When things don't go according to plans

Change comes and we can't always help it.

Sometimes, you and your entire team are laid off via email at 9 am on a Monday.

Sometimes, you get a promotion, a raise and a bonus when you least expect it.

Sometimes you find yourself working for 3€ an hour in a restaurant without a contract because you decided to move to a different country and any job is a job.

Sometimes you make way more than that in one of the most impressive locations in Europe in a growing industry.

Sometimes you leave your team, sometimes your team leaves you.

I don't know everything. I'm not super well-connected, I'm surely not a spectacular speaker, and I've made many mistakes in life.

But I do know how to pursue a goal and turn things around.

I'm now faced with a new challenge.

Try being the only non-native English speaker in a team. Now try leading them.

My first job was as an English teacher. I taught children, teenagers and adults — and in most classes, I was the shortest person in the room.

My flaws are obvious. I stumble on my own words. I'm younger than most people expect. I'm short. I'm more foreign than some wanted. I'm the wrong sex. Too bad. I'm here.

I've consistently been doubted and overlooked, yet I'm still standing (figuratively) tall.

And I've taken more change than most people take on a lifetime, which might explain why I like making plans so much.

Sure, sometimes things change and we get lost.

Not to worry, I'm really good at getting back on my feet and making new plans fast.