How to Find Your Inner Carrie

Do you know that autopilot feeling you can fall into in the mornings while you’re getting ready for the day? It is that mode that you switch into where you will washing your hands and brushing your teeth as your brain starts just think any thought it can come up with. Well, I recently found myself in autopilot one morning and my brain decided to think of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. I couldn’t help but laugh because Sex and the City is this heavily criticized, guilty pleasure TV show, and yet there I was in my bathroom thinking about how Carrie really had it all figured out! She created a financially successful career as a writer which not only filled her wallet, but it also filled her soul.

For as much heat as Sex and the City can get, there’s no denying the TV show has a huge fanbase and I think it has a lot to do with how Carrie really got it right in life. Every day I talk to people desperate to find a “work/life” balance. As a result, we’re compartmentalizing every aspect of our lives in ways that do not serve us. In Carrie’s life, there is no “work/life” balance she is searching for. For Carrie Bradshaw, her work is her life and her life is her work. She has found a fluidity within her life that makes so much more sense than trying to categorize every bit of her personality.

Carrie, like so many of us, is a multipotentialite. You can learn a lot more about what it means to be a multipotentialite by watching Emilie Wapnick’s TED talk on the subject, but a multipotentialite is a name for all of us out there who have more than one passion or interest in life. Carrie took her two interests - writing and sex - and combined them with her biggest asset - being a single woman living in New York City. All of these things led Carrie to a fulfilling career that boggled her mind, excited her and always kept her on her toes.

If you are trying to figure out what your calling is and you are a multipotentialite like Carrie, the key is to take a close look at all of your passions instead of trying to pick just one. Finding your perfect career is all about where those 2 or 3 (or even 5!) interests align. Those interest intersections are where innovation happens and where we find the work that fuels not only our wallets but also our souls. While I cannot vouch for her relationship advice, Carrie is a great example of how to reject the pressure to find a “work/life” balance and find a fluidity within the work that you do. There’s a reason why you were put on this planet with all of your unique interests, so why not figure out what that reason is.

If you feel as if you can’t seem to figure out how to combine your passions into your perfect career or if you don’t even know what your passions are, sign up for a complimentary clarity session with me HERE. Together, we will discuss where you’re at, where you’re going, what’s getting in the way and create a clear plan for you to embrace your inner Carrie Bradshaw and find the work you love!

The Importance of Planning in Business

September has finally ended and if you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, the end of September means more than just the beginning of Halloween season. Now that it is October 1st, it is the perfect time to make sure that we have our fourth quarter planning done. Planning is extremely important in business. Ask any business owner and they will tell you that the quote, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail,” is absolutely tried and true.

When I first started my business, I did not have a plan for anything. I would come home from a long day at my previous job and I would sit in front of my computer to write a blog post or send out an email or call someone. I would do whatever I could for my business, but there was no structure. Without a plan, I was constantly overwhelmed and running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I learned an incredibly necessary lesson in those days: you have to have a plan if you want your business to grow.

As an entrepreneur, you need to have that forward thought so that you can bring in the revenue, clients, and the excitement you want for your business. Creating an annual and a quarterly 3-month plan will help you clearly define what your big picture goal is for your business, what your business offers and what your personal and professional mission statement will communicate to potential clients and partners. This plan will allow you to truly start building your business so you don’t have to stay stuck in the “pre-revenue” stage, struggling to find clients. As soon as I created my annual plan and my quarterly plan, I was able to see that I had been trying to jump from shiny new project to shiny new project. It was impossible for me to keep trying to work on the 20 different projects I had started. Developing my plan allowed me to focus in on the 2 to 3 projects that were most important in growing my business.

The whole point of planning is to enable the growth of your business. Once you create your plan for October through December, you will be able to stay focused on the work that is going to help you get to a place where you will be able to go into your next networking event or meeting and confidently talk about your handful of clients and your growing business that lets you do whatever you want to do.

I recently did a workshop on developing a clear 90 day plan for aspiring entrepreneurs. If you missed the workshop I did on creating a plan for your business and are having trouble figuring out what you need to do to get your business to the next level, sign up for a complimentary clarity session with me HERE. Together, we will discuss where you’re at, where you’re going and what’s getting in the way so that you can find the work you love!

Tip 3 of 3 on How to Cope in a Toxic Work Environment (and Get Out!)

We are on the last tip that I have for you on how to cope with a toxic work environment while you are in it. Those of you who have been following me for a while now will probably recognize this one. I love to call this tip: the Post It Pause. When you are trapped in a chaotic environment at work, it can seem impossible to find a moment of peace. The Post It Pause allows you to practice mindfulness whenever you need it, without having to leave your desk or feel judged because you are sitting quietly with your eyes closed for 10 minutes. When you are feeling the anger rise up in you or are feeling the tears well up inside, the Post it Pause allows you to have a discreet mindfulness practice where you can focus in on being mindful and coming back to the present moment where everything is just fine. All while looking like you are working.

