I worked in the tech industry straight out of college. Through the first Dot Com Boom. Aaaaand through the crash. When I got laid off. Fun times.

In my 30s, I became unenamored with my work in tech and changed careers into financial planning. I also got married, had two babies, moved cross-country twice, and went back to school for a graduate degree. When I turned 40, I bought my first home and started a business (this one), and my husband retired (from tech) to become a stay-at-home dad. 

Now, as I see my 40s drawing to a close, I am watching my two daughters grow into teenagers (!!), keeping an eye on the fast-approaching college years, and experiencing what it is to be a woman in mid-life. Let’s just say, “Whoa.” I also have endured a two-year-long breast cancer (Stage 0) journey. My 40s have been No Joke, and I have absolutely learned that relationships are the cornerstone of a good life. Not professional success. Not money. (Those things are nice, and to an extent, necessary.)

The money and flexibility my husband and I both got from the tech industry helped little ol’ risk-averse me make all those big changes in my 30s and as I turned 40. My evolving perspective on “what makes life worthwhile?” has helped me develop a healthier and more sustainable view on how to best care for the people in my life. Altogether, this is why I find so much meaning in working with women in their mid career in the tech industry.

What else about me?

Wellllll, I grew up in Newport News, Virginia. I went to Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where I gained 10 pounds (unlimited Fruit Loops? whut?!) and learned to banish writer’s block. I moved to the Bay Area in 1998 and worked as a technical writer for 10 years. ‘Tis also, it should be noted, where I met my husband. We both worked on the Engineering team at a small startup.

I have a Master of Science in Financial Planning from Golden Gate University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wellesley College.

My husband, my two daughters, and I live in Bellingham, WA with Julia the Dog, a big, goofy, sweet—if not technically good—girl. I like to hike, bike, cook, do yoga, ride on Amtrak, commune with girlfriends when our lives allow, lift weights, watch YouTube videos about lifting weights, and eat kale.

I am a Certified Financial Planner™ professional, Retirement Income Certified Professional®, a Registered Life Planner™,  and a member of the XY Planning Network and the Financial Planning Association.