I used to think of myself as a Crate & Barrel mom. You know, the kind that waltzes in at Christmas time and spontaneously buys presents. The kind that might covet a piece of furniture long enough to eventually purchase it there instead of shopping around. That kind. Not that I’ve done that second part. Oh […]
Ready. Aim. Assault or Fire
A friend of mine exclaimed her shock when I’d shared my recent story about being let go with no warning. “Oh my gosh that’s as bad as being assaulted! It’s something that catches you so off guard and you can’t do anything about it. Like a punch in the gut”. Whoa – I’d never thought […]
Is Branding that Easy?
I just had a conversation with my colleagues about brand development, and we are in the throes of defining who we are, what we stand for, and what we are offering to our community. This is not an easy task, especially when doing it for yourself. However, I made a statement that “branding is so […]
Breaking Old Patterns
I love my rituals. I love waking up with – much of the time – one or two kids piled on top of me or next to me. My poor husband is either pushed to the very edge or already up so he doesn’t have to suffer from muscle cramps. My mornings were mostly consistent […]
What Would She Do Without Chocolate Chips?
Now that I’m an unemployed mom, the reward is two-fold. I can wear my most comfortable sweat pants (I love Patagonia!) AND I can pace the kitchen and grab gobs of chocolate chips. In fact, they are best when mixed with plain cheerios for salt and crunch. Talk about creative coping! The risk is that […]
Covert Answers: Left Out, and Left Wondering, at Work
Covert Leadership Agents respond to readers’ questions in the Covert Answers feature. Submit your question here. What should I assume when a workgroup is assembled which excludes you when your assignment is the topic of the workgroup? -JB Agent S1 says: Hi JB – First take a deep breath: This is a tough situation and there are […]
Is It Who you Know or What you Know at 18?
I suppose at 40, I can say that career success is a combination of who I know and what I know. But at 18, can networking really help? At coffee with a friend, she mentioned how she was mentoring her niece and somewhat surprised that she lacked any sense of structure around goal setting and […]
What We Can Learn From Pop Culture
If there is one thing that pop culture has taught me, it’s that the one-liner quips on T.V. can often be ridden with deep and relatable meaning. I was watching Glee, (shocking, I know) and there was a line that resonated immediately with the pain of being dumped by my employer. “Let me give you […]
I REALLY want to do this!
Hi folks. Agent S here. You haven’t heard from me for a while. Why? Because remember when I said I was nervous about pursuing some great new ideas for my business? Well, I did it, I’m doing it, and I’m LOVING it! The creative is done, the product is nearly complete. And now I’m doing the […]
The American Dream – Freedom or Bondage?
Today I had a moment I’m not proud of. I was talking to accounts payable at my former employer about my final pay stubs so I knew what my final 401K amount was and whether the company match was vested (it wasn’t) or whether vacation was paid out (it wasn’t), and I was feeling choked […]
