I live by three words:

Honesty Over Comfort

For a long time, being liked was way more important to me than being honest.

I learned early on how to say the right thing, avoid conflict, keep people comfortable, and become who I thought others wanted me to be. Sometimes that looked like exaggerating stories to seem more interesting. Sometimes it meant hiding what I really thought or felt because I was scared people wouldn’t accept the real version of me.

What I didn’t realize at the time was how exhausting that becomes.

By my late teens and early twenties, I was tired. Tired of managing how I was perceived. Tired of worrying about disappointing people. Tired of feeling disconnected from myself and the people around me. I also hated that the people closest to me sometimes questioned whether I was telling the truth — even when I was. It was eroding my confidence and self-worth, eventually causing me to make choices I can never take back and it nearly broke me.

Slowly, I started doing something different.

I started telling the truth in situations where it felt uncomfortable or risky. And to my surprise, those moments usually created more trust, more respect, and more connection - not less. The more honest I became, the more confident I became. Eventually, I realized honesty wasn’t the thing ruining connection. It was the thing creating it.

That realization changed the way I communicate, lead, parent, work, and show up in relationships.

Now I spend my time helping other people see the places where they’re still performing, filtering themselves, or avoiding the conversations that matter most.

Professionally, I’ve spent more than 30 years inside organizations working in HR, sales, leadership, operations, training, and development. I worked closely with leaders and teams through communication breakdowns, conflict, culture challenges, and the everyday human dynamics that affect how people work together.

What I’ve found is this: most people aren’t struggling because they lack skill or talent. They’re struggling because they’re exhausted from trying to manage perception, avoid rejection, and keep everyone comfortable.

My work is about helping people let go of that.

When I speak, I want audiences to feel seen. I want them to recognize themselves in the stories and conversations we usually avoid having out loud. Most of all, I want people to leave with a greater awareness of how they show up and the confidence to start showing up more honestly.

Outside of work, I love deep conversations, live music, dancing, books that make me think differently, and movies that get deep into each character. I live in Boise with my husband, Paul, my two adult sons and my 3 granddaughters. We also have a four-year old doberman who my children are convinced I love more than them.

I feel happiest in spaces where people can finally stop pretending and just be real with each other. I love being around and interacting with other adults and I want those interactions to be a catalyst for making them feel more in control over their lives and circumstances.