Gloss & Grit - Polished thoughts. Real talk.

Midlife, Master’s Degree, and Meaning: Semester One Lessons As I wrap up finals week in my first semester of NYU Steinhard t’s Visual Arts Administration master’s program, I find myself emotional—in all the best ways. First, I want to acknowledge the people who made this semester not just possible, but transformative: Elizabeth Pergam, Mark Loiacono, Adam Thabo, Nora Rodrigues, and Scott Drevnig . And, of course, my ultimate partners on this journey: Sejin Park and Emily Long . I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone. The old adage is true—the older you get, the faster the days speed by. Compared to my MBA years, this semester felt like a flash. But it was a flash packed with meaning. And the biggest surprise? The most valuable lessons weren’t just academic—they were human. My Biggest Lesson: it’s okay to be a geek. Or, more accurately, I’m finally giving myself permission to embrace it. One thing midlife grants you—if you let it—is the freedom to be exactly who you’ve always...

  Frame of Reference | Violet Visions: My First-Year Highlights as an NYU Visual Arts Administration Student 💜🗽 So…I did it! I went back to school. I’ve always loved learning — it’s the Montessori kid in me who still wants to explore, question, create, and color outside the lines. And at this moment of midlife calibration (✨not✨ crisis), I decided to leap closer to my lifelong passion: the Arts . Now, as I’ve shared in past posts, I love my marketing career. I’m not leaving it behind! But this was my chance to live inside my passion for two years, to expand, to stretch, to see where it could take me. So I signed the acceptance documents and officially joined NYU Steinhardt ’s Visual Arts Administration  masters program — and I have not looked back. (One day, I’ll write the full “Going Back to School in Your 40s” post. Spoiler: it feels exactly like any big leap at any age — thrilling, terrifying, and totally worth it.) For now, I want to give you a peek behind the curtain...

Frame of Reference | The Big Walk — A Fall Surprise with NYU Gallatin Every now and then, something sneaks onto your calendar and ends up becoming a highlight of the season. For me, this fall, that was The Big Walk . I signed up knowing almost nothing—just that it was connected to NYU Gallatin ’s Arts & Works group, the name had a certain charm, and if it was their featured annual activity, it had to be worth showing up for.  Spoiler: it was one of the best surprises of my semester. First Impressions I arrived at Gallatin with my usual blend of curiosity and cautious optimism—classic grad school energy. Before I even had a chance to overthink anything, I was handed a pin identifying me as a Big Walker (a delightful title I may start using beyond this event). Dean Rosner and Professor Louise Harpman welcomed us with opening remarks that hinted we were in for more than a neighborhood stroll. And then it clicked. The Big Walk is Professor Harpman’s classroom—unbound by walls...

Volunteering at MoMA: Behind the Scenes of Giving Back Let’s be honest: the pandemic changed all of us. For me, one of the hardest losses was something many wouldn’t consider “essential”—my beloved volunteer position in the Education Department at the Museum of Modern Art . But to me, it was essential. I had waited on the waitlist for two years for that opportunity, and when it finally came, I treated it like the privilege it was. My time at MoMA grounded me. It became an anchor in the ever-changing rhythms of New York life. Some days, friends would come by to join a tour and share in the joy that this work brought me. Other days, I’d sit under Picasso’s " Guitar " helping young visitors recreate the masterpiece with nothing but construction paper and imagination. Every shift was a gift—a glimpse into the power of art to connect, to educate, and to transform.

 ✂️ Hair Is Identity Why Blowouts & Natural Curls Are About So Much More Than Style From creating  Dreamcoat reels to chair chats at Blo  FiDi, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the connection between hair and identity—how the way we wear our hair reflects how we want to be seen, and sometimes, how we’re allowed to be seen. Hair is one of the most visible tools of self-expression, transformation, and even rebellion. Especially for ambitious, expressive women—it’s not just style, it’s strategy. 🎨 Color Me (Brand) Beautiful A hobby of mine is constant learning. While working at Colgate-Palmolive, I took evening classes at FIT —everything from Designer History to Trend Tracking. But the class that really stuck with me? Image Consulting. That course cracked something open. I had spent my entire career in brand management (starting after Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Management ), yet I’d rarely thought about my brand. What do I bring into a room—visually, en...

The Art of Returning: What I’m Learning Before Steinhardt Even Starts A long-held dream of mine has been to return to school for an MFA. It's lived quietly on my five-year planning lists for years—not pinned to a vision board, but never far from reach. For much of my career, though, I’ve been laser-focused on driving results in corporate marketing. The MFA felt like a luxury, something to revisit someday. That changed when I stepped away from corporate life. The space gave me time not just to dream, but to research. I dug into MFA programs, called up my friend Josie who had pursued Creative Writing at The New School, and began really asking: What would I do with this degree? As much as I revere artists and their work, I had to admit something: I'm not one. And though I love a good lecture hall, I’m not a traditional academic either. (Although being an adjunct someday? Still on the vision list!) So I shifted my search and found something that lit me up in a new way: the MA i...

