I can get on stage and speak to a room of hundreds (only while sweating profusely). But the truth is, I’m much more rooted in my zone of genius when stepping out of the spotlight and shining it on the collective intelligence of others.

I’ve always been an athlete. In fact, I used to sleep with my muddy soccer ball and take meticulous notes about the stats of all players on the infamous 1999 USWNT World Cup team, but that’s neither here nor there.

Despite a successful club and NCAA Division I collegiate soccer career, I was never the star player of any team. Instead, I found my place as the reliable starter, the committed captain. What I lacked in genetic athleticism, I made up for in genuine curiosity.

How can my team count on me? How do we pick ourselves up after a loss and learn from it? How do we create an environment full of dedication and discipline, but also joy and camaraderie? What can I do to make sure she believes in herself today?

I could read the field and the locker room. I enjoyed trying to figure out the system, and saw the synergy of the whole as greater than the sum of its individual parts. I was naturally stepping into the roles of coach and facilitator without realizing it.

After retiring from soccer, I continued to cultivate these strengths in various professional roles and ongoing learning opportunities, including…

• Supporting a team of Nicaraguan fútbol coaches as they created a safe place for girls to play and learn, advancing gender equity in the community

• Guiding groups of up to 20 high school students for community service trips across Central and South America, asking tough questions and deepening our cross-cultural understanding

• Designing and facilitating seven years worth of various in-person and virtual gatherings (from upstate New York to an island in Malaysia) that ultimately built a global community of 400+ entrepreneurs, and thousands of investors and mentors – all committed to leading the transition to a more just and regenerative economy

• Becoming a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and coaching individuals 1:1 to navigate big transitions, move through moments of feeling stuck, and step into their next level of leadership

• Developing partnerships and communications for a nonprofit that connects thousands of women social impact leaders with accessible executive coaching, leadership development, and a global community

• Serving as a running coach (more about that here)

• Co-designing and facilitating week-long retreats focused on gathering outdoor enthusiasts to design and launch climate justice projects in local communities across the U.S.

• Most importantly, raising a daughter

Now, I collaborate with people and organizations that are challenging the status quo and cultivating community. I thrive within paradox – how can I help someone feel safe, so they open up about something scary? How can I provide structure to unleash creativity?

Basically, I love figuring out how to bring out the best in each of us, so we can give our best to the work the world needs.