Hey Leader!
Two weeks ago, I blocked off a whole week for my first-ever (!!) RV trip—and felt only joy.
That kind of clarity didn’t always come easily.
I’ve never believed you have to “earn” time off. But I did struggle to put myself first in other ways:
Saying no to last-minute requests
Guarding my calendar like it mattered
Choosing energy over obligation
Leading in alignment with my values—even when they didn’t match the org's
But here’s what shifted: I stopped sitting around and waiting for permission.
And I started building a life I didn’t need to escape from.
Let’s be honest though—I didn’t get there overnight (lol). Or alone.
At first, I “borrowed” permission (my favorite hack!) before I felt like I could give it to myself.
From a boss who set real boundaries
From research that proved leadership could be human-centered
From my coach, who reminded me I wasn’t built to run on empty
Now? The most impactful, productive people I know (myself included!) aren’t burning out to prove they belong.
They’ve rewritten the rules entirely. And you can, too.
Lead boldly, live fully, & don’t forget to breathe.
In your corner,
Lead Boldly & Live Fully
Years ago, one of my leaders gave me this card:
A literal permission slip.
Not for PTO.
Not for a formal policy change.
Just a quiet, handwritten reminder that I was allowed to live like a human—even while leading.
I saved it. Because at the time, I needed to see it to believe it.
And 2 years later, it still lives on my windowsill.
You don’t have to white-knuckle your way to sustainability.
You can model it. Design for it… AND borrow it, if you need to.
Try This Today: 3 Ways to Reclaim Permission
Borrow it.
If giving yourself permission feels hard, borrow it from someone else who lives how you want to live. Think: “What would they say no to this week?”
Or, check out research like this & “borrow” permission from it.Flip the script.
Catch one “I should...” thought and replace it with: “What if…?”.
All of a sudden, “I should be more responsive” becomes → “What if taking space actually made me more effective?” or one of my favs, “What if I don’t respond right away & someone else answers the question?” (it happened more times than I could count!).Make one visible move.
Cancel the meeting. Block your deep work time. Set an out-of-office—even if it’s just for 90 minutes.
Let it be real. Let it hold.
Which will you commit to this week? Hit “reply” and let me know!
Behind The Scenes
A peek inside what I’m building — at work & in life!
Work in Progress
This smile is what it feels like to be coaching leaders, writing a book, speaking (just signed another corp speaking gig!), and pouring into my passions!
It’s also the look of someone who’s about to take a work-free vacation for the first time as an entrepreneur instead of an employee!
Life in Progress
TJ and I are off adventuring again! (Don’t worry, this email was scheduled before I left).
We’re on our first RV trip and Moose (our pup) came with us. We’re not in Costa Rica where this photo was taken, but were probs on a similar adventure!
My Thought or Fuel for the Week
My literal fuel this week is s’mores! (Remember the RV trip I mentioned above?!)
I hope your week brings a spark of something sweet or grounding — whatever fuel you most need!
In Case You Missed It
5 Unboring OOO messages I sent as a senior leader. Steal these!
What no one tells you about joining a senior leadership team. But I will!
We don’t choose what matters less, we just let work take more. Has this happened to you?