My why. Joy. Norway.
Why am I here and finding joy.
Clipped into the side of a mountain, hung off the edge, then walked across a rope bridge looking at the tops of trees and out onto the surrounding mountains.
And I was happy.
Not happy because I accomplished something. Just actually happy. Smiling, strong, comfortable in my own body, looking around at mountains as I climbed past the guide I whispered, this is cool.
I was on the Via Ferrata in Andalsnes, Norway. The guide smiled and gave me a nod as I used technique to climb, not needing his helping hand. I was in this constant state of happiness for those hours. The sun even came out at the end of the day with the water sparkling, as if to say “yep, this is why you are here”.
The last few years of my life have been a lot. Life can be hard for everyone sometimes. But at that moment on the side of the mountain, I realized what I’ve probably known since January.
2026 is about finding joy.
It’s been a minute since I’ve truly felt it, and I seem to be finding it in new ways. I’d forgotten the feeling. Trying to find it in professional spaces, community experiences, and relationships but struggling to find it deep in my core, where it feels real.
My group noted toward the end of the day “You are so in your element”.
YES. They were right.
I didn’t even argue. I think I’ve needed the world and others to reflect something back to me. To unlock the happy, and remind me of my “why”.
My second “aha” came as I recognized a throughline to how I show up in the world and what I want to do for others - what I’m good at doing for others. If 2026 is about joy, it’s also leaning into the work I enjoy, building a life where it shows up more, allowing myself to be vulnerable, share, and let others help me in finding it.
Okay, so what’s next?
I’m so glad you asked.
I’m living a bit more flexibly, guiding, advising, and using my strengths to help people hear themselves clearly and discover potential options for creating life, careers, and experiences that they may not have considered. I’m sharing more of myself with the world, aiming for joy for me and bringing others along for the ride.
Squirrel Theory is the umbrella — it’s the way I think. Collecting nuts to save for later, changing directions, climbing trees, sometimes falling over, and getting back up anyway. Everything below lives under this.
Next Step Advising — I help mid-career professionals figure out what’s next when their job doesn’t fit anymore. If you’re asking “what’s next,” for any reason, professional or not, let’s talk.
JKatz Consults — People & ops advising for solopreneurs and small business owners who want to stop being the bottleneck, get organized, and need a thought partner to manage growth.
Nonlinear Life — My personal essays and writing on the very winding path that it can take to get to joy.
If any of this is landing — if you're sitting in your own version of "what's next" — I'm doing free 20-minute Meet & Greets right now, no pitch, just a conversation.