This is personal for me—because I’ve lived it more than once. For a long stretch of my career, I chased external validation: what others thought of me, how quickly I could get promoted, how my salary stacked up. But none of that reflected what truly mattered to me. And more importantly, it wasn’t in my control. It wasn’t until my late 30s that I paused and asked myself: What are my values? What’s my North Star? That shift changed everything. Today, my focus is on enabling organizations and teams to prioritize people development above all else. That means bringing the person’s voice into every conversation—centering their growth, their story, and their potential. Even during my 12 years at a beer company, I struggled to align with the core business goal of selling more beer. But it was the side quests—the inclusion work, the relationships, the moments of mentorship—that revealed what I truly cared about: community and people. That’s the thread I’ve followed ever since.