Hey Leader,
When I was a Director, I negotiated the hell out of my salary and landed a 30% raise.
It was a big win.
But… that raise didn’t come with the resources I needed.
Just more on my plate.
I was selling sponsor contracts, figuring out the entire speaker onboarding process, building sponsor onboarding with my team, and running the event marketing… all at once.
Yes, my paycheck went up, but my overwhelm skyrocketed faster.
I was exhausted, reactive, and carrying projects I should’ve delegated.
That 30% didn’t buy me peace of mind, it bought me a bigger plate, piled higher.
I wish someone had told me then that you can’t lead like an exec if you’re drowning like an IC.
It’s not the role that’s breaking you.
It’s the way you’re carrying it.
Lead boldly, live fully, & don’t forget to breathe.
In your corner,
Scroll-Stoppers
This week’s most valuable scroll-worthy stuff, from tools to truth bombs!
If you’re not a woman Director or VP making $170K+, keep scrolling… This is for the leaders ready to lead differently.
You can be kind and still maintain your boundaries. This HBR podcast explores how leaders unintentionally undermine their own authority.
She was in the middle of a sh*tstorm, and still made it to game night. The shift? She stopped powering through and started leading differently.
Try This Today
Quick experiments for calmer inboxes, lighter loads, and more human leadership.
Write down the one project you’re still holding that your team could own.
Pass it off this week, even if it won’t be perfect. They’ll learn by doing, and you’ll finally free up space to think bigger.Delete Slack/email from your phone for the weekend.
Notice how much lighter you feel by Monday, and how much mental space returns when every buzz isn’t an invitation back into work mode.Block 30 minutes on your calendar this week labeled “Think Time.”
Protect it like a board meeting. No reschedules, no multitasking. Just you, a pen, and the kind of thinking that actually moves the needle.
Your Power Reframe
Because what you believe shapes how you live & lead.
Buried in sponsor contracts, speaker onboarding, and event marketing on top of my actual role…
I kept thinking, “It’s faster if I just do it.”
But every time I held on, I kept my team from growing and kept myself stuck.
The real shift came when I realized delegation wasn’t about lightening my load, it was about strengthening my people.
This Sparked Something
Little joys, leadership sparks, & random things we’re loving this week!
Joy move of the week: We hosted a little fall dinner party a few nights ago, roasted red pepper soup, pomegranate kale salad, acorn squash, and cinnamon-glazed salmon. All the cozy foods. I love having people over, but I don’t do it often enough… so I was ridiculously excited to fill the table with friends instead of emails. 😉~Alli
Anticipatory joy moment: Counting down to our family’s “birthday marathon”, mine on Oct 19, my son’s on Oct 20, and my husband’s on Oct 21. Three cakes in three days! ~Pau
Unexpected joy: Alli finally cleaned her desk and… surprise! It’s actually brown underneath! (Just kidding 🤣) ~Pau