You likely know someone - or several people - who have had an abortion. If you know me, you know at least one. Nobody owes anyone a public telling of their abortion story. But I want to share mine.

I imagine most new parents have a moment where they realize that they cannot keep up the same routines as their pre-parent life. Friday is the 11 year anniversary of that moment for me.

But the story starts 11 years ago today, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Since it looks like many folks in finance will continue to work from home for a good portion of this year, I want to share some of my favorite work from home accessories and upgrades.

For the last nine years I’ve been actively engaged in unlearning what I thought I knew about race in America, and relearning more accurate narratives, as well as learning to speak out on the topic of racial injustice. Now I have the context and the language to call my neighbor what he was- a violent, threatening, white supremacist.

Thank you for sticking with me in this challenging and turbulent year. I love a good list, so below are my lists of year end reflections.

When I was a girl, I wanted to be President. A child of the eighties, I was told by family, teachers, and the media that if I worked hard, I could be whatever I wanted. I was in elementary school when I looked at the posters on my classroom wall and realized that our President, Vice President, and all the former Presidents and Vice Presidents were all men. I realized then that I couldn’t actually be whatever I put my mind to. The Presidency was for men only; women and girls did not belong.

A couple of years into working in finance, I had a similar realization. Though there were some women in executive roles, and I eventually became one of them, we were few and far between.

A year ago I sat in a now infamous conference session, trying to reconcile my presence at a CEO conference with the degrading words coming from the stage. I have been reflecting on why that day, and the following ones, have been so impactful on me, and whether the incident has had an impact on the industry.

One of the most common pieces of feedback I hear about my newsletter and social media presence is, “you have such an authentic voice.” The reason it is authentic is that it’s just me. I don’t have a ghost writer or copywriter, and I no longer have corporate communications standards to which I have to conform. Financial services marketing can feel like a sea of look-alike and sound-alike messaging; embracing my personal communication style made my messages stand out from that crowd.

Watching nature proceed as planned, even in the middle of a city, even in the middle of a lock down, even in the middle of a global pandemic, has a settling effect. This recurring moment of joy has been a lovely anchor at a time when I feel adrift with no map or compass.

What do you write in the midst of a global pandemic and a market meltdown? There is no handbook for this, no online tutorial. Should you keep your regular content going? Should you keep up the same pace and regularity of communications? I don't know that there is one "right" answer to any of these questions, but I'll tell you what I'm thinking about my work, which is changing, and my own newsletter right now.

A letter to my readers about why I broke the media policy at an industry conference to speak out about Ken Fisher’s awful remarks.

The most popular, controversial, and most engaged content I've put out in 2018.

The most common advice I share with clients is “share stories!” I love helping people tell impact investing stories and if you’ve heard me speak at a conference before, you’ve likely heard me tell this story of my first involvement with impact investing.

I distinctly remember my mom preparing to ask for a raise so that she would be earning the same salary as her male physical therapist peers. I even remember the number; she asked for a 12% raise and equity participation. Her boss said no. What I don’t remember is seeing her feeling dejected, which she must have felt. Maybe she hid that for the benefit of us kids; I was 8, my brother 5. What I do remember is her being frustrated, then angry, then resolute. She was going to quit and start her own business.

I had a launch party for Solutions With Sonya on Thursday. Great views, delicious food, and a friendly crowd. Thanks to everyone who came out to support.