Hi.
best-selling author | poet | podcast host | educator | creative entrepreneur
Mary Lou Kayser
Now that you know what I do professionally, let me tell you that I’m also known as Mom to two fantastic humans who are doing work that matters.
I’m the author of several books including my latest book, The Far Unlit Unknown. It is the most important, non-obvious professional development book you’ll ever find. The title is a framework for what each of us does every single day: step into the far unlit unknown of a world we are just beginning to understand.
Anytime we post our thoughts online; make a video; speak up in a meeting; fall in love; lose someone dear to us; grapple with grief; become parents; become empty nesters; change careers, communities, countries…we enter the far unlit unknown.
The question is, how do we navigate these profound experiences so that we gain more than we lose?
Doing that is at the heart of my work. I write, talk, and teach about the hard and exquisite parts of being human. Through my work I serve as a bridge between what people are thinking and don’t know how to say. This provides tremendous relief. Don’t think for one second that this kind of relief doesn’t matter to the bottom line. It does, like a million percent worth it matters.
My audience is made up of people who are tired of holding back, hiding, and playing small. They understand the importance of investing in themselves and their people to gain an edge in the world. They believe when people have full hearts, they do their best work. They are committed to showing up every day, especially when the confetti and champagne aren’t flowing. Even when they don’t have all the answers, they step into “the far unlit unknown” because they value exploration and trust the process as it unfolds.
I speak and train on all of these topics.
Over the years my professional life has taken me on some incredible adventures: working as a white water rafting guide on the Kenai River in Alaska; teaching writing and literature at a technical college; building WordPress websites for small business owners; helping business leaders write and publish their first book; freelance writing; and podcasting.
I’m also an aspiring toy and game designer and love spending time in the woods.
Let me know how I can help you navigate the far unlit unknown.
We All Have a Story to Tell.
Here's Mine in Three Acts.
Act I: East Coast Upbringing
I grew up on the Gold Coast of Long Island 50 miles east of New York City. My parents were both educators who encouraged me and my brother to be ourselves, a tremendous gift by any standard. We spent our summers in Maine as a family, living in a tent on the shores of a lake. Through their example, I learned how to work hard, solve problems, and appreciate eating all my meals outside no matter the weather. Their unconditional love and support continue to influence me today.
Act II: The Mountains Called
Of all the colleges I could have chosen to attend, I chose the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, 3,000 miles away from home. At the time, the Pacific Northwest seemed like a foreign country to my east coast friends and teachers, but I was channeling John Muir's famous quote: "The mountains are calling and I must go." A photo of Mount Rainier draped in alpine glow seduced me to leave all that was familiar and head west. Upon arrival, I felt a deep and immediate connection to place I hadn't experienced before. Even though I consider Oregon and Washington my true homes now, my east coast roots continue to run deep and wide.
Act III: Work that Matters
I've been fortunate to do work that matters most of my life. From my days as a white water rafting guide on the Kenai River in Alaska to the years I devoted to public education to what I do today as a writer, podcaster, and professional development coach, how I earn my living has always been grounded in servant leadership. Titles have never as important to me as the experiences I and the people I'm serving have. No matter what I'm doing, I show up with an attitude of excellence, possibility, adventure, and fun.
