I’m going to guess that if you’ve ever made a vision board, it looked a bit like a travel brochure or a perfect Pinterest feed. Maybe there was a photo of a couple standing on the deck of an overwater bungalow, or someone doing yoga on a mountaintop. The images are aesthetically pleasing 🤩, but […]

The other night, my husband asked what I was doing on my phone because tears were rolling down my face. I looked over and told him the truth: “I’m on Instagram watching videos of dogs—some have just 24 hours to be adopted or they’ll be euthanized.” 😭 Usually, when people think about “finding themselves,” they […]

In my last note, I shared how vision boards actually help us achieve our goals. But if today you’re feeling like me—overwhelmed by end-of-year tasks and not even wanting to THINK about new goals—today’s Tea Time isn’t about adding anything new to your to-do list. We’re talking about what can come off the list. Woo! December is already full by […]

Last week I led my Ultimate Vision Board Workshop in person with a group of inspiring women at the historic Rainier Club in Seattle. We enjoyed delicate tea sandwiches, macarons, and a champagne toast, creating the kind of space where sharing your biggest dreams is celebrated. I walked the group through my unique framework, each activity building […]

OMG, I am so giddy right now; I can’t stop smiling. 😄 There is a private chef in my kitchen right now. As I’m typing, I can hear the sound of pots and pans clinking downstairs, and I am celebrating one of the photos on my vision board coming true.  I follow a few private […]

I slid into an MRI machine yesterday…not because I knew something was wrong, but because I wanted to know before something was wrong. The company, Prenuvo, calls it “proactive health.” A full-body scan that can flag issues early, before they become serious. The scan I chose took about 45 minutes. It was loud with beeps and buzzing, […]

Last week I was at a conference for entrepreneurs (look at this beautiful background!)… …and the topic of “balance” came up on the panel. One person said they prefer swapping in the word “harmony” instead of balance. This made me think of a symphony: some notes are louder or last longer; different instruments add their […]

Like it or not, you already have a personal brand. Maybe you’ve been intentional about shaping yours, or maybe it’s something you’ve never even thought about—but either way, people are making up their own story about who you are. (Today’s Tea Time was inspired by this article: “Having a Personal Brand at Work is Key for Introverts.” […]

I asked ChatGPT to write an obituary based on what it knows about me from our conversations. It’s long, but here’s exactly what it said: Nicole Bensen—beloved mother, devoted partner, cherished friend, and spirited mentor—left this world having lived it to the fullest. Known for her magnetic blend of warmth, humor, and grace, Nicole had […]

The woman sitting next to me at a networking event last week shared this story, and I can’t stop thinking about it. When someone died in ancient Egypt, their soul entered the Hall of Two Truths. There, they were asked two questions: That’s it. Not “Did you make your bed every day?” or “Did you hit […]