Oh, Hi There

I probably don’t look this excited IRL when writing this blog, but it’s how I feel.

Photo by Tara Brown Photography

I’m nervously excited about starting this blog. First, because I’m worried I am supposed to be using Tik Tok instead of a blog (am I living in 2010?). And second, it’s kind of scary (terrifying, really) to put yourself out there online.

So, here we go. Hi, I’m Ellen. I’m a woman in my forties drastically reimagining my life post-pandemic. I’m a working mom who struggles balancing (surviving?) work and parenting. I’m a ‘high-achiever’ who has exhausted herself. And I’m a leadership and transition coach who is here to help you navigate your own challenges, balancing, and big changes.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how we work, what’s considered “acceptable,” and how I don’t operate within those norms all the time. Much of my generation (Old Millennial/Baby GenX) grew up thinking we needed to be perfect, that we are supposed to fix all the things, and that hustle/grind culture was the only way to get ahead. Because you get points for straight As and never asking for help - right?

About a year ago, I decided to pursue coaching because I want to help others who are in this place, who are feeling stuck, that they aren’t working ‘right;’ who need help navigating an increasingly complicated workplace, who are tired and really super burned out. Many of us are making big career or life transitions after 15, 20, 25 years in one career - whether voluntary or not - and these transitions are SO HARD.

By writing here, I hope to bring insight and a sense of community to those of you who are in the same place, because it can be really lonely. I’ll also share tactics and lessons learned from 20+ years of working and leading in a variety of different workplaces and work cultures.

I enter into this space very aware of the fact that I am a white, cisgender, heterosexual woman in America and that I experience a great deal of privilege as such. I think and write through the lens of my lived experience, and I know that my lived experience is different from many others’. What I have tried and how I have changed my approach might not be safe for everyone in the workplace.

So, take my writing here as you will. If I’m helpful, great. If I’m not, also great. I’m getting better at accepting that I am not everyone’s cup of tea. (More on that soon.) So if I’m not your cup of tea, cool.

But if this is resonating, I’m here and excited to talk about all the things that I’m contemplating and learning, and hope it will be helpful for those of you feeling the same way and navigating the complexities of work and life post(ish)-pandemic.