I am working with some truly brilliant researchers, world-class polymaths who are shaping their fields. As the coaching call starts, I often notice a certain wild look in their eye, as if they are being hunted by wolves. This goes beyond burnout. These are super high-functioning people drawing on the “mystery tank” of energy and mental bandwidth every single day, for years. They are working the dawn shift; they are working nights. Here are three things I want to say to my hig

As a social entrepreneur, I am constantly working on my business to make it more sustainable, impactful, and enjoyable to run. Here are some of my recent reflections, which I hope might be useful for others who are setting up their own shop, be it a business, research lab or nonprofit.   I am also curious to learn from the experiences of other people running small enterprises. Recent learnings: 1. Tailor my business to my own nervous system Fancy folks call this “building a l

I’ve found that choosing a theme for the year is far more powerful than setting New Year’s resolutions. It’s the small decisions we make that set the trajectory of our lives. At each tiny fork in the road, I try to choose the path that takes me toward more of what I want. Last year my theme was expansion . I expanded my team by bringing on a new strategy coach, the wonderful Jo Mahoney . Together we supported 40 fellows through the African Researcher Accelerator , with many o