View in browser Hi Reader, Last week I spent a week skiing in Whistler, yes, I (we) had a wonderful time, and I was even in the Olympic Spirit 😊 ⛷️ And it reminded me of something I hadn’t thought about in a while: the joy of being a beginner again. Besides the two days of skiing last year, the last time I went skiing for a whole week was in 2014 😅 Over the past year, I’ve been embracing that beginner mindset a lot, mostly thanks to my MBA journey. When you’re learning constantly, you’re...
14 days ago • 1 min read
View in browser Hi Reader, A short and sweet note this week, I’m off to Whistler for a week of skiing ❄️⛷️ But, I wanted to share this little story with you... Last week, while sitting in a waiting room (one of those unexpected pockets of time), I decided to make the most of it and catch up with a few friends. And then I noticed something. I was texting people in Belgium, South Africa, USA, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Australia and yes, in Canada as well 😅 My gosh! In my MBA cohort alone, my...
28 days ago • 1 min read
View in browser Hi Reader, Last week I had a not-so-nice reminder about something I talk about all the time: The importance of clarity. I had an upcoming quiz in my MBA program, and, wanting to prepare properly (hey, you know me 😏), I reached out twice to clarify exactly what we were expected to study. No response. Crickets. I went into the quiz thinking I had prepared for what was required… and walked out feeling frustrated and honestly a bit angry. Because what I thought we had to study...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
View in browser Hi Reader, This week, I found myself thinking about one of my coaching clients, an adventurer at heart and soul. She has an amazing idea for her own business. The kind of idea you can feel in the way someone talks about it. Right now, she’s still studying, and earlier this year, she enrolled in a business program to ensure she’s fully prepared when it's time to launch her venture. A thoughtful decision. A prepared decision. But a few weeks in, something interesting happened....
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
View in browser Hi Reader, The past few weeks have been... well, filled 😅, and I was reminded, in a very practical way, why my planner matters so much. I’ve just stepped into a new role at Vancouver Island University as an entrepreneurship advisor with the SPARK program while remaining fully immersed in my MBA. On top of that, I’ve also officially started my entrepreneur consulting business (more on that soon 👀). In my role with SPARK VIU, I support students, early-stage founders, and...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
View in browser Hi Reader, The Backyard Gossip is landing in your inbox a little earlier than usual. Tomorrow morning, we’ll be catching the first ferry at 06:15 to explore the Coastal Circle Route. Sunny weather is predicted ☀️ and yes… We’ll be discovering a couple of walks along the way (of course) 🌲👣 If you feel like travelling along from home, keep an eye on my Instagram stories, maybe even sparking some inspiration for your next adventure. Now, on to something I wanted to share with...
2 months ago • 2 min read
View in browser Hi Reader, Last Friday, the second Friday of January, is also known as Quitter’s Day. The day most people quietly let go of their New Year’s resolutions, yes, it's a thing 🙃 I wrote a full blog post about why this happens (you can read it here if you’re curious). But what really stood out to me this week wasn’t the statistics, it was the conversations. In several coaching sessions and in a few casual chats, the same theme kept popping up: 👉 we often forget why we started in...
2 months ago • 2 min read
View in browser Hi Reader, It feels good to sit down and write the very first Backyard Gossip of 2026. Our travels to Belgium were really special. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, especially when living between countries, it’s this: time together has to be quality time. We organize our visits so we can truly be present, and we love sharing experiences rather than rushing from place to place. So that’s exactly what we did. We shared moments with friends and family, went to a...
3 months ago • 1 min read
View in browser Hi Reader, Last week, I shared how Black Friday overwhelm pushed me into a much-needed moment of reflection, a pause to reconnect with my values and how I want to show up. Well… that reflection didn’t stop there. A few days later, I had a conversation with dear friends about letting go, and someone shared something I had heard before but never really felt until now: 2025 is a Year Nine. A year of completion. 2026 is a Year One. A fresh start. Now, I’m not an expert in...
3 months ago • 1 min read