If all my experiences and skills were boiled down and distilled, the secret sauce that would emerge could be described as “translation.” In every position I’ve ever held, I sought out all the information I could, holistically analyzed it, and transmuted it into another form, whether it was a speech, evaluation, report, lesson, or presentation. There is a deep satisfaction in taking intangible or disorganized feelings, ideas, information, and even problems, and turning them into something you can handle, teach, solve, or be drawn in by.
I live by the conviction that learning about something, whether it be technical statistics, a treatment plan, or a product for sale, can be engaging, fun, and memorable. If you describe seemingly dry facts about something mundane in humorous ways that could be applied to someone’s daily life, what might have been ho-hum suddenly has a spark, a personal connection.
I’ve developed my skills in analysis, problem solving, process development, communication, people reading, and effective writing by engaging with people from a variety of backgrounds in clinics and classrooms as a speech language pathologist, across borders while working in Japan and studying in Europe, consumers in a quirky retail setting, and in engaging in the circles of creatives, academics, and diplomats.
