Lead Like it Matters
After twenty-five years of leading teams, I created Lead Like It Matters to help leaders build organizations worthy of trust, participation, and belief.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being present.
Grounded in Practice. Driven by Research.
I combine twenty-five years of real-world leadership experience with a deep commitment to understanding how organizations and people perform at their best. From leading frontline teams to serving as an executive in hospitality, retail, and franchising, my career has been shaped by one belief: leadership matters most when trust, alignment, and credibility are tested.
My academic journey began with leadership studies at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and continued with a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership from Royal Roads University. Today, I am completing a Doctorate in Executive Leadership at the University of Charleston, where my research explores how leaders build legitimacy and strengthen organizations in times of uncertainty.
I believe the best leadership sits at the intersection of practice and scholarship. My work brings together research, executive experience, and practical tools to help leaders navigate complexity, build stronger cultures, and create organizations that people genuinely believe in.
In Practice
Leadership at Every Level: For more than twenty-five years, I've led teams from the front line to the executive table, learning that great organizations are built through trust, clarity, and consistent leadership.
Hospitality in My DNA: My career began as a fry cook and led to executive roles in hospitality, retail, and franchising. That journey shaped my belief that culture is not created in boardrooms, it's created in everyday interactions.
Where Research Meets Reality: My work combines executive experience with doctoral research, translating complex ideas about leadership, organizational health, and human behavior into practical tools leaders can use immediately.
Building Stronger Organizations: I help executives strengthen culture, develop future leaders, and create systems that align people around a common purpose.
Franchise and System Leadership: Having worked on both the franchisee and franchisor sides, I understand what allows systems to thrive and what causes them to break down.
Beyond Strategy: The strongest organizations don't run on process alone. They run on belief, accountability, and people who trust where the organization is headed.
In Life
Curiosity has shaped much of my life. In 2021, my husband Jim and I immigrated to Mexico, embracing a new culture, a new language, and a different way of seeing the world.
Travel has always been one of my greatest teachers. From climbing in Patagonia and trekking the Inca Trail to sailing in the Pacific Northwest and exploring the Scottish Highlands and the Arctic, some of my most important lessons about leadership, resilience, and human connection have happened far from a boardroom.
At home, life is slower and simpler. You'll usually find me walking with our dog, studying Spanish, reading, or writing about leadership, culture, and the questions that continue to shape my work.
These experiences continually remind me that leadership isn't just shaped in boardrooms. It's shaped by the people we meet, the places we go, and the experiences that challenge the way we see the world.
