I could have tried to fix myself and go back.

Could have gotten better coaching. Better boundaries. Better self-management.

Could have found a different institution and performed the same performance in a different place.

But I didn't.

Because I understood: the system was the problem, not me.

So I built a system designed differently.

Once I understood myself, I got to make a choice.

I could keep trying to fit into spaces that weren't designed for me.

Or I could choose who got to be in my room.

I was in a role where I was trying. Genuinely trying. Coaching. 360s. Open to feedback.

"I want to understand what I'm missing," I told the coaches. "I want to get out of my own way."

What I didn't know: I was about to hand them a roadmap.

It took understanding my neurology. It took finally seeing: Oh. I'm not broken. I'm just operating on a different system. What worked for the predominant neotype did not work for me, and what did not work for me...

In the last major government shutdown, 800,000 federal employees went without pay. Some were furloughed, meaning they were forbidden to work. Others were “essential,” required to keep working with no paycheck until Congress acted. Both groups got back pay later, but you can’t feed your kids or cover rent on an IOU.

Here’s the truth: America doesn’t run on speeches. It runs on people.

Ever feel like life handed you a sword and said, "Good luck, warrior!"—but someone forgot to give you any armor? Oreven hit on which way to point your shield. Were you ever actually taught what it means to defend your energy effectively?

For me – and many women I know – especially caregivers, quiet leaders, change-makers, cycle-breakers, and all the other labels and roles—this is what it feels like.