Before TEDx, there was Lisa Frank

When I was in third grade, a new girl got bullied on the bus.

I was too far away to help, so that night I pulled out my best Lisa Frank stationery - pink dolphins, glitter border, the works - and wrote her a letter.

I told her I’d been the new kid too, and that it gets better. I promised.

I didn’t know it then, but I would spend my whole life trying to make sure people around me didn’t feel as alone as I once did.

Fast-forward a few decades: I’ve built a community of hundreds of thousands of women who travel solo, and I just gave a TEDx talk about how connection really happens. Not through perfect conversations, but through shared firsts.

From Lisa Frank paper to a red circle stage.
Same mission. Better stationary.

And honestly, the talk was inspired by you.
Every woman who’s ever booked a trip alone, shown up not knowing a soul, and walked away with a new best friend.
Every nervous airport goodbye that turned into a wild “remember when” story.
Every moment on tour when I watched strangers become sisters in forty-eight hours flat.

That’s what “shared firsts” look like.
You’ve lived it. You’ve proven it. I just got to put words to it.

👉 Watch my our TEDx talk, “Shared Firsts: The Unexpected Path to Connection,” here

And if you’ve ever had one of those shared-first moments on the road, hit reply and tell me. I’d love to hear yours. If you do, include your address, and I will send you a hand written note in the mail. And yup, on Lisa Frank stationary. 🐬✨