How are you feeling?

Last year together with my friends and my closest partners in TA, Soeren Winter , Sam Cameron , Corey Archard , we've consistently started every weekly meeting with the emotions wheel.

Homaging this habit, I am starting 2023 with sharing my feelings with you nice fellows, who continue to give meaning to the idea of networking, who spark fascinating conversations out of the blue and are here to learn and grow together! Here it goes:

?? I feel proud:

? for the opportunity to be constantly challenged and supported by a team of growing professionals and humans. Our TA teams in Europe, Asia and US have gone through an intense rollercoaster the past year, to say the least, and the vision, the resilience, the empathy of many of my colleagues have keep my mental lights on. Personal kudos to Kara Schwartz , Iulia Crai , Scott Cunningham, Assoc. CIPD , Helen Slowey for a joint journey!

? for launching www.weinclude.eu and bringing forward stories of activists, innovators, social good entrepreneurs. This was an honour and genuine fuel for continuing to keep diversity, equity and inclusion at the base of everything I do and think. Thank YOU for sharing! Hedwige Nuyens Caroline Ramade Cornel FATULESCU Alina Anghel Rodica Obancea Jane Hatton Megan Gill Vidir Ragnarsson Ricardo Baeza-Yates Eleanor Manley Catalina Turlea Marina Petrenko Caroline Williams

? for the occasion in 2022 to speak at one of the largest HR events on the planet UNLEASH in #Paris about our talent strategy for geo expansions, to deliver a DEI workshop, in what is now one of my favourite conferences - hired!bcn in #Barcelona and to have a full house talking about DEI and leadership in #Amsterdam , as the new kid on the block for TA conferences Matchr made a splash with their launch. Not to mention the unforgettable experience of a live debate about AI, TA and future of work with Chad Sowash Joel Cheesman Keith Sonderling and the ongoing community under Talent Savvy Bas van de Haterd (He/His/Him) created and I am lucky to be a part of.

? having made some life decisions and changes that support my lifestyle, my family and overall giving us new horizons.

?? I feel ashamed:

?? The TA community has been hit severely in the past months and I can not stress enough how many of us had heavy-tinted-rosy-glasses on early in the year, myself included. We did a team building sometime in spring in London last year, we were sharing why we do what we do, why are we in this industry of tension and was so proud to hear all the different drivers from 20+ people from all walks of life. But oh, boy was I so arrogant saying that this is a "career choice (tech TA) that will keep you challenged AND safe, no matter what!" Rings in my ears to this day and it's now a bitter reminder, as reality knocked many of us from our high horses.

?? For the paralysing helplessness, as dear friends are going through horrific times, having lost loved ones, homes, freedoms due to the war in Ukraine. Unthinkable realities that test the meaning of life and I wish it was more than a supportive ear that I could lend. #slavaukraini ????

?? For seeing the advancement of regimes so aggressively built on the stifling of women's freedoms and human rights in Iran and Afghanistan, in an era where I hoped we understood, at large, how much generational impact we have when women have (equal) rights on any hot topic of the day: poverty, innovation, resource management, climate change, politics and conflict. #womenlifefreedom

?? I feel expansive (yes, the feelings wheels also taught me vocabulary??)

?? New year, older me? I'll always let opportunities come my way, sometimes I took them eagerly, sometimes I took them scared, other times I just did not like them and said bye! Forest's moma is partially right, cause life is like a box of chocolates, you don't know what you're gonna get ..if you just receive that box. But you can always make your own chocolate (mentally drooling now over my sister's chocolate ganache) or at least go the shop you know has your kind of chocolate.

My kind of chocolate this year is heavy coated in goals of health!

?? Emotional health - nurturing what gives me energy - relationships with friends and family, continuously try to meet new people, prioritising relationships with my surroundings and hobbies, honour my values and my dreams! Nothing much, but it's everything! ??♀?

??Physical health - continuing to find cycling buddies in different places, (?? thanks David Moreno Marlena Guadagno for kicking off this ritual for Ams), hiking the GR11 - Transpirenaica, (who's in? ) and simply having fun outside every week. For those into running, alcohol awareness and socialising, I need to highlight a wonderful initiative from my friend Charlie A. - Friday Night Lights .

?? Financial health - we're all bad with this one, aren't we? (ok, maybe not all) but this is a big piece of our life, safety, development and again freedoms, to choose, to create, to help.

I personally had to reach one third of my life (got a feeling will have a long life, stubborn capricorn if you're into that) to finally get the guts to say: I need help - got a book on taxation, not even joking, joined financial learning clubs (for women, sorry, just safer from trolls), learned more about investments and different routes. ( A quick shout here to Gergely Orosz for a few of these on Equity 101 and Kimberlee Davis or Tori Dunlap for their books and social media content.) It's hard, but it's good.

And with this, I hope your feelings will always find balance, the comfortable and uncomfortable ones and that we'll stay together on this path to find the best chocolate... to each taste though #equity ??