Noelle Via Borda on LinkedIn: #experimentation #pioneering #iteration #engineering #failure (2024)

Old stomping grounds, new experiences … from sabbatical. I went to high school in Hershey, PA. Yes, where they make the chocolate. 🍫 It’s a town that has some unique experiences like smelling peanut butter or chocolate or cow manure on the way to school. It’s a place that has a mad rush of tourists every summer and lots of service jobs for teenagers. It’s a place with a lot of history anchored in the concept of the live/work/play city that is still very much part of the fabric of the town even as the demographics change to more medical professionals over time. I was heading into this summer feeling so guilty that we had lived back East for two years and didn’t make the trek back to my hometown with our kids, so during my sabbatical, we did just that! We treked through Chocolate Ave and did all the Hershey things we could pack in during our short stay. Some nostalgic, some brand new, and we were lucky enough to catch up with family along the way. There is something so cool about rediscovering childhood through the eyes of your kids. It’s a place I took for granted then, but now, a place I’m grateful to revisit I can make new memories. #sabbatical #childhood #travel

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Not giving a #@%! … from sabbatical Thanks Mark Manson for giving me a book I needed this summer and probably my whole life - not because I didn’t know the things in the book, but because I needed the affirmation. The type of affirmation that only comes from a meditative read. You see, I’ve never really fit in anywhere. I was a missionary kid growing up and moved a lot, our family borrowed things other people bought because that was how we lived. In each new place, I learned to adapt, to try to fit in as best I could, knowing that I never would quite fit the mold. By the time I became a preteen and at once became a pastor’s daughter, I had a level of attention and watchful eyes on me that wasn’t a great way to navigate puberty. Some communities in small towns have a way of enjoying falls from grace. But by that time, thanks to some angsty 90s music and skate culture, I stopped giving a #@%! about what other people thought, maybe a little to much in the way teenagers do. My inner rebel was born and wasn’t going anywhere. As I have moved through life, my ability to lean into bold ideas, be unafraid of failing to learn, and exploring creativity and exploration in ways other people are often too convervative to do has helped me retain my self through complex career trajectories and economies. I know my work ethic, my ability to work with people, and my experience. I know who I am and have been able to not lose myself along the way. As I’m raising kids though, I feel like I’m relearning these lessons that so easily apply to my work life that are harder in my parenting life. For the first time since I graduated from college, I live in a sleepy suburb, and no, I don’t feel like I fit in. It’s a lot to navigate, and I’d be lying if I said it was easy to unpack and heal from your repressed childhood traumas as the little people who look like you see it all in such a raw way. But as Mark and many other self-help gurus say, negative emotions can be signals that something should change, chasing ephemeral feelings of happiness is a never-ending impossible dream, and one thing we can do is prioritize what’s important to us at our core, and let the rest fall away. We can choose the challanges we want to face, because there is no such thing as a life without challanges. In case you’re someone who has been giving too many #@%!s about all the wrong things, this one’s for you. #timeoff #affirmation #senseofself #wellbeing #reflection

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Checking in from sabbatical. After about a week of road-tripping and exploring, we’re chilling at the beach, I’m getting some time to be less on-the-go and more reflective. So I’m here to share some ruminations I’ve had along the way. My first share is the design of this trip. I have a full month off, and we chose not to take any plane travel. First, because we have a pup who is still only a year old and wouldn’t travel well at this age. Second, confinement with the 3 and 6 year old. Third, part of de-stressing was to not have to be anywhere at any given time. If we were late, that’s ok. If we took a long time getting snacks and making stops along the way, all good. If we wanted to change plans, we could easily pivot. Don’t get me wrong, traveling far away is great. But I do it a lot for work, and in the family phase we’re in, the great American road trip is just what the doctor ordered. I’ll share more as we go! Hope ya’ll are having an awesome summer! #summer #vacation #sabbatical #adobelife #wellbeing

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If you’re inspired by the US women’s performance at the Olympics this year like I am, pay it forward and bring that energy to a woman you admire. Nominate them for the WIN: Women in Innovation awards 2024. There are categories for Leaders, Startups, Rising stars, and Movers and Makers. Help lift women up with this great organization! #innovation #women #leadership #awards https://lnkd.in/eEZ3ztYP

