Here’s Why It Matters: Design a Life of Clarity, Focus, and Purpose

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2, Teresa and Winsome shift outward — exploring how joy is shaped by choice, change, and the people who support us. This episode dives into navigating life transitions, maintaining a sense of agency during uncertainty, and leaning on community during difficult seasons. Through personal stories and practical reflections, they highlight how joy grows through courage, connect...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 1 of this conversation, Teresa and Winsome focus on the foundations of finding joy during stressful and uncertain seasons. They explore why joy starts with the basics — caring for your body, protecting your mental space, and creating small, intentional practices that help you feel steady when everything feels like a lot. This episode is about slowing down, reconnecting wit...

Send us Fan Mail This episode invites you to pause before you rush into the next big thing. It’s a soft landing for your year — a space to reflect, recalibrate, and recognize your own growth. You’ll explore: How to reflect on your year even if no one’s asking for a review Ways to compare what you hoped for with what actually unfolded How to use AI (like ChatGPT) to summarize your year through a fr...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “Who am I to do that?” Maybe it’s speaking up in a meeting, launching that idea, or putting your name on something that matters to you. We all have those moments — the crossroads between staying safe and stepping forward. In this episode, I reflect on what keeps us from showing up fully and what happens when we finally decide to stop hiding....

Send us Fan Mail Consistency isn’t glamorous—but it’s the quiet force that changes everything. In this episode, I explore why nothing changes until you change it, why disruption feels uncomfortable, and how consistently showing up—for yourself and your relationships—can move the needle toward the life and work you want. I share stories from experience design, moments of uncomfortable growth, and t...

Send us Fan Mail In part two of Teresa’s conversation with Andrew Schall, the discussion turns toward personal and professional growth, goal setting, and navigating change. Andrew shares his approach to mentoring, the importance of defining clear success criteria, and why tracking progress—both qualitatively and quantitatively—matters for long-term impact. They also explore the challenges of shift...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Teresa is joined by Andrew Schall, author of The Persona and Journey Map Playbook and a seasoned UX leader with over 20 years of experience in design, research, and strategy. Together, they explore how personas, journey maps, and stakeholder mapping can be used not just as deliverables, but as empathy-building tools that connect people across an organization. Andr...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode is a little different — and honestly, a little tender. I’m coming to you tired. Not broken, not burnt out, but moving through a season that’s stretched me thin. Instead of pushing through or pretending to be at full capacity, I wanted to share something real: what it means to show up even when the hustle fades. We talk about the truth of exhaustion, the myth of...

Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode, I’m inviting you to pause with me and reflect at the halfway point of the year. I’ll guide you through a series of prompts to check in on your goals, your growth, your self-care, and what’s been sitting on your front burner versus what’s been left on the back. I'll also walk you through a holistic check-in — mind, body, and spirit — and close with two po...

Send us Fan Mail In this follow-up conversation with Doon, we shift gears and talk about storytelling, emotional resonance, and the tools he’s built to help people (including himself) clarify who they are and what they stand for. In this episode, we talk about: How Doon used ChatGPT to automate his job applications and what he learned from that process The viral LinkedIn post that sparked over 50,...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, I talk with inspiring product design leader and builder Doon Malekzadeh about how early curiosity, play, and hands-on problem-solving laid the groundwork for a dynamic design career. We explore: Doon’s childhood love of Legos and how it shaped his design instincts Why curiosity and play are powerful tools for learning and leadership Stoic p...

Send us Fan Mail Graduation isn't just for students. It's a moment we experience many times in life - whenever we let go of an identity, a title, or a chapter we've outgrown. In this reflective and personal episode, we explore how transitions like graduation (and even layoffs) challenge who we think we are, and invite us to become something new. Reflective Prompt: What part of your...

