When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a toy and game designer when I was young.
What would you do if you didn’t work in healthcare?
I can’t easily picture myself in a position outside of healthcare given my tenure and passion for it. If I couldn’t work in healthcare I would focus on research in neuroscience to unlock parts of our brains and areas of our consciousness we can’t yet understand, or focus on incubating and funding technology companies that keep people relevant as AI evolves.
What do you like most about working in healthcare marketing?
My thirst for learning is never quenched, so healthcare marketing provides me with constant opportunities to expand and grow my understanding and application of many disciplines. But my biggest driver is applying my seemingly capitalist marketing skills to help others live their happiest and most fulfilling lives.
What frustrates you most about working in healthcare marketing?
There are two:
1. Speed to market given our regulatory environment
2. Acting on generalizations or singular opinions rather than facts and evidence
What are you doing to mentor others — to send the career ladder back down, so to speak?
I coach rising leaders and entrepreneurs to push through barriers, rewrite narratives that no longer serve them and persevere with grace. It’s an honor to play a part in their journeys from striving to thriving as they unlock their talents and inspire others.
My company, Underscore, cultivates talent by actively enabling our team members to learn and grow at the pace they choose and in the directions that move them. We love enabling people to be at their best and highest in their work and beyond. We invest in training people from outside of the healthcare industry, many of whom have risen as recognized leaders among us.
What’s something your colleagues don’t know about you?
I recently started attending informal improv classes at a local theater.
What are the three things in your daily workspace that you can’t live without?
Strong Wi-Fi, noise-canceling headphones and places to whiteboard and sketch ideas on paper off-screen.
What is your favorite book (or TV show, movie, band or song)? What about it resonates strongly with you?
I can’t help but join the chorus when Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton sing “Islands in the Stream,” but you may need my noise-canceling headphones to bear it. I first heard it as a young child on an eight-hour drive of Kenny’s greatest hits and welcomed a woman’s voice along with him. I think in some primitive way it started my realization of the power of collaboration and the significance of sharing the spotlight even if you don’t have to.
What’s on your to-do list for when you retire?
I love my work, but when the time comes I hope to enjoy quality time with my family — exploring new places, learning what the young whippersnappers are innovating, being of service in the community and bringing new friends to our table.
