It would be easy to say I’m stepping onto the public speaking stage because I coach leaders and facilitate teams.
Or because I’ve been talking professionally for years.

But that’s not quite it.

The real reason is more complex:
I’ve heard too much silence in rooms where the truth should be spoken.
I’ve seen too much brilliance wasted in broken systems.
Too many teams that look good in an org chart but fall flat in performance.

It started years ago.
During a high-stress product launch, a team I loved completely fell apart. One of the most thoughtful, compassionate engineers I’d ever worked with walked up to me, looked me in the eye, and said, “I’m done.” Not because he didn’t care about his work. Or about the team. Or even about the deliverable. It was because the system made caring impossible.

That was the moment I began to open my eyes.
I looked around and saw that the very culture we were working in was breaking us down.

That experience led me deeper into coaching to understand the elements that contribute to performance and non-performance.

Over the years, I’ve coached brilliant people who are immobilized by fear. Helped empathetic leaders afraid to speak. Teams full of good intentions, but low on trust.

Over and over, the same patterns emerge:

What we call leadership issues are more often than not clarity, design, or even communication issues.

The final shift for me happened on the trail to Everest Base Camp.

Just days before I was set to begin what would no doubt be an arduous, life-changing journey, I was suddenly injured!

I had spent so much time training, planning, and preparing mentally, physically, and even spiritually. But the unexpected injury ground all this planning and preparation to a sudden and unexpected halt.

In that pause for recovery, I discovered something surprising: resilience isn’t found by pushing through the pain - it’s built by surrendering, wisely.

Everything I’d learned—as a leader, as a coach, as a human—came together on that mountain.

So, now I speak because I have something to say.
About how we lead.
About how we practice compassion under pressure.
About how we come back to ourselves and in support of one another.
About how we stop treating symptoms and start shifting systems.

This is the work of my life.
And it’s no longer meant to live under wraps.

It’s time to say it out loud!

So, I’m here now.
On stage. In conversation. In this newsletter.

I’m so glad you’re here, too. Thank you for being a part of my journey.

One of my dreams is to take the BIG stage next Spring at the premier art, tech, music, and media festival - SXSW in Austin, TX!

And … you can help make my dream come true!

Between now and August 24th, submit your vote for my talk The Ascent Within: Lessons from Trekking Everest Base Camp.

Encourage your friends and colleagues to vote too.

1) Create an account with SXSW

2) Verify your email address

3) Vote for my presentation!

It’s free to vote, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my journey to Everest Base Camp. One of the fundamental takeaways I had from that journey was the importance of pausing. Now, I believe that learning to pause is one of the most crucial skills we can develop as humans.

Start with 60 quiet seconds to arrive in the space together. Not to be spiritual. Just to be present. One leader said, “It changed how we listen, right from the start.”

End meetings with a moment of quiet self-reflection. Ask the team to consider how they are showing up so they can reconnect with who they want to become rather than the status of their to-do list.

Inhale for 4 seconds → Hold for 4 → Exhale for 4 → Hold for 4.
Do this for 2–3 minutes to calm your nervous system and clear your mind.

These are just a few examples of how leaders are learning to pause by stepping into life with more awareness.

Start with one and do it consistently. Let it become a habit that helps you think more clearly, and lead more thoughtfully.

Over the years, I’ve been deeply influenced by wisdom traditions, neuroscience, and of course, my own lived experience.

In India, while studying under the guidance of wise yogis, I learned breathing techniques that became my guideposts in moments of stress, uncertainty, and rapid change.

Since then, I’ve gathered practices from around the world that can shift your mind and body. I would like to invite you to be changed by some of them yourself.

These are not just wellness tips. They are real tools - designed for urgent moments when your nervous system is in overdrive and you need to reset. Whether you’re facing a difficult conversation, racing toward a deadline, or simply feeling off balance, use these breathing techniques to:

I’ve seen them work—time and time again—in my own life and in the lives of my clients.

These are not just ideas. They are invitations to alter your experience. Each one is a doorway back to yourself.

I invite you to try at least one today. The best time to reclaim your calm is the moment you realize you’re losing it, while you still have time to make a mindful shift in the momentum.