Sometimes the most meaningful conversations happen in airport bars

Yesterday, while traveling home, I found myself sitting at an airport bar before my flight when the gentleman at the end of the bar struck up a conversation with everyone.

Before long, he had half the bar talking.

His name was Joe Vanderstelt, CFA, CPA, a data scientist on his way to a conference in San Francisco. He was asking people of different ages and backgrounds a simple set of questions:

• How old are you?
• Where do you go for simple answers?
• Where do you go for more complex ones?

As someone who has spent more than 20 years in technology, I joked that I was probably a biased sample.

For me, simple questions are often answered by whatever platform I'm already using. The question emerges in the moment, and the technology meets me where I am.

More complex questions are different. That's when I become intentional. I want facts, science, history, and multiple perspectives. I don't want technology validating what I already believe. I want it helping me think more critically.

What struck me most wasn't how different generations answered. It was how similar the underlying challenge really is.

Technology has always evolved.

Humans have always been capable of incredible good and incredible harm.

The printing press spread knowledge, but it also spread propaganda. The internet connected the world while creating new ways to spread misinformation.

Now AI is the latest chapter in a very old human story.

Not a story about technology.

A story about people.

Joe shared that part of his interest in this topic stems from a deeply personal experience involving violence and the influence of online information. It was a reminder that behind every algorithm, product, and platform are real people trying to navigate a complicated world.

What I appreciated most about Joe's approach is that before building answers, he's asking questions. Before shaping technology, he's trying to understand the people who will use it.

That's exactly what we need more of.

We need ethical leaders building these systems and users willing to think critically about how they engage with them.

By the end of the conversation, I wasn't thinking about AI.

I was thinking about humanity.

And honestly, it made me feel good knowing there are people like Joe asking these questions before they build the future.

Sometimes the most meaningful conversations happen with complete strangers at an airport bar.

Technology will continue to evolve.

Our responsibility is making sure our humanity evolves with it.

The Real Shift Isn’t AI. It’s How We Work

Back from Adobe Summit and still processing it all!

There’s always incredible energy at these events. Big announcements, bold ideas, and a clear push toward what’s next. But this year, one theme stood above the rest.

AI and agents are changing the game.

Not by replacing what we do, but by optimizing how we do it.

It reinforced something I’ve been talking about for a while now. AI doesn’t create in isolation. It reflects the clarity, intention, and perspective of the person guiding it.

As someone who has spent my career at the intersection of marketing, product, and design, this shift feels especially meaningful. Creative isn’t being removed from the process. It’s being elevated.

The real shift is in how we work.

How we connect tools, teams, and ideas to move faster, scale smarter, and stay intentional in what we create. The opportunity isn’t just speed. It’s building better systems that allow creativity to show up more clearly and consistently.

Grateful for the time spent with so many thoughtful leaders throughout the week, especially at the Executive Women’s Luncheon. Prativa Mohapatra and Caitlin Vlastakis Smith it was a pleasure to connect with you both. Moments like that are a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting and elevating women in design and technology.

And equally grateful for the time with our team. Those moments to connect beyond the day-to-day are what make the work meaningful.

Thank you to Adobe, especially Everett Easterling, for your partnership and continued investment in how we create and scale.

Excited for what’s ahead!

What Happens When We Show Up Together

I’m still dealing with some jet lag, but the trip to Santander was more than worth it.

A huge thank you to our team in Santander for such a warm and thoughtful welcome during our Global Creative & Marketing summit. The hospitality was incredible, and you made us feel at home right away.

It was an incredibly productive few days. We covered a lot, had meaningful conversations, worked through important topics, and left with real clarity, stronger plans, and next steps.

But honestly, the human side of the visit was the best part.

There is something special that happens when you get beyond the screens, out of the usual meeting rhythm, and have the chance to connect in person. Time together builds trust, deepens understanding, and reminds you that the best work really does come from strong relationships.

The work mattered. The outcomes mattered. But the people were the heart of it all.

Thank you again to our Santander team for making it such a memorable experience. And thank you to the Global Creative & Marketing. I’m grateful for the energy, openness, and thoughtfulness you each brought to our time together.

A More Human Perspective on AI

Over the past year, I’ve watched a quiet panic unfold behind the scenes around AI.

Leaders asking how we’ll leverage it.
Teams wondering how far behind they are.
Creatives questioning whether it will replace them.

I understand the urgency. When something this powerful enters the room, it challenges both strategy and identity.

But working with AI day to day, in platforms and in the tools my team uses, I see something different.

AI accelerates information.
It expands idea generation.
It helps explore variations and sharpen thinking.

And here’s what stands out. There is always a human prompting.

AI does not create in isolation. It reflects the clarity, depth, and intention of the person guiding it.

It does not replace judgment.
It does not replace empathy.
It does not replace taste.
It amplifies them.

The conversation often centers on speed and efficiency.
But the real opportunity is intention.

Technology will evolve. Platforms will scale. Tools will get smarter. The differentiator will still be us.

Our perspective.
Our discernment.
Our humanity.

AI may be the tool.
Humans are still the story.

A Season of Stillness and Clarity

This past season of life has asked me to do two things that do not always come easily in a fast moving world.

Be still and look closely.

Stepping into my new role as Director of Global Creative Services has been both energizing and humbling. Over the past few months, I have had the privilege of helping shape a global creative function by building stronger systems, aligning teams across regions, refining workflows, and creating more clarity around how we bring ideas to life at scale.

It has been a season of foundation building. Of listening. Of learning where the gaps are and where the magic already exists. Of celebrating small operational wins that quietly unlock big creative potential later.

At the same time, I have been reflecting more personally on how I want to move through this next year.

My goal for 2026 is to live more in rhythm with the seasons, not just the weather, but the energy each season invites.

January, for me, has been about stillness and truth.

Slowing down enough to ask:
What is working?
What is not?
What actually matters now?

In both work and life, this pause has been powerful. Because clarity does not come from constant motion. It comes from reflection.

And now, as we begin to shift out of winter’s stillness, I feel that familiar spark of renewal. Not rushed. Not reactive. But intentional movement toward the goals, ideas, and changes that took shape during the quiet.

Grateful for a role that lets me build, lead, and create with incredible people around the world.

Grateful, too, for the reminder that growth is not just about doing more. It is about aligning better.

Here is to moving forward with clarity, purpose, and a little seasonal wisdom 🌱