Here’s how the Post It Pause works: Take out a pen and a Post It Note (or whatever paper you have nearby). Then draw a figure 8 and continue to trace over it. While you are tracing over this 8, focus on your breathing. I recommend that you inhale as reach the top of the 8 and then exhale as you move towards the bottom of the 8. Try to make your breath as even as possible and do this until your frustration starts to diminish. Once you find a sense of calm, you can return to work. A tool like this can really be a game changer and can give you a chance to reconnect with the present moment and return to a state of clarity.

When we’re struggling in a toxic work environment, one of the first things to go is our character and our emotional stability. Maintaining a clear mindset allows us to be the person that we want to be even in difficult situations. Emotional clarity enables you to make better decisions and is going to create a solid foundation for you even if you are in a toxic job. This toxic job that you are in today will be the stepping stone you need to get to the next and better job. If we let our frustration and pain get in the way, we may take actions that could negatively affect us and our career. That is why clarity of mind is incredibly important!

So try out the Post it Pause next time you're feeling overwhelmed at work as a way to discreetly practice mindfulness. Even if you are a fidgety skeptic as author Dan Harris likes to say. For those of you who feel like you identify with being in a toxic work environment where drama and in-fighting get in the way of productivity, sign up for a complimentary strategy session with me HERE so we can create an actionable plan to get out of that job and into work you love.

Tip 2 of 3 on How to Cope in a Toxic Work Environment (and Get Out!)

When we’re in a toxic work environment we’re often trained to think of all of the things that we didn’t accomplish and get stuck on all the reasons we’re not good enough. The reality is you’re actually getting a lot done and you are more than enough! Tip 1 on How to Cope in a Toxic Work environment (and Get Out!) covered creating a ‘Did-do List’ at the end of every day in order to acknowledge what you accomplished so that you can accomplish more and be proud of what you’ve done. Here goes Tip 2…

What happens when our co-workers and work community are insulting us or we feel that they’re insulting and invalidating us? Perhaps the negative feedback, whether verbalized or not, is not even work related but rather personal. If you’re in a toxic work environment I challenge you to take note of all the negativity you hear (whether your own or from co-workers) and create an equal opposite in the form of an affirmation. When we’re in toxic work spaces that don’t serve us, we tend to let that negative thinking take over. The point of developing a counter opposite to our usual thinking is to crowd our mind and ego with positivity rather than negativity. It’s kind of like eating lots of fruits and vegetables before you get to the desert table so that you don’t binge eat the desert. You’re not leaving much space in your mind for negative thoughts. Take some notes on what those negative thoughts are and what negative beliefs may have formed from these thoughts over time.

A common example that I hear people talking about is, ‘I am a horrible writer’. To create an equal opposite would be to say instead: ‘I am a fabulous writer when I’m in the right head space’ or ‘I am a fabulous writer when I give myself the space to grow’. The more often you repeat the equal opposite affirmation, the more likely you will create a clearer, happier headspace and give yourself the opportunity to actually grow as a writer. Writing the affirmation on post-its, or having it as a screen saver constructs environmental triggers that continue to flood our mind with positive beliefs so that we can be more productive and set our best foot forward. Even if you’re in a job where you’re not happy, the job is still a bridge for you to get to where you want to go, so putting your best foot forward ultimately benefits you.

Next time you’re feeling stuck, write down all the negative thoughts with their equal opposite and flood your mind with positivity so that you can be more productive and move forward with your career. Need some more guidance? Book a complimentary session with me HERE.

Tip 1 of 3 on How to Survive a Toxic Work Environment (and Get Out)!

I have 3 tips that I am going to be sharing with you in the coming weeks to help you to survive (and Get Out)! Tip #1: Regularly write a ‘Did-do’ List, instead of a ‘To-do’ List.

Creating a did-do list is a process of writing all the things that you did do in order to allow yourself to celebrate all the wins that you had for that day. This means writing down everything that you’ve accomplished, including the simple things like feeding your dog or cooking yourself dinner. This process is useful to do either at the beginning or the end of every work day.

Typically, it’s easy to fall into the habit of worrying about all the things you didn’t do that day and how much more you’ve still got to do. If you’re too busy in the evening, I suggest you write your did-do list of the previous day first thing in the morning. This activity helps to trick the brain - we all love being productive so when you write something down that you’ve accomplished, the brain receives a dose of dopamine. This makes you feel good about what you do and motivates you to continue moving forward.

In a toxic work environment, one of the first things to deteriorate is productivity. Toxicity in the workplace is classically defined as drama and fighting that gets in the way of getting the work done. If you can focus on what you’ve done correctly and what you’ve achieved, you’re more likely to achieve more and be able to grow yourself as a professional, even in a toxic work environment.

Write that ‘Did-do’ List to boost your self-esteem and self-confidence in order to drive you forward positively and pro-actively!

