His smile radiated from his heart in a way that stopped me for a second, because it wasn’t about the hoodie or the hat, it was about being seen and appreciated in a place that has become so meaningful to him. We were dropping off our third carload of teddy bears at the Boys & Girls Club when the staff surprised him with his very own hoodie and hat. There was something powerful about watching him receive the same warmth he has been giving. It was a special girl's birthday, and

Image by Vey Damneun from Pixabay I grew up working in my dad’s office. It was normal to me — phones ringing, paperwork stacked, adults solving real problems in real time. But when I turned fifteen, I wanted something different. I wanted a job that wasn’t tied to our last name. So I applied for a worker’s permit. Filled out applications. And somehow landed an interview at a doctor’s office. I still remember sitting there — fifteen years old — in a chair that felt too big, on

I took this photo just a few days ago, and it took my breath away. Dorian is 13 now. Taller than me. Moving faster than I can keep up with. More independent, more confident, more sure of himself. And yet, when I looked at this picture, I felt it instantly — my baby boy is still there . The softness in his face. The way he curled into a pile of stuffed animals without hesitation. The quiet reminder that time moves quickly, but it doesn’t erase who our kids are at their core. A

It’s Eliza’s birthday, and she isn’t here to celebrate it. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her or quietly ask myself if I’m living up to the way she lived. Eliza was inspiration. Her love for her family and friends ran deep. Her beliefs were rock solid. She didn’t just talk about what mattered — she lived it. When I reflect on her memory, on our friendship and the many conversations we shared, I’m grateful for how much she taught me and how deep her impac

Pet Portrait Fundraiser for the Animal Orphanage A lesson in patience, presence, and the Power of Transparency After my dad died, I had to find a way to channel my grief—some place to put all the energy, emotion, and restlessness that suddenly had nowhere to go. I found it in a stained glass class. Stained glass demanded something from me that grief had already taken: focus. Presence. Patience. The pieces don’t just come together. You can’t rush them. You have to slow down, s

Everyone talks about speed in entrepreneurship. This is what it actually looked like for me. Not speed for the sake of chaos—but speed in acting on an idea, pressure-testing it, and being willing to kill it early if it’s not the right fit. Earlier this year, I had a business idea that—on the surface—made a lot of sense. There was a clear gap in the market. I did customer discovery. The need was real. The next logical step was training. The program required a certification, a

Today, thanks to the generosity of the Matson Family and Twin City Tire & Service , Dorian spent the day in three 2nd-grade classrooms in Holden. Every student got to meet him, hear his story, listen to his book, and talk about the important stuff—favorite birthday cake flavors, sports they love to play, and (in one classroom) a lively conversation about Unspeakable . At one point, Dorian shared that one of his first fundraisers was a lemonade stand he ran with his grandf

Homeschooling in Maine, youth entrepreneurship, and real-world learning Homeschooling has been getting a lot of attention lately. A recent report shows that 1 in 10 students in Maine is now homeschooled , a dramatic increase since COVID-19 reshaped how families think about education. I’m one of those parents who found homeschooling during the pandemic—and stayed. How We Found Homeschooling During COVID When schools shut down, my son Dorian was in second grade. He had an incre

Some places hold more than memories. They hold lessons — about leadership, community, and who helped shape us along the way. Over the summer, the owners of Penobscot Ice Arena reached out to let us know they wanted to honor my dad. Walking into the rink for Brewer Youth Hockey ’s kickoff, I tried to prepare myself. I didn’t do a great job. Before I even made it through the doors, I saw a little boy — maybe four years old — bouncing on his toes, helmet too big, eyes wide. He

I recently sat down with an entrepreneur in my role as Program Manager at UpStart Maine . She’s sharp. Driven. Running a successful business. And she’s right on the edge of scaling. But instead of pushing harder, she’s doing something that—on the surface—feels completely backward. She’s stepping back. She filled her own role. She intentionally went part-time. And she’s using that space to build the systems her business needs to reach the next level. More importantly, she fina

Entrepreneurship has a way of sneaking up on you. One day you’re tinkering with an idea in a basement or at your kitchen table, and the next you’re standing in a warehouse wondering how on earth you made it all happen. That feeling hit me hard recently. My son, Dorian aka D-Max and I visited Dan Finnemore , founder of Box of Maine , someone I’ve admired for years — not just because he built an incredible Maine brand, but because of the way he shows up as a dad, a coach, a com

My son struck out during his first at-bat in the All-Stars game. He doesn’t strike out often—his batting average is pretty unbelievable....

It all started with a simple idea: help others and bring people together. That’s always been D-Max’s mission—from setting up lemonade...

When Dorian presented to the business students at UTC, one of them asked, "What do you want to achieve next?" After a thoughtful pause,...

At a recent baseball game, while cheering on the kids and swatting away black flies, I found myself deep in conversation with another...

“Women have a window opening now to prepare, act and make their mark on the future of wealth.” — Forbes Business Council , Nov. 18, 2024...

Women Connect- A Nexus Maine community (coffee networking meetup) . 7:45 a.m. By the time I walked in, I’d already checked my email,...

Lisa Liberatore and Kachina Miller Let’s be honest: Mayvember is rough! But here we are—juggling drop-offs, games, meetings, and somehow...

You know it’s a good day when your plans change and it leads you somewhere unexpectedly fun. This morning started like any other rainy...

Hunger doesn’t take the summer off—neither do my NextHomies! Join us in supporting local pantries.