1. Career “flatlining” can be a strategic choice — not a failure

Liz was clear about something we don’t talk about enough: sometimes you intentionally slow your career down to make the rest of your life work.

For years, she chose roles that gave her flexibility — even when she was bored — because being present for her kids mattered more than titles or scope. That decision wasn’t accidental. It was deliberate, values-driven, and grounded in reality.

“I knew exactly what I was giving up — and exactly what I was getting.”

The key takeaway for people leaders: career paths are not linear, and pretending they should be only adds guilt. The real work is deciding which season you’re in and optimizing for that — without shame.​

2. You can’t “do it all” — you have to decide what matters right now

One of the most practical frameworks Liz shared was the idea of a “must-have list” for each stage of life and career.

At different moments, her must-haves changed:

• Flexibility over growth
• Stability over stretch
• Later, ambition over convenience

“I had to be honest about what I could handle — and what I couldn’t.”

For HR leaders, this matters because employees are constantly recalibrating their own must-have lists. The best people systems don’t assume a single definition of success — they create room for different ones.

3. Ambition only works when it’s negotiated — not assumed

Liz referenced The Ambition Decisions book and made one thing very clear: ambition in a partnership requires active negotiation, not silent sacrifice.

For years, her husband’s travel-heavy role meant Liz carried the parenting load. When COVID hit, everything changed — and they renegotiated from scratch. Eventually, they flipped roles so Liz could go “all in” on her career.

“You don’t get to follow your ambition alone. It has to be a partnership.”

This is a powerful reminder for leaders: behind every high performer is a set of invisible negotiations happening at home. Ignoring that reality doesn’t make it go away — it just pushes people out.

4. Flexibility isn’t about perks — it’s about whether work can actually get done

Liz pushed back hard on blanket return-to-office mandates and rigid policies, asking a much simpler question:

“Is the work getting done?”

If not — why?
Is it clarity? Communication? Priorities? Or are we blaming flexibility for problems it didn’t create?

“Orthodontists are open during work hours. School ends at 3:30. That’s real life.”

For people leaders, the takeaway is practical: flexibility is not about lowering standards. It’s about designing systems that acknowledge reality — so performance doesn’t collapse under unnecessary friction.

5. Parental leave policies reveal whether your values are real

Liz didn’t mince words about parental leave in the U.S. — or about how damaging poorly designed returns-to-work can be.

At Skimmer, the focus isn’t just leave length, but how people come back:

• Gradual returns
• Temporary part-time transitions
• Space to say “I’m not ready yet”

The lesson for HR leaders: policies aren’t checkboxes. They’re lived experiences. And if your values say “we care about people,” your leave practices need to prove it.

6. To be a true people partner, you have to understand the business

One of Liz’s strongest pieces of advice for HR leaders was simple — and often overlooked:

“Understand the business. All of it.”

That means:

• Knowing the financial metrics
• Understanding how the product is built and sold
• Seeing how each function drives revenue

Those skills turn HR from a support function into a 10x business partner.

“It’s not enough to be good at HR. You have to know how the company actually works.”