"Focus on the things that don't change." This is what Ryan Holiday left me with after his talk on stage at the 2019 GPeC conference in Bucharest. I've been coming back to this A LOT lately.

It's definitely a reaction to the tidal wave changes of the past years, and how they're muddying the waters in this discipline that I practice, love, and respect - communication.

But it's also an exercise in looking at the fundamental human needs that drive us all - no matter how much things transform around how we fulfil them.

What I believe won't change anytime soon is our human need for connection. The real kind you can feel in your bones.

That's something I will continue to honor by spending time talking to people, writing (all by my lonesome), and doing work that matters with people who care (to quote the equally inspiring Seth Godin).

Whether that's crafting messaging that resonates or telling the stories of people fighting to keep the world sane as tech escalates - I'm here to contribute. (Guess keeping my unabashed idealism alive is once again paying off!)

I want to see your team's faces on your website, in your emails, and everywhere else. I want to be able to put a name to a face and an asset to a name, be it a tool, an article, a video, or anything else.

I want to see the people behind the screen.

In perfect pictures (or not), smiling (or not), energetic (or not).

The more companies throw the newest tech fad at things, the more I want to see the PEOPLE who give work meaning and purpose.

(Thank you for coming to my TED talk. I had to get this off my brain today.)

Deeply grateful to see Cyber Empathy (https://www.cyberempathy.org/) receive this award! 💜 So much has changed since, almost 4 years ago, a fellow panelist told me (rather angrily) that "we need more rules in this industry, not stuff like empathy." 👉 Imposter syndrome roared in the moment, but my idealism overpowered it.

Since then, I've seen consistently more...
💜 people in technical roles cultivating their interpersonal skills
💜 founders and managers supporting their colleagues to explore, define, and practice their values in everything they do
💜 #cybersecurity leaders showing up with vulnerability and helping others find more self-compassion
💜 people with communication experience bring their skills and know-how into this space
💜 infosec people get involved in initiatives (linked below) that are changing attitudes and influencing actions for the better.

Cyber Empathy is about THEM and their stories, so others may find the energy, determination, and support they need to carve their own path in this space.

Going back to the project manifesto (link below) remember that:

💜 Cybersecurity is an act of service 💜

In cybersecurity, we do millions of seemingly invisible things that help keep many parts of our world running.

We do them because we know *why* they matter and how they benefit other people, even if they don’t notice or understand it.

Paying attention to all these little things - and their big impact - is our way of caring about others.