A Blog short, an inbetweener, you might say! No recipe with this one but I wanted to share while it’s fresh on my mind! Please take a moment for a leadership lesson from my Nan, You Better Check Yourself, Before You Wreck Yourself.

There’s an old saying — “You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.” If you hadn’t heard it before, consider this your official introduction. It’s become one of my personal mantras, a gentle nudge to pause, breathe, and get myself back to center before I go charging off into the chaos of work, life, or whatever fresh circus the week has decided to deliver, and maybe even do something stupid….it has happened, trust me!

For me, grounding myself has always been less about yoga mats and more about putting my feet on some solid Maine dirt. Whenever I come home, one of my first stops is to see my Nan. When she was alive, we’d sit down for a good, honest, no‑nonsense heart‑to‑heart — the kind where she’d listen, nod, and then deliver one perfectly timed sentence that cut straight through the noise or the pinch to the back side of my upper arm that would bring me to my knees occasionally.

She passed away in 2009, so now our conversations happen at the cemetery. I bring fresh flowers, she brings the silence, and I do all the talking. But somehow, the outcome is exactly the same. I walk away centered, steadied, and reminded of what actually matters.

My Nan was the heartbeat of my childhood. I can’t recall a holiday, school event, or life milestone where she wasn’t front and center. My grandfather passed before I was born, and my mom raised me on her own, so I grew up with two strong women at the helm. And yes — full disclosure — teenage me absolutely played them against each other from time to time, sometimes it even worked, I got what I wanted. But let’s be honest, they were usually aligned, united in their opinions, expectations, and the occasional tag‑team lecture.

Both of them are gone now, but I still feel them with me every day. Their voices show up in my decisions. Their strength shows up in my leadership. Their love shows up in the way I parent, the way I work, and the way I navigate the world.

Leadership isn’t just about strategy, KPIs, or the latest corporate buzzword. It’s about knowing who you are, where you come from, and what keeps you grounded when life gets overwhelming. It’s about finding your center — and returning to it often.

So, here’s your gentle reminder, from me and my Nan: Stay grounded. Find your center. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.