When leadership coach Jen Dary discovered she had a massive brain tumor in 2016, she was an eight-month-old baby's mom, running her coaching business Plucky, and just trying to survive the chaos of early motherhood. What she didn't expect was that surviving brain surgery would crack open an entirely different kind of survival guide—one that involved conversations with "the bigness," mystical experiences, and a nine-year journey to write a book that refused to be anything but honest.

In this conversation, Jen and I dive deep into:

 * The terrifying moment of diagnosis and what happens when you're forced to receive help instead of give it
 * How writing letters to her children "just in case" became an act of love and release
 * Why the publishing industry's gatekeeping almost kept this book from existing
 * The uncomfortable truth about being "naked" when your memoir goes public
 * What 92-year-old women buying fabric can teach us about the divine
 * Why she believes in everything now—from science to spirits to serendipity

Jen's new memoir "I Believe in Everything: A Memoir of Illness, Motherhood, and Magic" releases January 13, 2025 (her birthday).

This isn't a "warrior" story or a tale of crushing it through adversity. It's an honest, funny, heartbreaking exploration of what happens when life forces you to slow down enough to notice what else is there.

About Jen Dary:Jen is a leadership coach, founder of Plucky, and teacher of the "So Now You're a Manager" training. She works with stressed-out leaders who need someone who understands both business jargon and the messy human parts of work. She lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband, two sons, and a side-eyeing dog.

Get the book: beplucky.com/shop

Connect with Jen:

 * Plucky: beplucky.com
 * Book info: [add link]

Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction 02:25 - The diagnosis that changed everything 08:00 - From helper to patient: identity crisis 17:30 - Writing goodbye letters to her children 25:15 - "The bigness" and spiritual awakening 40:15 - The nine-year journey to finish the book 52:00 - Why self-publishing was the only way 1:04:00 - What makes writing "great" 1:12:00 - Finding God in a 92-year-old's fabric shopping trip 1:30:00 - Creative process: caves, burning art, and airplane ideas 1:43:00 - "Go have a good life" - the tattoo story

ABOUT ESCAPE VELOCITY PODCAST

Escape Velocity explores creativity, leadership, entrepreneurship, and building meaningful lives. Hosted by Tracey Halvorsen—CEO, painter, agency founder and creative strategist—this podcast dives into real conversations with founders, artists, and leaders who aren't afraid to talk about the messy, magical parts of the journey.

Brain Tumors, Bigness, and Believing in Everything with Jen Dary

Tracey is joined by Second Harvest’s Richard Banfield and Devon Warwick-McDonald for a candid conversation about what happens when the map of your life dissolves beneath your feet. From personal loss to career upheaval to the quiet ache of disconnection so many feel today, the trio travels through the terrain that leads people to seek change, and why traditional self-help rarely offers real transformation. 

Richard and Devon share how their retreats intentionally remove certainty, routine, and the old scripts of success to make room for vulnerability, creativity, and genuine human alliance. What emerges is surprising: strangers forming lifelong bonds, new identities taking shape, experiments replacing grand plans, and a renewed sense of possibility. This episode is a reminder that transformation isn’t a program... it’s something ignited in the space between people brave enough to show up as themselves.

Second Harvest - Purpose, Creativity, and the Power of Real Connection

How do you make creativity a strategic tool—not a luxury—when resources are limited and expectations are high? In this conversation, Skidmore College’s VP for Communications and Marketing, Elizabeth Stauderman, joins to unpack how she brought the school’s motto, Creative Thought Matters, to life through a full web and brand transformation. We explore why mission must drive strategy, how beauty can ease change, and why liberal-arts thinkers are built for the AI era. Insightful, pragmatic, and deeply relevant for anyone leading creative or communications work in higher education.

Creative Thought in Action: Reimagining Skidmore’s Story with Elizabeth Stauderman

In this episode of Escape Velocity, I talk with Sarah Patterson, a Fractional CFO who somehow makes the numbers feel human. Sarah works with creative agencies and consulting firms to bring clarity, confidence, and calm to the financial side of things—the part most of us would rather avoid.

We get into what really happens when you stop treating your financials like a necessary evil and start seeing them as a creative tool. We talk about trust, mindset, and how money mirrors the stories we tell ourselves as founders.

And then there’s tango. Sarah’s also a Buenos Aires–trained dancer, and she shares how that experience completely reshaped how she thinks about leadership, connection, and flow. Because at the end of the day, financial clarity isn’t just about spreadsheets—it’s about rhythm, trust, and learning to move in sync with change.

Sarah Patterson - Tango with the Numbers: How Financial Clarity Fuels Creative Freedom

What does it take to break free from the gravitational pull of “business as usual” in higher ed marketing? In this episode of Escape Velocity, Tracey Halvorsen sits down with Mallory Willsea—B2B media consultant, AI strategist, and award-winning host of Higher Ed Pulse.

Mallory shares how she built and scaled media brands like Higher Ed Live and Enrollify, why she believes leaders should stop waiting for permission and start building their own stage, and what it really takes to adopt AI without falling for hype. Along the way, she and Tracey delve into the realities of trust versus likability in leadership, why time is the biggest barrier to AI adoption, and how small risks can accumulate into big wins—even in tradition-bound institutions.

