Maria Poto

Spent the last decade chasing extrinsic motivations. Spending the next looking within.

[Maria Poto @mpotofomo]

If you're a woman in tech, sometimes have questions you're not sure who to ask, and not yet part of Elpha - highly encourage you to check them out. Beautiful community and high value insights from those kinds of leaders that are doing great work, while flying under the radar.

[Maria Poto @mpotofomo]

Answering questions on @elpha this Friday, AMA style. Some really great questions flowing in so far. About career pivots and going back to your "place of origin" (does that even exist?!), exciting spaces to go after as a product leaders, being the token women in brotopias.

[Elpha @elpha]

Join us for Office Hours this week featuring @mpotofomo, Director of Product @Visa!

Ask her anything about product leadership, untying identity from work, taking & maximizing a sabbatical, recovering from burnout, and more.👇https://t.co/a6GkDqmM9k

[David Spinks @DavidSpinks]

Anyone else feel a wave of sadness when new tech like the Vision Pro is released?

I always find myself in awe of its brilliance and in mourning for the bit of humanity it replaces.

Felt the same way about ChatGPT.

[Jen K @jenalden]

other animals: all of my basic needs are met I’m going to take a nap

humans: all of my basic needs are met I better figure out something else to stress about

[Maria Poto @mpotofomo]

And when we don’t know this unconscious drama is playing out it’s like sleepwalking through life.

Knowing your fears and triggers can provide an opening to help move us from awareness to action (or more often inaction - as in „not getting reactive”)

[Steve Schlafman @schlaf]

Anytime you get triggered, remember there’s an unconscious fear below the surface:

I'm being judged or criticized
I'm being ignored or left out
I'm being controlled
I'm being disrespected
I'm not a priority, not important
I'm being blamed
I’m perceived as being wrong
I'm not good enough
I’m not respected
I'm all alone
I'm not seen and heard
I'm not valued or wanted
I'm being trapped, smothered, invaded

(via @drsusan99)

[Steve Schlafman @schlaf]

Anytime you get triggered, remember there’s an unconscious fear below the surface:

I'm being judged or criticized
I'm being ignored or left out
I'm being controlled
I'm being disrespected
I'm not a priority, not important
I'm being blamed
I’m perceived as being wrong
I'm not good enough
I’m not respected
I'm all alone
I'm not seen and heard
I'm not valued or wanted
I'm being trapped, smothered, invaded

(via @drsusan99)

[Ryan Vaughn @RyanHVaughn]

Two modes of work:

1. Hustle, grit, will
2. Ease, grace, flow

Having done both, #2 produces DRAMATICALLY better results.

But most people are too scared to let go.

I empathize. I was for almost 35 years.

How about you?

[Maria Poto @mpotofomo]

https://t.co/tgKqJXUj7m

[Maria Poto @mpotofomo]

This week on amble I wrote about how freakin' hard it is to bring all of who you are for others to witness. I think we usually think of this in the context of major life decisions, choosing our path, and finding our meaning.

[Maria Poto @mpotofomo]

What's a "small big" that helps you to tap into the deepest throes of your soul?

[Maria Poto @mpotofomo]

The rest of this week's amble here: https://t.co/tgKqJXUj7m

[Maria Poto @mpotofomo]

Like so many before me, I’ve been after the idea of “becoming myself”.

And it’s been a while. It could have started when I first became a Mom. Or maybe it started with the spaciousness of my sabbatical.

[Maria Poto @mpotofomo]

Then, I heard Kristan Sergeant in a Shadow Group, speak these words: “The idea of being ourselves is sold to us as this easy thing to do, but that’s actually really f***ing hard.” 

This rang so true. Bringing all of who you are IS tremendously risky.

[Maria Poto @mpotofomo]

amble: How hard it is to be yourself https://t.co/FSYjxISads

[Maria Poto @mpotofomo]

amble: At a dinner table, explaining why I think doing nothing is so great https://t.co/9tYjgF9RkE