The Hidden Intelligence In Your Past

Buried in the dirt of your past are the roots of your brilliance.

A while ago, I read a book that completely reframed my perspective on mushrooms: Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake. What I thought were just odd little fungi popping up in damp places turned out to be part of a vast underground network, mycelium, that silently sustains and transforms entire ecosystems. It blew my mind.

Mycelium isn’t just “mushroom roots.” It’s a living, intelligent web that connects trees, recycles nutrients, and heals soil. It’s the underground internet of the forest, operating invisibly, powerfully, and constantly. The more we study it, the more we realize it’s not insignificant; it’s essential.

And it got me thinking... we all have a mycelial layer in our lives.

We Dismiss What We Don’t Yet Understand

For years, I dismissed my past - especially the messy parts. The younger version of me, the one hustling in biotech boardrooms as a financial leader, looked successful on the surface. But beneath that layer? Quiet suffering, disconnection, and a slow erosion of purpose. I used to look back with shame or even embarrassment. That’s not me anymore. I’ve evolved. I’ve moved on.

But here’s what I now know: The parts of my story I once buried were the keys to the impact I’m creating today.

What’s Buried Isn’t Broken - It’s Rooted

When I finally stopped running forward and turned around, I found something extraordinary: The clues that led me to reinvention were in the “dirt” of my past - my doubt, my restlessness, my misalignment.

Like mycelium, those experiences worked underground the whole time, creating the conditions for growing something deeper. I just needed to stop long enough to listen. And that’s the paradox: Your power isn’t just ahead of you. It’s behind you and inside you. Your past doesn’t define you, but it can illuminate you.

The Intelligence of Your Story

This is why I now center so much of my work around stories, not just the polished versions but the raw, unfiltered ones beneath the surface. Your story isn’t a liability. It’s a living ecosystem. When explored with curiosity and compassion, it reveals:

• The themes that shaped your brilliance

• The hidden gifts within your struggles

• The truth of who you’ve always been

And just like mycelium, it connects everything - your past, your leadership, your next bold move.

A Natural Force for Transformation

Most people try to move forward by cutting off the past. But real transformation happens when you integrate it, when you compost the old to nourish what’s next.

This is what I help leaders do - outliers, innovators, and people at a crossroads who know their next chapter has to be different. Not just more successful - but more true. So, if something in this metaphor is tugging at you... If you’ve felt like something is moving underground but haven’t quite named it… Let’s talk.

Because sometimes the thing you thought was holding you back? It’s been rooting you for your greatest leap forward.

“It’s only in the dirt that we find gold.”

You don’t need to be ashamed of your past. You need to excavate its intelligence. And when you do, you’ll discover the same truth the forest knows: The most powerful forces are often the ones working beneath the surface.