Sidebar’s Post

If the universe suddenly handed you an unplanned break from work, what would you do with your time ⏱️ ? I know my answer, it starts with a deep dive into inner development, learning and growth … and this is my 5th transition ‼️ Yesterday, I attended ‘Designing Your Career’ with Sahil Bloom and Sidebar. At the packed event, we were taught a simple design tool to gather qualitative insights about ourselves. Everyday begin to keep track: ❓ What gave you energy today? ❓ What drained your energy today? 💡 These energy dashboards will stimulate ideas. For example, are video calls a buzz kill? Do walks give you energy? Which video calls can you take as a phone call while walking? People at the event were interested in how I've navigated 4 career transitions so here is a brief re-cap: 1️⃣ In my early twenties, my marketing track wasn’t encompassing my broader interests so I switched into design, moved from Texas to NYC, and became a designer at Calvin Klein Inc. 2️⃣ After meeting my life partner, and now husband of 25 years, I decided I wanted to deepen my understanding of the meaning of objects and their connection to the world. We moved to Paris for a year where I studied art history at the Sorbonne and became fluent in French. 3️⃣ During my studies I realized creative artistry fueled human desire and these were the foundational elements of any successful business. I began working weekends on design ideas for an eponymous collection which I started selling to friends and at a small boutique in the LES. While a designer at Ralph Lauren, I opened a studio in a barn in upstate NY and began partnering with amazing women who hosted trunk shows in NYC, SF and the Hamptons. With the birth of my second daughter, I decided it was time to make the leap into full-time entrepreneurship. While building my business, I nurtured relationships with thousands of incredible women and built a B2C business model that went from zero to $2 million in revenue. 4️⃣ As a first-time founder, I learned that design skills can be applied to every aspect of a business. Wanting to scale positive impact in the world, I started an MBA with a focus on global sustainability. At Fordham Gabelli School of Business I honed collaboration skills and started designing transformational group workshops on futures thinking. At The Glimpse Group (Nasdaq: VRAR) and Unily, I consulted for Fortune 500 on the #futureofwork and #belonging while enriching brands, evolving products, creating go-to-market experiences, onboarding SaaS platforms and driving business adoption of emerging technologies on blockchain, AR, VR, AI, mobile and desktop applications. 5️⃣ ✨✨✨ holding space for what is next while connecting with people and organizations focused on transformation remake.world International Humanistic Management Association, Inc. ProSocial World Inner Development Goals The Inflection Gaingels Responsible Business Center Hoffman Institute International Presencing Institute✨✨✨

My Reflections on the Product Leader Summit I’m a bit late to the conversation, as many of my friends and colleagues have already shared their key takeaways from the Product Leader Summit (PLS). But here’s my own 2 cents. Quality over Quantity The PLS summit brought together a carefully selected, diverse group of product leaders. The energy from this mix was truly electrifying and still resonates with me. A huge thank you to the PLS team Ha Nguyen, Vidya Dinamani, Sarah Bernard, Dan Olsen, and Gibson Biddle—for curating such an inspiring event! Genuine Connections Although it was my first time attending PLS, it felt like a reunion with old friends. My Sidebar group kicked off with a warm pre-dinner gathering, filled with hugs and laughter. It was a pleasure meeting the rest of the Sidebar Go-Givers, starting with Ha Nguyen, our amazing host. Despite meeting Ha in person for the first time, it felt like we had known each other for years. By the end of the night, I had meaningful, engaging conversations with over 50 people—quite the leap for someone who preferred Zoom meetings to in person meetings until recently. Sessions and Workshops The keynotes were everything I expected and more. Some sessions imparted lifelong leadership lessons, others spoke to my empathetic leadership style, and many left me deeply motivated. The workshops were masterclasses in leadership, AI agents, and Product Strategy. Shoutout to Shreyas Doshi, who had people scrambling for front-row seats! His humility and wisdom were inspiring (and he even managed to save himself from an almost-fall on stage, without missing a beat). Ha and Yasi Baiani’s session inspired me to think bigger about my career. Their insights into the multifaceted paths one can take were eye-opening, as they painted an honest picture of the entrepreneurial journey. I walked away from the summit inspired and recharged. It felt like I had found my people, and the connections I made are ones I believe will last for years to come. Product Leader Summit team—any chance of a lifetime membership? Tagging some of the incredible people I met—thank you for filling my cup with positivity, knowledge, and hope! Margaret Reeves, Preston Smalley, Zac Hays, Lakshmi Koppula, Christine Brown, Matt Ellinwood, Vidya Dinamani, Michael Scully, Mark Jensen, Arthur Coleman, Matt Hinds, Prateek K., Siddharth Dhar, Heather Inocencio, Evan Pankey, Glenn Block, MBA 🍉 (he/him), Andy Wadhwa, Lori Martel, Paul Howard, Laura DuBois,Ezinne Udezue, Amira Youssef, Blake W., Rae Zelalem, Subha Shetty, Jeremy Barton, Lexy Franklin, Pratik Bhadra

