Purpose, Presence, and Leadership Built by Living Your Dash

Caroline Strachan’s journey, from a 20‑year‑old travel agency manager to CEO of Festive Road, unfolds through curiosity, courage, and showing up fully in every season of life. She laughs at the neatly packaged career timeline others admire, because her truth is far more organic: she never chased titles. Instead, she followed the work she loved, aligned with companies whose values matched her own, and learned from both inspiring mentors and difficult leaders who taught her what she never wanted to become.

Caroline reflects on defining chapters at Cisco, Yahoo, and AstraZeneca, where leaders “saw the art of the possible” and helped her believe in herself. Her mantra, “live your dash”, guides how she parents, leads, and designs her life with intention. Balancing twin daughters, a four‑day workweek, and a global CEO role, she models life‑work integration by planning around joy, family, and wellness before adding work to the calendar.

Volunteerism, advocacy, and giving others the stage have profoundly shaped her career and network. Her message encourages listeners to choose roles based on the work, the leader, and the company, and to be fully present, courageous, and committed to making a difference in the small dash that defines a life.

Notable Quotes/Highlights

• "I never had a plan… I’ve just always really loved the work that I’ve done."
• "They believed in me so greatly that I began to believe in myself."
• "Make sure everyone around that table knows who you are and how you want to show up."
• "Live your dash."
• "Be 100 percent present, give your everything into the moment you’re in."

Closing Reflection

Caroline Strachan’s story reminds us that fulfillment is built through purpose, presence, and courage. Her journey inspires every leader to live intentionally, invest in others, and design a life, and career, worthy of the dash in between.