Including publishing the most raw, open, and honest memoir — Earlier this week I did something that’s been weighing me down for months: I reached out to my publisher, confirming that I’m ready to start the publishing process — for real this time. For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been working on a memoir, originally expected to launch…

This is a long one. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and settle in! — I’ve struggled with setting digital boundaries from the moment I set up my first Myspace account. The allure of the Internet, the always-on nature… it completely drew me in — and it’s only escalated over the years. I haven’t gone a day without thinking about social media. It’s always in…

There’s sand filling my lungs. I can’t breathe, I can’t see, and the world is spinning as I tumble underwater. At last, I surface, taking the biggest breath I’ve probably ever taken. I’m coughing non-stop, trying to get every last drop of salt water out of my mouth while I…

After five days of immense pain, I drove myself to the one place I feared the most. — Monday, January 24th It’s the middle of the workday. I’m supposed to be sitting at my desk, answering emails, responding to Slack messages, and eagerly awaiting my next Zoom call, the first time I’ve been invited to sit on a leadership call; instead, I’m laying on the couch in my office, unable to…

This year, I’m skipping the resolutions and, instead, diving in with four ambitious projects and some health goals. Wish me luck! — Prefer to listen? Hear me read this aloud on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts by searching ‘Behind the Facade.’ Happy listening! Hello, hello! Happy New Year. For context, a few years ago, I stopped doing New Years resolutions. I did a few successfully, but there’s something…

A rant, a promise, and what I’m focusing on in 2022. — To be honest, I’m struggling. For the last few years, in fact, I’ve been struggling but it’s been at an all-time high recently. I’m not really sure how to explain it other than I just feel… lost, like I’m stuck in other’s expectations of me. Let me back up a…

Insomnia debuted as a #1 New Release on Amazon. Wild! — Back in April, I started posting on Medium as a way to process this funk I was in. It was more than a funk, really, but I’m not sure how to put it into words. “Dark place” might be more appropriate. Writing on Medium helped me get through that month…

Hey there. It’s been a while since we’ve chatted. How are you? — One of my favorite things ever is getting a coffee date with a friend. Yesterday afternoon, I actually met up with a friend for the first time since COVID started and it was perfect. We went to a cute coffee shop that was the epitome of Portland: it was a…

We’re taught that burnout applies to work-related activities only, but I’m proof that it can apply to personal life as well. — I don’t drink. At all. Like, I had one sip of champagne at our wedding and still kind of regret it. Yet, there are more times than I can count that I wake up feeling like I’m dealing with a hangover worse than the morning after a college party. It…