Heidi Isern
HEIDI · ISERN
writer. thinker. whiskey drinker.
Can AI Read the Room?

Can AI Read the Room?

Do you think AI has emotional intelligence? Last night I found myself tucked into a cozy corner at The Moth in San Francisco, soaking up stories that shifted and evolved in real-time. As the audience laughed, sighed, or leaned in closer, each storyteller skillfully...
The Judgement Yoga Class that Changed My Judgy Outlook

The Judgement Yoga Class that Changed My Judgy Outlook

Judgement Yoga I go to hot yoga at 9 AM, where we sweat out our Bay Area neuroses onto our mats, twisting our limbs into accomplishment. Fifty of us pack into a 105-degree room, arranging our mats just far enough apart so we don’t drip sweat on each other. It’s a...
Are you nurturing your network enough?

Are you nurturing your network enough?

 “Your network is your net worth!” Debbie Landa told me that years ago when we were advising startups. Debbie, one of Silicon Valley’s best-connected individuals, shared this wisdom, but I didn’t fully grasp it at the time. How do relationships translate...
Pumping Up (and monetizing) Your SuperPower

Pumping Up (and monetizing) Your SuperPower

I’ve spent much of my life on autopilot, barreling forward—until one day, I looked up and thought: Wait, am I even on the right train? Am I leveraging my true superpower, or am I just coasting on some mediocre “bleh” journey? What if there’s a more fulfilling track?...