So how do I attach a dollar amount to a branded plastic writing utensil? Easy. Pens represent all the steps it took to be in a specific place at a specific time: the plans made, money spent, sacrifices, certifications and degrees earned, experiences gained, people met, and every micro‑decision along the way. Sometimes even a U‑turn results in the perfect utilitarian gadget with a satisfying click.

Before Meta, I left the perfect job at Microsoft, a role I held for nearly three years. The creative freedom and autonomy I had there gave me the time, space, and audience I needed to put my arms around my entire skillset: writing creative copy, design, photography, videography, program management, and empowering others to do whatever they do best. When a new opportunity at Meta presented itself, I thought long and hard about what I was giving up. Why would I “throw everything away” only to put myself in an uncomfortable position? Because I’m allergic to redundancy. It was time to get out of my comfort zone, be awkward, and accept a challenge that took me somewhere new.

Surprise: Meta began 2026 with significant layoffs in their metaverse‑focused Reality Labs (RL) division. With over $70 billion in losses since 2020, RL became a primary target for cost‑cutting. While I’m frustrated that I didn’t have the chance to prove myself long‑term, I’m walking away knowing my skills are widely applicable, regardless of where I land.

I’m looking forward to collecting a new pen from a company or team that needs an injection of creative leadership with range.

PS. Am I crazy, or does anyone else have a favorite pen memory? I’d love to hear yours. Bonus points if you attach a dollar amount.

​Here’s a short‑screenplay concept built around your four generations, their different worlds, and the shared thread of womanhood, cycles, and connection through the moon. It’s structured so you can expand it into a full script later.
---

 “Four Moons” — A Short Screenplay

Characters

• LILA (13) — curious, anxious about her first period, lives in a busy suburban neighborhood.
• MAYA (38) — Lila’s mother, juggling work and family, quietly struggling with perimenopause.
• ROSE (62) — Maya’s mother, recently retired, living alone in a rural cabin, navigating post‑menopause and rediscovering herself.
• ADA (84) — Rose’s mother, living in a desert community with her long‑time partner; she’s about to get married again and sees aging as expansion, not decline.

---
 THEME
Across generations, women experience bodily change—first blood, last blood, shifting identity—but the moon becomes their shared language. Each woman feels isolated in her own life until they realize they’re connected through something older than all of them.
---

 STORY BEATS
1. Opening Montage — Four Lives, One Moon

• Lila sits on her bedroom floor, staring at a spot of blood on her underwear.
• Maya stands in the bathroom, fanning herself during a hot flash.
• Rose journals by candlelight, writing about feeling “in between identities.”
• Ada dances barefoot in the desert dust under a full moon, laughing.

Each looks up at the moon at the same moment. A soft hum rises—something ancient, feminine, connective.
---

Lila’s Confusion
Lila hides her period from Maya, embarrassed and unsure. She googles things, gets overwhelmed, and ends up crying on her bed. She looks out the window at the moon again, whispering, “Help.”

The moonlight brightens slightly.
---

Maya’s Silence
Maya is exhausted, irritable, and confused by her changing body. She doesn’t want to burden Lila or her partner. She feels “too young to be old, too old to be young.”

She steps outside to cool off from a hot flash and sees the same moon. She mutters, “What is happening to me?”

The wind shifts gently, like a response.
---

Rose’s Rediscovery
Rose is alone in her cabin, feeling irrelevant after retirement. She touches her belly, remembering pregnancy, remembering youth. She wonders who she is now.

She lights sage, sits on her porch, and looks at the moon. “Show me what’s next.”

The moon glows through the clouds.
---

Ada’s Joy
Ada is radiant, preparing for her wedding. She’s lived long enough to know that every life stage is a doorway. She speaks to the moon like an old friend.

“Bring them to me. They need each other.”

The moon brightens, almost pulsing.
---

The Pull
Over the next days, each woman feels an inexplicable urge to travel to Ada’s desert home for the wedding.

• Lila dreams of the moon calling her name.
• Maya feels a sudden need to reconnect with her mother.
• Rose feels a tug in her chest, a warmth she hasn’t felt in years.

They all decide to go—separately, without knowing the others are coming.
---

The Meeting
At Ada’s desert home, the three younger generations arrive one by one. There’s surprise, laughter, awkwardness, and relief.

Ada greets each with the same words:
“The moon told me you were coming.”
---

The Ceremony
The wedding is simple—Ada and her partner under an arch of desert flowers. As the sun sets, the full moon rises.

During the reception, Ada gathers the three younger women.

She tells Lila:
“Your body is beginning its story.”

She tells Maya:
“Yours is changing chapters.”

She tells Rose:
“Yours is entering its wisdom.”

Then she says:
“None of you are alone. We are one long breath.”
---

The Moonlit Circle

That night, the four women sit in a circle in the desert. No ceremony, no ritual—just presence.

They share:

• Lila’s fear
• Maya’s frustration
• Rose’s loneliness
• Ada’s joy

As they talk, the moonlight grows brighter, bathing them in silver.

They laugh, cry, and lean on each other.
---
Closing Image
The four women stand together, holding hands, looking up at the moon.
Their silhouettes form a single shape—four generations, one lineage.
The moon pulses once more, as if acknowledging them.

Fade out.

​Here's what Copilot provided after I added my prompt:

Your Pop‑Up “Human Info Desk” is a concept that blends community service, creativity, and personal connection.

The Core Concept is a living kiosk—part advice booth, part conversation lounge, part micro‑experience. You’re offering:

• Friendly conversation
• Life/career advice
• Curiosity prompts
• A moment of connection
• A small keepsake

It’s wholesome, approachable, and a little quirky in the best way.

