About TLC

With the precision of an armchair quarterback, I can see that my work history has been pitch-perfect. But at the time, it felt scattered, pell mell.

After college (Hook 'em Horns!), I moved to New York City (vic) with the intent of a Carrie Bradshaw kind of life: a darling brownstone, writing an awesome novel, brunches, taxi rides home.

The closest I got to that vision was an illegal rent-controlled sublet in a brownstone, albeit in non-gentrified Bed Stuy. Across the street from where Do the Right Thing was filmed. The few times I had money for a taxi ride home, the taxi drivers refused to come into my 'hood.

I did land a 'creative' job at a public relations firm. Mostly we did food p.r., and my main focus was managing the travel arrangements for the Dancing Raisins.

Can I say? As the low man on the totem pole, I felt like I was trapped in a factory. I quit in a huff after I found out that entry level ladies were paid $14K and entry level dudes were paid $26K.

first media appearance LOL

there's my head!

After September 11th, following a weird, inexplicable hunch, I drove to the other coast, landing in Seattle. I had the miracle of finding a second love of my life, taught hot yoga, wrote a book.

I also was thrilled to give birth to twin girls at the tender young age of 44.

After a decade of teaching yoga, I finally pivoted to an 'adult' job (e.g., one that required me to wear shoes), working in both finance and media relations at a local 9-1-1 dispatch center.

And when I needed a change of pace of from 9-1-1, I was lucky to be hired as high school librarian.

1st NYC
Apartment

1st NYC Job

I was young enough (read: stupid enough) to assume that a new job would magically appear w/in a week or two. After six weeks of zero income (advice from 1988 me: be sure to get fired instead of quitting, you'll qualify for unemployment), I took a job at Bear Stearns.

Palpable misogyny aside (CEO Ace Greenberg hired Epstein), that job was my first love. First of all, I had always thought I was the dullest knife in the drawer. And yet ... Bear Stearns believed in my intelligence longe before I did. Even sponsored me to get my series 7 and series 63 (stockbroker licenses). Even paid for a second round of classes after I failed the first test. (by.one.point!)

Importantly, I found myself back behind a microphone, dishing out finance news over ye olde SS1 -- an internal radio system broadcast throughout the Bear offices. Eventually, I landed a syndicated gig with NBC Radio. That led me down the path to host The Dawn Patrol, a financial podcast reporting live from the front lines of the dot-bomb implosion.

The year of 2001 was horrid. My marriage imploded and then I lost my job. I spent most of that summer walking around numbly, muttering "could this year get any worse?" Absolutely it worsened beyond any of our wildest nightmares.

(note: I have never once muttered "could this get worse" again.)

Left: me at about 30 weeks pregnant and 275-ish pounds
Right: me about 4 years postpartum and 175-ish pounds