A topic that doesn’t always get the spotlight: the 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠.

How would you react if someone started building affordable housing right in front of you? I’ve lived in Section 8 housing. I’ve also lived down the street from it.

I’ve been encouraging my team to schedule a 15-minute virtual coffee chat with someone they don’t normally work closely with. No agenda, just a simple invitation to talk, listen, and get to know one another a little better.

Today’s my birthday. And I’m headed home after a week of work travel … 4 different airports in 5 days.

“𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲.”
Thomas Blake, a wellness writer, wrote about a nurse who spent years listening at the edge of life. One patient said: “I didn’t regret failing - I regretted never auditioning.”

Mic check. Testing one, two. Dress rehearsal is now complete. Cue the nerves. But when affordable housing matters, you grab the microphone anyway. Even if your voice is wobbly.

𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐮𝐩: 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫’𝐬 𝐓𝐄𝐃𝐱 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐬.
About 75% of people experience some level of anxiety about public speaking, it even ranks higher on the fear chart than heights, spiders, and death.

After stepping onto the TEDx stage several months ago to share my story, I now have the privilege of 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫’𝐬 𝐓𝐄𝐃𝐱 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞 on the upper East Side in NYC with an emboldened theme: “The New Face of Leadership: Leading with Vulnerability.”