My father was a scientist, endlessly curious about how things work. My mother, a linguist from Indonesia, left everything behind to build a life with him. Growing up between their two worlds, I learned early to notice tension before anyone spoke it, and to bridge it.

Before I coached leaders, I was one.

For over a decade, I worked in the music industry, first building relationships with companies across the world, then leading sales teams, and eventually an entire department of 25+ people.

I wanted more. Not just for myself, but also for my team, for the business and for the culture we were building together.

So I pushed. I saw possibilities other people didn't see yet. And when something mattered, I took on the responsibility of making it real.

Coaching my own people was the part I loved most. Watching someone finally have the conversations they'd been avoiding and watching them walk away standing a little taller.

But not everyone in the organization moved at the same pace I did. There was resistance. Hesitation.

So I pushed harder. Worked longer. Carried more.

Until there wasn't much left to carry it with.

Eventually, I left. Not because I stopped caring. Because I finally understood something I now help other leaders see in themselves: I was the one making it heavier than it needed to be.