photo : Chris Robinson, Chickendrop Photography I recently joined the staff of a yoga studio as an instructor—a long-held dream that took me 14 years and a winding path to realize. I completed yoga teacher training (YTT) in 2012, taught at Google and locally, then stepped away after the pandemic but continued to wonder how I could get back into teaching. What surprised me when I finally committed to this goal last year is that landing my dream role followed the exact same pri

I’m a bit incredulous that a year has already passed since I left my job as Director of Program Management at Google. It wasn’t a decision that I came to lightly (details on why I left ), but I was taking a chance and betting on myself, not just for short-term escape, but to transform my work to truly reflect what matters most to me and apply the knowledge, skills, and experience that I’ve gained over the course of my career to a new purpose.  From that perspective, I honestl

Here's a secret about confidence: it's not about perfectly controlling every situation to get the outcome you want. It's about knowing you are capable of handling whatever happens. As I meet with prospective and new coaching clients these days, a common goal or challenge that comes up is acting with confidence in the workplace, especially in unexpected situations or when dealing with new stakeholders. One person even referred to their struggle with confidence as a “weakness.”

This past June, we took a 14 day vacation to Japan, flying from San Francisco to Tokyo.

Many of my coaching clients come to me with a secret: they’re trying to figure out how to fit in. They say they want to develop their leadership skills, and they often want to learn strategies for navigating corporate culture. Some confide in me that they must be doing something wrong, and they want to learn what everyone else seems to know. I understand this feeling all too well, because I’ve often felt like a misfit, someone who doesn’t quite belong anywhere. I was born and

Last week, I went into a virtual writing retreat  with high hopes for what I would produce, but what I got out of it was far more...

Just like that, four months have passed since I left my corporate job  at Google, and if you follow my blog, you might know I’m a fan of...

Managers are crucial for employee engagement, serving as coaches and mentors who share their knowledge and experiences to help employees...

A few weeks ago, my friend J.T. Erickson came over for brunch and then we recorded a conversation for his new podcast, No More Strangers...

In my current period of transition, I’m seizing the opportunity to reflect on my career and share some pivotal stories and lessons I’ve...

It’s been a week full of excitement and reflection since I departed from Google after 18 years. It was a huge decision, and I've been...

Yesterday was my last day working at Google. March 26 would have been my 18th Googleversary. I plan to share more soon about how I came...

As Mental Health Awareness Month shines a light on personal struggles, I wanted to share the second chapter of my burnout story, which...

Last week, I talked about my experiences working with coaches  that led me to pursue becoming a coach myself. One of my personal passions...

In the beginning of May, I got my Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential with the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and now...

To my surprise, I've never been asked about the meaning of my website name, Yes, it’s Friday. I have no idea if that’s because it seems...

[edited 3/21/26 for clarity] Aus der Kriegsschule des Lebens. — Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker (Out of life’s school of war—What does not kill me makes me stronger). — Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, 1889 This is a slightly uncomfortable post for me, because it’s very personal. I often say my life is an open book and am not shy about sharing personal stories and details with others. However, putting this in writing on a blog feels a little scary. I’ve