---
 What to Call It? A name sets the tone. A few directions:

Warm & Welcoming

• The Friendly Desk
• Talk to a Human
• Community Conversation Table

Playful & Slightly Absurd

• Free Thoughts (Yours or Mine)
• Ask a Person
• The Curiosity Counter

More Poetic

• The Listening Table
• Moments & Conversations
• The Redmond Porch (Even Without a Porch)

Pick a vibe and run with it.

---
 The Sign. Make it simple, bold, and a little funny. Something like:

Humor lowers the barrier for shy people.

---
The Tangible Takeaway: A physical memento is brilliant. It makes the interaction feel like a tiny event.

Here are a few options that balance cost, charm, and meaning:

Polaroid + Poem Combo

• Take a quick Polaroid of them (or of both of you if they want).
• Attach a tiny charm (stars, hearts, keys, tiny wooden tokens).
• Write a 2–3 line original poem on the back.
• Hand it to them like a souvenir from a moment that didn’t exist five minutes earlier.

This is deeply memorable.

Conversation Cards: Create a small stack of cards with prompts like:

• “What’s something you learned embarrassingly late in life?”
• “What’s a tiny joy you had this week?”
• “What’s a question you wish people asked you more often?”

Let them draw one at random.

Mini Certificates: Silly “official” certificates:

• “Certified Excellent Human”
• “Official Member of the Redmond Curiosity Club”
• “Award for Showing Up Today”

Pocket Zines: A tiny folded paper with:

• A doodle
• A quote
• A micro‑story
• A prompt

Super cheap, super cute.

---
 Make It Interactive. People love low‑commitment engagement.

A Community Question Board: A whiteboard or corkboard with a daily question:

• “What’s something you’re proud of?”
• “What’s a dream you haven’t said out loud?”
• “What’s a skill you wish you had?”

Let people write answers anonymously.

A “Spin for a Topic” Wheel: A small spinner with categories:

• Advice
• Story
• Joke
• Prompt
• Wildcard
• Mystery Question

It adds a game element.

A “Take One, Leave One” Bowl: People can leave:

• A note
• A doodle
• A quote
• A tiny object

And take something in return.

---
 The Personal Aspect: This is where you shine. A few ways to make it you:

• Wear a name tag that says something like:
• “Hi, I’m [Name]. I’m between jobs but not between people.”
• Have a short “about me” card people can take.
• Share your story lightly—“I’m taking this time to connect with the community.”

People respond to authenticity.

---
 Why This Works: It taps into:

• Curiosity
• Novelty
• Human connection
• The desire to be seen
• The joy of small surprises

You’re creating a micro‑community in a public space, one conversation at a time.

I like Copilot's response because it gave me some options to think about. From there, I determined that:

• I would be horribly embarrassed if no one came to talk to me.
• Thought I might need a busker's license, which sounds like an extra step.
• I'd have to spend a little money on tchotchkes, which is not ideal.
• Even if I got everything ready, what if I woke up that day and didn't want to do it?

Worse: What if people loved it? Would I need to do it again? Or could I get away with a single day of making magic?

The important thing is that I identified what, how and why. I could do it at any time now. Or maybe not.

Additionally, supporting the Global Customer Experience team at Microsoft taught me to include a personalized aspect to every interaction. In this scenario, that's the key component to creating a little mystery and fun and creating community.  

How does it work?
My Ideaphoria is a tool I pull out of my clunky toolbox of a brain to solve a specific problem. When I let my Ideaphoria run wild, I identify the ideal outcome and state the challenges and blockers. I generate “what ifs” and “why nots” and begin shaping the result into something useful. I mentally run diagnostics on each idea, test it against what I know, and refine it until I have something that is about ninety percent complete. From there, I draft a proposal so my manager can pressure test it and point out anything I may have missed. At home, pressure testing can mean checking Pinterest or YouTube for others who have tried to solve the same problem.
Ideating and riding a wave of Ideaphoria is energizing when I have the time and space to follow each line of thinking.

Examples of times I let my Ideaphoria run wild:
At work, I needed to create a communication that recapped our organization’s wins from the past six months. Every team needed to be represented, but no one had time to provide the details—and the final data wouldn’t be available until right before publication.  

My solution: Using the most current information available (last quarter’s reports plus a few fresh updates), I used Copilot to match team achievements and product milestones with specific songs. I wrote short explanations for each selection and intentionally left space for last‑minute updates as new reports came in.  

The result was a full “album” for each team and an organization‑wide playlist. I made the playlist available on Spotify and added a QR code to the “album cover” for our All‑Hands meeting. I also leveraged my design team for unique album cover art. After the quarter officially closed, each leadership team member presented their wins, and the corresponding songs were revealed live.  

Between “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Katy Perry’s “Roar,” and Gene Allison’s 1957 classic “You Can Make It If You Try,” the vibes on the call were immaculate.

Coming soon: details about the time I delivered a fiscal year‑end recap immediately after a meeting with overlapping content and audiences. I used a high‑school yearbook theme to capture favorite highlights, quotes, launches, and team photos from across the organization, and showcased the final piece on our internal SharePoint site.

Looking Ahead
I’ll share some of my Ideaphoria rabbit holes on this page. Sometimes they turn into fully formed business concepts. Sometimes they are just interesting thought experiments.

Do you have ideaphoria?
If this sounds like you, I'd love to hear how your brain works. What concepts have you developed, and what problems have you solved?