​My first client of the new year is one of my favorite ideal client stories. She started her business as a freelancer, using her professional expertise to help out family and friends. At the five-year mark, she left her corporate position and officially formed her business. At ten years, she added staff. Now at year eighteen, she is experiencing another growth spurt.

As I listened to her origin story during our initial consultation, this metaphor came to mind.

Are you like my new client? 

Is 2022 the year you stop playing small and step into the CEO role your company needs?

My client has 30 days before she faces the next stretch of class four and five rapids that will consume all of her attention for the next three months. In that time, we will

• assess her business position and strategy,
• determine her most profitable growth plan,
• and clarify her business vision and goals. 

She is ready to make 2022 a memorable chapter in the epic of her business journey titled "The Year I Became A CEO." How about you? Are you in? 

Let's build your custom roadmap to lead your business to more success without the sacrifice.

​Welcome to December!

Last week I celebrated Thanksgiving and disconnected from work for three days to enjoy my time with family. 

To control my stress, I spent the prior weekend taking care of all the cleaning chores and planning the menus. Then I took time out of my day on Monday to do all the grocery shopping. 

When everyone arrived Wednesday evening, I was calm and present. Despite all of the cooking and holiday decorating we did over those days, this was one of the happiest Thanksgivings. I ended the weekend feeling rejuvenated. 

It turns out that when we stay in the moment, versus allowing our mind to focus on stressful things like our to-do lists, our happiness increases. 

Check out this staggering fact from the research data of Matt Killingsworth.

I stayed in the moment because I had a plan and didn't need to worry about when things would get done. I'd given myself permission to not work until Sunday and was confident that I wouldn't be behind. 

The upcoming weeks are the most packed in the year. It is easy to feel splattered and scattered, not a happy place. I encourage you to look ahead and craft a schedule for the to-do items that draw your attention away from the present and elevate your unhappiness. 

With each holiday party and event, you have a moment to share joy with others. However, science tells us that you're sabotaging the opportunity if you can't be fully present. 

​Listen to the full interview with Matt Killingsworth here:

Wishing you a peaceful and happy holiday season,

PS - if you are in Lousiville, please stop by my holiday open house this Saturday hosted in my beautiful co-working space that has 3 openings for 2022. We'd love to have a copywriter, social media, virtual assistant, graphic designer, or bookkeeper share the space and form a power-partnership with us.

IT'S HERE!!!
​Listen to my conversation this week with TODD K. MEADOR, MBA, CFP®, CTFA and Vicki Rogers as we discuss current business trends and the 3 essential things to do now so that you hit the ground running in January.
​
Listen now 👉 https://bit.ly/3nePPrY or wherever you get your podcasts.

​If you enjoy it, be sure to share and subscribe.

Here are my 5 essential coaching tips that are guaranteed to deliver a winning culture, because let's be honest, less sucky isn't going to cut it in today's climate.

ONE. Replace mandates with invitations.
Collaborative Cultures that have mutual purpose, meaning, and respect trust that employees act in good faith and make decisions about the best use of their time. Mandates infantilize, creating unproductive resentments.  Regrets to an invitation is an opportunity to start a meaningful conversation focused on increasing alignment.

TWO. Replace judgment with learning.
​As humans, we fear and resist the judgment of others, especially when it is negative. Fear causes us to hide mistakes that are rich learning opportunities. Judgment also limits our perspective to our view of the world. Choosing learning allows us to broaden our thinking, grow capability, and avoid missteps that can put mutual respect at risk.

THREE. Replace telling with listening.
We all like to be right and this causes us to advocate too strongly. If you want to break away from the path and show up as exceptional, choose inquiry. Inquiry is simply asking questions with the sincere intent to understand another's ideas and thinking. It requires curiosity and a commitment to hearing over being heard. It also drives efficiency and effectiveness. Teams that practice inquiry execute swiftly because they achieve true alignment and shared commitment, eliminating the tedious cycle of revisiting and challenging decisions over and over that can delay progress for weeks, months, and even years.

FOUR. Replace feedback with appreciation.
Appreciation differs from feedback in many ways. The intention is more celebratory and affirming. The words tend to be more generous and supportive. The context is less transactional and more relational. The impact is always constructive for the giver and the receiver. Appreciation never expresses anger that can fester into resentment.

FIVE. Replace celebrating heroes with celebrating shared success.
Collaborative cultures recognize the support and partnership that surrounds the success of a single individual. No one operates in a vacuum. In fact, that behavior is in direct conflict with the values and norms of a collaborative culture where mutuality trumps vanity. The victory of one is a victory for all.

Workplace culture is more important than ever because happiness and fulfillment at work is what job seekers expect. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions about implementing any of these shifts. I'm always happy to support your success!

NOTE: These 5 coaching tips are extracted from an article authored for the Women in Insurance and Financial Services August 2020 national magazine which can be read in full here.