My favorite movie is About Time.

My favorite show is How I Met Your Mother.

My favorite superhero is Spider-Man.

At first glance, those seem like three unrelated favorites. To me, they all tell the same story.

The best stories aren't about extraordinary people. They're about ordinary people trying to figure life out. They remind us that you have to make mistakes to become who you're meant to be, that life is supposed to be a little messy, and that being human is far more interesting than being perfect.

When I don't know what I'm doing, I know I can find the answers hidden in a good story. And these stories have become my blueprint for how to live.

When a friend tells me they're behind in life at 22, I remind them that Ted Mosby is only 27 in Season 1. I repeat a phrase that reminds me of the importance of slowing down and appreciating the early moments:

"We're not even at Season 1 of our sitcom yet."

When work feels repetitive or insignificant, I think of Tim's final words in About Time:

"And in the end I think I've learned the final lesson from my travels in time... I just try to live every day as if I've deliberately come back to this one day... to enjoy it, as if it was the full final day of my extraordinary, ordinary life."

When ambition starts to outweigh purpose, Spider-Man always grounds me:

"What is the point of having some kind of special power if you don't use it to help people?"

No matter the role, I've come to believe that communications is ultimately about preserving humanity. Whether you're analyzing data, advising a CEO, or writing a campaign, the job is the same: to find the narrative others overlook and help people connect with it.

That's what my favorite stories have done for me. I hope to do the same for someone else, so that's what I'm trying to do with my 9-to-5.

I'm trying to make everyday people feel seen.