Send us Fan Mail In the current climate we might be afraid to take a break and invest time in ourselves. Ken Skistimas joins us for part 2 of our conversation about authenticity and the power of taking it easy on yourself. Here’s Why It Matters is your space for clarity, focus, and personal growth strategies—so you can finally align your actions with your goals. Subscribe to Here's Why It Mat...

Send us Fan Mail Ken Skistimas, a Senior Design Manager with ServiceNow, joins us this week to discuss the importance of authenticity and self-care, and why it matters even more when you’re a leader supporting a team. Here’s Why It Matters is your space for clarity, focus, and personal growth strategies—so you can finally align your actions with your goals. Subscribe to Here's Why It Matters:...

Send us Fan Mail In the final episode of our 3-part series on personal brand personas, we explore what it looks like to not just define and live your brand — but to amplify it. Teresa dives into the discomfort of growth, the power of aligned partnerships, and the simple courage it takes to speak your truth consistently. This is an episode about claiming space, stretching into your next level, and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we take your personal brand work one step further — from internal clarity to external expression. Now that you’ve defined who you are and how you want to show up, how do you actually communicate that across your work and relationships? We’ll explore: Where your brand already shows up (yes, even in Slack) How to build trust through intentional, consistent communica...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we turn the classic UX persona lens inward to help you design something deeply personal: your own brand. Whether you’re starting a new role, pivoting in your career, or just feeling a little unclear on how you’re showing up in the world — building a personal brand persona is a powerful way to create clarity and alignment. You’ll learn: Why having a personal brand...

Send us Fan Mail In the second half of our conversation with Holly Wallis, we dive deeper into financial habits, mindset shifts, and practical strategies for gaining financial control. We explore societal pressures and gender norms around money and how these narratives shape financial behaviors. Holly shares stories from her coaching practice, illustrating how clients build confidence by making sm...

Send us Fan Mail In the first half of the episode, financial coach Holly Wallis shares her journey into financial coaching, starting with her experience of launching her own business without being a finance expert and learning through trial and error. She discusses the importance of financial literacy, particularly for women, and how managing money effectively can create opportunities and align wi...

Send us Fan Mail In the second half of my conversation with JB, we take a look at AI and the potential it has for accelerating what we do. We also touch on why it’s important for human-centered practice and purpose as it evolves. The book recommendation JB shared is The Jungle is Neutral , by F. Spencer Chapman, DSO . Here’s Why It Matters is your space for clarity, focus, and personal growth stra...

Send us Fan Mail We are joined this week by JB Meek, an Operations Executive who has been able to navigate the complexity of a myriad of businesses in creating process and structure for critical deals and even every-day business to help everything move smoothly. In the first half of our conversation, JB details why it matters to have a growth mindset, and what has surprised him in his career. Here...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Here's Why It Matters, we explore how repetitive, automatic thoughts keep us stuck and how to break free. Discover three powerful techniques to cultivate intentional thinking, rewire your brain, and shift from anxiety to empowerment, especially during challenging times like job loss. Learn practical exercises to start transforming your thoughts and creating...

Send us Fan Mail Let’s talk about you and me... Let’s talk about all the good things and the bad things we can say – to ourselves! Noticing is the first step, and today we are talking about the power of our thoughts and how we can start to be more intentional with those thoughts. We have an average of 60,000 thoughts every day – and 75% of them are negative! What’s the impact of that? Why does it...

Send us Fan Mail The tech industry has gone through a number of challenges in the last few years. Lots of layoffs – lots of workers displaced. What do you do if you find yourself impacted by a big life change like a layoff? Why is it important to push the pause button and what do you do? Who are you if you aren’t working at your company? I would love to hear your story. Have you been disrupted by...

Send us Fan Mail Are you a caretaker to everyone else in your life – only to put yourself last? Let’s dive into why it’s so important to put yourself first, and why it’s important to take stock around what YOU need out of all of the areas in your life for yourself, and why that is essential. Email me to stay accountable! teresawashburn@tmrwcoaching.com I would love to hear what you’re doing to be...