You don't need a costume
to be great at work.

Jane quickly became a trusted confidant for everyone on our leadership team, and she helped each person work through the most difficult challenges they faced. Jane was everyone's first call, not because it was required, but because people knew they'd get value from talking to Jane. Jimmy Chen, Co-Founder & CEO, Propel

I've spent 15+ years building and leading People teams at four companies, always in the top HR seat. Most recently I served in VP roles at Wistia, a bootstrapped, profitable video SaaS company, and then at Propel, a mission-driven and profitable company helping Americans navigate the social safety net.

At Wistia I grew the team from 80 people to 200+ through a pandemic, while raising the talent bar and keeping engagement strong. At Propel I helped rebuild communication, alignment, and trust after a restructuring set morale and culture back. The throughline has always been the same: better hiring, better managers, and leaders who understand and care about the people they're responsible for.

I've done the hard parts of this work: difficult conversations, terminations, layoffs. I've made mistakes in all of them. Mistakes I felt deeply, but that impacted others harder. I still feel the scars left behind. Wanting to do better the next time helped me grow. And it helped me help others grow.

Through all of it, people at all levels still went out of their way to tell me what working together meant to them. When I left my last company, my former CEO told me I'd changed his views on empathetic management. My inbox filled with people saying some version of the same thing: working with you changed what I believe a leader can be. I'm wildly proud of that.

I built my career while staying true to myself. People tell me I come across as quiet at first; that they weren't sure what to make of me or how I'd have an impact on the team. But I was just observing and listening, trying to understand the real challenges and the dynamics underneath it all so I could help. It's allowed me to build trust and connections where others couldn't.

If I'm totally honest, I probably come across as a little odd, too. I'm open with praise for everyone from the CEO to the newest hire. If I see something I like or admire, I say it. That's remarkably uncommon in the workplace, and admittedly at odds with my more gruff Bostonian moments. It's also what lets me be direct with people and handle the hardest situations a business can face with care.

Leadership isn't something you can fully prepare for. You get caught off guard. There's real weight in owning decisions that affect the business and, more than that, other people's livelihoods. It only gets heavier as you go. I've made mistakes. You will too. Being able to talk them through with someone you trust is one of the fastest ways I know to grow.

That's the work now. For two decades I coached the leaders around me unofficially: managers heading into their first hard conversation, directors making the case for a promotion, people learning to lead in a job that kept changing shape underneath them. Full Heart Leadership makes it official. I want to help people learn from their mistakes, stay true to their values, and become leaders their younger selves would be proud of.