A builder to her core, Michaela has always been disrupting systems, processes, and institutions. For example, she currently works as a second-year associate at a law firm and has already contributed ideas for her organization to be more efficient and make work move faster and more smoothly. Since she was younger, Michaela has challenged systems in the same way. As an auctioneer, since she was young, her public speaking, conviction, and persuasion have continued to build, only becoming more prominent through her undergraduate education, law school, and now as a lawyer. When Michaela has an idea for efficiency, she has the ability to advocate for the changes in a way that very few others would. Because of that, she provides many things to her current work team, like her expertise, creative mindset, teamwork, and when asked what she does better than 100 other people, her response was idea generation. So, having the creative energy to think outside the box paired with her knowledge and conviction, her ability to create change has already improved several systems, processes, and organizations.

Throughout her childhood and adulthood, Michaela has continued pursuing her passion for entrepreneurship by starting ventures ranging from an antique resale shop to gift consulting.

Michaela currently lives in California and noted that she has continued to create boundaries for herself so she can be at her best more often, and those boundaries look like taking walks or working out, diving into new hobbies or interests to keep her motivated throughout the day, and balancing that while working on her business in her spare time. Setting and upholding her boundaries has been key to managing those demanding interests. This, in my opinion, is the key sign of a builder/entrepreneur and a very mature builder/entrepreneur. Instead of being pulled so far into the “hustle culture” as many entrepreneurs do, Michaela has not only created solutions for organizations and institutions around her but also created solutions for herself so she can continue to be aware of when she needs to recharge and how she can do so. This will continue to aid in the longevity of her passions and ability to pursue them because, knowing Michaela, she has been disrupting systems, processes, and institutions since she was young: and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.