Redefining Resilience
For those living with pain, illness, and loss, resilience means doing less, not more—and finding a different way forward.
After a spinal injury on Mount Kilimanjaro, I went from Silicon Valley CEO to 15 years of chronic pain and medical uncertainty, mostly in bed—my world narrowed to a walker, a bedside commode, and opioids. Determined to re-enter life but unable to sit, I went to graduate school lying on an army cot, later traveling again stretched across three airplane seats, and eventually returning to work. I write and speak about chronic pain, resilience, and rebuilding identity when life falls apart. My forthcoming memoir is Perilous Ascent.
Talks I offer:
- Stop Pushing. Start Listening.
- Rebuilding Identity After Illness, Loss, and Collapse.
- Trusting Your Body When No One Believes You.
- Doing Less, Living Differently.
- There’s No Going Back—Now What?
Twice a month, I share a piece of my story from inside chronic pain—what it looks like to live there, to realize pushing through does more harm than good, and to slowly rebuild a life. I write about pain, identity, uncertainty, and the counterintuitive approach of doing less, not more. If you’re navigating pain, loss, or a life disruption, this is a place to feel seen—and to find a different way forward.
