Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life?

I grew up in a little spot just outside of New York City called New Jersey. I lived a perfect childhood. Once, I purchased lemonade from a 5-year old girl and it tasted so sour I wanted a refund. But I felt bad and drank it anyway. That taught me a lot.

What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?

That building a business takes a lot of time and even more patience. But I have no patience so it’s a very hard thing for me to reconcile.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

There are sooooooo many bad recommendations I hear every day. “Experts” recommend that entrepreneurs scale and scale fast. “Experts” recommend promoting your service or product ad nauseam all over the socials. “Experts” have a lot of viewpoints that I don’t share. Entrepreneurship is a unique ball of wax. Everyone does it differently. Most professionals don’t acknowledge that reality. You have to find your safe space, your comfort zone, and what works for you.

What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?

Truly listening to other people. Not inserting my thoughts or experiences that have happened to me. Really just listening to what folks want, what they’re going through, and what they need. As an entrepreneur whose job is to grow a community, there’s no better way to provide what they need than to understand straight from them what it is they need.

What is your morning routine?

I have no morning routine. Each day brings on a different schedule and there’s no one day that looks like another. Well, they all include hot tea. I never try to do anything before 10 AM or else no one would ever speak to me again.

What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?

Scheduling. It sounds terribly mundane but getting a handle on not overwhelming myself has been years in the making. And it works. Take back your schedule! (It’s my evergreen campaign slogan even though I never run for anything.)

What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?

I batch everything. My face-to-face meetings happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My writing happens on Mondays. Do I use my time efficiently? I’m not sure I ever will. But then that’s the point of running your own business – to aspire to get there one day, right?

What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?

I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert, America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t by Stephen Colbert, and Stephen Colbert’s Midnight Confessions by Stephen Colbert. They are the greatest books ever written.

Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?

Only one. “Just do it” is Nike’s best catchphrase that has become my mantra.