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An image can change everything. This Olympics has felt different to me in so many good ways. We’re hearing the deep stories of athletes and how they manage stress, how they overcome adversity, how they find resilience. We’re hearing our gymnasts openly talking about therapy and meditation. We’re hearing our track and field stars talk about bouncing back from disappointment. We’re hearing our swimmers talk about how chasing perfectionism can lead to burnout. We’re seeing images like Simone Biles modeling how she finds the quiet before a performance. So what’s the big deal? Seeing examples of people we admire, who seem like they’re on top of the world and the GOAT of their profession openly talking about adversity, failure, mental and health challenges, normalizes all of these things for all of us. If Simone can do it, then it’s ok for me to do it too. Our Olympians, here and now, are changing the world, not only what they are accomplishing, but how they’re doing it. The journey and the destination are one. #mentalhealth #olympics #performance #wellbeing https://lnkd.in/ei84cAd7

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My OOO message is officially on! 🥳 Every 5 years at Adobe, we get the gift of a sabbatical. It’s an incredible benefit, and I’m super grateful to be able to take advantage of this time to enjoy summer with my young kids, ease into the day with morning coffee chats with my other half, and spend some time exploring and resting. Might I even be able to enjoy a beachside book?! Probably not with a three-year-old in tow, but I’m definitely gonna try! So many get productivity completely wrong, and it leads so many people and cultures into burnout. Rest is essential for highly productive teams. And rest not only when it’s essential, but also when things are good, when it’s time to celebrate. And that’s what sabbatical is all about. So if you’ll excuse me, this Leo is off to celebrate Leo season. ♌️ ✌️ #adobelife #sabbatical #timeoff #vacation #productivity

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Reflecting on the new shoe ads I’ve seen during the Olympics, the next pair of shoes I buy are going to be Saysh. Why? Because I don’t believe in a vanity message about how it doesn’t matter if you have empathy or are a team player as long as you win. Have you seen that one? Did it raise any red flags for you? Well, it did for me. So what’s a better message, a better story? I believe in the story of Allyson Felix who was told by one of the largest brands in the world ( ^^^ that one with the ad) that she wasn’t worth the same amount anymore because she was a mother (30% less to be exact). And instead of being defeated, she put her head down and worked to not only build her own sportswear brand, but to also make competing better for all parents by gaining approval and finding sponsors for the first nursery at any Olympics this year in Paris. Great leaders don’t look to stand on top of others to help themselves feel tall, they look to stand with others and lift them up to help everyone, help society, do better, be better. #winning #workingmom #olympics #ads #sports

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Cross-functional work is the only way to work. When teams in workplace and IT stay siloed, the employees feel it. But when we work together to solve the challenges of today and tomorrow, nothing can stop us. Thanks to Min Chia for bringing Adobe teams together this week at the Accenture New York Innovation Hub to demo what’s out there today and imagine a new tomorrow. There is nothing like having another woman in real estate and technology to collaborate with to design the future. Pictured: Min, Joe Monteon James MacDonald Ricardo Alcala, ABCP Geoff Lamarca Dan MacConnell hanging in Accenture’s broadcast studio. Thank you Michael Przytula and Laura Fuentes-Dominguez for hosting us! #workplace #workplaceexperience #digitalexperience #workplacetechnology #futureofwork

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At the CoreNet Global New York City Chapter End User Forum, we love taking the opportunity as a committee to take a moment out of our busy days and hang out in our own offices to share what we learned, how we approached challanges, and what makes our own companies so special. Today, I was privileged to host the most amazing group of NYC end user committee members at our Union Square office at Adobe. It’s our cool, low-key, creative office in one of Manhattan’s most human-scale neighborhoods. For this committee, it’s more than just about monthly meetings, it’s about building connection as a community, exploring the greatest city in the world, and forging relationships that can help us in our careers. Thanks Peter Murphy for partnering on planning for today. And Nishar Fatema, our fearless leader, you’re already missed, but we know you’re on an amazing adventure and we’ll see you soon enough. Pictured from our Union Square rooftop: Kim Le Geyt Nekesha S. Laurie S. Rothenberg Kirsten M. Beck Michael Gualano, MBA, FMP, QPCR LisaMarie Nilaj, PMP Kovi Reichman Amanda Feldman Peter Murphy See you all again soon! If you want more info on how to get more involved with the Corenet End User Forum, feel free to reach out to me anytime! #realestate #endusers #workplace #futureofwork

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