Holding Both

Thoughtful Leadership . Real Life . Tender Truths

Holding Both is a space for leaders and families navigating complexity—where grief and joy, certainty and doubt, strength and tenderness exist side by side. I write about and speak about leadership shaped by motherhood, loss, and the reality that our lives, our work, and our kids don’t fit neatly into boxes. This work is for those learning to lead without a map and for families living in the in-between—staying present when clarity disappears, holding responsibility and humanity, steadiness and vulnerability, at the same time. If you’re leading, loving, or parenting in complexity—and feeling the weight of it—you belong here. If you’re a leader or a parent navigating a life that doesn’t fit neatly into boxes, you belong here.

I’m Maria—a writer, a mother, and a leader shaped by experiences I never would have chosen. My life has been marked by love, loss, and long seasons of learning how to stay present when nothing feels certain. I write from inside those moments, not after they’ve resolved, because I don’t believe life arrives with clean arcs or clear lessons. Holding Both grew from this truth: that grief and joy, strength and tenderness, responsibility and humanity often live side by side—and that there is real courage in naming what’s unfinished.

Alongside my writing, I’ve spent my career leading in public education, working closely with complex systems, real people, and decisions that don’t fit neatly into boxes. I know what it means to lead when the stakes are high and the answers are incomplete—when children, families, and professionals are all carrying more than one thing at a time. My writing and speaking live at this intersection of lived experience and leadership, offering a steady place for those navigating complexity, leading through uncertainty, and trying to stay human while doing work that matters.