Archive for category: Friend Letters

Dear Friends,

After discovering we could use Echo Dots around the house like an intercom system, I was sold. My 9-year-old had done a spectacular job setting them up–it’s that easy–but one thing was inexplicably still not working, so I called Amazon.

When talking with the technician, he kept laughing. I had many questions and was giving him some feedback on the Alexa app user interface. I also wanted to find out how I could broadcast “Dinner Time!” over our Echo Dot system.

Dear Friends,

After discovering we could use Echo Dots around the house like an intercom system, I was sold. My 9-year-old had done a spectacular job setting them up–it’s that easy–but one thing was inexplicably still not working, so I called Amazon.

When talking with the technician, he kept laughing. I had many questions and was giving him some feedback on the Alexa app user interface. I also wanted to find out how I could broadcast “Dinner Time!” over our Echo Dot system.

Dear Friends,

Does Money Buy Happiness? is an age old question that has been bandied about since the dawn of time. For decades research concluded that while there is a correlation between having more money and feeling happier, the extent is limited after basic needs are met. Then a few years researchers discovered that people’s happiness levels increase when money is spent on experiences as compared to material goods. This helps to explain why happy memories of big life events and vacations stick with us so much longer than that new purse smell.

Dear Friends,

It finally clicked for me why it’s so hard to ask for help. Not only do we live in a society that celebrates independence and self-sufficiency, but also culturally, we laud the virtue of hard work. Now in our 24/7 world, accessibility can trump family time, even on the Dumbo ride. And the new norm among the retired set is vying for “Who’s Busier?” bragging rights.

Dear Friends,

Clearly, there is a resounding chord that continues to strike a nerve deeply at our core. Every few months or so another post goes viral on the same subject. From Women Aren’t Nags, We’re Just Fed Up to Dear Husband, I. Need. More. Help., women are sharing collectively in the challenges of caring for house and home, kids, a husband, and the family pet, while also attempting to maintain some semblance of self-identity and sanity.

Dear Friends,

In this recently published survey, only 3% of people could accurately name a female tech executive (10 people actually cited Siri or Alexa!). In contrast, 57% could correctly identify a male leader with Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg mentioned most frequently.

Dear Friends,

I was at it again–I spent nearly the entire day last Sunday planning for summer. Every year as it approaches there is both excitement and dread. The excitement part is clear–longer days, more relaxed schedules, vacation, more family time. But the dread part is in the logistics (which is ironic considering that one summer I interned as a hotel concierge at the Broadmoor).

Dear Friends,

I just came off a glorious 72-hour girls’ weekend in LA, and there is nothing like the gift of the gab with girlfriends. There was non-stop chatter, from product recommendations like using these magnets for laundry instead of detergent, to how to get more leverage on the home front (delegating grocery shopping, meal prep, and errands is always a good idea).

Dear Friends,

Have you found yourself chasing that mythical family vacation? One thing I never anticipated was what it would be like to travel with kids. Crafting an itinerary that delights in the moment and dazzles in memory for years to come really is a monumental feat. It took many missteps and years of experience to understand my family’s travel profile.

Dear Friends,

I’m still celebrating International Women’s Day, and all that we’ve collectively accomplished this past year. Women are starting businesses at 1.5x the rate of men, and more women are running for office than ever before. It’s cause for celebration, yet as we reach for more, striking the right balance on the home front can be tricky.

Dear Friends, Have you ever turned up to a Book Club meeting and felt guilty because you hadn’t finished, or even started reading the book? Family life is busier than ever, and running the “Family Business” stretches us in every imaginable direction. After my revelationary experience at Dreamforce, I began thinking about how I wanted to learn about technology and […]

Dear Friends, When I left the corporate world 12 years ago, I had a bit of a freak-out.  It wasn’t as much about becoming a parent for the first time or that suddenly, in my third trimester, I was out of a job when my company decided to relocate its headquarters to Dallas. And it wasn’t over being asked in […]