Discover how shifting from self-criticism to self-belief can catapult your career. Unveil the transformative power of positive self-talk and the 'Diffuse and Direct' framework to navigate professional challenges with confidence.

Being vulnerable at work may seem daunting, but it can actually help you build stronger connections and achieve greater success in your career. When you show your human side and embrace your unique characteristics, you become more relatable and approachable to others. In this blog, we'll explore the power of vulnerability in the workplace and how it can help you stand out from the sea of professionals who are all trying to project a perfect image.

What does your inner monologue look like? When was the last time you stopped to congratulate yourself for a recent accomplishment, or even a simple acknowledgment of how far you have come?

If you’re like most people, the answer (sadly) is probably not recently or even not ever.

Oh, ho, ho, here come the holidays. With Thanksgiving happening in just two days, it’s time to cue the stressiest time of the year. I meant: the happiest time of the year.

But, let’s be real: for most of us, the holidays can be an extremely stressful time. So, just in time for this season, I have a quick reminder about a very effective way to maintain a high level of energy even during the holidays.

Here's the deal: if we want to be successful (and who doesn’t?)...

What if you could transform the energy it takes to REACT to something into energy that CREATES?

And what if that thing it creates is something extraordinary and beneficial, inspiring and productive, or even restful and restorative?

It’s a no-brainer… but it doesn’t come naturally. Which means, in order to transform reactionary energy into creative energy, you must DECIDE TO DO IT and then WORK AT IT.

Given much thought to your energy lately? I don’t mean your enthusiasm level or your daily caffeine intake or even your post-workout, post-deal-closing, post-quittin’-time I’M KING OF THE WORLD go-get-em energy. I’m talking about your internal, deep-seated, very personal energy, which is essentially the filter through which you experience, interpret, and understand your world.

I’d say that makes it pretty important.

Most people will and do experience career challenges, like struggling to fit in, dealing with difficult co-workers, confronting toxicity, getting along with the boss, perfecting time management, overcoming harassment and/or discrimination, and combating burn out.

These types of things will make or break us.

“Don’t raise your voice. Improve your argument.”

I’m going to get really real. I’m a yeller.

I come by it honestly. When I was a child, my mother yelled all.the.time. It was a manifestation of her own trauma, of course, and she did it to feel safe and powerful…

Our emotional intelligence (the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically) plays a significant role in how we are perceived by others, which, in turn, is an important part of how they respond to us. Developing emotional intelligence, or EI, is an absolute MUST if we want to impact those around us – both professionally and personally.

Deeply embedded belief systems can’t be helped with self-help-platitudes.

Regarding the experiences we have in life, whether work-related or personal, we always have 2 basic choices:

1. We can let our preconceived assumptions, notions, knee-jerk reactions, and emotions control what we think, feel, and say; or

2. We can gain control over ourselves, our minds, and all of those -tions and choose happiness and positivity.

Without forgiveness, there can be no trust. Without trust, there can be no leadership.

You know that old saying, heavy is the head that wears the crown? There is a direct relationship between effective leadership and responsibility that can easily be overlooked in a corporate structure of titles, management, and business hierarchy.

Unless you’re new around here, you know how passionate I am about reading. In fact, I have an entire section of my website dedicated to books that have been ‘Worth A Read’ for me. In a world that is chock full with ways to learn new things, master fresh skills, and expand our horizons, you’ll still find me curled up the old-fashioned way: with a BOOK.

What are you waiting for? To make that big change, to take action to follow your dreams, to finally start taking steps to Make It (whatever “IT” is for you) Happen?

Mel Robbins says almost everything in our lives can change for the better if and when we start taking action…

TikTok is the latest tech giant to be taken to task by its employees for what is being described as toxic workplace culture and an emphasis on “relentless productivity.” According to The Independent, TikTok staff claim to be suffering burnout and severe mental distress due to its punishing workplace culture. Exhausting hours and sleep deprivation are common amongst staff, while some employees said they averaged 85 hours of meetings per week!

For some people, Mother’s Day can be a painful reminder of loss. And for those who haven’t lost their mom or access to their children, it could still be a difficult time – memories of disconnection, instability, dysfunction, and more can certainly be brought to the surface. For the rarest – those women who have managed to reach the age of motherhood themselves without a) losing their own moms and b) a past better left undisturbed – this can STILL be a tough season fraught with disappointment, unmet desires, and additional stress.

If you’ve been around here long, you know I’m a big fan of flipping the script, rewriting the narrative, taking control of the story (you get the idea), so it shouldn’t surprise you that when it comes to discouragement… I’m all about using it and then leaving it behind.

News flash: we’ve all been existing in a state of heightened stress and anxiety – yes, even in this post-pandemic “new” world where everything was supposed to go back to normal. In fact, the should and supposed-to aspect of our day-to-day realities make it even harder: if you feel like you should be back to normal even though you don’t feel back to normal, you just pile guilt on top of the stress and anxiety you’re already feeling.

I’ve written about hustle culture here before and its insidious way of glamorizing too-little-sleep, never-getting-away, over-working, and never, ever stepping away from the grind. It’s easy to write about it, but not so easy to recognize the ways this kind of culture has crept into my own life and approach to work/success.

I don’t even have to know you to know that you want to have some kind of success in your life. While you may have already achieved your version of success on some level, you know, deep down, you were made for more – you want more; you need more; you feel the passion for more. This doesn’t necessarily mean more money (though no shame if it does), it can simply mean more of how you define success for yourself, for your family, and for your community.

I received a message this week from someone who asked if I could send her my weekly blog articles via DM. She was a little sheepish: I know you send them via email, but I just can’t face my inbox. I know the feeling! I have a few thousand unread emails myself. Not to mention the Slack messages, Asana messages, Basecamp messages, text messages, DMs across platforms… the list goes on.

We all have too much information coming our way…