The Record

Suggested listening: Cloud Nothings "I'm Not Part of Me" Real talk: 2017 could have been a dumpster fire for me. This year marked the finalization of my divorce, the official end of my marriage, the legal farewell to the previous plans I had for my life. Instead, to borrow an illustration from C.S. Lewis, 2017 felt like waking up out of a very long, strange winter into the joyful freefall of spring. Instead, 2017 became the Year of Yes. I said YES to the Women’s March in DC and to making a whirlwind less-than-24-hours road trip with Mel , to standing and marching side-by-side, to raising our voices for ourselves and our daughters. I said YES to jumping into a very frozen Whitefish Lake in my Wonder Woman onesie and to checking “do a Polar Plunge” off my bucket list. I said YES to seeing Ryan Adams with Dianna , to taking back music that I loved from my married days, and to rejoicing in being able to listen to it all again. I said YES to more picnic-an...

Suggested listening: Yuna's "Rescue" I heard a wise woman say once that having one mentor is not enough. Instead of leaning on one single person, she believed in the power of creating a board of directors, a stable of professionals in a variety of fields from whom to draw wisdom, perspective, and encouragement.  The work of assembling that crew, the task of respecting their time, the humility of asking for their help – that was all ours to own and to instigate.  I remember exactly what it felt like to hear this for the first time and to feel something inside me click that day.  Because, as it turns out, this excellent advice doesn’t just apply to professional life – it applies to personal life, too.  My personal board of directors is a group made up of mostly women scattered throughout the country and throughout different stages of life. About half of them are from my college days, most of them are parents now, and some of them are 20+ years...