What do you do?

I’ve always struggled to answer the question, "What do you do?" because the truth is messy. My role lives in the gap between "I do whatever needs to be done" and an eight-minute grandstand that makes people wonder if they left the oven on. I lead teams, mentor staff, spearhead special projects, and roll out software—it’s nuanced, complex, and notoriously hard to summarize.

I recently took a cue from Rebecca Okamoto’s TED Talk and tried a little experiment. Instead of the usual list of responsibilities, I reframed my role based on its actual impact. Here’s a look at the "why" behind what I do, explored from a few different angles.

1. I help organizations and their teams achieve operational excellence, strategic growth, and a positive workplace culture without sacrificing accountability or losing sight of long-term objectives.

2. I'm passionate about building strong partnerships, fostering leadership, and driving innovation to achieve outcomes that matter—like member retention, community impact, and sustainable business results.

3. I'm known for mobilizing cross-functional teams, leading complex projects, and elevating service standards to achieve seamless collaboration, measurable improvements, and a culture of continuous development.

4. I'm on a mission to empower organizations to:

   1. Build strategic partnerships that unlock new opportunities,

   2. Enhance guest and member experiences through data-driven decision-making and modernized processes,

   3. Develop staff and leaders who think beyond their roles and contribute to broader organizational goals,

   4. Deliver successful capital projects and operational initiatives with clear planning, stakeholder engagement, and disciplined execution, and

   5. Foster a culture of learning, innovation, and accountability—so every team member feels supported and every objective is met with purpose.

In summary, based on this framework and incorporating all the mess, I help organizations achieve their goals by connecting people, processes, and strategy—without losing sight of what makes a workplace thrive. My work is about enabling teams to deliver their best, supporting leaders to grow, and ensuring every initiative moves the organization forward.

Did you leave the oven on?