Category Archives: Features

About two weeks ago, while devouring a concrete and some new, less-crinkly, fries at Shake Shack after a somewhat disappointing (but totally saved by Shake Shack and also the guy with the comb-over and the awesome pick-up lines) night out, I glanced at my phone, squealed a little, emailed my mom, and then promptly lost my purse… but just for a minute.

Let me back up…

On my phone, in my email, was an invitation to speak at the Altitude Summit this summer in Salt Lake City, and I won’t even pretend I played it cool, as evidenced by the squeal and the email to mom. I also won’t pretend that I talked or thought about anything else the rest of the night… including my sad, lonely little purse that I left on the floor of Shake Shack, just asking to be acquired by someone new while we walked the seven blocks back to our car, traveling exactly six and three quarters before Mark looked at my hands and face-palmed the hell out of us both.

Of course, night in shining armor (and respectable man shoes without all of the heel) that he is, he ran back as fast as he could and, this being the Dupont Circle Shake Shack at 10 o’clock on a Thursday night, found my purse exactly where I’d left it, undisturbed.

Minor panic and entirely pointless almost-lost-my-purse stories aside, what I mean to say is… I was really, really excited. And I still am. The recognition is huge, and such an honor, and such a welcome surprise after a few weeks of feeling sort of discouraged (also a good reminder that those welcome surprises almost always come when you least expect them.)

I’ll share all of the details as I know more, but if any of you are planning to attend this summer (there’s still time to register!) I hope you’ll grab me and say hi! I can’t wait to catch up with everyone in person this June!