My writings on leadership, serving the underserved, inclusion, volunteering, public service, journalism, and the things I care about.
A difficult work environment led to burnout despite strong performance. A career coach's reflective questions helped me gain clarity, and inspired me to become a volunteer coach myself.
Three stories about how others' doubts and encouragement shaped my career decisions — and why learning to trust your own judgement, while staying open to growth, matters more than the voices around you.
On this day 20 years ago, I started my working life as a journalist, a career I had dreamt of since I was 14. The belief in service it gave me has never left.
A new entrant asked me this recently. After a moment's thought, I replied: 'Why? I love public service!' Two reasons, and the advice I would give my younger self.
A boss who gave honest, specific feedback with genuine empathy taught me more about leadership than any course. Three lessons from that experience, and why how we give feedback matters as much as what we say.
A workplace experience where I was reprimanded for an error I did not commit, and what calmly standing up for what is right, with evidence, can do.
Employees juggling caregiving responsibilities are often quietly among the most organised and focused people on the team. A reflection on the workplace stigma they face, and why attitude and output matter far more than the assumptions we make.
When I received the Exemplary Leader Award, I was both exhilarated and humbled. A part of me could not help but ask: how do I live up to this? A year on, here is what I have learned.
A boy at a playground turned down every offer: comics, storytelling, fun activities. 'I don't like reading. I'm not good at it.' A reflection on the invisible barriers that keep children from books, and why programmes like kidsREAD, now in its 22nd year, matter more than ever.
On making libraries truly inclusive spaces for persons with disabilities, and why it is not enough for good services to exist. People must also know about them and feel encouraged to use them.
NLB received a Service Delivery Excellence Award for its accessibility work. What moved me most was watching three individuals with intellectual disabilities take the stage to speak about their hopes, their work, and their self-advocacy. That is what inclusion looks like.
One of the sweetest moments is hearing children excitedly shout those words when they hear our footsteps. After more than a year volunteering with kidsREAD@Home, here is what I have learned.
As a befriender at Camp X, an inclusive camp for persons with disabilities, I spent three days alongside a camper. On the final morning, a small gesture: a hard-boiled egg, freely given, moved me to tears and taught me what genuine inclusion feels like.
When New Life Stories sought volunteer illustrators for books written by incarcerated parents for their children, I signed up. It was harder, and far more meaningful, than I had expected.
From shelf-reading at a library to reading to children in rental housing through kidsREAD@Home, my volunteering journey began small and grew. Some thoughts on finding your way in, and why the joy matters as much as the service.
Friends often ask why I volunteer as a career coach under the Public Service Career Coach Network. I compiled a Q&A for myself. It is a light-hearted read, and the reflection is real.