shares

I didn't share this info last August when I found out... I'm not sure why... I guess it is because I have some real mixed emotions about this and the accomplishment is somewhat overshadowed by all of the other things going on in my life.  Also, I don't like to brag or boast and so, even if I was healthy at the time, I may not have made this well known.

However, it really was a big accomplishment -- one of the biggest (if not the biggest) of my professional career -- and so I want to share it with you all (even though it is a bit delayed)

As many of you know, I work for a management consulting company (ZS Associates).  We are a privately held firm and, like many law firms, the shareholders (also sometimes called partners or principals) maintain ownership. 

In August, I was elected as a Principal at ZS and was offered shares in the company.  The fact that a panel of very senior and well-respected principals at ZS reviewed my contributions in excrutiating detail and agreed that I had earned this promotion is so rewarding and encouraging to know.  Despite the hardships and challenges I have faced, my work has been recognized as bringing significant value to my clients, to the teams that I lead, and to the firm overall.  While I may have liked to have learned this at a time when I wasn't distracted with weekly chemo and stress associated with my next scans, I am really proud of achieving this milestone (I know, it isn't right to be proud... but can't I just be a little bit proud...just for a moment?)