My Journey.
“What is success?”
This question has accompanied me since my early 20s and is perhaps at the very core of what has shaped the last two decades for me. It is also the main driver behind how I help others.
So what’s the answer? According to the Oxford Dictionary, success can be defined in the following ways:
suc·cess /səkˈses/
the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.
the attainment of fame, wealth, or social status.
a person or thing that achieves desired aims or attains fame, wealth, etc.
the good or bad outcome of an undertaking.
For me, this definition is fundamentally misguiding since it suggests that we can (and should) measure ourselves to an ideal that exists outside of ourselves set by others and society. It also assumes there is an “end goal” or “final state”—one we can (and should) reach for, thereby introducing linear, black and white thinking in a way that simply doesn’t harmonize with, nor support, the natural flow of life. Even if there is a directional nature to everything we do as a result of who we are and what matters to us, and even if we orient ourselves in response to our environment and our experiences, there are many twists and turns along the way that we must adapt to.
So what is the real answer? What I’ve come to realize—and try to live every day—is that I must choose what success is for me. This approach invites me to ground my definition in clear personal values while simultaneously maintaining an openness and inherent curiosity that enables me to adapt my approach along the way. The outcome? I’m now flowing with the currents of life (and work) much more easily.
I have also learned that the most true form of success is about choosing how I respond to everything, and that the meaning we assign to things is relative. This notion is articulated beautifully by the late Viktor Frankl who is a holocaust survivor that has no doubt suffered in unimaginable ways: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way”. Powerful, isn’t it?
As for the experiences and events that have shaped who I am, here’s a quick summary. I was born and raised in Germany in some beautiful, rural parts on a horse farm. At age 15, my family relocated to the US in response to a cascade of difficult circumstances. What followed was a challenging and often painful process of grappling with a sense of feeling uprooted, as well as deep loss, and the fracturing of my family and support system along the way. Though I developed coping mechanisms that “got me through” to adulthood, the house eventually came crashing down and I realized I had been in pure survival mode my entire young life, relying only on my work ethic, my intellect, and a very finite energy store to push on.
Although I arguably built an incredible career and a great deal of “success” by my early 30s, collecting a diverse set of educational and career experiences and a great deal of professional maturity along the way, nothing could have prepared me for complete burnout. I was done (stick a fork in me done), and I felt utterly lost and directionless. So I gave notice and transitioned the start-up I had been running after escaping corporate America with only one objective: to heal, and to start again in a way that felt much more aligned. It was an important step in service of honoring and sharing my gifts with the world in a way that actually mattered—not just to me, but to everyone and everything around me.
Having been introduced to meditation and self-inquiry as a small child was a priceless gift during this time. Combined with the choice to go on a 2-month cross-country wilderness journey with only my dog, my car, my bike, and my tent, it provided the space, nourishment, and salve for the soul I needed to reimagine a path forward. A former financial services executive who was once swiftly climbing the ladder, I have since worked as a barista (one of my favorite jobs ever!), a low-woman on the totem pole at a health tech start-up (ironically, the worst employment experience of my life). The winding road has since led me to what some might call a dream role at a small yet mighty leadership and team effectiveness consulting firm where I get to invest a portion of my life’s energy into building and delivering something that lifts others every day.
The end? Not so fast. Through all of my experiences, and in reflecting on the state of the world, another reality has come into focus for me: The world needs more women running the show, and it needs more corageous leaders who are aligned with and working to enable what truly matters. As a result, my work as a growth and mindset coach is aimed at enabling primarily women who are ready for what is next in service of their own happiness and joy, and the health of our communities and world.
Will you join me on this journey?
“Everything can be taken from a (wo)man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Have a Listen.
I recently had a powerful conversation about Mindset, Meditation, and the Meaning of Success with my friend Diamond-Michael Scott. Diamond is an independent writer who publishes a substack (The Chocolate Taoist) and podcast (Great Books Great Minds) with a mission to “ignite a new world of community, connection, and conversation, one book at a time. He is an independent writer and describes himself as a Taoist thinker and global book ambassador who seeks and offers “nomadic wisdom for paradoxical, mysterious, and uncertain times”.