Controversial thought:   Is it time to just... switch back to Facebook? I recently wrote about my midlife calibration — and this might be part of it. I was early- ish on the Facebook scene. Then, I judged it — hard — for being only for older people. Lately though, I’m realizing the content I actually want to engage with is showing up on my Facebook feed. Things like friends finding friends (hello, Red Cross reunion!) and sweet celebrations I never would’ve caught thanks to the black hole that is my Instagram algorithm. Look, I’ve loved Instagram since the beginning. It gave me photo filters! It let me celebrate artistic moments in a simple way. It took me nearly 10 years to convince my sister to sign up (because as it works with most big sisters, what I reco the elder resists 🤣), but once someone else endorsed it — boom, she was hooked. But now I’m going to say something controversial (especially as a marketer): Instagram is no longer social & is starting to feel...

How Does a Pro-Choicer Feel About Pro-Life? A Case for BOTH Planned Parenthood and Precious Life Over the July 4th holiday, I returned to my hometown of Altoona, Pennsylvania—partly to escape the oppressive heat of New York City, and more so to reconnect with friends and family who remain deeply rooted in my heart. One afternoon, a longtime best friend invited me on a river float with her family. If you’ve never been on one, it’s just as serene as it sounds: floating down a quiet river in inner tubes and kayaks, surrounded by nature and the rhythm of good conversation. [minus my consistent failure of sunscreen #burnt]  She’s now the CEO/Executive Director of a local organization that supports women who have chosen to carry their pregnancies to term. The mission is faith-based and proudly pro-life. What struck me most about our time together wasn’t any debate or disagreement—it was our deep mutual respect. We didn’t need to argue or “agree.” Instead, we honored the work we each care...

Midlife Crisis? More Like a Midlife Calibration I’m well past my 40th birthday, and with the big 4-5 coming this August ( ACK!! ), I’ve started feeling like I’m due for a midlife crisis—or at least a midlife reflection. I don’t need a red convertible or a spontaneous tattoo (yet), but I do find myself looking back, looking forward, and trying to make sense of this wildly beautiful in-between place. Personal Reflection Yes, I probably could’ve been healthier. But you know what? [Cliche Alert] I did it MY WAY . I’ve cried often, loved hard, and found the space that defines me. And that, in itself, feels like a major win. Things I'd Always Recommend for a Life Well Earned 1. Keep experimenting. Make the big leaps. I was nearly paralyzed before committing to Vanderbilt for B-school . It felt like if I picked a door, the other would close.  And that's not wrong - I'd say it's quite spot on.   The best choice though?  Following my gut.  I got into “better” schools a...

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time hiring for my franchise, Blo Blow Dry Bar  in NYC's Financial District . And in every interview, I share a little backstory: ✨ How long we’ve been around: coming up on 5 years! 📍 Who I am: a little about where I live & what I do 💻 How I work: mostly virtual, thanks to my other career in marketing 🧠 What I’m looking for: be responsible, act like an adult, and leave the drama at the door Naturally, the next question is: "Why this business?" It’s a great question — and like any good blowout, the answer has layers: personal, practical, and a little idealistic. 1️⃣ A Long-Held Dream 🌸 (Minus the Pollen) Back in my corporate days, we’d do visualization exercises at team retreats. Every single time, I’d picture the same thing: me, closing the door to my own shop at the end of the day. For a while, I thought that shop might be a flower store. I love the joy and beauty flowers bring… but my allergies had other plans. ...

Love Bombed at Work: When Boundaries Blur and Affection Becomes Manipulation “Love bombing” is a term that gets thrown around a lot in dating—lavish praise, intense attention, emotional overwhelm. But what happens when it shows up somewhere it absolutely shouldn’t? I was love bombed at work—and it took every ounce of self-awareness and strength not to let the manipulative dynamics change who I am. Let me be clear: I’m not anti-social at work. Some of my closest, most meaningful friendships began in the workplace. I’ve joined (and led) social committees, thrown team happy hours, and genuinely believe in the power of human connection on the job. The difference? Those connections grew organically. What I experienced in this particular environment wasn’t about cultivating relationships—it was about mandating them. There’s a difference between enabling connection and enforcing closeness . And when an organization starts expecting personal intimacy as a prerequisite for professional belong...