Six Months on My Own: Random Observations and Discoveries

• My peak productivity hours are from 2-4 am and 2-4 pm.  

• I’m much more adept at Google Slides than PowerPoint, and Canva and Creative Market are my Pinterest and Instagram.  

• Fonts matter. No, really. Sans serif fonts are the best.  

• A lot of people are more than willing to go out on a limb for you than you think, so don’t be afraid to ask.  

• Healthcare is ridiculously – RIDICULOUSLY- expensive, and tying it to employment stifles creativity, innovation, and progress.  

• I like working independently but within a team where everyone is working towards a common goal, and there is a culture of authenticity, transparency, shared learning, and just good ol’ fashioned enjoying yourselves (shoutout to Team Daylight)!  

• Some days, I can’t compartmentalize anything else. There are no more boxes to put things in, and there are no more closets to put the boxes in, either. On those days, I am grateful for a great support system and the privilege of having a wonderful therapist to help me hold it together.  

• There are so many passionate, caring people doing transformative movement work. I want to find a way to celebrate and highlight them routinely, but even more importantly, find ways to provide them with care and comfort.  

• Someone should study the number of tea vs. coffee drinkers across various sectors because there seem to be more tea drinkers in the philanthropic sector than in the corporate sector.  

• More philanthropic/nonprofit sector convenings and conferences need to be held outside the four corners of the U.S. with more consideration for accessibility and creating a culture of inclusivity beyond proximity to airports and scholarships.  

•  As I live and breathe, we SHALL have more collaboration and fellowship among all the “advisors of color” networks out there. AS I LIVE AND BREATHE WE SHALL!!  

• I’m so glad I decided to sort out my relationships with money and consumerism and defined wealth and success for myself before going out on my own. 

• I am really good at some things—really good! I am also not really good at other things—so not good! But that’s okay because other people are good at those things, so I’ll let them handle those.  

• I know that the saying “feedback is a gift” has a cynical connotation for many, but I believe it to be true. I truly value feedback but know it’s sometimes difficult to give and receive constructively, whether positive or negative.   

• I keep saying it because it’s true—I am more fulfilled and excited about all aspects of my life than ever. This is pretty awesome since I’m about to turn 53 on Sunday—April 21st, to be exact! I wish this feeling for everyone.