I’ve probably told you this before

Over the last few weeks, and the weeks to come we have been re-introducing you to the Bird & Bear. The what, why, where, how and for who.

Earlier this week I shared a glimpse into my why by sharing 5 things about me. Today I want to dive deeper into work ~ and why it’s such an important part of the collective ~ personally and for all of the Birds & Bears who are sharing their work here ~ many who are sitting next to me as I write this from our co-working space that the Bird & Bear.

This funny card in the photo represents the countless conversations I’ve had about work and the hope I talk about every day on this journey to build this thing you are a part of. If you’ve heard me talk about this in-person, thank you again and again. And for those who are new here, an introduction on why work matters so much here.

I’ve mentioned that I’m a corporate refugee entrepreneur. I left a 15+ year career in corporate global marketing, diversity and inclusion. That career began in an untraditional way when I made the decision to pause my plans to go to law school due to the timing and impact of 9/11.

During my years in corporate I had roles that are in the foundation of what I do now. I was responsible for bringing people together, creating employee and client experience, and producing the leadership conferences that happened internally, with our clients, and at the World Economic Forum.

I had become a mother during those years and navigated maternity leaves that weren’t really leaves, a career where I traveled a lot, and where work happened in the office and at home, during my timezone and during timezones on the other side of the planet.

I was a mom who worked while building a life in my community with friends, coaching soccer, leading Girl Scouts and becoming a backyard farmer, photographer, blogger and constantly curious creative during my spare time in our backyard barn.

As a young mom + rising professional I was tapped to help build the internal Women @ Work efforts at my organization, and become a Founding Member of our external initiative, When Women Thrive. I had what I thought was my dream job.

I was the leader of When Women Thrive, but I was NOT thriving. I was living 2 separate lives, but it was supposed to be okay because it was called women’s leadership, diversity and inclusion. It was not leadership. It was not diverse. It was not inclusive. And pretending it was any of those things is what eventually broke me.

My life had become what my work was supposed to be promoting, but my work was not at all intersecting with my actual life in my backyard.

I left in 2018 with a hypothesis that we could reimagine inclusion and create a space for intersection. The journey has been wild a wild one … but I feel like we are doing it ~ and my kids get to see it too. I am incredibly proud that work is foundational to this Bird & Bear, and so is life. Leadership and inclusion is empowering and breaking down barriers to progress, and so is creativity and wellbeing.

This is why work matters so much here ~ and in many ways it feels like we are just getting started!

Thank you for being a part of it.