I was invited to a book club to talk about Sheryl Sandberg’s book, ‘Lean In’. True to Heidi fashion I read the entire book in a cram session 24 hours prior, spilling coffee and makeup all over the cover. Sigh. Not very Sheryl Sandberg like. Regardless of the stains on its cover, I thought her [...]
Tag Archives | women
From East Oakland To Entrepreneur to Ph.D
“You must meet CJ!” was the mandate from the Fearless Women Entrepreneur Network. Carolyn Johnson (CJ) had just started teaching business classes with the organization and was a self-made entrepreneur that had a reputation for inspiring others. I never turn down the opportunity to chat with amazing women and hastily made plans to ring her. Upon answering [...]
How To Network Like a Hottie
After an epic Tahoe trip last weekend I had an interesting opportunity to spend over six hours in a car with three tech entrepreneurs and “What they don’t teach you at Stanford Business School” writer Larry Chiang. Squeezed five in the car with only fortune cookies to satiate us, we hungrily spoke about what most [...]
Parents as Doormats
My brother and I, both MBA’s, often viewed family events akin to corporate conferences. We sought different ways to minimize chaos and maximize the quality of our time together. Although Thanksgiving Day is a prized group celebration, we decided that other days in the long weekend are best split up in smaller breakout sessions so [...]
Why I Haven’t Killed Myself Yet
After coming out of the closet with my metaphor masturbation, the rainbow city of San Francisco finally saluted me as one of its own. The sun was warmer, the people friendlier. I stopped driving and started walking, no longer in a mad rush of self-absorption. I took the time to grin widely at sidewalk pedestrians, [...]
Las Vegas: The Glitz and the Gritty
Las Vegas is a city to be both loved and deplored. It’s the city of sin, status showcase and escape. In a place where everyone is a tourist, new friends and new experiences are givens. My recent visit to the fantasy façade was for a birthday, filled with toasts and laughs. However, I still managed [...]
Metaphor Masturbation
A friend of mine recently wrote me a beautifully raw tale of her ongoing journey of self discovery. She writes: “I am trying to find out who the authentic ‘me’ is and bring it to life. I see glimpses of it in different things I enjoy. But there is so much more to explore. I [...]
From a horror flick to a love poem
Location: New York City Mileage: 4,338 (yes, I am still in Manhattan….) Meal: Vegetable Omelet Music: “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles When Melissa first called me telling me that she would love to participate in my project, her voice radiated such a genuine enthusiasm and hospitality that I couldn’t believe that I [...]
Interview with a Katrina Disaster Worker
Location: St. Bernard’s Parish, Louisiana Mileage: 2,600 Meal: Muffaletta sandwich Music: “This Tornado Loves You” by Neko Case After switching hotels (my other one was surely haunted), I drove out of the crowded French Quarter into an expanse of pastel painted homes, dog barking yards, and neighborhood po-boy sandwich shops. St Barnard’s parish wasn’t exactly [...]
Bartending in Nola
Location: New Orleans Mileage: 2,329 Meal: Homemade biscuits Music: “Someday You Will be Loved” by Deathcab for Cutie I woke up in my white French pressed sheets, sweating. The women on my road trip were becoming intertwined with my past and invading my dreams. I groggily got up and headed for the shower, trying to [...]
Interview with a Pastor’s Wife
Location: Baton Rouge Mileage: 2,243 Meal: Pecan pie Music: “Trouble” by Nina Simone * minor details have been modified, as requested, to protect innocent identities* After driving for hours through the fields of Louisiana’s highway 49, Baton Rouge suddenly emerged from the riverbank, its towers gleaming in the afternoon sun. I drove over the bridge [...]
Shreveport: A little family heritage detour
Location: Houghton, Louisiana (a few miles outside of Shreveport) Mileage: 2,192 Meal: Dirty Rice Music: “Don’t Fence Me in” by Rosemary Clooney Gone were the days of cruising along an empty freeway with nothing to keep me company but a lone cactus and my wandering mind. Small towns, welcoming whitewashed churches, and forests so lush [...]
Interview with a Mom…and secrets to a Happy Family Life
Location: Austin, Texas Mileage: Music: “That’s right, you’re not from Texas” by Lyle Lovett Meal: Grits and Quail, no butter spared (do I need a weigh in along the journey?) The landscape once again shape shifted before my eyes and West Texas vastness turned populous…well as populous as small town Texas can do. Peach Orchards [...]
The Road to Tucson
Location: Tucson Mileage: 922 Music: “Keep the Car Running” by Arcade Fire Meal: Bad roadside ceviche that I hope doesn’t have a parasite The trip between Los Angeles and Tucson is eight hours of hot dusty driving. At one pit stop en-route I managed to lose a gas cap and my Mac Powercord. At another [...]