My leadership style
With nearly a decade of experience in design leadership and management, I'm the type of leader who isn't afraid to roll up my sleeves and support my team hands-on.
My background in both user-centered design and visual design allow me to lead by example. At the same time, I believe in leading with care and empowering others to do their best work.
Cultivating a culture of continuous learning, transparency, and resilience is hugely important to me. I thrive when I can help others level up, unlock their full potential, and empower the whole team to achieve ambitious goals. My teams know they can count on me, as I’ve navigated many challenging situations with strategic decision-making, facilitating smooth transitions while prioritizing team well-being.
Mentorship, growth & development, and fostering an inclusive, connected environment are core focuses. Being a fully remote team, I work deliberately to build a tight-knit culture through team-building activities, skip-level check-ins, and creating opportunities for connection. My goal is a setting where designers feel supported to take risks, learn from failures, and ultimately grow into resilient, high-performing team members.
As I’ve grown and strengthened my craft, I’ve also developed a passion for helping to cultivate happier and healthier design teams.
My path to design leadership
Over the past several years, I’ve had the opportunity to establish meaningful relationships and nurture others as a product design manager. Becoming a manager is often something people fall into, and I was pretty unsure if I wanted to give up designing to focus on people. However, my time as a design manager has been a truly fulfilling—and challenging!— experience.
I remember attending a design conference a few years ago and learning all about how to organize teams, optimizing how designers collaborate cross-functionally, giving design a voice, and mentoring team members. The planner and teacher inside of me grew giddy. I knew then that this was an area I wanted to dive headfirst into.
What I value:
I am action-oriented, a master of to-do lists, and exceptionally organized. I’m also a 3 on the Enneagram, which means…
Working as a strong, unified team
Allowing time for deep work
Being adaptable and flexible to change
Establishing clear goals
Embracing and fostering healthy debate
Coaching, not dictating
Leading a team is more than just management and driving results. To me, it’s figuring out how to help each designer thrive—together and individually.
As a leader, I strive to:
Inspire and coach. We’re in this together. I’m here to help others find the path ahead and empower them to make decisions.
Be candid. Feedback is extremely critical for designers. If it’s avoided or stifled, no one benefits.
Be vulnerable. I know I won’t always have the answer. I believe being humble and asking for help is key.
Continue to learn. My own personal growth is just as important to me. I learn best by observing others, doing, and practicing.
The importance of mentorship
Mentorship has played a crucial role in helping to shape who I am today. I’ve invested in myself and others, both within companies and externally.
