Hey There: About Me
An Instagram Introduction
Over on Instagram, I added a new pinned post with a set of slides introducing who I am and what I’m all about. The full length version of those slides can be read below!
Slide 1: Hey There: About Me
A maybe-evergreen, probably-evolving set of slides introducing who the heck I am and helping outline why you might wanna stick around.
Slide 2: About Me - Online
aka where and why I post
Instagram: yay you're here! Instagram is the place I show up the most consistently. I talk about a little bit of everything here, including books, journaling, writing, AuDHD, DEI, my work, travel, and whatever current topics have me really fired up.
Substack: All books, all the time. my substack has three main verticals - author chats (conversations with authors i admire), monthly wrap ups (all the nerdy reading stats), and quarterly wrap ups (same, on a quarterly basis). From time to time, I'll add other random posts here too.
LinkedIn: My 'professional' thoughts - lots of DEI content gets posted on my LinkedIn.
Tiktok: Mostly bookish stuff, I am not a huge video fan haha so don't count on consistency here.
Twitter/Threads: My ranting platforms. you never know what you're gonna get there.
Website: I of course have a website that is my online hub for #allthethings.
Slide 3: About Me - Quiz Style & What’s Ahead
Quiz Style
The one food I will eat endlessly is: chicken tenders
The coolest place I've ever been was: Antarctica
My drink(s) of choice are: 4-shot latte, cherry coke zero
My favorite color is: mustard yellow
My weird obsession is: literally anything with lemons
My dream job title is: travel writer
My favorite childhood character: Ariel + Anastasia
What’s Ahead
Slide 4: about me personally
Slide 5: about my DEI work & philosophy
Slide 6: about me as an author
Slide 7: about me as a row house coach
Slide 8: about my wls journey
Slide 9: about my tax work
Slide 10: some community guidelines
Slide 4: About Me - Personally
Romance: My wife and I got married in Nov 2021. Our wedding was featured in the New York Times! We now live in Seattle, WA with our rescue pitbull, Briggs.
All Work and No Play: I work at Google during the day, moonlight seasonally at TurboTax as a manager of a team of ~35 tax experts, and have side hustles as a Row House coach, bariatric community (T.R.I.B.E.) support group leader, and entrepreneur.
Ok, maybe some play: My personal passions are reading and travel, which you'll see reflected often on this account.
Fun stuff: INFJ, enneagram 8w7, Capricorn ☀️, taurus 🌕, virgo ⬆️
Slide 5: About Me - DEI Philosophy
Every DEI practitioner comes to this work through their own lens, experiences, and expertise. While I identify with a few different marginalizations, my DEI focus is on disability, accessibility, and intersectionality.
A recent Harvard Business Review article cited a statistic that "although 90% of companies claim to prioritize diversity, only 4% consider disability in those initiatives." To me, that number needs to be 100%. This is critical for all DEI work - what is incremental for others is 10x for the disabled community. building for and centering disability in DEI work creates access for all.
Intersectionality is also critical in DEI work due to the way multiple marginalizations intersect and change the ways in which we experience and move through the world. These will always be my priority areas of focus.
Slide 6: About Me - Author
From 2016 - 2018, I self published three books on self-employment as well as co-authored a book on goalsetting.
in 2020, I signed with a literary agent and secured a traditional publishing book deal shortly thereafter for my fifth book, which came out in October 2022.
Today, I have a couple different book projects in the works - one is a nonfiction concept in line with my previous work and one is a fiction project that is a departure from what I've written before.
I will continue to keep you updated as I have more to share. as always, i am beyond grateful for your support of my writing!!
Slide 7: About Me - Row Coach
After finding Row House in January 2022 and falling in love with this community, in November 2022, i became a coach at the South Lake Union studio. Today I coach at both the SLU and Redmond studios depending on the day.
My coaching philosophy centers a focus on inclusion and fun fitness moments. You'll frequently find me executing modified versions of various floor work movements, even up on the coach platform!
I love to offer classes that have diverse playlists and my priority is making fitness accessible for everyone. To be a plus sized person and Row House coach is a privilege & honor.
My favorite Row House class is full row and I'm currently working on my two million meter milestone!
Slide 8: About Me - WLS Journey
I have both struggled with my weight and been a competitive athlete throughout the entirety of my life. I was a competitive swimmer (and diver) for more than a decade. I also weightlift and can now proudly say I deadlift more than my body weight.
At my highest weight, I was more than 410 lbs and my mobility (and love of travel!) was extremely limited as a result. This prompted a decision to pursue weight loss surgery (WLS) and from 2021-2023, I lost more than 200lbs. It's important to me to be open about this journey and share the joys *and* the struggles with you.
I primarily share about this journey on my secondary Instagram @halftheoldme but you'll sometimes see me talk about it here as well! And of course, I lead monthly support groups for @thesleeveddietitian's T.R.I.B.E. community!
Slide 9: About Me - Taxes
I prepared my first non-personal tax return in November 2011 after meeting the local H&R Block office at a career event in College. I worked for H&R Block my entire senior year of undergrad and then throughout my early career on a part-time basis.
In 2020, I resumed working in taxes, but this time for Intuit TurboTax, serving as a tax expert remotely during the TY20 tax season. I've returned to Intuit every year since and now am a seasonal manager, leading a team of 35 tax experts through the chaos of tax season each spring.
I also am an IRS enrolled agent, a license earned through a three-part exam that permits me to represent taxpayers before the IRS.
Finally, from 2023-2025, I serve on the board of the National Association of Enrolled Agents, working to bring younger voices to this profession!
Slide 10: The Rules - Community Guidelines
I don't play around on the internet - I'm slow to give grace and quick to block, and won't apologize for being focused on creating a safe and welcoming home here. I have just two asks of you as you engage.
I welcome opinions that conflict with mine so long as they are addressed with respect and are not intolerant or hateful.
If you leave a comment engaging in a dialogue, don't delete it. You're deleting learning for others too.