About Me

Who am I?  More important is who is that guy in the photo on the right?  That's Aldo Gorlami Dahan Smith, and he is a character.  Anyway, back to me.  I mean, more than anything else, I am a work in progress.  According to the tests, I am equally right and left brained, oh yeah, and left handed, which is another story.  I am a professional marketer, a coach, a creator, an optimist, a dog mom, a Peloton nut, an amateur chef, a really bad artist who is trying to get better, a really, really lousy golfer, a lover of live music in small venues, a decent writer with a lot of writer’s block, a snarky opinionated lover of democracy, and a lifelong learner.  My superpowers are connecting really good people with really good people and maintaining relationships both personal and professional over long periods of time.  As flawed as social media is, it has been a gift in its ability to keep us connected in an immediate way. 

Professionally, I am a marketing, product, and general management EVP to C level executive in the lifestyle and performance products space.  I LOVE what I do.  I have been fortunate enough to work for several top brands running global product, design, marketing, and e-commerce.  I believe in the power of leader as coach, so much so that I attended the Hudson Institute of Coaching in Santa Barbara to receive my ICF coaching certification.  I am driven by creating great products, telling great stories, and growing talented teams and individuals.   When I am not working,  I like to create.  Whether it's cooking, writing, or painting, being creative makes me happy.  Travel is a passion that has been put on pause due to the pandemic.  Peloton, in every form, rumpus time with my dogs, and golf take up the rest of my time.

I believe that we all have the chance to set an example, good or bad.  I believe that it’s important to assume good intentions.  I believe in taking chances on people and giving them opportunities just as people have taken chances on me and given me opportunities in the past, all of which have changed the trajectory of my life and my career, for the better.  I believe in substance over form, but strive to have both (see, work in progress above).  I believe that all experiences, good or bad, are good for the sake of experience itself.  I believe in the double space after the period at the end of a sentence.  I believe that dogs can teach us a lot about the importance of stopping to explore everything on your walk and remembering to wag your tail. Speaking of dogs, I believe that all dogs deserve a loyal human who will keep them safe and treat them like family.  I believe that if you want to put pineapple on your pizza, it’s cool.  Not only do I believe that Die Hard is a Christmas movie, but you should too, because come on you guys, it’s a fact! Finally, I believe in myself.  Ted Lasso has reminded me how important that is, for all of us.

My favorite things….oh…so many!!! My boyfriend Peter, he is a remarkable human and songs should be written about him. All dogs, but mostly my dogs, past and present.  Maui.  Belly laughing until I cry.  The Golden Gate Bridge.  Jaws. Sutro Heights Park.  Spicy tuna on crispy rice. The ocean.  My sous vide device.  Ted Lasso.  The Blendtec blender (no I am not endorsed).  Ted Lasso.  Giving gifts.  José Andres.  The Godfather I and II but not III.  A great cast iron pan.  Trader Joe’s Platinum balsamic that only comes out occasionally.  Super thinly sliced prosciutto.  An ice cold filthy dirty martini with Castelvetrano olives.  Summer tomatoes sliced paper thin on sourdough toast with sea salt.  Fish tacos.  Ice cold water after a workout.  Peter Frampton.  Yeti water bottles.  Watercolor, and acrylic.  Summer.  Japan.  Peloton.  Orin Swift and the genius that is Dave Phinney.  Peloton friends.  My job.  Dave Grohl.  Art.  New York City.  Talented people.  Creative food.  Kind people. People who make a difference.  Larry David.  The Bradley Rose Elton John warmup ride.  Christine D’Ercole cool down ride from 1/6/20 (I always cry).  My home, wherever it is I make it a comfortable place for those I love. Mel Brooks.  The Foo Fighters.  My parents (who are no longer here).