Continued...

Each week we stood up in front of leadership to go through our list of warm leads and justify why we hadn’t made the sale yet. From finances, to deaths of loved ones, and other personal stories – no answer was sufficient. We were picked apart and humiliated in front of our peers for not overcoming the objections. I will never forget the knot of anxiety I had in my stomach before those meetings. 

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Then came the interpersonal dynamics. Life was centered around clocking out for Happy Hour – which meant there were romantic relationships with colleagues, drama, gossip, and 24/7 venting about work. An absolute breeding ground for dysfunction. But I will never forget the day when two police officers showed up to our office and questioned me about a co-worker, her boyfriend, and their whereabouts. The universe was LITERALLY sounding off sirens as a wakeup call to me: this chaos is not sustainable. 

 

Back then, I didn’t have the language to describe what was going on, but I knew the feeling I had was off. This feeling became my north star throughout my professional career: If something feels off, get out. Today, people overly use the term, “toxic workplace culture;” but I believe I was in one of the most toxic workplaces out there. So much, that this company was eventually shut down based on legal implications, allegations of fraud, and financial bankruptcy. 

 

Since then, I have been in workplaces with dysfunction, yet they dull in comparison to this first experience. No one should have to sacrifice their integrity, well-being, or sense of self to earn a living. That first job taught me exactly what a workplace shouldn’t be—and it set me on a mission to create something better. Now, I help organizations build workplace cultures that are intentional, connected, and truly human. Whether shaping future leaders in middle management or guiding the C-suite through culture work, I help create workplaces where people feel valued, supported, and empowered—turning jobs into spaces where they can truly thrive.

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So, what began with cops in my cubicle, became the catalyst for a mission—to redefine what a healthy, human-centered workplace should be.