After a lengthy career in marketing, I’ve had my highs and lows. My best day was spent at an advertising photo shoot on a hillside orange grove in (appropriately) Orange County, California. It was an idyllic 70-degree day in January. The...
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Seeking the Holy Grail: Achieving Satisfaction, Balance and Grace at Work
After 30 years as a corporate marketer, a few years ago I decided to do something different. I wasn’t exactly sure what that was, but I felt a higher calling. I had had a successful career leading divisional marketing teams for two leading corporations.
It was fulfilling developing strategy and directing teams and agencies to execute on plans that drove revenue, built brands and created...
Of Orange Groves and Wild Ponies: Career Highs and Lows
In a career spanning more than three decides, I've found that our best and worst days at work can be a road map to future career satisfaction.
Say No in Order to Say Yes for Career Success
It's one of the shortest and most powerful words in the world, yet why do so many of us have a hard time saying it?
Humans are social animals. We like to be liked. We like to fit in. We like to help our fellow humans. This is basically a good thing… until it isn’t. Many of us have a tough time saying no in a professional capacity. We feel that if someone asks us to...
Happiness News Flash: You Cannot Make a Mistake
I want to share a big secret with you: You cannot make a mistake! Take a moment to let that sink in.
Wow! What if that were really true? How would you feel? Take a moment and take a deep breath and close your eyes and FEEL what that would feel like.
Maybe you feel relieved and free. Maybe you feel unburdened and feel a little bubble of happiness rising within you. Wouldn’t it be...
What great opportunities are you overlooking?
Sometimes you can want something so badly that you begin to hyperfocus on it to the point that you literally cannot see when the goal is within your grasp. In her excellent book, You are a Badass, Jen Sincero shares an example that illustrates this perfectly:
“There’s a great Hindu story about a lady who wanted to meet the god Krishna. So she went into the forest, closed her eyes,...
More work, no raise? Strategies to come out ahead
Last week I wrote about how important it is to manage your stress level when you’re asked to take on significantly more responsibility for the same pay. Maintaining your energy is the first priority when you’re faced with this situation, closely followed by keeping your perspective.
It's always disappointing when you're asked to do more for the same (or even less). I'll share some...
What's Career Santa bringing you this year?
When I was a little kid I got so excited when Christmas was coming. I would lay in the middle of the living room floor flipping through every page of the Sears catalog circling all the things that I wanted and then I’d faithfully transcribe each item into a letter to Santa. Some years, my parents would take me to the mall to visit Santa and I'd whisper in his ear the one big thing I...
Lessons learned from a bad boss
Shelly* was a screamer. Through the wall I could hear her side of the phone call — at a very high decibel, she was berating the dry cleaner for allegedly losing the pants to her suit. Shelly's unhappiness was exceedingly evident to everyone in our tight-knit marketing department as her shouts echoed down the hallway.
This was not an atypical outburst brought on by vendor negligence --...
The overachiever’s guide to overcoming self-doubt
“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” ― William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure
You’re smart, you’re accomplished, you’re confident in your problem-solving abilities. Let’s face it — you’re a success. And that makes sense. You’ve risen to the challenge your entire...
Is your workplace toxic? What to do before you leave
A toxic workplace is defined as an environment where the work demands, culture and/or co-workers cause serious disruptions in the rest of your life. According to survey on workplace satisfaction more than 90% of employees surveyed say they’ve experienced a “toxic” work environment at some point in their career. That's truly astounding!
If you have a job where you...
