Rest For The Women Running It All

I am not much of a runner, but my lifestyle has me running circles around a wild array of obligations, passions, and work, ranging from corporate to community. As the Regional Sales Director for Lenovo’s West Coast K12 sector, President of the Junior League of Portland, Board Chair for Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Board Member for Friends of the Children, and a Grants Committee member at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital, I’m practically a professional sprinter, wearing many hats on the same day. (Are you following? Instead of a relay, it’s just me, and instead of passing a baton, I’m passing myself another and another high fashion hat. And you know I work every single one.) My calendar tells one story of constant motion: meetings, strategy sessions, community initiatives, and travel. Beneath that motion, I’ve discovered something transformative — stillness.

For much of my career, I equated productivity with purpose. Like many women in leadership, I felt an unspoken pressure to keep pushing, to stay visible–to continuously grow my cardio capacity–so I could “do it all.” Rest, in that narrative, was indulgent — even shameful. Then I encountered Tricia Hersey’s Rest is Resistance movement, and she gave language and legitimacy to something my body and spirit had been whispering for years: rest is not laziness; rest is liberation.

At first, a nap felt like a guilty pleasure, something I had to “earn.” Over time, however, those naps became a sacred act of restoration, a rebellion against grind culture, and, unexpectedly, my fountain of youth. For actual runners, their muscle is not built during the workout; it’s broken down. For runners and for me, rest days are where muscles and mind heal and regenerate. After a nap, I return to my work more creative, more present, and more attuned to the needs of others. I show up as the kind of leader who listens deeply, who encourages balance, and who models sustainability. Rest has become my quiet form of resistance — a way to say no to burnout, no to martyrdom, and yes to longevity, joy, and clarity.

I share this not as a prescription, but as an invitation. Rest is radical because it challenges the systems that demand our exhaustion, running us ragged. For me, rest is also deeply personal. In every nap, I reclaim a bit of the energy I used to give away freely. I am learning — and unlearning — that slowing down doesn’t diminish my impact. While I sleep I integrate my learning, I grow and expand ideas into new possibilities. After all, we can’t expect to dream without a little sleep. 

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Pleschette Fontenet is a dynamic leader who serves as the Regional Sales Director for Lenovo, overseeing the West Coast education sector. Deeply committed to community impact, she is the President of the Junior League of Portland, Board Chair for Friends of the Columbia Gorge, and serves on the boards of Friends of the Children and Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital’s Grants Committee. Known for her strategic vision and passion for empowering others, Pleschette blends corporate excellence with purpose-driven leadership. She is a proud aunt to 5 nieces and 2 nephews. She enjoys hiking, reading, traveling, and trying new restaurants with friends.