The Power of Interstitial Thinking

Trish Beckman and I have known each other for nearly two decades. We first met through CREW SF, a platform that, in its own right, brings together accomplished women across the industry.

You don’t come across women like Trish every day. She’s sharp, intuitive, and an exceptional listener, someone who sees what others miss and builds relationships that last. Just as important, she’s grounded, steady, and real.

I was honored she agreed to be part of my Remarkable Women series, especially as she steps into an exciting new chapter.

Trish Beckman, Development Services Manager in Apple Places 

What is your “superpower,” and how has it shaped your life and career?

My superpower is interstitial thinking. This seed was planted by a late professor, Dr. Marco Frascari, who saw my skills and pushed me to seek meaning by navigating the grey, reading into the voids to see the invisible. It requires choosing curiosity over fear. In both life and career, most prefer a linear point-A-to-point-B thinking style, which yields one-dimensional outcomes. Sometimes that’s all you have time for. However, when it matters, when you’re pushing the envelope, the most elegant solutions come from giving space to see the unlikely connections. Those are the more resonant solutions that bring the whole problem set into harmony.

What role do relationships and mentorship play in amplifying your and others’ superpowers?

Relationships are the anchor for our growth, and mentorship gives that anchor a sharper focus. The real magic happens when we’re fully present in all our relationships, mentorships included. This is where we can intentionally create space for each other to reveal and hone our collective superpowers in action. That environment transforms a superpower from a static trait into a dynamic skill, ensuring everyone’s individual strengths are recognized, celebrated, and expressed to their full potential.

What advice would you give to young women about discovering and owning their superpowers?

Uncovering your superpowers starts with “knowing thyself.” Discover your natural talents, then consciously integrate them through practice until your superpower comes into focus. It’s finding what’s already there, not chasing someone you could never be. Psychometric tools like Myers-Briggs, Gallup’s CliftonStrengths, the Enneagram, and DISC can accelerate that discovery. For me, they put names to my strengths and revealed why I was naturally built for interstitial thinking. Most importantly, they helped me understand the culture of thought I needed to surround myself with to thrive. That clarity gave me the courage to take on recent career changes and bet on myself. I have never felt more aligned and energized by where I am headed.