My father died about 20 years ago. I’ll never forget several of our conversations but a few, in particular, I relive every now and then.

One day he called me at work, which he never did. Our convo went like this, verbatim:

Dad: Mich, I have to talk to you about something.
Me: What’s up?
Dad: I have a problem with my stomach.
Me: What’s the problem called?
Dad: Cancer.

I flew home to him in New York City 48 hours later. It happened to be my birthday. I later moved back to NYC for three months to help where and when I could. It was stage four.

Eventually, he kicked me out of the entire state (!) and told me to go back to San Francisco to lead my life. I later understood that he didn’t want me to see him so sick or to remember him as being sick. I flew home to see him every 6-8 weeks or so until he passed away 15 months later. I was DEVASTATED. I aged what felt like 20 years in those 15 months.

Last night I was missing my dad, Marty. He was my mentor, a trusted confidant, and someone I admired and enjoyed immensely. While work would pay for my NYC hotels, I always preferred to stay with him (both before and during his decline) so we could spend more time together. He was a true innovator, an accomplished entrepreneur, and extremely funny and creative. He could talk to anyone and find a connection. Dad taught my brother and me to ask “how and why” at a very young age (not what and when). Ahem, UXR training 101!

I can still hear him say “it doesn’t matter what you do but you need to keep the ball bouncing.” This meant life is not static, people and things are not static. Keep learning, keep growing, keep trying new things and keep moving. Stay curious, interesting, and interested. Don’t get too comfy. Life's a dynamic complexity. Embrace it, enjoy it, but keep that ball moving.

This week we kick off our TENTH Ask Like A Pro cohort and I am talking to my dad (in my head) a lot. Cohort starts are always incredibly exciting, and busy, as well as times for me to reflect.

I am so, so very grateful I had a father that showed me and encouraged me to explore life’s curiosities, to think differently, to take chances, and demonstrate the importance of doing what you love and the rest will follow.

If you are stuck or struggling in any way right now I hope this post will inspire you. As dad would say, keep going. “Keep the ball bouncing." You’ll learn a lot along the way - no matter the outcome.

And with this note, I also welcome and hope to inspire, our Fall cohort to do the same. There will be big challenges. I'll do my best to demonstrate the importance of this movement, and the growth mindset, that my father instilled in me. Together, we WILL keep the ball bouncing ;)