I will be launching a group program, JUMPSTART THE WORK YOU LOVE, on September 6th that will run for 4 weeks. The program will focus on figuring out how to know what career is best for you, your ideal position, your ideal work environment, creating the plans for moving forward and how to prevent finding yourself in another toxic work environment. If you would like to join this program, CLICK HERE.

4 Key Questions to Determine if your Work Environment is Toxic

With my recent online training, ‘How to Cope With a Toxic Work Environment and Get Out’, under my belt, I heard from a few of you who missed it that you could use some guidance in navigating the sticky situation that is a toxic work environment. So, I decided to help you out and give you the first few steps you need to properly identify if you work in a toxic work environment so you can do something about it--whether it's move along or try to make some changes around here. I developed four key questions to ask yourself to decipher whether you’re in a toxic work environment. These questions will give you clarity and help you move forward.

A toxic work environment is a space where there is prominent drama, fighting, personal battles and power struggles that inhibit productivity (i.e. you have trouble getting your work done). Sometimes it is difficult to know whether you’re in a toxic work environment, especially if you’re deeply ‘invested’ in it, so I have developed some questions to help you take a deeper look into whether you are in a toxic work environment:

1.       Do you feel chronically feel stressed out? Do you feel chronically stressed out at work?

2.       Are you doing the job of an entire team? Some work environments have low budgets or are organized in such a way where multiple roles are unfairly placed on one person. This can lead to chronic stress.

3.       Are you being bullied at work?

4.       Are you surrounded by or part of office gossip? Are you part of spreading the gossip?

If you answered YES to 2 or more of these questions, then it is likely that you’re working in a toxic environment and some changes need to be made. Toxicity has different levels to it, so if you answered YES to all four questions, then we need to talk. Answering these questions can help you get clear on the level of toxicity you’re engaged with and identify what is really going on.

There is saying that, “Wherever you go, there you are”. Could you be creating more toxicity in your environment?

If you answered NO to these questions, that’s okay too – there is a reason that you may be feeling not so enthused about your job. Regular stress, disengagement in work and misalignment can be other indicators that changes need to be made.

I will be launching a group program, Jumpstart the Work You Love, in September that will happen every Thursday. The program will help you close this chapter and create a new exciting vision for your future, help you discover your ideal work environment, your ideal position or business AND enable you to leave with a solid action plan for moving forward so you don't find yourself in yet another toxic work environment. Will you join me? To learn more about the Jumpstart the Work You Love Group Program or to sign up, click here. 

How to Cope with a Toxic Work Environment and Get Out

Most of the American population are unhappy at work, feeling clueless on how to make a change within their career. The money might be good and you have your basic needs met, but there is still something bubbling under the surface. Perhaps you’re taking on too many responsibilities or you’re being bullied. There are some crazy things happening out there in the work place!

I had a client who really wanted a new job, yet he was apprehensive about getting that new job in fear that history might repeat itself. Another client of mine was handed a new position when his company was being reorganized. When he was in his former role, he felt good because he was on track to get his dream job in just a few short years, yet when the reorganization happened he got a position that he didn’t even apply for that was totally out of alignment with who he was. The money was good and he even liked his boss but he felt extremely out of place, struggling from chronic stress as he was doing the job of 5 other people. How I helped him cope, while planning his exit strategy, was to get back into the career trajectory that he wanted for himself. We also took a look at the bigger picture of his life, acknowledging that he wanted to be doing more spiritually and physical activity for himself. When you’re in a toxic situation, it’s important to be clear and level headed so that you can put your best foot forward and remember what’s important to YOU (i.e making hitting up the gym a priority like my client). Ultimately where you’re at is a bridge that will lead you upwards towards your future. I assisted him in identifying things that he could do in the workplace and in his personal life to clear his mind so that he could show up as the best possible version of himself at work.

In toxic environments, where you might be getting screamed at publicly because of a small miscommunication, it’s important to stand your ground, be the best person that you can be...meanwhile creating that exit strategy.

You deserve to have work that fills your wallet and your soul. As an ‘out of the box’ coach, I know that one size doesn’t fit all. If you have found yourself in a Toxic Work Environment, it may be time to join me for the Jumpstart the Work You Love Group Program and get you and your career back on track! Click here to learn more.

How to Find A Job That's in Alignment With You!

From conversations with many people, I’ve come to realize that an important part of a job hunt is to lead with your heart so that you can find the job and work that makes you feel the way you want to feel…a job that doesn’t make you feel like you have to separate your personal life from your work life. You might be thinking that this is a little ‘woo-woo’ and will lead you nowhere…but wait…

Many of us go through job hunting and years of college based on strategy, safety and even fear. We ask questions like, “how am I going to make the most money?” and “how am I going to make enough money to support myself and my family?” We’re so focused on the finances and stability of our life that it’s easy to forget about the other important pieces of the picture - fulfillment, happiness and fun. A vital point in finding your dream job is determining your core desired feeling, an umbrella feeling that encompasses many positive emotions that you want to feel in your life. For example, my core desired feeling is expansiveness. This feeling is invoked when I am dancing on a hard wood floor in my socks, the feeling I get when I go to my studio, or the feeling I get when a client of mine achieves something great.

