even from the benefits programs of Microsoft to the managers who gave me the flexibility. I think that was a big reminder to me that all of us have things happen in our lives, sometimes things like pandemics or the passing of a loved one or the health issues of elderly parents, and we get by because of the kindness of people around us and the support of communities around us.”
As relayed by Satya Nadella to Steven J Dubner, Freakonomics Season 12, Episode 44.
