Q. What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
A. Something just wasn’t working. I’d look at women who had done everything “right” — checked all the boxes and played by the rules of the Old Playbook — and all they were left with was a case of “low work libido.” They had lost the passion for their work and the spark of their creativity. While there’s no “little blue pill” to help women leaders get their mojo back, Something Major: The New Playbook for Women at Work” is packed with tools to get them inspired at work again.
Q. Can You Tell Us About these Books from Your Point of View?
A. This book is fun and effective. Period. Most importantly I truly believe this is something for everybody. It was critical to me to not write another leadership book that purports to be a one-size-fits-all solution. Every woman who reads this book will come to it with a different lived experience, origin story, set of values, and list of goals–and I wanted to honor that. That’s why I tell readers right from the introduction: don’t treat this book like a prescription, treat it like a buffet. There’s a tremendous “spread” of information and I’ll know I’ve done my job if every woman who reads this book takes away something different.
Q.What Can Readers Expect from This Book?
A.You will laugh, you will be inspired, you will learn real tools to bring to work, you will do some hard work, and you will remember how to actually have FUN doing it.
Q. Can You Tell Me Three Fun Facts About You?
A.I’m a certified yoga instructor and my very first job in Washington, DC was teaching yoga to global policy experts at The World Bank on their lunch break. I guess I’ve always been inspired by leaders and, hey, I needed to pay the rent! Oh, and fun fact about The World Bank: it’s what we call “DC famous” for its’ outstanding cafeteria.
I have a secret life as a stealth travel agent: okay, I don’t really get paid to plan other people’s vacations, but I am constantly helping friends craft their perfect travel itinerary or sharing tips on how to fly with babies and young children. I also hold a blackbelt in packing carry-on-only for long trips… okay, they don’t actually give black belts for that but if they did, trust me, I would have one.
I have a Masters Degree in Art Business from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art. My first dream was to be an auctioneer at Christie’s or Sotheby’s in New York… but life takes unexpected twists and turns and after my first art world gig (helping a business manage their corporate art collection) I thought I’d take a chance on something new. All the chances I’ve taken since brought me to my women’s leadership business, Something Major, and the book we’re discussing today.
Q.What Are Your Plans for Future Writing Projects?
A.Wasn’t it Albert Einstein who said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? I must be insane… because after feeling like writing this book was the greatest challenge of my professional life, I find myself writing notes and wanting to do it all over again. I’d love to write a book on working motherhood because I’m totally bored and exhausted by the current discourse. Yes, we know there is a care crisis, but we need to give women more tools on the “work” side of the equation to thrive in our “new normal” at work. In the meantime, I’ll be updating my blog regularly on Something Major and writing for Forbes.
Q. What Do You Want the World to Know About Your Book?
A.This a BS-free approach to leveling up our leadership. Your time is valuable, and I promise not to waste it.
Q. How Do You Think Your Book Relates to The World Today?
A.My greatest hope is that my book is irrelevant by the time my first grade-daughter enters the workplace
Q. What Do You Hope Will Be the Everlasting Thoughts for Readers Who Finish Your Book?
A.Your goals, impact, and potential are so much greater than your fears… I also hope they’ll feel like they had fun! We’ve lost that at work and deserve a chance to reclaim it!
Q.What Should Remain with Readers Long After Putting Your Book Down?
The tools! This book is so tactical. I recently led a Something Major women’s leadership retreat where we released early copies of the books and previewed content for our attendees. Within hours I was getting emails and phone calls about how our participants were putting this into practice at work.
Q. If People Can Only Buy One Book This Month, Why Should It Be Yours?
A.In a few short weeks, we’re going to mark Women’s Equal Pay Day – that’s the date on the 2023 calendar when women will finally earn what a man earned on December 31st, 2022. If your reader is like me, we have hopes, dreams, and goals that just cannot wait the 135+ years the World Economic Forum predicts it will take to close the gender pay gap. This goal is about equipping women to go after their dreams TODAY in a workplace that was not built for our success. Every day, every decision, every moment matters — this book helps you reclaim your agency TODAY.
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