Design Your Future

“For years, I was that woman: the successful professional, the loving mother, the engaged community member... secretly feeling unseen, unheard, and perpetually exhausted. My own life felt like a puzzle where pieces didn't quite fit, a lifelong sense of "otherness" stemming from navigating intersecting identities—as a granddaughter of immigrants, a woman, a Jew, a single mother of three, and a professional striving in male-dominated spaces.

The weight of societal expectations, the silent battles of divorce, the unique challenges of motherhood, and the hidden impacts of personal and generational trauma left me feeling like a shadow of who I thought I was. I was trying to be everything to everyone, losing myself in the process, desperately searching for meaning and a sense of true belonging. And I could never do enough. Something was always missing. I always had more to prove.

My breakthrough wasn't about finding external validation; it was about realizing no one else was going to "fix" me. I had a powerful role to play in my own life. Through the unexpected lens of Design Thinking—a framework I knew from my professional work in social innovation—I dared to put myself at the center of the problem. I began a raw, vulnerable journey of self-discovery, using its iterative steps to unpack my conflicting inner narratives, understand my "inner critic," and redefine success on my own terms.

This wasn't just a process; it was a profound transformation. I learned to be kinder to myself, to embrace my vulnerabilities, and to find immense strength in my "otherness". The work helped me to shift from merely surviving to intentionally designing a life that felt authentic, safe, and deeply purposeful4.

Now, my deepest desire is to share this wisdom with you. To help you find that same self-empathy, empowerment, and that undeniable sense of belonging—not despite your differences, but because of them”.