What Happens When You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

Emma’s Brave ChoiceLast fall, my oldest daughter Emma made a bold decision: she stepped out of her comfort zone, packed up her life and moved to Cardiff, Wales to pursue her master’s degree in art conservation. Now, this wasn’t just a new school in a new city. It was a new country. A new culture. […]

When Confidence Looks Like Rest: What Surgery Is Teaching Me About Slowing Down

The Injury That Wouldn’t Go AwayThis Tuesday, I’m having surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. I injured my shoulder last October during the cleanup after Hurricane Helene. It wasn’t a big, dramatic moment—just one of those times when you’re in go-mode, doing what needs to be done. I had been lifting, hauling, helping out […]

Live Without Limits: What Happens When You Stop Waiting for Permission

We’ve talked about what it means to respect yourself. We’ve embraced failure and recognized our limitations, but it’s important to strive to live without limits. We’ve asked the hard question—what do you really want? Now we’ve arrived at the fourth and final part of the REAL Method: Live Without Limits. Let’s pause for a second. […]

Ask Yourself What You Want: Getting Clear on What Matters Most

We’ve talked about the power of being real. We’ve explored how failure can shape us instead of stop us. Now we’re moving into the third part of the REAL Method: Ask Yourself What You Want. Sounds simple, right? But for so many of us, this question is surprisingly difficult to answer. Because when life gets […]

Embrace the Mess: How Failure Builds Real Confidence

We’re continuing our journey through the REAL Method—and this week, we’re going straight into the one thing most of us try to avoid: failure. But here’s the truth most people won’t say out loud—failure isn’t the end of your story. In fact, it might be the very thing that helps you write your next chapter […]

Authenticity: How to Embrace Being Real in a World Full of Filters

Let’s be honest—we’re living in a world where it’s harder than ever to know what’s real. The concept of authenticity has become increasingly elusive in today’s society. Between perfectly curated social media feeds, airbrushed influencers, AI-generated everything, and news headlines we don’t know whether to trust, reality has become… complicated. And it’s exhausting. We scroll […]

Embracing Change: Learning to Thrive in New Seasons of Life

Change. Even the word itself can feel intimidating. It’s something that many people fear, and I get it—change brings uncertainty, discomfort, and unpredictability. It’s that unsettling feeling of stepping into the unknown. Yet, change is also one of life’s greatest constants. No matter how hard we try, it’s always there, nudging us forward. Rather than […]

Lead by Example: Why Actions Speak Louder Than Words

You’ve probably heard it. You may have even said it. I know I have. “Do as I say, not as I do.” It rolls off the tongue almost like a parental rite of passage. And on the surface, it sounds like an easy fix. “Hey, I may not be perfect, but just listen to the […]

My Author’s Journey: Writing with REAL Confidence

People often ask me what it’s like to write a book, and honestly, it’s a pretty interesting experience. It’s definitely not all glamorous—there are plenty of late nights, coffee-fueled mornings, and moments where you stare at a blinking cursor wondering what comes next. So today, I thought I’d pull back the curtain and share what […]

How Motherhood Shapes Powerful Leaders

If you had asked me twenty years ago about leadership, I would never have connected it to motherhood. I might have even laughed out loud and said, “Me a leader? Nope, I’m just a mom.” But as the mother of six kids, I’ve learned that there’s nothing “just” about motherhood. In fact, it’s one of […]