Sorry, Not Sorry

I’ve often been told to be less than I am.

To remove titles, years, or gaps in my resume…

But, you know what, I’m done with limiting my experience. I’m going to celebrate the journey instead.

So here are 6 things I am NOT going to apologize for in the years ahead:

1) Being well-educated

I was a liberal arts major and took what interested me - including classes in the history of freedom of speech, children’s literature, Shakespeare, and calculus.

Then I got an MBA to gain access into higher levels of business. Some lessons were immediately applicable while others, I’m still learning from today.

2) Being good at more than one thing.

I’m a generalist. My background in finance, sales, marketing, licensing, eCommerce, operations, etc… makes me MORE valuable to clients, not less.

I can…

• Work with and lead all types of people.

• Optimize the customer’s journey

• Develop revenue models

and

• Project manage whatever needs to be project managed.

3) Getting laid off. More than once.

Taking risky roles, shifting prioritizing, and restructurings all meant I’ve been unemployed at times.

The first time I was let go, I was a 16-year-old in retail. 

So I needed to dust myself off and move forward. That resilience continues to help me see problems as challenges while staying optimistic.

4) Taking risks in start-ups.

My corporate experience allowed me to learn in environments where processes and systems were already developed, resources abundant, and roles defined.

And then thanks to my work as COO & Co-Founder of GatheringUs, I ALSO have experience being scrappy, investing my own money, and building a team of diverse, talented professionals.

(Our virtual memorial events kept thousands of people connected after the death of a loved one.)

So no, this wasn’t a “Unicorn.” The business didn’t put a lot of food in my dogs’ bowls 🍚🍚

But when things in the world were at their most difficult, being able to forge connection with people was the real payment.

5) Doing a lot of non-profit (unpaid) work.

I’ve been volunteering since I was a teenager. Each experience has helped make me see the world in a new way.

I am proud of my legacies as a board member, co-president, treasurer, and secretary. I’ve contributed to my various communities. I will continue to do so, even when it’s not logical. 

and most importantly… I’m not sorry about:

6) Being (over) a 50-year-old woman (gasp).

I am not going to pretend I don't have years of experience, resume gaps, or career setbacks. I wasn’t born a CEO or even a manager.

I also have a 20-year marriage with two kids and two dogs. Life is complicated. I continue learning and gaining new perspectives from all of them.

Plus the gray hairs and extra pounds keep coming.

These five decades of life made me a bolder communicator and decision-maker. 

→ I look forward to not apologizing for the next 50 years.

What life experience are you Not Sorry for?

📸 Me, being lifted up in the chair at my son’s Bar Mitzvah.