Whether you’re navigating higher ed, rethinking your career, or simply looking for inspiration to take the leap, this conversation will leave you with frameworks, metaphors, and courage to try the things that scare you most.

Build the Stage: Mallory Willsea on Media, AI, and Escaping the Status Quo

What does it really mean to lead creative work in a world being reshaped by AI, complexity, and constant change?

In this episode, Tracey Halvorsen sits down with Christina Melito, Creative Director at Fifteen4, for an honest, funny, and deeply insightful conversation about what creative leadership actually requires today — from managing stakeholders in regulated industries to operationalizing AI tools without losing your soul.

They explore how tension can be a design tool, why client work is often a form of behavioral psychology, and how real change comes not from polishing pixels — but from shifting minds.

Plus:

– Why AI might be the most liberating thing to happen to creative teams in 20 years

– How to make clients feel heard without losing sight of what really matters

– What nobody tells you about visual design (spoiler: zooming in 10,000%)

– And yes, the return of the lawnmower, microwave baloney, and meat roll-ups

This isn’t just about websites — it’s about transformation.

And how brave, curious creatives help make it happen.

Christina Melito - Designing for Tension: Creative Leadership in the Age of AI

In this episode of Escape Velocity, Tracey Halvorsen is joined by Traci Barrett—founder of Navigate the Journey, executive coach, former HGTV founding team member, and author of What If There’s More?. Together, they explore what it means to lead with clarity, navigate burnout, and make brave choices in business and life. From surviving betrayal and recalibrating after setbacks to building teams rooted in honesty and shared values, Traci shares deep wisdom on fear, identity, hope, and finding significance beyond traditional markers of success. This is a must-listen for anyone feeling overwhelmed, off-course, or hungry to realign their ambition with purpose.

Traci Barrett - Navigating the Journey

In this episode of Escape Velocity, Tracey Halvorsen sits down with Brigid Lawler, a seasoned enrollment strategist with decades of experience navigating the shifting landscape of higher education. From small liberal arts colleges to state institutions, Brigid shares candid insights on what’s broken in traditional recruitment, how schools can tap into their true identity, and why the admissions funnel might need to be flipped on its head.

Together, they unpack the myth of one-size-fits-all marketing, explore the real reason students (and their parents) make decisions, and reflect on how small teams can punch above their weight with creative thinking, collaboration, and clarity of mission. If you work in higher ed—or are just trying to make bold decisions inside a cautious system—this conversation will hit home.

Brigid Lawler - Rethinking Enrollment in an Age of Disruption

In this episode, Tracey sits down with her 17-year-old niece Romy, a rising senior deep in the college search process. From TikTok dorm tours to admissions anxiety, Romy offers a refreshingly honest Gen Z perspective on what matters (and what doesn’t) when evaluating colleges. If you work in higher ed—or just want to understand how this generation thinks—you’ll want to hear this.

Real Talk with Gen Z: What Today’s Students Actually Want from Colleges – Romy

In this episode of Escape Velocity, I’m joined by someone I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with on some of the most meaningful projects of my career—Pete Mackey.

Pete is the founder of Mackey Strategies, where he helps colleges, universities, and nonprofits find their voice, sharpen their story, and face the future with clarity and confidence. With more than 30 years of experience leading communications for institutions like Amherst College, Bucknell University, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and Science Foundation Ireland, Pete brings a rare combination of strategic leadership, creative insight, and on-the-ground experience building teams and navigating change.

We talk about the difference between creating a message and reflecting one, and why deep listening is the most underutilized strategic tool in higher education. We explore the role of creative disruption—not as a threat, but as a necessary force for organizations that want to stay relevant without losing their core identity.

We get into the challenges facing higher ed communications teams today—from overthinking and risk aversion to leadership misalignment and message control. Pete reflects on his time as an interim communications leader for multiple institutions, what it takes to re-energize internal teams, and why none of this work sticks without trust and buy-in from the top.

We also discuss the growing pressures facing higher education in today’s political climate, the importance of sector-wide advocacy, and why moments of courage—whether on a global stage or within a single institution—can change the trajectory of an organization and the people it serves.

It’s a wide-ranging conversation with one of the sharpest thinkers I know, and I’m excited to share it with you.

Pete Mackey on Why Listening Is the Real Strategy—and Why Higher Ed Needs More Courage to Change

Hosted by Tracey Halvorsen

What does it take to move beyond what’s comfortable and build something that actually matters?

Escape Velocity is a podcast about the courage to grow, the creativity to reimagine, and the clarity it takes to lead through change. Hosted by Tracey Halvorsen, each episode delves into the real stories behind reinvention, leadership, and transformation, both personal and professional.

Through honest, human conversations with founders, creatives, strategists, and change-makers, we explore what it means to find momentum in uncertain times. We talk about the friction before the breakthrough, the vision behind bold decisions, and the mindset shifts required to break free from the gravitational pull of “business as usual.”

If you’re chasing alignment, purpose, or your next brave move, this is your fuel.

Tracey Halvorsen

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