Drinking from the Garden Hose

I ’ve had a few days to simmer on the Benedictine College graduation commencement speech delivered by Kansas City Chief’s kicker, Harrison Butker. Vocation is a word he used 13 times throughout what my corner of the internet is referring to as a tirade of Puritanical bigotry. My mind has been stuck on this section, where he speaks to women, on womanhood: “For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this wor

"Do you have a shopping problem?" a coworker asked recently at a meeting, to which I responded "I don't have a shopping problem, I have a shopping interest." This question was provoked by my Balenciaga jeans, which I did purchase from Net-A-Porter about 4 years ago, hopeful that I would get the $700 price tags worth of wear out of them... and definitely I have. Also, I married into a Basque family which Balenciaga was founded by a Basque man, Cristóbal Balenciaga, so I appreciate the cultural connection when I buy from this brand.  I've loved dressing up since before I could walk. My costume closet was overflowing with princess gowns and dance costumes, my mom would even hand sew me and my American Girl Dolls matching outfits in the 90s *super cool*. But why does loving fashion and expressing yourself through what you wear become associated with a "shopping problem?" The problem with shopping is if you do it to constantly acquire material things th

SPRING BREAAAK! I might not officially get spring break off as an adult but I'm taking one anyways! Before March even began I knew this month was packed with plans. The plan this week is no plan :sunglasses smile emoji:. LET'S START WITH SXSW.  When I lived in Austin, SXSW was my favorite time of year. Speaking on a panel at SXSW was something I always wanted to do. I remember last year an author and influencer I follow Tinx did a panel with Mark Cuban and I thought 'I want to do that, but when will I ever be important enough?'. Turns out 2024 was the year and Women in Tech & Media was the topic! Imposter Syndrome isn't something I've ever identified with much - however at Amazon there is a major insecurity that comes with what level you are in our internal leveling system. This month I did get a major milestone promotion approved that bumped me up a level, but that hadn't even happened yet when I was invited to speak. That one number did make me feel l

It's a new year! The holidays are behind us! However, the existential threats to human existence persist, leaving us millennials wondering if the roadmaps our parents laid out for our lives in the 80s and 90s are still paths worth pursuing, or even possible to pursue. Across nations, states and cultures - the mega question (primarily posed to women) is - "Do you want kids?". WANT? Wanting is a tricky word. Wanting something does not mean it will happen. The Four Noble Truths that are central to Buddhist philosophy are: (1) Life is suffering, (2) attachment to desire causes suffering, (3) suffering ends with the attachment to desire, and (4) the Eightfold Path is the path to liberation from suffering. We do have free will over the choices we make moment to moment, and those choices amount to the life we have. If you have a sense of your life purpose and that includes parenthood, that's a beautiful and meaningful thing to pursue and hope for. I understand why having

I don't hold myself to a schedule for when or how often I write or create things to put out into the world. There's a compulsory urge that draws me to write or make a video to share, whether that's here on this blog, Instagram or my professional platforms. Usually I sit down to write, and the words gush out and I experience flow state. But sometimes, like right now... I know I have so much to say, but I get blocked by that false nagging, negative voice of the Ego - "EVERYONE is going to judge you and roll their eyes", "Who are you to speak on topics like sobriety, meditation, being a woman in business or spirituality? You don't have a PhD. You're not a CEO.", "Talking about not drinking is lame, you are a loser and alone in your decisions." You know when your brain and anxiety spiral into making up those "What if...?" future scenarios aka 'future tripping'...? Stemming from a place of fear and worry that you are not go

Meditation can be an intimidating concept, especially if it's a practice you haven't gotten into yet. I'll start by saying meditation is an extremely personal experience, there are no rules or grades given, you don't win or lose a meditation. The whole point is to shut down all your senses and external stimulus. It's a time where there's nothing to do, see, taste, touch, smell or hear - this stillness allows you to focus on who you are underneath it all. Humans have busy brains with constant thoughts flying through our minds - "What's on my schedule today?" "What's my plan for dinner?" "Is the Earth going to burn and will the generations after me suffer?" "Does that co-worker think I'm lazy and bad at my job?" "Am I doing enough?" My first tip is comfort is key - whether that's laying down, sitting in a chair with your feet on the ground or cross legged on a pillow - being uncomfortable in your

One thing that has been consistent throughout my career - assholes in the office. They are everywhere. Women have long had a reputation for being 'catty' and 'bitchy' in the workplace. It's time to debunk that stereotype and hold the other sex accountable. I had a glorious 18 month reprieve from uninvited ass-holery at work - still engaging with mostly men, albeit respectful and emotionally intelligent men. In the technology industry, it's a statistical fact that men hold the majority of jobs, especially as you get higher up the ladder. I'm not uncomfortable being the only woman in the room or on a call. However, I am not comfortable when there is blatant disrespect and dismissal directed at me, and it only happens when I'm in the gender minority.  Over the past 6 months I've stayed in the same role but taken on a different scope, interacting with new teams and people. Forging new paths is something I enjoy and done many times at this company, alway