Confessions of a Creative Leader

I’m back after an unplanned couple-months break, and I wanted to catch you up on life! I’m talking about what I’ve brought back into my full-time Senior Director of Product Growth role after my stint as a part-time entrepreneur. I’m in throws of building a new AI-native product, and about to soft launch it next week. Also, the new book I’m picking up as my next read-along is Life at the Speed of P...

Hello! Really short podcast today. I cleaned my office today, and opened up a box I have been avoiding for nearly 3 months! Listen to learn more, and I have a little video of the unboxing below. Unboxing Video 1 Unboxing Video 2 The Guides Hat Get full access to Confessions of a Creative Leader at creativeleaderconfessions.substack.com/subscribe

This week I’m showing up without a plan, and that’s kind of the whole point. I was supposed to continue the AI in facilitation series, but I wasn’t feeling it. And rather than not show up at all, I decided to just tell you what’s actually on my mind right now. In this episode I talk about: * Why I’ve scaled way back on how much time I spend preparing these episodes — and why that’s intentional, no...

This week I switched things up a little. Instead of my usual audio-only format, I recorded a Loom video so I could actually show you what I’ve been doing. In this episode, you’ll learn: * What the Differentiators activity is and why it’s one of the most valuable — and time-consuming — exercises in a Foundation Sprint * The “AI in the seams” move: how to use natural white space in your agenda (sile...

Note: This post is a quick recap of the episode. The podcast is richer — more stories, more texture, more of the real stuff. It’s about 10 minutes at 1.5x speed and worth the listen. After a month away and a year and a half as Confessions of a Facilitation Artist , this show has a new name, Confessions of a Creative Leader. Why “Confessions” stays: It traces back to my Catholic roots — my dad is a...

This week’s episode is an unscripted, straight-from-the-heart update — no notes, no rehearsal, just me on a Saturday afternoon with something to share. And yes, I recorded it a few days ago, but share in the podcast why I delayed sharing. Also, this is not an April Fool’s joke. :) Consider this my One Thing reveal. Here’s what I covered: * The personal and professional journey that led me to go ba...

This week’s episode is a wrap-up, so I’ll keep this short and sweet. If you’re looking for the deep insights and big frameworks from The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, head back to the earlier episodes in this series — that’s where the real meat is. This one is more of a send-off. Go ahead and give it a quick listen, but here’s a snapshot of what I covered this week: * The final two cha...

Note: Thanks to Claude (with me in the loop), the AI blog version is back. All of it is derived from the podcast — which goes deeper if you’re so inclined. Also, any pulled quoted are excerpts from the book. We’re still in Part 3 of “The One Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. Last week covered the why, what, and how — purpose, priority, and productivity. This week is about what happens after y...

Note: Hey all. Thanks to Claude (with me in the loop), the AI blog version is back again. All of it is derived from the podcast — which goes deeper if you’re so inclined. We’re into Part 3 of “The One Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan — and this section is called Extraordinary Results: Unlocking the Possibilities Within You. Today we’re covering the first three chapters: Live With Purpose (the...

Note: Hey all. The blog version is back this week. All of it is derived from the podcast — which goes deeper if you're so inclined. This week we’re diving back into part two (chapters 10-12) of “The One Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. This post stands alone — no book required, no previous episodes needed. “There is an art of clearing away the clutter and focusing on what matters. It is simp...

Right now, my priority is the podcast over polished Substack posts due to time constraints as a busy working mom—listen for the full, unedited conversation! In this episode of Confessions of a Facilitation Artist , I dive into chapters 8 and 9 of The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, busting the myths of “a balanced life” and “big is bad.” What I Talked About I share raw reflections on shi...

Quick Note: This Week is Podcast-Only Hey everyone. I’ve decided NOT to create a blog version in Substack because writing that is just not my one thing right now. If you really want to follow along, definitely I encourage you to listen to the podcast. Maybe I’ll bring back the full Substack, but I’m just giving you the cliff’s notes today. In this episode, I share how I’m applying The One Thing by...

Hello, everyone! If you are reading this in real time, Happy Valentine’s Day. Last week I kicked off a series on The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. We discussed the first three chapters. This week we are talking about chapters 4 and 5, which is part of Part One: The Lies: They Lead Us and Derail Us. Don’t worry, you don’t need to read the book unless you choose, and you don’t need to li...

