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Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash I once was interviewing a candidate for a design engineer role and I was really struggling. The candidate was trying to explain their final year project thesis and, from words alone, I couldn't follow. Without thinking, they picked up a pencil and started drawing on a nearby notepad, and their dialogue immediately stopped. They needed to communicate visually in order to explain more clearly. Words for them was not enough. A visual c

Photo by Charles R on Unsplash My sister absolutely revels in this time of year; it’s gifts galore. She uses her almost uncanny ability to find the perfect present, then quietly delights in watching the reaction when it’s opened. The care she puts out bounces straight back to her. If you’re nodding along, you might already recognise that gift giving is one of your love languages. For me, it’s the opposite. Gifts are probably the thing I care about least. What matters most to

Photo by Andrey Larionov on Unsplash A friend of mine, dipping her toe into people management for the first time, was having a hard time. She’d been working with a virtual assistant, and despite good intentions on both sides, it just hadn’t worked. Tempers had flared. Assumptions were made. It was exasperation at dawn! When she talked it through, she wasn’t asking how to be a better manager in a textbook sense. She was asking something much simpler: " What do I need to look

AI Generated Image - Rewritten I was sitting across from a friend in a tiny coffee shop in Central, Hong Kong. We hadn’t seen each other in five years , but within minutes we were deep in conversation like no time had passed. She’d doubled down on her side hustle this year and was doing brilliantly — but she was exhausted. Really exhausted. With twenty minutes left before I had to leave for the airport, she paused, looked at me, and asked: “Do you feel better now than you di

Tracy at Vietnam Book Street, Saigon - September 2025 I had the great pleasure of catching up with some dear friends on the West Coast recently. We don’t get to speak often, but when we do, it always feels like taking a long drink of water after not realising how thirsty you’ve been. They asked how things were going in Vietnam, and when I said, “It’s been over five months now,” they looked genuinely stunned. Time does that. When you’re in the thick of daily life, it’s easy to

Yaowarat Road, Bangkok, 2025 After over six years of living between China, Italy, and Vietnam, I’ve learned that moving to another country changes you in ways you can’t anticipate. There are incredible highs, but also unexpected challenges you never think about until you’re in the middle of them. So, could you do it? Could you really uproot your life and start again somewhere completely new? Here are some of my key lessons learned to help you make the decision. Could you live

Photo by Garrhet Sampson on Unsplash It was never my intention to start a side hustle. It just… happened. And then it happened again....

Photo by Florian Klauer on Unsplash I’ve just finished judging a national student design competition for Design Truth . It’s been...

Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash "I see you have a podcast! I've been thinking of starting one myself — do you have any tips?" Three...

Photo by Markus Spiske  on Unsplash A former client had just gotten a promotion and it was the first time they would be leading a...

Photo by Daniele Franchi  on Unsplash I think about authenticity as a leader all the time. It absolutely breaks my heart to see how hard...

Photo by Nadir sYzYgY  on Unsplash I recently wrapped up another cycle of the Kerning the Gap  mentoring program, where I’d been...

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin  on Unsplash I’d been working with a female founder for a few months. At the beginning of our sessions, we’d...

Photo by Maxime Gilbert  on Unsplash Difficult conversations are inevitable in any career. Whether it’s pushing back on unrealistic deadlines, addressing a conflict with a colleague, or negotiating a raise, knowing how to navigate these discussions effectively is a crucial skill and is something I am asked often. It really is a challenge for everyone and so often, training is not given and cultures can become spoiled and difficult and people leave. There are lots of great res

Photo by Burst on Unsplash If you work in a technical field, you've probably faced the question at some point: should you move into management or stay on the technical path? It’s not always an easy decision. I had a conversation with a mentee of mine a few months ago and I was stunned with their question, 'How long do I have to tolerate the technical path before I take the step towards management' Either path shouldn't be something you tolerate. The way you feel now, will li

Photo by Joshua Hibbert on Unsplash A recent restructuring left me questioning my place. The uncertainty made me wonder if I should...

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash “Do you have kids?” “No.” “Well… I’d still like your opinion on this… Is it possible to have a...

Photo by Bram Naus on Unsplash Over the past few months, I’ve had mentoring conversations with professionals navigating career...

It was a hot, sunny day in Shenzhen, 2020. I’d gone to a pool with my friend Laura, who was reading Designing Your Life  by Dave Evans...

It's almost 3 years since I lost my job.    As cliched as it sounds, it's honestly been the best thing to ever happen to me but it has...