This week I was on a Skype call with a colleague who lives oversees and we were discussing the challenges of building an effective international work team. Knee-deep into our chat, I stated “it’s almost like we have to build a crosswalk, and develop a safe space for communication, to preserve and keep sacred all [...]
I am pretty certain that my lineage does not include links to royalty or political power. I do not believe any of my ancestors have run for, been born into or held any type of political office. We are the opposite of the Kennedys, the Bushes, the Carters, and the Harrisons. We are not a [...]
Old Glory will not be flying in front of my home this weekend, but not for the reasons you might think. Typically, my family likes to show our patriotism and when we moved to our new home a few years ago, high on the to-do list was installing a new flag pole mount on our [...]
A few years ago I had the good fortune to work with some amazing folks in Japan. We took a train from the hustle & bustle of Tokyo to a very quaint little city nestled in the mountains. When we arrived two hours later in Nara, Japan, the sun was just beginning to set behind [...]
At a meeting with a colleague the other day, I was asked an insightful question, “How did you manage the strong personalities that surely emerged during board meetings at your agency, especially when you were planning to resign?” My colleague was referring to the time in my career when I transitioned to a full-time consultant [...]
I like healthy competitions as much as the next person. Of course these days, competition takes on the form of an RFP (Request for Proposal) or a vote driven-crowd funding campaign to support programming for one of my non-profit clients. But back in the day, I was a fierce tennis competitor who had dreams of [...]
This past Sunday, my daughter and I donned our thermal underwear, our pussy hats, (thanks Christy Hallas) and our warmest sweaters and headed downtown to the 2nd Annual Women’s March. We weren’t trekking to a big city like Manhattan or Washington D.C., we like to attend smaller marches, ones that are eight miles from our [...]
Are you burning bridges without even knowing it? Are you confused sometimes when you get a less than enthusiastic reply from a donor, grant funder, supervisor, colleague, direct report or a vendor? Have projects that you thought were on course, suddenly explode, leaving you flabbergasted and defeated? If so, it may be time to examine [...]
Last weekend at the end of a two day video shoot, my tired tween spoke up and said, “I want my mom! I don’t want the producer, editor, or entrepreneur… I WANT MY MOM!” There was no need for clarification about what she was articulating. She had been patient, accommodating, helpful and pleasant even though [...]
In a recent meeting with a board member of an international non-profit, I was asked a question that stopped me in my tracks. “Grace, have you ever lived in a third world country?” My initial response was defensive, and mumbly, and I was immediately ashamed as I blundered through an explanation that was part apology [...]