Happy February! I started Confessions of a Facilitation Artist and this Substack as a simple practice: show up for what I’m curious about. Over time, it’s become a place where my worlds of facilitation, art, and product leadership intersect with my love of self‑development and purposeful productivity. Lately, I’ve been in a bit of an identity wobble with this podcast and newsletter. I love showing...

Hey everyone! What a week! I’ve been facilitating my second design sprint of the year, putting the finishing touches on my Deep Work Days micro‑course , and riding the energy of an incredible From Intention to Action workshop on Friday. Thank you so much to everyone who showed up, engaged, and trusted me with your time. Even with all of those bright spots, there was ONE quiet moment this week that...

Before you read… This post is the short, tidy version of this week’s Confessions of a Facilitation Artist episode. If you want the full emotional arc—including why I was genuinely afraid to hit publish this week—go listen to the episode for the raw, unedited story behind the words. Today’s Topic: Workshopping Yourself Today I’m talking about workshopping yourself : using the same tools we bring to...

Hey everyone, I’m releasing this podcast episode and companion post early because I didn’t want you to miss a special announcement coming Sunday the 18th. Just fill out this quick founding member form , and you’ll get an email straight to your inbox with the first look at Deep Work Days, including a massive discount and exclusive bonuses. Also, while this blog version distills the key insights int...

This post is the practical snapshot of a much richer conversation from this week’s Confessions of a Facilitation Artist podcast. If you want the stories, nuance, and “oh my gosh, that’s me” moments, listen to the episode first, then come back here to put the ideas into action. And if this hits home, my upcoming micro‑course, Deep Work Days , walks you step‑by‑step through this work with templates,...

At the close of each year, I engage in an energy audit. It is one of the simplest practices I have for reclaiming my time, my joy, and my focus as a a leader, entrepreneur and and working mom. This post is a written version of an the podcast episode , where I walk through how I do my own energy audit, why it matters, and how I am turning this into a micro-course for leaders who want more intention...

As always, I recommend you listen to the podcast version here or wherever you listen to podcasts! It’s more fun, human and filled with inspirational context…sometimes! It’s also less than 20 minutes which is really short on 1.5x. It’s the end of the year, and if you’re anything like me, you might be feeling that strange combination of gratitude, exhaustion, and “wait… what just happened?” This yea...

Hey everyone! This week is a little different. I actually made a video post. Watch my raw, on-camera Lightning Research Review of 2025’s top Substack insights—it’s a fun, visual recap using a Miro board you can explore yourself. I time-boxed it to highlight eight game-changing artifacts with quick takeaways, proving consistency drives real growth. You can view the actual miro board where I documen...

Note: If you want the full story and step-by-step walkthrough, listen to the latest podcast version of Confessions of a Facilitation Artist where I break this down in detail. Snowstorms in Michigan have me thinking about “crap storms”—my go-to technique for surfacing fears and risks through playful pre-mortems , inspired by Gary Klein’s method of imagining project failure upfront. It counters opti...

Note: If you want the full story and step‑by‑step walkthrough, listen to the latest podcast version of Confessions of a Facilitation Artist where I break this down in detail. Also, scroll to the bottom to get a quick start guide! As the year winds down and strategy season ramps up, I’ve been reflecting on the different ways I’ve facilitated strategy at my company. One exercise keeps rising to the...

Note: Listen to the podcast for more detail and examples! Greetings from upstate NY! I’ve been visiting my family and, as I do at the end of most years, reflecting on what’s working for me and what isn’t. About a year ago, during one of those reflections, I audited my calendar and created a simple hack that’s changed how I work. I call it: Brown Meetings. I’m a mom of two boys (10 and 5) and, unti...

Happy November! If you tuned in last week, you know I’m pivoting a bit with this podcast. Life has its ebbs and flows (I don’t think I need to remind anyone of that these days), and the best I can offer is to show up as I am, pressing record—or, in this case, hitting publish—without over-editing or chasing perfection. Progress, not perfection, ALWAYS! NOTE: IF YOU READ OR LISTEN TO THIS, YOU’LL LE...