Over the years, I’ve done dozens—possibly hundreds—of interviews, podcasts, and panels. Each one is its own little mirror.

Sometimes it reflects my identity.Sometimes my leadership.Sometimes my advocacy.Sometimes my frameworks.

And the more of them I do, the more I’ve come to realise something:

Interpretation is part of impact.How someone sees the work is itself part of the work.And every version reveals something back to me—sometimes familiar, sometimes surprising.

This short reflection is about what I’ve learned from being interpreted so many different ways—and how I hold space for all of them.

📖 Transcript (for accessibility)

I’ve done dozens—maybe hundreds—of interviews, podcasts, and articles over the years.

And what strikes me, more and more, is how each one reflects something different back to me.

Some focus on identity.Some on personal story.Some on the technical side of inclusion.Some go deep into leadership or mentoring.

And every single one is a form of interpretation.

It’s intriguing—because the more of these I do,the more people are getting to know about me…but not always in the way I expect.

They’re not just learning my identity.They’re offering their lens on the work.Their take on what I’m building.

And that’s become part of the impact.

Interpretation isn’t distortion—it’s dimension.It’s a mirror, sometimes foggy, sometimes clear.And once in a while… it’s sharp enough to reveal something I hadn’t even fully seen yet.

💬 Your Turn

Has someone ever reflected your work back to you, and it surprised you?Did it feel accurate? Unexpected? Affirming? Misaligned?

Interpretation is part of how we’re received—and it can shape how we grow.Let me know what it’s revealed to you.

#InterpretationAsImpact#LeadershipInTheMessyMiddle#InclusiveLeadership#AcceptanceWithoutUnderstanding

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