We rarely invite our soulful emotional side to the table when it comes to important decision making. So when we end up in jobs that are unfulfilling and even make us angry, it’s because when we made that decision, we only let the logical part of ourselves make the decision. If you’re feeling like you’re in a shitty job, did you realize that you wanted time flexibility? Did you think about wanting to have enough time to spend with your family? Did you consider that you want to dress how you want? Did you consider that you want to be in a space where you can be goofy and playful?

These questions are key when it comes to the bigger picture because when you don’t have the things that are important to you, the job is out of alignment with who you really are. Where in your life have you not allowed this emotional piece of you to be present in your decision making? Where can you bring it forward to guide you in your current job role or a future job role in order to feel balanced? Where can you bring this forward in your life? How can you make subtle shifts that encompasses your true essence and emotional state that you are entitled to feel?

Remember you run your job search, not the other way around.

If you’re struggling in a dull working environment and feeling stuck, join my free online training, ‘How to Cope with a Toxic Work Environment and Get Out’. If you’re feeling disengaged at work and are bored, this training is definitely for you. Grab your spot HERE.

Getting to the Root of Procrastination

Why don’t we do those important things that we need to get done? You know you have to do it but somehow someway it still doesn't get done.

There are many reasons why we don’t do what really needs to get done. One of the key reasons that is preventing us from taking action is that we don’t really know our ‘why’. Why is this task so important to us? Mel Robbins, a prominent coach in the personal development world, has established that the reason that we don’t do things is because we don’t really know why we're doing them to begin with. We might know of many ‘why’s handed down to us by parents, bosses, society etc. (money, status, the fancy car, etc.) but we don’t know our own truest ‘why’.

Another key factor that influences procrastination beyond the why is what creates our why - our core desired feeling. What is the core desired feeling that you want to feel on a daily basis and how does this core desired feeling affect your why? I spoke to a client this morning whose core desired feeling is ‘transcendental’. In this instance, her why was about working on herself so that she can transcend and make a bigger difference to society through her writing. When getting to the root of her procrastination, writing every day, getting into flow and finishing a novel just wasn’t enough. She had to write in her personal journal in order to get into flow and understand herself so that she had something to transcend from. Her core desired feeling helped her create her why, which was vital for her to move forward with her goals.

Struggling with procrastination? Try this…

Next time you’re avoiding something, write down your main intention for the day. What do you want to accomplish or work on? Then write down 3 reasons why this task or project is important to you. I guarantee you, you’ll move forward on this project or task because you’re connected to the ‘why’.

Back by popular demand, I am going to be offering another FREE Online Training, ‘How to Cope with a Toxic Work Environment (And Get Out!)’, taking place on the 20th of August 2019. Grab your spot today.

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

Have you ever woken up wondering ‘how the hell did I end up here?' ‘Here’ can look like a place of disengagement, loss of passion and a general feeling of not loving or hating anything, but rather feeling like everything is just a mediocre ‘okay’.

In conversation with many people about their life and career, I have noticed a sad reality where many of us have taken on a headstrong strategy to our careers (i.e. needing to get things done in a specific way and following ‘the plan’ to the very last detail). In this instance it’s a no brainer that people are feeling confused about where they’re at. The number one reason that people end up in this predicament is because they have not let their emotional side and core desires sit at the table with their strategic side.  If you’ve let your strategic side run the show, of course you will have that moment of waking up one day and questioning why you have the degrees you have or why you’re in the career that you’re in.

Imagine your mind as a boardroom where different aspects of your personality are represented. What’s sitting at the table might be a mix of strategy, fear, ‘what will they think?’ and more. What is often missing at the table for most of us is your higher self and emotional intelligence. The very first thing I work on with my clients is ‘emotional intelligence’ and core desired feeling(s). I question people about what they want to feel on a daily basis, use their answers as a compass to make decisions. What this looks like is asking yourself whether certain actions will lead to your core desired feeling(s)? If the actions lead you to these core desired feelings, keep going. If not, abandon ship!

We end up in careers that are not in alignment with us because we do not allow our core desired feelings to have a voice at the boardroom table. Your core desired feelings should be in communication with all the other aspects of you. If you don’t allow your emotions and heart a voice at the table, it’s likely you’ll end up disengaged at work because the things that you’re passionate about are missing.

When you include emotional intelligence into your life, you can make huge positive changes. There is a misconception that if you include your emotions, you might end up jobless and poor. The truth is that your strategy muscle is so strong to ignore that it’s unlikely to let you end up this way. Emotional intelligence can never take over the strategic part of you, it is merely there to complement your strategic side so that you can make more mindful and healthy decisions in your life and career. If you let your strategic side work with your emotional intelligence you can better align yourself to the best career path (and more!) for you.

