The Pollinator’s Path

The way I see it, a human pollinator doesn’t need to be a world traveler, or have tried dozens of career paths. Pollinating is not about multitasking or rushing between activities. It is not a coping mechanism.

The true hallmark of a human pollinator is a desire and willingness to follow their interests, whether or not they will be productive or profitable. This requires slowing down for long enough to listen to the silent voice inside us.

For years I tried to silence that voice inside me. I leveraged my Ivy-League MBA to get a coveted job in tech that I even managed to hold on to for five years.

I told myself I was “back on track.” The fast-track I had been on through college but fell off of when my mom was diagnosed first with cancer, then with terminal cancer. 

It was a very plausible story. I had the work ethic and tools and credentials and network to be on a track that was even better than what I could have imagined growing up.

Until recently, I believed my own story, that if I at least have the right job — one that pays well, has a great team, and a mission that excites me — then I’ll feel like I’m on track again.

But even when I found the “right” job, I felt undeniably compelled to continue exploring and experimenting. On the surface everything looked great, but deep down I felt broken for feeling so restless.

Until I realized I am a pollinator.

Now, I trust that I am not broken. I never have been. I have just been misunderstood, as most pollinators are.

Wasps and mosquitos are vilainized. Moths and flies are treated as disposable pests. Spiders and ants are tolerated, at best. Even butterflies and bees, with the small exception of Monarchs and honey bees, are under-appreciated in our impossibly interconnected world.

Human pollinators have a strong appetite for novelty and a wide range of interests and skills. Some may see themselves as generalists, while others may prefer labels like explorer, dabbler, or renaissance person. Like pollinating insects, we may appear impulsive, distractible, or downright naive. Indeed, sometimes we are. I certainly struggle with my persistent restlessness and insatiable curiosity as much as I benefit from those character traits. But I can’t turn these drives off either, at least not if I hope to feel like myself.

Pollinators have taught me how to live with my pollinating instincts the best I can, and now I’m sharing that wisdom with anyone else on the pollinator’s path.

You might be a human pollinator if you are a…

• artist

• adventurer

• activist

• multi-hyphenate

• dilletante

• renaissance person

• hobbyist

• nerd

• teacher or coach

• caregiver

• entrepreneur

• generalist

• inventor

• dreamer

• thought leader/influencer

• community builder

• digital nomad

Do you think you might be a pollinator too? If so, I’d love to connect with you and learn more about your journey!