on July 18, 2019

From A Conversation With Martha Stewart

I’m not sure Martha Stewart would want me to call her the Queen of Quality, but “quality” is certainly signature to her brand, and I dub her that with all due respect for an amazing career which among other things, launched the “lifestyle” industry and continues to innovate it. In June, I was in Las Vegas, doing research at SHRM19—The largest convention for human resource leaders in the world, put on by the Society for Human Resources Management. There were over twenty thousand people, and I personally met many amazing and insightful people. One of the first morning keynotes was a conversation with Martha Stewart who was interviewed by the SHRM President and CEO, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. Martha looked…Read More

martha stewart, SHRM, quality work, quality, work ethic, overcoming, success, female leaders, creativity, female entrepreneurs, leadership, life advice, leadership tips

on June 4, 2019

Set Yourself Free

I often counsel my students and mentees that all bad decisions are made for one of two reasons—fear or greed. For most people I know, greed is rarely the culprit unless temptation is in the form of gambling or investing. The real enemy if fear.   Fear of submitting a resume and looking stupid. Fear of doing a job interview and not having the “right” answer. Fear of rejection. Fear of being alone. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of standing up to a loved one lest they walk out. Fear of speaking up and being embarrassed. Fear of losing face. Fear of being exposed. Fear of shame. Fear of losing your job. Fear of losing your spouse. Fear…Read More

life advice, fear, young adult issues, young adult life, conquering emotions, Confidence, success, young adult, following dreams

on March 20, 2019

3 Tips To Help You Succeed With Your Goals

I’m a very goal oriented person, but when one also has the goal of being a better friend, wife, daughter, etc., how you achieve those goals is sometimes in conflict with our work goals. Too late people realize that work was never the goal, right? I think this is what sends many people spinning into a mid-life crisis. So while I’m about to talk about how to achieve work goals, first and foremost make sure you are living in a way that is true to you. When you are with family, be with them one hundred percent. When you listening to your partner, listen one hundred percent. When you are playing with your child, engage one hundred percent. If you…Read More

scheduling, celebrating milestones, work inspiration, goal-setting, success, self-discipline, Life, goals, career advice, investing in yourself, prioritizing, work-life balance

on January 15, 2019

The Best Way To Connect With Others

In addition to writing, I spent a career as an experience designer—skills that I use today but primarily when I design my life. My expertise was in interactive and participatory design. I did a ton of work on this while at Disney, but it was one night on vacation in New York City, with my husband and our two youngest children, that I realized the best design ever created… The Smallest Table The restaurant was crowded, as most were during Spring Break near Broadway and Times Square. There was a small square table in the center of a very crowded restaurant with a small chair on each side. Our knees easily touched and the length of the table was about…Read More

connecting with others, home life, family time, family

on November 2, 2018

Is This As Good As It Gets?

There have been hundreds of blogs about the negative side of social media but the other night, as we hung out at the kitchen table with friends, a 16-year-old shared with me how he thought social media was essentially bad for you. I thought I’d share his remarks as they speak to a failure on the part several generations. First, he admitted that social media can be fun, especially for sharing pet videos and practical jokes (that don’t cause physical harm or injury). But beyond that use, is this noted “time suck” valuable, or contributing to the betterment of humans any way? My young friend answers his own question with a resounding, “NO.” Here are his points primarily in his…Read More

socializing, communication, social media, young adult issues, young adult life, teen struggles, high school life, negative behaviors, wanting something more, teen life, teens

on September 23, 2018

Survival Tips for Teens

Let’s face it, teen years can be hard—on the parents that is. For teenagers, they get lots of new responsibilities and freedoms, and their parents are financing the fun. It really doesn’t get any better even if you have to take SATs. So teens, if your parents are decent people—you know, they don’t beat you, or lock you in the closet under the stairs—then let’s be real and give them a break. And if they’re not, this blog does not apply to you. Why you should consider being a more fun and engaging housemate… 1 – COMFORT: It just makes day-to-day life more pleasant for everyone. Be polite to them the way you would if they were a celebrity you…Read More

high school, advice for teens, tips for teens, young adult life, home life, Being sixteen, teen life, sixteen, teens, success, life skills, relationships

on August 12, 2018

Want a raise? What Women Need to Know—And Some Men Too.

There have been a lot of articles lately on how to ask for a raise and the best time to ask—probably because it is that time of year when many companies are doing their annual evaluations, and managers are getting their allotment of funds to be distributed to their teams. After reading a few of these articles I felt compelled to add my two cents. As an executive who has allocated funds and an executive who has asked for more and tried to navigate the corporate ladder, there are still unspoken rules and bias that can trip you up. An HR person will tell you that the right time to ask for a raise is during your annual review. Well,…Read More

work milestones, promotions, raises, working women, money, success, workplace advice, work

on July 22, 2018

Discover the Teen Stress That You Just Made Worse

Until you’ve aged a little and accomplished some awesome things, and come to a place where you know you are fierce and can kill it in any situation, “being yourself” is really stressful. Especially if you want to be a lot more than “yourself.” As a teen, I never wanted to be myself. I wanted to be the “self” that fit in and was liked for being myself. If I was actually myself, I would have never engaged in conversation, or done extra curricular activities, or been responsible with my chores. I only did those things to appear normal, to have the hope of being a better ‘self’ someday, and so that my parents would get off my back and…Read More

young adults, parenting, teenagers, life advice, tips for teens, young adult issues, young adult life, teen life, teens

on June 18, 2018

When You've Lost Your Mojo - 8 Tips for Teens, Twenties and Beyond

Okay, aside from prayer, there is one thing you can always do to improve your life immediately no matter what is going on—and especially when something hard is going on. You might have lost a job, lost a friend, or lost your confidence, but not matter what trauma strikes, investing in yourself is never wasted time or money. And it pays dividends forever after. If you’re stuck and not sure what investing in yourself looks like, here are some ideas and most of them are free. 1 – Focus on your health. More sleep, long walks, lots of water. Do this every day and you’ll be ten steps ahead of most people.  When you are sick, it really does feel…Read More

investing in yourself, learning, career transitions, life transitions, young adult life, success, tips for life, young adults, mastering your mojo, personal development, career advice, life advice, tips for teens

on April 17, 2018

4 Steps to Help You Become a Badass Version of You

The teenage years can be some of the best or worst of your life. Or you might just survive with a few good memories and not too much humiliation. But no matter where you are on the spectrum, this is the time to start determining and designing the kind of human you want to be. Yes, it’s up to you—no one else. Becoming awesome and being a badass takes intention – and years of it. If you don’t think about it now, you’ll more easily fall and follow, because you will be reacting to the world, not acting in the world. So what can you do to make the most of the awesome years ahead? You need to vision yourself….Read More

design your future, becoming a badass, success, YA life, young adults, young adult issues, gifts, journaling, tips for teens, visioning your future, values, natural talents, imagine your future