Something to think about…

Where in my life have I not listened to my emotional intelligence?

Where in my life can I start listening to it now?

If you’re looking for more support around this area of your life and career, book a complimentary session with me HERE.

The Number 1 Thing To Do To Get to The Next Phase of Your Career

I am sure you’ve heard people say ‘It’s all in who you know’. Whether you want to get into an exclusive event or party, get that next job or get that discount at a store, it’s all in who you know. This ultimately boils down to connections and relationships. This is why networking has become a big thing for people, especially entrepreneurs, who are looking for joint venture partners and clients.

Networking is usually an activity of going to an event, repeatedly giving your elevator pitch, maybe talking about the weather and giving out your business cards. As a society we have networking all wrong - there is more to networking than just this! Networking is really about creating deep and meaningful connections with people we wouldn’t have necessarily met in an everyday context. The point of networking is to get us to that next phase of our career, which might be a promotion or to further build our business. Networking is this magical vital tool that we have been using incorrectly. A lot of the time, I’ve noticed that people go to these events hoping and wishing to share what they do and see what they can get from as many people as possible. Unfortunately, this is not how deep and meaningful connections work. Establishing deep and meaningful connections will likely get you recommendations whereas with brief encounters, you'll be lucky if anyone will remember you let alone recommend you. Nobody likes receiving a sales pitch out of context; it reeks of a desperation mind set.

What I recommend to get you into the next phase of your career is practicing active listening, so that when you get to a networking event you enable the next person to have a platform to share more about themselves. These days at networking events, everybody is eager to speak about what they offer. If you offer yourself as an active listener in networking spaces, you will stand out and you will gather key information that will tell you if there is some synergy between yourself and the other person (do they have a connection somewhere you've applied?; Are they desperately in need of your services). Remember, you can guide the conversation based on the questions you ask! 

So…to get to the next phase of your career…

1. Get into different spaces with different people.

2. Actively listen. You can do this by asking questions and seeing how you can help someone else. At the end of the day, the people you genuinely connect with will be more than willing to help you make that next move in your career.

Take That Sick Day Off!

Did you know that 52% of U.S. Citizens have all sorts of accumulated leave days left over at the end of the year? I hear stories day in and day out from people who are feeling overworked, overwhelmed and on their way towards a chronic illness. If this is you – take that sick day!

In a recent Gallup Poll, 70% of employees reported feeling disengaged or unhappy at work. This begs the question, why not take those leave days to prevent further disengagement, unhappiness and even illness?

When I got back from a trip in Florida, where I worked intensely on my business for two straight days, I ended up with a sore throat - so I took a day off to recover. This reminded me to remind you to take the day off if you need to! Not only because you’ll save others from getting sick but also because you need to and deserve to relax and replenish.

If you’re in a situation where you feel like it’s not ‘safe’ to take a day off or if you don’t know how to navigate taking a day off, I am here! Feel free to book a Complimentary Session with me HERE.

An Exercise for Feeling Overworked & Overwhelmed at Work

If you feel like you’re having trouble expressing yourself and feeling overworked, overwhelmed, and underappreciated at work, exhausted, on the verge of burnout then here is an exercise that can work to help you out of the doom and gloom!

Written language and communicating with words might not be your thing. Words don’t always work in expressing your true frustration. There are other ways to communicate, work through stuff and break through blocks in your career and life. Going through these complex, abstract emotions and taking these forms of frustrated emotions and putting pen, crayon or marker to paper with them can help you. As an artist myself, I can attest to the power of art as it helped me process some of my own trauma. It was actually the one thing that really worked for me. I tried therapy, church, read, prayed and more…but ultimately it was creativity that guided me through the darkness.

If you feel exhausted like you’re about to burnout or if you feel overwhelmed and nothing seems to support you, this could be the way that can help you explore and move through this. Go for it!

It’s as easy as getting out a notebook and a pen. Once you have the paper in front of you, let your frustrations go onto the paper. So if you are really mad, just scribble, scrape and scratch as much as you need to. Let the emotions course through you otherwise they end up lodged in your body and can make you sick, nervous and anxious. This exercise allows the emotions to roll through you so that you can have a clear mind. It creates space in your thoughts to acknowledge the simple root of what’s getting to you. As simple and clear as: ‘This job is not the right job for me’, ‘This relationship isn’t working with this co-worker’. By processing the emotion and seeing its message, you are then free to take bold action, without the emotion attached to it.

I have experienced many times of scribbling or taking a piece of wood and a hammer and hammering away. You can let the emotion out on any inanimate material you choose (I personally love to use wood and salt!). The purpose is to unblock your mind and get clarity, not to make a beautiful piece of art.

Need more? My workshop ‘Avoiding Burnout: An evening of Art Making to Soothe the Soul’ has passed but if you find yourself wanting a different space to process, join my next workshop ‘Avoiding Career Burnout: Salt Therapy Edition’ for an evening of reflection and creation of how to make your life at work worthwhile and reconnect to yourself and your dreams!

