A note of gratitude for Nancy Rosenbaum

Each day that I’m a business owner, the more I value my professional relationships. These are people who teach me important lessons, inspire me, encourage me to take on challenges I’m not sure I’m ready for and make the connections that lead to new work opportunities. In particular, today I wanted to highlight Nancy Rosenbaum.

I first met Nancy in 2008 when we were both working at American Public Media. At that time, she was transitioning from a career in higher education to journalism and media. She has been in my orbit ever since because Nancy is wonderful at maintaining friendships.

She has done fantastic and creative work as a producer for a variety of shows, from early childhood development to pop culture podcasts. What I love about her work (and her friendship too!) is her endless curiosity, her honesty and her commitment to getting all of the details precisely right. 

She is also a great connector of people. Recently, Nancy and I met for coffee and instead of asking me the typical, “Hey, how’s it going?” question, she said, “What do you need help with right now?” It actually paralyzed me because I didn’t know where to start. When was the last time someone asked me that? When was the last time I offered my own time, care and attention to someone in such a kind and selfless way? And because Nancy is Nancy, I told her something that I needed help with and this week she offered a solution.

Nancy, thank you for inspiring me in your work and in the way you connect with others. And to everyone reading this blog post, I apologize that I haven’t asked you in awhile:

What do YOU need help with right now?