About me
After years of dancing on the edges of my passions through a roller-coaster life and career, it was the confluence of four “lightning strike” experiences—a cancer diagnosis, the loss of a business, my 60th birthday, and a soon-to-be empty nest—that compelled me to dig deep and focus on what I truly wanted to do with my “one wild and precious life.”
My mission became clear: to inspire and connect women and reframe the perception and experience of what life can be after 50.
I launched Third Act Quest in 2019, and the 333 Collective in 2022 to connect, inspire, and support women on their quest to create the best chapter in their life’s story — their “third act.”
I’ve finally unearthed what had been calling me all along.
Now, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Third Act Quest initiatives:
The 333 Collective, “AHA” Third Act Stories, Quest Year Group experience, and QUEST, a biennial gathering and celebration.
My 40+ year career;
- Leaps of faith to embrace my passions and talents to have an impact
- My values and dreams are my GPS
- Synchronicity
- Resilience
My professional career includes a decade in Boston with an international ad agency; 10 years with America Online (AOL/Time Warner) in a leadership role during the early days of the internet, culminating as Senior Vice President; and four unique entrepreneurial ventures.
In the early ’90s, I founded a cause-marketing firm. Later, post-AOL, I launched a photography business, WonderBlink, and The Global Design Post.
Though each of these experiences expanded my life and mind, it’s what happened around my corporate career—the breadcrumbs I followed—that has driven me and been “calling” me all these years.
Throughout my life, I’ve taken on mentor/advisor roles for a range of women and started several organizations, including an angel network to serve and connect women. For a variety of reasons, I never put this personal passion front and center.
Until now.
I believe that “third act” is our time.
It’s time to unleash our dreams—especially the wildest ones—for what can be the most meaningful, exciting chapter in our life’s story.
My favorite quote:
“Tell me, what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” – Mary Oliver
What changed for you after age 50?
I stopped dancing on the edges of my passions — as a new mother at age 41, my 50’s was about reclaiming myself and at the same time prioritizing my dear daughter Emma. Balancing act — with the backdrop of a devastating financial loss of our entire savings in a real estate scam — then, when I was turning 60, I experienced 3 coinciding “lightning strikes” that proved to be (ironically) my ultimate “aha” moment wake-up call: rare head cancer diagnosis, loss of a business I had been creating for the previous 3 years just when we were launching our big initiative to actually make money, and a soon to be empty nest.
This sounds strange, but I am grateful for this time as I needed something like this to stop me in my tracks, force me to slow down, and reevaluate how I wanted to spend my “one wild and precious life.” As I healed from my treatments, my third act and Third Act Quest were born.
I finally understood what I was meant to do, share, and be in this life. Woo hoo!
What would you tell the 20 or 30-year-old YOU?
Oh, soooo many things!
- You DO NOT have to be the first one in and the last one to leave the office to prove that you are smart and worthy.
- Your mother loves you – just not they way you crave — she’s doing the best she can.
- Having a child will NOT be the end of your life — it will be the most glorious gift of your life.
- Mind your boundaries. You don’t have to save everyone…. shut off the “Open House” neon sign on your forehead sometimes!!
- You can let love in… you can trust that you can find a man that won’t leave you.
- REMEMBER and DO what you loved when you were a young girl— running barefoot in the grass, watching butterflies, dragonflies, fireflies and all things with wings, swimming in the ocean, lying in the grass looking up at the clouds, make art and finally make that movie you’ve had running in your head since you were 8….
- Trust your gifts and do NOT DIM YOUR LIGHT!
….many more….
What do you think you’ll tell yourself in retrospect at the end of your life?
The roller coaster ride; the highs AND the lows were ALL worth it. You are blessed with people that love you and that you love. It may have taken awhile for you to slow down and reconnect with your dreams and stop putting all of your energy OUT. But, you should be so grateful and proud that you DID. As you said to others in your Third Act Quest / 333 Collective community — your third act has been the BEST chapter in your life’s story!
What impact do you think increased visibility can have on your business?
I want to make an impact in the world… and help reframe aging — to inspire people of all ages to appreciate this time of life, to respect and connect with each other. Increased visibility would enable me to share the stories of the extraordinary/ordinary women of our 333 Collective — and to grow our collective.
Who or what inspires you and why?
Liz Gilbert inspires me. I admit that “Eat, Pray, Love” annoyed me for a few reasons…but —
Her book — “Big Magic. Creative Living Beyond Fear” spoke to me on a deep level, affirming my belief in the power and magic of synchronicity and the importance of living “creatively” – following our hearts’ desires despite fear.
Even before reading her book, I often spoken about trusting our inner GPS after 50+ years on this planet, and used a driving analogy for how we should embark on our life’s journey. Like Liz shared in her book…I feel strongly that fear belongs in the back seat, as a necessary passenger, but NEVER able to touch the brake or the wheel.
Something else I’d like to share
In the works. Evolving my Third Act Stories series with our upcoming AHA. Third Act Stories programs:
- A new video storytelling series on our Third Act Quest YouTube playlist — currently inviting storytellers to share their AHA stories.
- The debut of our ‘live’ AHA stage at our QUEST 2026 event April 13 – 16, 2026, in Santa Fe, NM
- The AHA film series (we’re currently working on the pilot!)
FYI — What’s an “AHA”?
“AHA” moments are magical invitations that get us in touch with our heart’s calling. They are meaningful experiences of clarity, either a sudden flashes or a whisper from our heart that grows suddenly impossible to ignore.
They wake us up, shake us open, and set us on a new path – the one we were meant for.
Making decisions about how we spend our life’s precious time evolves across our lives – as we figure out who we are and how we truly want to live, work, love, and make an impact in this life.
After 50+ years on this planet, it’s our time to trust our inner GPS and put fears, regrets, shoulds, and it’s-too-lates in the backseat. This is our time — time to follow our hearts on a third act quest.
Think about it. We all have stories of times when we had flashes of clarity that reminded us of who we truly are and what we most desire — that invited us to reinvent and reclaim all or parts of our lives.
I call these our “AHA” stories.
Inevitably, paying attention to our “AHAs” leads us to make decisions that set us on a new path that’s more aligned with our heart’s desires. They light the way to reveal a new, exciting life direction, course-correction, and to navigate important transitions.
Most importantly, they fuel our quest, courage and desire to figure out what’s next and to take a leap of faith to shape a fulfilling and meaningful “third act.”