There’s something powerful about being in the right room. Had an incredible start to my weekend with Sahil Bloom, Lexy Franklin, my Stern peers and other driven professionals. We explored our “zones of genius,” discussed how to create productive energy, and build real momentum in our lives. Sahil’s insights were truly inspiring, leaving us all energized and ready for what’s next. Huge shoutout to Sidebar for hosting such a fantastic event! Looking forward to hosting such a dynamic gathering at NYU Stern later this academic year. Exciting things ahead!

Thrilled to share that I’ve stepped into a new role as Sidebar’s Head of Community alongside my ongoing role as Sidebar's Chief Evangelist. I'm excited to continue to support Lexy Franklin's vision of "Everyone's Full Potential, Unleashed". This transition feels like a natural evolution of my passion for building spaces where people can thrive together. 🎉 In every role I’ve had—whether at eBay, Stella & Dot, Spero Ventures, or Swimply—I’ve seen that community is the heart of success. At Sidebar, I’m excited to help foster an environment of connection, learning, and shared growth. Together, we’ll build a community where each of us feels empowered, celebrated, and supported. 🙌 Quick note: I will continue my support of founders as part of NextStep Advisory & Consulting alongside my business partner Garrett Kelly, but will start shifting more into advisory rather than fractional roles. One of my greatest joys is and continues to be supporting mission-driven and values-aligned founders building world-changing companies.

Another amazing day at EDTECH WEEK WEEK with my colleague Ghislain! Also it was great catching up with Latha from the Sidebar group too! Some key takeaways from today: Session- “Early Stage & Mid-Market Entrepreneur Investors” with Alberto Arenaza, Arrun Kapoor, Heather Matranga, Sabari Raja, Tetyana Astashkina: Learn : Impact investing is reshaping the startup world, and founders can better position themselves to attract investors. Session - “The Startup Lifecycle: Decoding the VC-Founder Match” with Gregory Shepard: Learn: Fearlessness and determination can drive success, no matter where you start. Gregory’s insights on neurodivergencies were truly eye-opening! I also received his book, The Startup Lifecycle: Decoding the VC-Founder Match. It’s full of wisdom for any founder! What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from a mentor or event like this?

Even great leaders slip into toxic behaviors. 9 signs you’re being a toxic leader: The best way to flag any toxic management is a good mirror. A good assessment does that. I love this one from Ian Hallett. ⚠️ The 9 most common toxic leadership patterns: 1️⃣ Creating fear 2️⃣ Lack of transparency 3️⃣ Undermining your team 4️⃣ Micromanaging 5️⃣ Taking credit for others’ work 6️⃣ Avoiding accountability 7️⃣ Playing favorites 8️⃣ Not providing constructive feedback 9️⃣ Encouraging unhealthy competition We don't set out to be toxic. But it happens. The first step? Awareness. 🤔 Take the ‘Am I a Toxic Leader?’ assessment. Be brutally honest. Recognize the behaviors. Change them. Grow. Your team deserves better—and so do you. ♻️ Repost to share with a friend And follow Lexy Franklin for more.