The Impact of Unconscious Leadership

We are all leaders in one way or another. Whether you lead a group of people or if you lead your children and family – you are a leader! I challenge you as a leader to ask: Am I a shitty leader? It’s a bit of a bomb drop I know, BUT it is a really vital question.  

I had a really interesting conversation with a well-known thought leader recently. This person appears to be trailblazing their way through life on the outside, but looking in reveals a completely different story. I was quite intimidated to speak to them as I wondered how I could be of benefit to them when they are already well-established and not to mention a bit older with way more experience. It turns out that this person has been struggling with many things that we younger millennials struggle with.

It boggled my mind that this leader had a belief inside of them, instilled from a young age, that doesn’t serve them. The problem was that this belief not only impacted them, but this this belief impacted their entire community. For example, say I am a personal trainer at a gym who's still on my own weight loss journey, but I don't believe it's possible for me to ever lose weight no matter how much I try. However subtly, this belief impacts every client I work with and person I have a chance to help in my community. It undermines the work I do with my clients and community day in and day out.

If I don’t believe that I can lose weight, it’s likely that I will attract clients that also don’t believe that. I am also not likely to set them up for success because what I offer is completely out of alignment with my subconscious beliefs. Not only am I hindering myself to lose weight and have the ideal body that I want, I am also hindering the lives of others energetically.

As a leader, no matter what type of leader you are, I encourage you to examine what beliefs you hold about yourself. Where do you want to grow, but feel stunted? What are the beliefs hiding inside of you? Are they serving you? Are they serving your community? Your friends, family, children, clients? If you are a leader (in any shape or form), where are these subconscious beliefs that you might not even know that you have that are impacting the lives of others?

Join my next event. We will be working on accessing and exploring some limiting subconscious beliefs. It’s a dangerous place to be in if you’re unsure of how your thoughts, words and behaviors are affecting your community. Come and explore these thoughts and patterns in this workshops and learn how to break-up with or navigate some of these ingrained subconscious patterns.

A Creative Way to Reconnect to Your Job

70% of the US population feel disengaged at work or they hate their jobs…

If you’re part of this 70%, try this exercise to re-commit to connecting to why you started working where you work in the first place. This exercise will completely change the way you view your job and the career path that you’re on. Give it a go!

Write a letter to your employer telling them why you love them and why you’re grateful for having them in your life. This exercise might sound like a combination of cringe-worthy craziness, but it is highly effective in reminding you why you took the job in the first place. You don’t have to give the letter to your employer, unless you want to, but ultimately this exercise is for you! Here’s a suggestion on how to start your letter:

 ‘Dear [insert organization], I am so so grateful that day in and day out you pay for my bills…

At the end of the day this job, that you might currently loathe, is part of your journey and by writing this letter you are partaking in a gesture of acknowledging this part of your journey in a different way other than complaining about how much you hate your job.

When you first start a job, you may feel a sense of excitement, like you’re falling in love, and it’s easy to see why you’re destined for this job in the bigger scheme of things. It might be a stepping stone for you to save more money to go back to school, or it might be an entry level position for you to work your way up the ladder. Yet as time goes by it’s easy to see less and less of the bigger picture that you had envisioned for yourself.

What this exercise does is shift your perspective of where you’re at right now in your job. It can be written as a farewell letter or it can be written as a way to renew your commitment with your employer and/or the company you work for. It’s an effective way to gain resilience and get perspective on what your next move is.

If you try this exercise and you’re still feeling stuck with your career, grab a COMPLIMENTARY SESSION with me to see how I can guide you in connecting with and fulfilling your purpose.

How to Find Work that Fills Your Wallet and Your Soul

This one is for the nine to fivers who are having a tough time in your job. You might not be getting enough time for yourself, sitting with a long to-do list, hating your job and feeling like each task is ‘high-priority’. If you’re watching cat videos or scrolling through Facebook by the time it hits 3PM, keep reading!

If you’re at the office right now or you have to wake up to it tomorrow, I invite you to give yourself permission to take that lunch break and get yourself out of the office. You’re not likely to produce better work or feel good about what you’re doing if you perpetuate the same patterns in your working environment. If you are in the mind set of disengagement, disinterest, resentment or feeling tired you need to get up, get your body moving and take some time to re-create your space. You need to create your own weather and bask in it no matter what anybody else’s weather brings to you. If you had a rainy day yesterday or weeks ago, it doesn’t mean that you have to have a rainy day today.

Creating your own weather is about creating your own psychological space that is rejuvenating, refreshing and helps you to step into your career with your best foot forward. You might be thinking that a lunch break is not going to negate the fact that I have to come back to a crappy job. This may be true for you BUT I have created a FREE ONLINE TRAINING for anyone who is feeling tired of their boss or disengaged and undervalued at work. Join me TODAY, the 19th of June at 12:30PM EST for “How to Find Work that Builds Your Wallet and Your Soul”.  It’s about figuring out your passion (if you don’t know what it is), taking actionable steps and moving forward so that you can get out of cubicle land (or any other unpleasant work environment) and into a career that makes you excited to wake up to every single day.

