Curiosity as a Career: Leading Across Technology, Accessibility, and Human-Centered Design
How embracing your unique path leads to creating meaningful impact and redefining what success truly means.
Square Peg, Round Hole? Yes, Please!
I have always known I was never meant to follow just one path.
Part of that was a fear of boredom, but more importantly, it came from a deeper calling: How do I make a meaningful difference? How can I truly help?
With so many interests pulling me in different directions, choosing only one never felt authentic.
So I didn’t.
Instead, I chose exploration.
My journey began with an associate degree in performing arts, followed by two years toward a bachelor’s degree in marketing communications. But formal education was only one part of my story. Curiosity became my greatest teacher.
I read constantly. I asked questions relentlessly. I sought out people already doing the work that inspired me.
When I once heard the advice, “Take a millionaire to lunch,” I took it seriously.
I began interviewing successful leaders across industries that fascinated me. Those conversations opened doors to mentorships, job shadowing opportunities, and hands-on roles that shaped my career in ways traditional pathways never could.
At the same time, I volunteered extensively—immersing myself in cooking schools, catering events, floral design, grape harvests, theater set construction, architectural rendering, and publishing articles for major outlets like CNN and local magazines.
These were not random pursuits.
They were intentional explorations.
Each experience expanded my skill set, deepened my understanding, and revealed surprising connections between creativity, strategy, and systems.
Over time, a consistent thread emerged.
No matter the environment, I naturally gravitated toward organization, problem-solving, and connecting complex ideas.
I was, at my core, a project manager and business analyst.
I excelled at:
- Breaking down large ideas into actionable steps
- Designing workflows
- Prioritizing execution
- Creating systems that improve outcomes
- Translating complexity into clarity
These strengths eventually led me into software project management and business analysis, where I could merge curiosity with structure to build meaningful solutions.
Yet my passion for cooking evolved alongside this path.
And I discovered something fascinating:
Managing a kitchen is not so different from managing a large-scale project.
Both require:
- Timing
- Resource management
- Precision
- Adaptability
- Leadership under pressure
Recipe writing mirrored user manual development.
Cooking classes reflected instructional design.
End-user needs remained central in both spaces.
This realization shaped my professional philosophy.
As someone on the autism spectrum, I have always processed information differently—more systematically, more literally, and often with heightened attention to structure.
This perspective became a strength.
It taught me that there is no singular “right” way to learn.
People engage with systems, tools, and information differently.
That understanding fueled my passion for user-centered design.
Whether creating software, websites, training programs, or recipes, I became deeply committed to accessibility, clarity, and adaptability.
I developed:
- User manuals
- Training systems
- Instructional videos
- Learning labs
- Accessible digital experiences
By 2000, I was managing international multimillion-dollar software projects and delivering training at global scale.
Today, I continue that mission through my work with the County of Monterey, where I build award-winning websites while also teaching cooking classes on weekends.
Last year, I had the extraordinary opportunity to spend a week cooking in Julia Child’s La Pitchoune kitchen in France—a full-circle moment that beautifully united my lifelong passions.
I have also become a featured speaker, including upcoming presentations at the CAPIO conferences in 2025 and 2026 on Title II Digital ADA compliance.
My journey has never been conventional.
It did not always make me wealthy.
In fact, following curiosity often meant financial resets, professional pivots, and periods of uncertainty.
But it never left me uninspired.
What it gave me instead was something far more meaningful:
- Perspective
- Resilience
- Wisdom
- Humility
- Purpose
Every success, every setback, every unexpected turn contributed to who I am today.
I have learned that sometimes being a “square peg in a round hole” is not a flaw.
It is the very thing that allows you to create new spaces, challenge outdated systems, and build bridges others cannot yet see.
So when people ask for my advice, I keep it simple:
Be true to yourself.
Follow opportunities to learn, even when they do not offer immediate rewards.
Not every investment pays financially.
But the right ones will shape your life in ways money never could.
Because the goal is not simply to fit into existing molds.
Sometimes, the real purpose is to redefine them entirely.
