Years ago, I traveled to Romania to work with orphans through Heart to Heart International Ministries. I went back multiple times. Almost moved there permanently. That's how deeply it impacted me.
I spent my time at the Alexandria orphanage with girls who became very close to my heart. Many had aged out and lived in the attic of the schoolhouse. The rest lived in old block buildings from the communist era, with caregivers more interested in their paychecks than the kids. They'd watch novellas all day while these brilliant girls taught themselves English, Romanian, and Spanish. Wildly dramatic as a result 😄
I kept in touch with many of them and have been blown away watching them grow.
But here's what I really want to talk about.
Heart to Heart was NOT a vacationary mission trip. Before you hit the field, you went through a thorough orientation. They brought you into the vision so you understood you were part of something bigger: caring for 100,000 orphans across Romania alongside Romanians and people from around the world.
During orientation, they drilled one thing into us:
You need to be Flexible, Adaptable, and Teachable.
The acronym? FAT.
Like many people (especially women) I've always struggle with THAT word but as triggering as it can be, it's an acronym I use often. The framework behind it shaped the leader I am today.
🌿 FLEXIBLE
If you know everything, you don't know anything.
I'm in a field different from where I've been. Many skills are transferable, but there are things I don't know. I'm willing to admit I don't know what I don't know.
How do you solve that? Surround yourself with experts. I'm blessed to have INCREDIBLE advisors. People pouring into me who don't have to. They believe in me and the vision.
🌿 ADAPTABLE
A strength honed over many years as a music director and leader of up to 90 volunteers... who didn't have to show up. And sometimes they didn't.
That's where you learn to create backup plans for your backup plans. You adapt in the moment. Maybe this musician isn't as strong as the one you planned for, but that's not their fault. You adapt to what the situation calls for.
Skills I carried for over 15 years, now implemented in a completely different arena.
🌿 TEACHABLE
There's a fine line between teachable and pushover. Being teachable does NOT mean you listen to every advisor and do whatever everyone says. Do that and you'll never get anything done.
A wise person chooses healthy, wise people to surround themselves with. People who validate what your intuition is telling you, or push back when needed.
Teachability is about execution. How are you implementing feedback? If you feel strongly, the evidence backs it, and your intuition confirms it... you move forward. But with wisdom.
Flexible. Adaptable. Teachable.
It started in Romania. It lives in everything I build now 💚
Money should work with your brain.
Pistachio Pay is being built to reduce the mental load of money management for neurodivergent adults.