Why I Chose the Soft Life and What Comes Next

If you had asked me five years ago what success looked like, I would have rattled off a list of accolades, titles, and to-dos. But somewhere between a global pandemic, a year-long sabbatical in Ghana, and a growing ache to live—not just work—I realized I was ready for a different kind of success. A softer kind.

For 15+ years, I’ve built a career I’m proud of—rooted in public relations, community engagement, and strategic storytelling. My current work at the American Federation of Teachers still fulfills me deeply. I’m a builder by nature: of platforms, communities, campaigns, and relationships. But in 2022, I stepped back from it all. I took a sabbatical—a true one—not to publish a book or pursue new credentials (although I did those, too), but to rest.

Rest, it turns out, is a radical act.

During the height of the pandemic, like many of us, I began asking different questions: What do I want my life to feel like? What would it mean to build a life I didn’t need to recover from? I remember listening to a virtual conversation with icons Nikki Giovanni and Angela Davis, where they talked about radical self-care and the importance of rest as resistance. I learned Rosa Parks practiced yoga. Rosa Parks. That one image rewired something in me.

So I moved to Ghana for a year. I slowed down. I breathed deeper. I reconnected with my values, reclaimed my time, and reimagined what leadership could look like when rest and purpose hold equal weight.

That experience became the catalyst for Soft Life Leadership—my new offering for high-performing, heart-centered women ready to build lives that speak for themselves. Not just lives of achievement, but of alignment. Not just public success, but private peace. Because it’s not about “finding your voice” (newsflash: it was never lost—it just wasn’t being heard); it’s about building a life that speaks for itself. Through coaching, curated tools (like my guided journal In My Own Words), and eventual retreats, I now help women quiet the chaos, own their stories, and create lives worth narrating—from the boardroom to the living room.

This isn’t a reinvention. It’s a realignment. I’m still doing the work I love—supporting educators, empowering Black women, advocating for wellness and equity. But I’m doing it from a place of clarity, calm, and conviction. And I want to help others do the same.

If you’re curious about this journey or ready to take the next step in your own, I invite you to explore what Soft Life Leadership might look like for you.

Because rest isn’t the opposite of work—it’s the foundation of your best work yet.