2026 Hello Reader, Happy Lunar New Year. The celebration was just this past Tuesday, and the season's message is still fresh. Renewal. Intention. Permission to carry forward the lessons while setting something new in motion. Growing up as the daughter of two Chinese immigrants, I was handed a very specific formula for success: keep your head down, work hard, and you will be rewarded. It took years in my career before I realized that formula, while well-intentioned, was also quietly keeping me...
11 days ago • 1 min read
2026 Hello Reader, A few exciting updates this week. First, congratulations to all those who earned their AIA Fellowship this year, especially friends of the Practice of Architecture, like Jennifer Kretschmar. If you're reading this and were elevated to the College of Fellows, reply and let me know. I'd love to feature you in an upcoming social post on PoA Socials. Speaking of social, we've finally made the jump to YouTube. You can now subscribe to the Practice Disrupted podcast there, and...
18 days ago • 1 min read
2026 Hello Reader, Season 12 of Practice Disrupted is officially here. This week I've been thinking a lot about something I keep coming back to on LinkedIn. The way we protect things that aren't actually protecting us. Processes we hold onto because they're familiar. Business models we defend because questioning them feels like questioning our identity. The slow fade from doing work that energizes us to doing work that just has to get done. I posted about this a few different ways this week,...
25 days ago • 1 min read
2026 Hello Reader, Happy Sunday. We're slowly in the process of making some shifts at the Practice of Architecture. Focused on what it means to not only bring innovation to the industry, but what Transformation looks like. We're in it for the long haul. It includes partnerships with educational institutions, webinars and courses, and a growing community. Next week, we launch Season 12 of Practice Disrupted! Over 11 seasons, we've explored non-traditional career paths, practice innovation, and...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
2026 Hello Reader, Happy Sunday. Thank you to all who replied to the last email and let me know your word for the year! There's a lot happening in the world right now. My daughter made an extra request for hugs and snuggles this weekend, which seems fitting with all that's going on right now. Just a reminder: Step away from the screen. Call someone you love. Sit with the people who matter. Not every moment needs to be optimized. Not every hour needs to produce something. Check in with the...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
2026 Hello Reader, Happy Sunday. Last week, I posted my word of the year on LinkedIn. If you missed it there, I wanted to make sure you saw it here. This year, my word is Cultivate. 🌱 I've been thinking a lot about giving myself grace. About letting go of the pressure to have everything figured out on some arbitrary timeline. Every day is a new opportunity to show up differently than you did the day before. You don't have to wait for a new year, a new quarter, or a Monday. You just have to...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
2026 Hello Reader, I'm back. And yes, this newsletter is landing on a Sunday. After experimenting with send days over the past year, Sunday seems to be when most of you are ready to read. So thank you for making a little space for me in your weekend. Last year, I had to step away from Practice of Architecture to focus on my role as AIA President. A few times, I was asked to ensure the two remained separate. That was challenging for me. This work and this community are deeply tied to who I am....
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
2025 Hello Reader, After a few weeks of travel and back-to-back events, I’m finally home for a short breather and catching up on sharing one of my favorite recent conversations from Practice Disrupted. In Episode 210: Architecture, Technology, and the Future of Cities, I sat down with Bryan Boyer, co-founder of Dash Marshall and Faculty Director of the Urban Technology program at the University of Michigan. Bryan’s work lives at the intersection of architecture, design, and technology, where...
4 months ago • 1 min read
2025 Hello Reader, After testing a variety of send days, it seems Sunday is when most of you prefer to catch up and read. So, thank you for welcoming me into your weekend routine. I’m admittedly a little behind on sharing recent podcast episodes here (travel has been non-stop lately!), but before I hop back on the road, I wanted to highlight Episode 209 of Practice Disrupted, featuring Nichole Sterling, Mayor Pro Tem of Nederland, Colorado, and founder of MyTown AI. Nichole’s story sits at...
5 months ago • 1 min read