I’ve been inspired to create this webinar because I have been hearing from so many people who are unhappy in their work and it’s been weighing on me - so I am coming forward to offer this to you. REGISTER HERE. Take your lunch break - See you there!

Two Tools You Can Use to Be More Productive

Productivity is activity that positively influences the trajectory of your life whether at home, at work and with personal projects. With many conversations surrounding the age old "Why don't I ever get anything done?" or "How the hell did I even get here [without achieving what I set out to achieve]?", I decided it was time to give you two tools that can change your productivity game.

The first tool was developed by Mel Robbins - the ‘5 Second Rule’. This rule helps you launch into whatever task you need to get done and prevent procrastination. The idea is to count backwards from 5 and move yourself physically towards achieving the task. For example, if you’re struggling to get out of bed, count down from 5 to 1 and physically get yourself out of bed. Or, if you remember something that needs to be done, count down from 5 to 1 and write that task down on your to-do list. The ‘5 Second Rule’ is about helping you make that first move towards being more productive and creating that forward momentum for yourself.

‘The Tomato Timer’ is another great tool to help you be your most productive self. Traditionally, this tool is about setting a 20 minute timer where zero distractions are allowed. Yep, this means no phone, no Facebook, no cat videos; this means no distractions until you've completed the task at hand or the timer has hit 20 minutes. At the end of the 20 minutes you get a 5 minute break to do whatever you want or need to do and then you go back to 20 minutes of focused work. I would like to suggest for you to get a little more creative with your tomato timer. For example, I had a really long spreadsheet to update – something like 300 rows! So I made an internal agreement with myself to do 20 lines at a time and take a short break to look at my phone, 20 lines, short break, 20 lines, SHORT break....you get the idea.

For those of you who have lunch breaks, the tomato timer is perfect for you. One day I dedicated 40 minutes of my lunch break to my own personal tasks. The agreement that I created with myself was that if I completed these 40 minutes, I get to take a 20 minute walk. The tomato timer helps you manage your time because you know you need to complete something within the time allocated. The breaks give you space to fill your time with a sense of reward for your focus. There are even Tomato Timer Apps out there that you can use to assist you! This tool is really helpful during afternoon sluggishness where you end up mindlessly scrolling through Facebook (or mindlessly clicking through windows).

If you feel like procrastination is getting the worst of you or you’re slacking at work or on your passion projects, join my FREE Online Training (June 19th, 2018 at 12:30pm EST): How to Find Work that Fills your Wallet & Your Soul.

If you'd prefer personalized support, set up a complimentary strategy session with me HERE to create a solid action plan you can step into, to become your most productive and inspired self. 

Two Vital Steps to Manifest like a Boss!

If you want or need more in your life, here are two steps that can help you create 'more': more time, money, love, affection, etc.

1. Get Clear!

The first thing to do is acknowledge the importance of manifesting and getting clear on what you want. Giving Creator, the Universe, God or whatever resonates with you a clear picture of what you want is an important starting point. It’s imperative to reflect on why you want what you want.  If you want more money, what are you going to spend it on? The universe has to know how to meet you half way. You might ask for a place to live and receive a small apartment (instead of mansion you vaguely wanted) and be disappointed. Being specific about exactly what you want and why you want it helps the Universe to help you.

A while back I was in a difficult space. I was in an unhealthy relationship, I was facing financial difficulties and I had a stressful job. I ended up doing an exercise called 'Kylego'-ing, where you mentally go one year into the future, speak as if you are in the present moment and say why your life is going so great. When I was in this stressful space, I did this exercise. I created space to see what I really wanted, which was a healthy relationship with a man who loved and respected me, I wanted to feel better in my body , I wanted a pet and a bigger living space. I built a clear picture as to what I wanted. I ended up doing this exercise for 90 days. At the end of the 90 days I had ended my previous relationship and met someone new and manifested a little furry friend! Everything turned around for me because I met the universe half way by stipulating what it is that I want. Another fabulous exercise to help manifest is through stream of consciousness writing where you write down what you want without thinking too much about structuring clear sentences. Once you feel that you have written enough, you can pick out the pieces that resonate with what you really want in your life. Both 'kylego'-ing and stream of consciousness writing assist you to get down to the details of what you want.

2. Create Space!

Creating space for what you want so that it can arrive is an invaluable way to prepare you to receive. If you are a Type A personality you may think that you have to work constantly in order to get what you want. This is not necessarily true. Sometimes it’s best to put what you want out there, do a healthy amount of hustle and then surrender and give space for those things to arrive. During this time of space it’s a good idea to rest, recuperate and live life the way you would if you have already manifested what you want.

