At some point, discomfort stopped feeling like a warning sign and became a compass. Lately, I’ve been able to pause and reflect a bit to take stock of my life, and what I realized is that the vast majority of the good things in my life started with discomfort. Not excitement, certainly not confidence, and absolutely not a sense of certainty. It’s always been discomfort that quickly gave way to terror and self-doubt. The more I thought about it, that discomfort is truly the pr

When things go south, your response matters more than the problem. Whether they are minor inconveniences or catastrophic disruptions, bad things happen every day. AirPods run out of batteries in the middle of a run. Mayonnaise drips off your burger and onto your shirt before a client meeting. The WiFi drops out right before an important Zoom call. Your printer ink unexpectedly runs dry when printing a presentation. A flat tire greets you as you get in your car to pick someone

None of these are complicated. But in our industry, they make all the difference. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to learn from incredibly giving and smart people. I’ve also absorbed lessons the hard way, which, if I’m candid, is how they become ingrained. Looking back, a handful of themes have consistently shown up in every role and workplace. None are groundbreaking; most are deceptively simple, and perhaps, that’s the real key. However, I would suggest not to confuse '