If there’s one word that captures my professional and personal life, it’s evolution - hence the name of my company.
My career has never followed a straight line. Instead, it has unfolded in chapters—each shaped by ambition, pressure, burnout, reflection, and ultimately, deeper alignment with who I am and how I want to live and lead.
I was always the straight A student, the dutiful daughter doing everything right in a family filled with discord. Throughout college, I was premed. I was driven, capable, and deeply committed to the idea of becoming a physician. But beneath the surface, I was overwhelmed, juggling academic intensity, personal and familial responsibilities, and a growing case of unhealthy perfectionism.
By the time medical school acceptance became a reality, I was already burned out. Declining medical school was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made, but also one of the earliest acts of self-awareness in my life. I knew I couldn’t continue on a path that demanded constant self-sacrifice at the expense of my well-being.
After thoughtful reflection, I chose a new direction and pursued a Master of Public Health. I was drawn to public health because it allowed me to think about health at a population level—to help people get healthier not one by one, but through systems, policy, and prevention. These were my best years, with a strong support network and a solid foundation to go out in the world on my own.
I completed my MPH at Emory University energized by the possibilities, but unsure what came next.
That uncertainty led me to a healthcare consulting firm in Falls Church, Virginia. I was recruited as an Associate and eventually advanced to Senior Healthcare Policy Associate.
The work was challenging and intellectually rigorous, but the environment was relentless: tight deadlines, constant pressure to bill hours, and workweeks that regularly exceeded 50 hours, including nights. Once again, I found myself in a pressure cooker—striving to perform at the highest level while slowly unraveling.
Burnout returned, this time with real consequences: health problems, insomnia, and a complete lack of work-life balance. After five years, it was clear that something had to change.
My next evolution brought me to the University of Chicago, where I shifted into research. I directed a family planning research program, mentored fellows, supervised staff, and navigated the pressure to publish articles and secure research funding.
While this role offered leadership opportunities and meaningful work, the pace and expectations were still intense. I stayed for nearly five years before my husband and I made a decision that would once again reshape my life. We left our family and friend network in Chicago and moved to Denver to start fresh.
In Denver, I EVOLVED again—this time toward philanthropy and portfolio management. I was drawn to the idea of resourcing nonprofits and helping communities build something meaningful and lasting.
That interest eventually led me to start my own philanthropy and nonprofit consulting and grant-writing business. What began as a pursuit of better work-life balance grew into a thriving practice that has lasted 14+ years. I have built deep relationships with clients, supported impactful work, and expanded my reach in ways I hadn’t imagined.
One of my clients, the University of Colorado, eventually hired me as a Development Director, 14 years ago. In this role, I learned how to navigate higher education politics, quickly master complex technical concepts, tailor stories of impact for diverse audiences, build relationships with faculty, staff and foundations, and raise more than $15 million to support substance use treatment programs.
Alongside these career shifts, I was evolving personally.
Earlier in my life, I was relentlessly task-oriented (not very family-oriented to be honest) focused on performance and productivity. Staying busy and "doing" was a way to avoid slowing down, thinking deeply, or reflecting.
That has finally changed.
I now intentionally create space in my life for reflection, transformation and relationship-building. I’ve participated in two pain reprocessing therapy group programs and am completing a comprehensive burnout coaching certification. I’ve learned how to interrupt harmful thought loops, care for myself physically and emotionally, set appropriate boundaries professionally and personally and address conflict head on.
Looking back, I see that each phase of my career taught me something essential. Each pivot provided me with data. Each evolution brought me closer to a more sustainable, values-aligned way of working and living.
My story isn’t about finding the right path once and for all. It’s about learning to listen - to my body, my values, and my need for meaning and balance and having the courage to evolve when something no longer fits.
And that evolution is still happening. One of the most important ways I stay grounded today is by working with an executive coach myself.
Coaching gives me space to slow down, stay present, and step out of old patterns that once drove my decisions. It helps me see my blind spots—especially the ones that surface when I’m under pressure or slipping back into perfectionism. Having a coach creates accountability not just for what I do, but for how I lead and live.
Working with an executive coach has also given me the confidence to try to lead differently.
I no longer believe that growth comes from pushing harder or doing more at the expense of my physical and emotional well-being. For me, growth now comes from awareness, reflection, and intentional change. Perhaps more than any career move I’ve made, that has been the most meaningful evolution of all.