From the very beginning of my career, I found myself in situations where I had to learn about complex, highly technical issues and explain them to others. For instance, in my role as a liaison for the US Department of Energy, I educated government officials and others about policies related to the transportation and storage of nuclear waste. Believe me, I’m no nuclear physicist! Later I coordinated a major museum exhibit, did consulting work for a forensic engineering firm, and served as a project manager for large construction firms. Those jobs taught me how to recognize and track key information—how to see the forest instead of getting lost in the trees.

Just as important, I learned how to command respect from specialists. As a woman and a non-specialist, I often faced questions like “What’s your engineering degree in?” (I don’t have one) or skeptical glances that seemed to say “What do you know about this, little girl?” But in many cases, I was the one who prevented mistakes and got the project back on track by asking the common-sense questions that the “experts” had missed.

Through these and other experiences, I gradually developed the skills and strategies that I’m sharing on this website. For years I didn’t know how to explain what I do for a living, but now I have a name for it—I’m a generalist.