In short, get clear on what you want and create space for the Universe to meet you half way. These two steps will undoubtedly skyrocket your ability to manifest. When you create space, you will have the capability to deeply receive what you’ve manifested and be grateful without the feeling of desperately longing for ‘what’s next’.

If you’re looking for guidance on how to manifest more in your life, book a Complimentary 30 minute session with me to help you get closer to knowing what you want and start manifesting this. Or come and meet me - I will be running a workshop on the 7th of June - Join me at Avoiding Burnout: An Evening of Art Making to Soothe Your Soul.

A Creative Tool to Process Anxiety

Tired of trying to express how you feel in clear, concise verbal ways? If yes, I’d like to offer you a simple yet highly effective tool to help you work through your SH*T without having to have a formal therapy session or go about it in a formalized manner. This is a tool to help you step into your mind and work through it in a way that is not pressurizing. It’s an awesome tool to help you understand your anxiety and the underlying feelings.

When we talk about our issues to a friend or a therapist there seems to be an unspoken pressure to verbally express yourself adequately and getting the words ‘right’. When I have gone through traumatic experiences I have had found it difficult to verbally express what I am going through inside. And yes, this comes from someone who is talkative and outgoing! If you’ve tried therapy, tried praying, journaling, tried having drinks and talking through stuff with your friends but you still feel anxious, I suggest you try this tool to discover and uncover some new insights that can guide you forward.

You might not be aware of anxiety or know why it’s there. This tool can help you find the root of your anxiety. Try it! Get a piece of paper and a pen. Feel free to include markers, crayons, color pencils, etc. With your mighty pen in hand, draw out your narrative and draw whatever comes to mind. For example, if you are feeling anxious about your relationship with your boss at work, draw out what is going on. Draw your boss and the way that they make you feel. Your drawing might give the impression of an explosion, a dullness or something completely different. The aim is to let your stream of consciousness guide you, so draw whatever comes up. The best way to let your consciousness flow is to draw quickly. It doesn’t have to look like a beautiful piece of art. It is merely a channel for you to non-verbally express what’s going on for you.

Using drawing as a channel of expression can help you work through stuff quicker than trying to find the ‘right' words and you’ll be able to access deeper places in your subconscious mind that are seemingly unrelated. You might draw your boss, then draw an explosion followed by a box of tissues, to which you can ask yourself why you drew a box of tissues. From this point you can use this subconscious connection to the tissues to figure out what your boss reminds you of – perhaps an ex who mistreated you and made you cry a lot so you needed lots of tissues? The possibilities are limitless and very specific to you and your journey.

70% of Americans hate their jobs and feel a sense of boredom, indifference and dullness in their work. If you are this person, I invite you to have a conversation with me to see how I can help you step into the person that you want to be – someone who feels fulfilled and purposeful. Book a 30 minute complimentary session with me HERE.

A Simple Exercise to Reclaim Your Personal Power

What defines your personal power? You might best express and find your personal power in various activities, in your work environment, in social settings and/or through your sexuality or spirituality. Holding your personal power is about knowing what you want and knowing your worth. It’s about knowing what you like and don’t like and also about doing what you want, not necessarily what you think you ‘should’.  

How can you find your sense of power among the noise?

A client of mine has been wanting to find her sense of spiritual power in relationship with God/the Universe as she understands it. We talked about how there are many ways to communicate, especially in religion. There is spiritual text and praying and that’s about it, but ultimately there are so many other ways that we can engage and communicate with a higher power. What I have been exploring with my clients is determining what kind of communication will help them feel power, freedom and lightness.

Try this exercise – Grab a pen and spontaneously respond to this prompt.

If I had time or money, I would… [Fill in the blank].

You might come up with something like this: If I had time or money I would go dancing... If I had time or money I would make art… If I had time or money I would start my own company…. If I had time or money I would tell my boss to shove it. Among this list you will find something (usually the first thing) that will give you that sense of personal power.

I was chatting to a client who loved to dance but she kept saying that she has no time to dance. I asked her for her favorite song, found it and told her to dance her heart out for the next 1 minute and 30 seconds. In this short time she experienced her personal power. For this client dancing helped her to find her energetic flow and release that energy into and out of herself in order to find her power, let her hair down and claim who she is.

Yours might be picking up a book or sitting in nature, it doesn’t have to necessarily be as physical as dancing. What is it that you would do more of if you had the time or the money? How can you do this right now? My client believed that she had to go somewhere and dance, but the reality is that she could dance here, now and in this moment.  During her dance she experienced a sense of reconnection to her personal power in connection to her sexuality and her career. She released all of her blocks and was able to move forward and make quick decisions to create the life that she wants.

Try this exercise so that you can really step into your personal power and create the career that you want, take care of yourself and feel like you’re living your best authentic life! If you’re feeling skeptical or stuck, I have a few openings on my calendar for you to book a complimentary strategy session to see how I can help you break free and step into your personal power. Let’s figure this out! Book a session HERE.