Welcome to Field Notes.
Observations on confidence, leadership, and presence
— and how the way we show up shapes what happens next.

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  Before There’s a Finish Line
  For years, I’ve walked into the same orange room. Not with a strategy.Not chasing specific numbers.Not thinking about where it was all going. I had no idea what I was building. I was just showing up. Some days I felt strong.Some days I didn’t. Some seasons I was all in.Other times, I was doing just… Read more: Before There’s a Finish Line
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  When Perfect Instructions Aren’t So Perfect
  Being a fitness coach as I age has taught me something that wouldn’t have made much sense when I was younger. As a developing leader, I used to get annoyed when a manager wouldn’t give me clear instructions. Just tell me exactly how to do it. Without a precise prescription, I quietly assumed one of… Read more: When Perfect Instructions Aren’t So Perfect
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  Initiative Threatens Insecure Authority
  There’s a story from my early Army days that I used to tell as proof of how hard it was to be a young female lieutenant in a male-dominated space. That was true. But it wasn’t the most important lesson. In 2003, I was a newly commissioned Chemical Officer assigned to an infantry division. We… Read more: Initiative Threatens Insecure Authority
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  On Luck, Energy and Rolling the Dice
  We went out for lunch on a whim because no one could decide what to eat. The restaurant had a promotion: roll two dice — land a 1 and a 5 — and your meal is discounted. The odds were about 1 in 18. It also happened to be Chinese New Year’s Eve, and as… Read more: On Luck, Energy and Rolling the Dice
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  A Lesson I Wish I Learned Sooner
  Leadership isn’t something we master all at once. It’s shaped over time — through experience, missteps, pressure, and reflection. Leadership, Learned the Hard Way is a collection of lessons I didn’t learn from a book, but through real conversations and lived moments: with students, athletes, professionals, and leaders at every stage. These posts explore what… Read more: A Lesson I Wish I Learned Sooner