"I finally get this whole AI thing! ChatGPT is making it so much easier to write summaries of all our auction items!"

’Twas the Year of Strategic Growth

Gratitude is a practice of mindfulness, interconnectedness, and appreciation.

At LA Tech Week, while facilitating a panel on space technology and startup investment, I couldn’t help but reflect on how we approach strategy in new, uncharted territories like space exploration. It’s easy to focus on the excitement of launch, but real success comes from what happens behind the scenes—hardware, collaboration, and the ability to transform ideas into reality.

Learning to “Shake It Off” and “Do It With A Broken Heart” are essential leadership lessons. Unfortunately they’re also my recent experiences as I return home from Vienna, Austria where my daughter and I, along with friends, traveled to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

Risk, loneliness, and perception: each carries its own hidden duality—one side of fear, the other of opportunity. In embracing both fear and opportunity, we unlock growth and success where others only see limits.

Spoiler Alert: the USA women’s gymnastic team won gold and the men’s team scored bronze! 🥇🥉

These achievements marked a pivot from the teams’ recent history accompanied by stories of redemption, rebranding, teamwork, and - for this #StrategyIRL moment - a lesson in leadership’s role in strategy execution. Gymnastics, much like swimming, track and field, is a team sport composed of individual competitors. Unlike our bronze medalist Women’s Rugby team (go USA!), these sports require that some of the most competitive athletes in the world prioritize collective success. It’s perhaps no surprise then that when any of them talk about their achievements, they start first with the collective - reminding us that there is no “i” in team (and not even a correctly spelled “me”).

I recently cleaned out some storage items and came across a box of VHS movies. I was immediately transported to memories of a typical Friday night growing up. Back then our family would walk to the local Blockbuster where we’d spend an hour checking behind display boxes to see if there was a case with an actual cassette available to rent. We were living the ‘high life’ if the tape we rented was less than a year out of theaters  - a ‘new release.’

“Il vaut mieux faire que dire.”— from Alfred de Musset’s play “Il ne faut juror de rien” 

This line is spoken in French author, Musset’s, 1836 play when a character realizes he must follow through with his promises. Translated as “doing is better than saying,” this quote also summarizes the context for bringing my daughter to Paris for the recent Global Women in Tech summit that occurred just before Mother’s Day. 

The Women in Tech Global Summit 2024 in Paris, honored by President Emmanuel Macron's patronage, promises to be a milestone event for women in innovation. Set for May 6-7, this gathering will unite leaders from across sectors to discuss and shape the future of women in technology.

On March 2nd, A Vintage Affair celebrated its 25th anniversary as a fundraising event in DC benefitting Children’s National Hospital. This event, planned and executed by the volunteer Founders Auxiliary Board on which I serve, was months in the making and culminated in an exquisite evening of wining, dining, and donating. Through sponsorships, silent and live auctions, we raised over $1M to expand the horizons of pediatric care.

The Moving Walkway struck me as another #StrategyIRL metaphor for AI and technology adoption in today’s business landscape. The walkway serves as a means of transport, navigation, and expediency. Similarly, AI is a tool that helps individuals and organizations potentially accelerate achievement of their strategic objectives. 

Ah… the sounds of a Vegas casino. The people watching. Cuisine tasting. Beverage sipping. It’s been nearly a decade since I was last in Las Vegas, yet so much remains the same.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of launching a new professional strategy for myself – entrepreneurship.

‘Twas the last week of the year and all through my mind, Played moments and learnings through which I’d like to rewind.

“I don’t know what to say… it’s Christmas and we’re all in misery.” - Ellen Griswold

“The fact that there’s a highway to hell and only a stairway to heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers.”

“Trick or treat; smell my feet; give me something good to eat!”

This ‘classic’ Halloween mantra continues to make my kids giggle. Luckily they’ve learned that it’s not a line they can actually use to accrue candy. As we went house-by-house through our neighborhood – racking up more sugar than they’ll ever be allowed to eat – I counted how many times they said that line joking between themselves. I lost track after 50.

Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season is in the books and the Philadelphia Eagles are soaring high after a 31-17 win over the Miami Dolphins!