You Have Permission
to Change

If you've ever stood at a crossroads and wondered whether you're allowed to want something different, this is for you.

I built the career I had dreamed of since childhood.

And then I walked away from it.

Not because it failed. Not because I burned out. Because something was missing. Something I couldn't name at first, and spent months trying to solve in all the wrong ways.

Eventually, I made a leap that didn't make sense to anyone, including me. I left a thriving clinical practice to start over in a field where I was a complete beginner. I grieved the identity I had spent decades building. I sat in meetings hoping no one would ask me a question. I went home wondering if I had made a terrible mistake.

I didn't have a coach. I didn't have a roadmap. I had a husband who supported a decision he didn't fully understand, and a colleague who believed in me before I believed in myself.

That was it. That was what I had to work with.

I'll tell you the full story in the weeks ahead. How I found my way, what I learned, and how I eventually discovered something called Ikigai: the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.

But first, I want to tell you why I'm here. And why I hope you'll stay.

Why This Newsletter Exists

I'm starting Permission to Change because I needed it and it didn't exist.

When I stood at my crossroads, the identity I had built versus the one I couldn't yet see, I needed someone to say: It's okay. You're allowed to change. You're allowed to want something different. You don't have to have it all figured out before you take the first step.

No one said that to me. I had to say it to myself, and it took longer than it should have.

So I'm saying it now. To you. To whoever needs to hear it.

You have permission to change.

You have permission to leave something that's working if it's no longer right. You have permission to be a beginner again at 35, 45, 55, 65. You have permission to grieve the identity you're leaving behind and still move forward. You have permission to not know exactly where you're going.

This newsletter is for physicians, educators, leaders, and anyone standing at a crossroads. It's for people who feel stuck and people who feel called. It's for people who are terrified and people who are ready. It's for anyone who has ever whispered to themselves, Is it too late?

It's not too late.

What You'll Find Here

I'll share my story. Not the polished version, but the real one. The uncertainty, the imposter syndrome, the grief, the growth. The moments I wanted to quit and the moments that made it all worth it.

Permission when you need it. Company when you're scared. Proof that others have made the leap and survived. Practical tools for finding clarity in confusion. And maybe most importantly: someone who will remind you that you're allowed to want something different, even if you can't articulate what that is yet.

How? Through stories and insights on:

• Identity and reinvention. What happens when you leave behind the person you thought you were.
• Purpose and Ikigai. How to find the intersection of love, skill, need, and livelihood.
• Coaching and growth. Insights from my training and my work with students and faculty.
• Leadership. Lessons from building things from scratch, twice.
• Saying yes and saying no. How to know the difference.
• The people who believe in you. Mentors, coaches, champions, and how to find them.

I'll write honestly. I'll write regularly. And I'll try to write things that are actually useful, not just inspirational platitudes.

Why Now?

I'm pursuing ICF coaching certification. It's the next step in this journey. Formalizing the skills I've been building, deepening my practice, opening doors to work with more people.

I'm also writing because writing is how I process. It always has been. I minored in writing in college. I've published poems, blog posts, perspectives. When I need to understand something, I write about it.

And I'm writing because I believe stories matter. My story isn't unique. Lots of people reinvent themselves. But maybe the specific texture of my experience will resonate with someone who needs it. Maybe one sentence will land at the right moment for the right person. That's enough.

An Invitation

If you're here, something brought you. Maybe you're curious. Maybe you're stuck. Maybe you're mid-leap and looking for company. Maybe you're years past your own reinvention and want to pay it forward.

Whatever brought you, I'm glad you're here.

This is the beginning of something. I don't know exactly what it will become. But I've learned to be okay with that.

Let's figure it out together.

If you're feeling stuck, restless, or curious about what's next, I'd love to be a thinking partner as you figure it out. Here's how we can work together, or book a free 30-minute discovery call and we'll figure out if coaching is what you need.

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