Here’s Why It Matters: Design a Life of Clarity, Focus, and Purpose
Join Director of Experience Design and coach Teresa Washburn as she explores the habits, choices, and mindset shifts that help you live and lead with clarity, focus, and purpose. Each episode of Here’s Why It Matters inspires practical action and deeper reflection on what truly moves the needle in your life and work.
Are you moving through your days, months—even years—without making progress on what really matters to you? You’re not alone, and there’s a reason why. Every two weeks on Here’s Why It Matters, we explore the habits, choices, and mindset shifts that help you prioritize what’s important and take consistent action.
I’m Teresa Washburn, a Director of Experience Design and certified coach, passionate about helping people and teams step into their brilliance. Together, we’ll uncover the clarity, courage, and focus needed to move the needle on your goals and dreams. Because when you align your actions with what matters most, everything changes.
Episodes
48 episodes
Why Finding Joy Matters (Especially Now): Change, Choice, and Community
In Part 2, Teresa and Winsome shift outward — exploring how joy is shaped by choice, change, and the people who support us.This episode dives into navigating life transitions, maintaining a sense of agency during uncertainty, and leanin...
Why Finding Joy Matters (Especially Now): Grounding Yourself When Life Feels Heavy
In Part 1 of this conversation, Teresa and Winsome focus on the foundations of finding joy during stressful and uncertain seasons.They explore why joy starts with the basics — caring for your body, protecting your mental space, and crea...
The Year-End Reflection: Honoring the Year That Changed You
This episode invites you to pause before you rush into the next big thing.It’s a soft landing for your year — a space to reflect, recalibrate, and recognize your own growth.You’ll explore:How to reflect on you...
Who Am I To…? Rewriting the Future You Keep Waiting For
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “Who am I to do that?” Maybe it’s speaking up in a meeting, launching that idea, or putting your name on something that matters to you. We all have those moments — the crossroads between staying safe and ...
Consistency: The Quiet Power That Changes Everything
Consistency isn’t glamorous—but it’s the quiet force that changes everything. In this episode, I explore why nothing changes until you change it, why disruption feels uncomfortable, and how consistently showing up—for yourself and your relation...
From Career Decisions to Tech Adoption: Lessons in Flexibility and Growth with Andrew Schall
In part two of Teresa’s conversation with Andrew Schall, the discussion turns toward personal and professional growth, goal setting, and navigating change.Andrew shares his approach to mentoring, the importance of defining clear success cri...
Building Bridges in UX: Personas, Journey Maps, and Empathy at Scale | Ep #40
In this episode, Teresa is joined by Andrew Schall, author of The Persona and Journey Map Playbook and a seasoned UX leader with over 20 years of experience in design, research, and strategy. Together, they explore how personas, journe...
When the Hustle Fades (and Why It Matters to Slow Down) | Ep #39
This week’s episode is a little different — and honestly, a little tender.I’m coming to you tired.Not broken, not burnt out, but moving through a season that’s stretched me thin. Instead of pushing through or pretending to be at...
Mid-year Pulse Check – What’s on Your Front Burner? | Ep #38
In this solo episode, I’m inviting you to pause with me and reflect at the halfway point of the year. I’ll guide you through a series of prompts to check in on your goals, your growth, your self-care, and what’s been sitting on your front burne...
Designing Your “Why”: Tools, Storytelling, and Self-Discovery with Doon Malekzadeh (Part 2) | Ep #37
In this follow-up conversation with Doon, we shift gears and talk about storytelling, emotional resonance, and the tools he’s built to help people (including himself) clarify who they are and what they stand for.In this episode, we t...
Curiosity at Work: Building a Career You Want to Wake Up to with Doon Malekzadeh (Part 1) | Ep #36
In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, I talk with inspiring product design leader and builder Doon Malekzadeh about how early curiosity, play, and hands-on problem-solving laid the groundwork for a dynamic design career.We explore...
Unwritten: What Graduation Teaches Us About New Beginnings | Ep #35
Graduation isn't just for students. It's a moment we experience many times in life - whenever we let go of an identity, a title, or a chapter we've outgrown. In this reflective and personal episode, we explore how transitions like graduation (a...
Ken Skistimas: The Power of the Pause (Part 2) | Ep #34
In the current climate we might be afraid to take a break and invest time in ourselves. Ken Skistimas joins us for part 2 of our conversation about authenticity and the power of taking it easy on yourself.
Ken Skistimas: Why Authenticity and Self-Care Matter – Especially When You’re a Manager (Part 1) | Ep #33
Ken Skistimas, a Senior Design Manager with ServiceNow, joins us this week to discuss the importance of authenticity and self-care, and why it matters even more when you’re a leader supporting a team.
Evolving Out Loud: Amplifying Your Brand Through Strategic Stretching | Ep #32
In the final episode of our 3-part series on personal brand personas, we explore what it looks like to not just define and live your brand — but to amplify it. Teresa dives into the discomfort of growth, the power of aligned partnerships, and t...
Putting Your Brand to Work: Where It Shows Up and Why It Matters | Ep #31
In this episode, we take your personal brand work one step further — from internal clarity to external expression. Now that you’ve defined who you are and how you want to show up, how do you actually communicate that across your work and relati...
How to Build Your Personal Brand Persona | Ep #30
In this episode, we turn the classic UX persona lens inward to help you design something deeply personal: your own brand. Whether you’re starting a new role, pivoting in your career, or just feeling a little unclear on how you’re showing up in ...
Rewriting your Money Story: From Fear to Financial Clarity | Ep #29
In the second half of our conversation with Holly Wallis, we dive deeper into financial habits, mindset shifts, and practical strategies for gaining financial control. We explore societal pressures and gender norms around money and how these na...
The Money Mindset Shift with Holly Wallis | Ep #28
In the first half of the episode, financial coach Holly Wallis shares her journey into financial coaching, starting with her experience of launching her own business without being a finance expert and learning through trial and error. She discu...
Humans Aren’t Going Anywhere: Why AI is the Next Internet Moment | Ep #27
In the second half of my conversation with JB, we take a look at AI and the potential it has for accelerating what we do. We also touch on why it’s important for human-centered practice and purpose as it evolves.The book recommendation ...
How Process and Structure Can Help You Find Your Purpose | Ep #26
We are joined this week by JB Meek, an Operations Executive who has been able to navigate the complexity of a myriad of businesses in creating process and structure for critical deals and even every-day business to help everything move smoothly...
Breaking Free from Autopilot: How to Cultivate Intentional Thoughts | Ep #25
In this episode of Here's Why It Matters, we explore how repetitive, automatic thoughts keep us stuck and how to break free. Discover three powerful techniques to cultivate intentional thinking, rewire your brain, and shift from anxiety to empo...
Let’s Talk About Thoughts, Baby! | Ep #24
Let’s talk about you and me...Let’s talk about all the good things and the bad things we can say – to ourselves!Noticing is the first step, and today we are talking about the power of our thoughts and how we can start to be more...
Here’s Why It Matters to Remember Who You Are - Especially During Times of Disruption | Ep #23
The tech industry has gone through a number of challenges in the last few years. Lots of layoffs – lots of workers displaced. What do you do if you find yourself impacted by a big life change like a layoff? Why is it important to push the pause...
Here’s Why Caring for Yourself First Matters | Ep #22
Are you a caretaker to everyone else in your life – only to put yourself last?Let’s dive into why it’s so important to put yourself first, and why it’s important to take stock around what YOU need out of all of the areas in your life fo...