Like any good book, my life has been filled with twists, turns, foreshadowing, some bad decisions, and maybe one or two deus ex machinas. Let’s figure out your story.

My name is Sam (she/her) and I love helping people own their successes, stories, and results. I’ve been called a “career cheerleader” and helped many folks from diverse backgrounds reframe their professional experience and feel ownership over their accomplishments. My experience spans sales, customer success, consulting, research, and academia. I have been an independent contributor, hiring manager, mentor, and friend-tor (think friend who also gives you career advice!).

As my career has evolved, I’ve found that I am happiest when I’m solving complex problems, working cross-functionally, and making time for fun along the way. I like finding connections between people and ideas, and using what I learn to lift up others and help them succeed. If you’re interested in my professional career, check out my LinkedIn and follow me to keep in touch. If you’re interested in my pivot out of higher education, you can hear me talk all about it on the Pivoting Out of EDU podcast (episode #61).

StoryShifted is a risk for me and it is part of a journey I’ve been on to reframe my understanding of entrepreneurship. I had a front-row seat to watch our third-generation, family-owned lighting business in Pittsburgh go underwater in the early 2000s. As I watched the company flounder, then close completely, I had all sorts of stories in my head about what it means to own a business. Based on what I saw, I thought I was destined to fail. And yet…I couldn’t let go of the instinct that maybe I had to try for myself to see what could happen. StoryShifted is the result of a lot of work I’ve been doing to get over this family history and write a new future for myself.

I live in Chicago with my husband and love trying new recipes, traveling with an eye towards the strange and unusual, reading fiction, and going to see live music.

Photo credit: Oddlands, LLC