To my Honies...

Just over a year ago, I responded to a message from a recruiter. She reached out about a company called Hone which I had never heard of. Upon reading the message, I realized something was different. I looked at the website and realized that I couldn't ignore this one.

Fast forward about a month, and I made both an exciting and difficult decision to join the team. Difficult, because I was leaving my OG Lynda.com/LinkedIn family after 10 incredible years. Exciting because I believed deeply in what Hone was putting into the world - a scalable way to learn through coaching and community.

In late January 2022, I walked through the virtual door to attend my onboarding. It was the first time that I had onboarded to a role remotely and I was immediately impressed with how well put together it was. From HR and within my team, everything was tremendously organized especially for a start-up.

But after about 3 months, something was wrong. There was a slow buildup to my realizing this. My job title was similar to the one that I'd held for decades. But the role itself, was very different from anything I'd done. And while I knew I could develop the skills I needed to be successful, I realized that the work itself was not what would give me energy.

I was truly crushed.

But, there was more to it than that. I jumped all in with Hone, without taking responsibility for recovering from burnout. Burnout is one of those things that you don't take seriously until you feel like you are running a marathon with two broken legs. You go and you go and you go until you can't go anymore.

I share this here, because I know I am not the only one who has encountered this. Those of us who love our work are in the greatest danger because we don't realize what is happening. If this resonates, know that you are not alone. Know that it is ok to ask for support.

I tried to resign through more tears than I've ever cried in the workplace. To this day, I am not sure why, but Savina Perez showed extreme compassion and believed in me. That's just who she is. She guided me to my new path, which was...

Enablement...

It meant the world to me to contribute to enablement at Hone. Because the team that takes care of the customers - the customer success managers, the learning strategists, and the account managers deserve the best. I've witnessed each and every one of them work their asses off because of their deep care for the customers and the learners - they've worked through all of the trials and tribulations that come with being part of a fast growing startup.

There was only one problem; the budget didn't exist to keep me on full time.

What I found was that working as a part time contractor turned out to be the best thing for me. It opened up space for me to seek the therapy that I needed. Additionally, I enrolled in coach training with iPEC Coaching after years of dreaming about it. Nicole Bliss , thank you - it was you that shifted me from dreaming into doing.

Sadly, my time with Hone has come to an end. Last week I, along with ~20 incredible humans were given the news. The economy is what it is right now and there is no escaping that.

Please know that if we've ever worked on a project together or even shared a donut chat that you've had an impact on me. I've learned from you and I'm grateful for you. I wish I could tag every single one of you in this post. That said, there are a number of you who I feel compelled to call out...

Roujean Sabouri - when I told you about my shift to enablement, I expected you to be angry. You had spent weeks investing your time to onboard me and you would have had every right to be disappointed. Instead you embraced me with kindness and your generosity of spirit.

Tenille Phillips-Wetzler - I truly can't say enough good about you. There's nothing that you can't do. I'll always be grateful that you believed in me and allowed me to bring meditation the team each Friday. Of everything that we worked on together, I will miss this the most.

Michele G. - did you ever miss a meditation? Seeing your smiling face every Friday gave me such a sense of purpose. You are the kind of person who lights up a room.

Sabrina Creighton, MHR, M.Ed., ACC - One day we WILL get tater tots in New Jersey. Kidding, not kidding. For now, I am grateful to have you as another friend in the iPec journey.

Brent Boeckman - you are a special kind of human who sees each person's talent and creativity, even when they don't see it for themselves. We were just getting started. Know that you inspired me each day.

Cara Rebernick - I really loved building the help center with you. You embody every bit of Hone's 5 Cs. Your kindness and smarts will take you far in this world.

Ted Sayland - there was so much energy in our collaborations. We were better together and I thank you for all that you taught me.

Aneta Kapron - you never let on how busy you were. You approached every request with a smile. You bring beauty to the work that you do and into the world each day.

Liz Torres - anyone who says remote work is lonely should have you on their team. You are a connector in every sense of the word.

Jen Sullivan - we got shit done together and you taught me so much. I adore you and loved working with you. I'm sure you will still get some of my emails. You can keep them.

To all of you, I will remain hopeful that we meet again in a karaoke bar. If you ever need a chat, a mindful moment, a skill endorsement, or a recommendation - just ask. I hope you will join me when I launch my weekly meditations on LinkedIn Live this Spring and I hope you will reach out anytime you find yourself in the Boston area.

For now, I wish you peace, abundance, and happiness.