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Habit Hacking: How to Use Habit Formation Theory to Create Lasting Change
Years ago, when my children were very young and I was splitting my time between raising them and running my business, I made a purposeful decision to wake up every day at 3:00 am. I had always been an early riser, but even for me, this was an adjustment! What drove me to make such a drastic change? In these wee hours of the morning, the house was the quietest, and distractions were minimized. I was able to be productive and complete some quick tasks. I prepared for the day ahead and made sure I had my priorities identified (because we all know that not everything will always get done!).…
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Turning Chaos Into Order with Ted Lasso’s Bird by Bird Approach
Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in tasks, deadlines, and expectations? That the mountain of “to-dos” feels too steep to climb without the risk of tumbling back down? I’ve been there, staring at my screen, paralyzed by the sheer volume of work ahead. But then I remember a simple, yet profound strategy that brings a little bit of clarity to chaos: the Bird by Bird approach. This method, first described by Anne Lamott in her book on writing and life, and then immortalized by the lovably optimistic Ted Lasso, is my go-to for navigating overwhelming situations. So, what’s the story behind Bird by Bird? Anne Lamott recounts a moment…
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Reverse Mentoring: What Can You Learn from Younger Employees?
In my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with many extremely smart and talented individuals. I’ve always valued the wisdom and guidance of my mentors and gained stories, strategies, and perspectives that could fill volumes. Having been in senior marketing roles for a while myself, I enjoy opportunities to mentor newer marketers. In doing this, I’ve discovered an equally valuable yet often overlooked source of knowledge: younger employees. This is where reverse mentoring comes in. You might wonder, “Why would someone with decades of experience seek advice from someone just starting out?” It’s not always the easiest shift in perspective, but once I embraced the concept of reverse mentoring,…
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The Power of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on leadership qualities, and especially thinking about what skills make an effective leader. One thing that keeps coming up in my mind is emotional intelligence (EQ), and its immense impact on effective leadership. When you understand what emotional intelligence really is and how you can leverage it to be a better leader, it’s a game changer. When I started my career, I thought being a good leader was all about technical skills, strategic thinking, and decisiveness. Don’t get me wrong, those things are important. But as I’ve grown in my career and experience and have taken on more leadership roles, I’ve realized that EQ is what…
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10 Ways to Master the Art of Self-Promotion Without Feeling Icky
As someone who isn’t exactly the poster child for loving self-promotion (thank you, introverted nature!), I’ve learned that it’s crucial whether you’re building a business or climbing the career ladder. The trick is getting your skills and achievements out without sounding like you’re bragging. Here’s how I’ve managed to do it—without the ick factor. 1. Use Content Marketing My favorite self-promotion method, hands down, is blogging and sharing tips on social media, focusing on problems I know people are itching to solve. This has been a game-changer for building trust. Plus, when you help someone through your content, they see your value without you waving it in their face. 2.…
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How Your Individual Circadian Rhythm Impacts Productivity
Let me start with this… I’m a morning person. Like, obnoxiously so. I don’t need an alarm. My brain kicks on around sunrise (or earlier) whether I want it to or not, and by 10 AM, I’ve already had breakfast, answered emails, solved a work problem, and questioned all of my life choices. But what’s interesting is that not everyone’s brain works like this. (I mean, obviously. But I had no idea how deep this really went.) So I fell into a rabbit hole of research about circadian rhythm productivity, energy peaks, and how we can actually use our natural patterns to work better, not harder. Here’s the gist. What…
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Overcoming Setbacks Without Losing Your Mind (Or Yourself)
Setbacks come in all shapes. Mine showed up as a layoff. It was abrupt, messy, and completely uninvited. It knocked the wind out of me. But like a lot of people who’ve faced sudden change, I didn’t stay down. I’m still standing, still figuring it out, and still showing up. This is what overcoming setbacks has looked like for me so far… not a triumphant comeback story, but a real, in-progress one. Vulnerability Is Weird, but Also Kind of Magic When you’re navigating setbacks, vulnerability tends to show up whether you want it to or not. I didn’t plan to announce my layoff publicly. But I did. Because pretending everything…
