Michael Anderson

What if we stopped measuring our days by how much we could get done and instead measured them by how much of ourselves we pour out for others. That’s how Michael measures her days and between work, school and raising a family, she’s giving a lot.

What makes you feel proud?

I'm proud of the kind of mother, partner and friend I am, on most days. I'm proud of my resilience and that I've never given up on working toward the kind of life that I want. Cynicism comes easy for me, so I'm proud of myself when I can be open and curious about things or people I don't understand.

What keeps you up at night?

Oh boy. Sleeping is my superpower so I actually save all my anxiety for waking hours. Mostly I worry about what kind of life my kids will have. Whether I've done enough to contribute to a world they deserve to live in. Just little stuff like that.

Who is the biggest influence in your life? Why?

I have an incredible husband, who is my exact opposite, so I really learn a lot from him on how I could approach something in a way that hadn't occurred to me. I'm also very fortunate to have so many interesting and amazing women in my life. My friends are my family and I'll never know how I got so lucky to have these ladies in my corner.

What’s been the biggest obstacle in your life so far?

Maybe myself if I'm honest? I've had a lot of difficult situations in my life, but the work has really been in loving myself and trying to convince myself that I'm capable of a lot.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

When I worked in restaurants growing up, I was once told it's possible to be kind while also not giving any of your power away. I still think about that a lot.

“It seems like a small place to start, but if I can give even a handful of people a safe space to feel like they're listened to and really seen, I hope it could make some type of impact.”

What’s the single biggest problem you’d like to solve in your community?

More empathy. It's a wild time to be alive for sure, there is so much anger and pain. It seems like a small place to start, but if I can give even a handful of people a safe space to feel like they're listened to and really seen, I hope it could make some type of impact. Hopefully they leave better able to do the same.