Heather is an essayist, editor, CMO, mommy, and wife seeking stillness while in a state
of nearly constant motion. She lives, walks, and eats in the greatest city in the world: Chicago.
For every insecure, orange-tinted man whose only feeble-minded defense is name-calling female reporters, I hope my boys see how their incredible teachers model patience and grace and show up with empathy and enthusiasm every day. How they build up their students and demonstrate respectful dialogue between classmates, helping make our school a safe place for everyone, no matter which boxes they check on census data sheets.
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Reflecting on the messy, imperfect ritual of family dinners and their parallels to democracy. Amid spilled milk and laughter, we find connection and resilience, even in tough times. Just as we return to the dinner table, we keep showing up for each other, finding hope in the shared work of moving forward together.
Read MoreLeadership, much like beauty, comes in all sizes and shapes, empowering the next generation to see themselves in roles of influence.
Read MoreCelebrating the unapologetic strength and wisdom of women who've transcended youth's early accolades to embrace life's deeper victories with grace, resilience, and a dash of irreverence.
Read MoreBefore the pandemic, Marie Kondo promised we’d find joy in having less clutter in our spaces, and I think that includes our headspace. It’s the last few months before That Birthday, and in tribute to KonMari, I submit to you something new: The UnBucket List, a list of things I vow NOT to do. If I have to face mortality, even in the long view, this list will help me focus on what’s most important, what makes me the happiest, and gives me permission to ignore the rest.
Read MoreA few months BC (Before COVID), I read Year of Yes, by Shauna Rhimes. The premise is deceptively simple: Despite incredible professional success, the Queen of Shaunda Land felt lonely and unfulfilled. On a dare from her sister, Shaunda spent a year saying “Yes” to everything – speaking engagements, parties, working out, salads, events – and she found her new life surprisingly rewarding and exciting in ways she hadn’t imagined it could be.
I was inspired and energized as she told her story, but as I considered my own life, I felt like I was very, very far away from So Much Yes.
I said no. A lot.
Read MoreAt one point in my life, I used my maiden name as my middle name, and my husband’s last name as my own, but then my middle name disappeared. I remember seeing my ‘new’ name on some official document and I found it disorienting and unfamiliar.
Where was my name? Who was this? Where had I gone?
Read MoreAs my birthday approached, I thought about where I wanted to go in the next year of my life. What was I waiting for?
Read MoreI have friends who are on Version 2.0 of their lives: They have become photographers, jewelry makers, poets. They are full people, and parents. They are making art. They inspire me.
In the life that I live now, I will not be the promoted with fanfare and public acclaim. In a world where that’s the definition of success, anything less is obviously a failure. By that standard I have clearly failed.
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