About Courtney

I didn’t expect to become a mother at 43, or to move back into my childhood home to care for my 95-year-old mother. But life has a way of unfolding in ways that deepen us. I married later, had my son Penn later, and found myself living in a house filled with history, memory, and the layered rhythms of multi-generational life.

Every Sunday, after returning from the church my family has attended since its founding 115 years ago, I cook and serve dinner for everyone—my husband Wil, our son, my mother, and extended family. It’s not just a meal. It’s a ritual. A table full of food, stories, laughter, and continuity. The kind of gathering that reminds me why empathy matters—not just in communication, but in how we live, lead, and love.

This is the heartbeat behind The Empathy Engine. Yes, I’m a strategic communications director and a podcast co-creator. Yes, I’ve spent years helping mission-driven organizations and women-centered brands find their voice. But the real engine—the one that drives everything—is this life I’m living. One shaped by late beginnings, layered responsibilities, and the quiet power of showing up for the people you love (even when they leave their shoes in the hallway. Again).

Empathy isn’t just a concept I write about. It’s the lens through which I see the world. It’s how I raise my son, care for my mother, build my marriage, and nourish my community. It’s what I bring to every story I tell, every strategy I shape, and every conversation I start—whether it’s in a boardroom, a blog post, or over a bowl of macaroni and cheese.