Self-Awareness

This article was first published in my LinkedIn Newsletter 'Open Door Conversations with A' here

Why practicing self-advocacy can transform your career and workplace culture.

Over 80% of people hide their successes from loved ones, coworkers, or even strangers to avoid the appearance of bragging. This statistic raises an important question: Why do we resist acknowledging our achievements? Self-promotion isn't merely about boasting; it's a strategic choice crucial to personal and organizational…

Burnout is a complex state.

There's SO much misinformation around what burnout is and what it isn’t. It’s easy to get confused. 

When you’re ambitious and you've achieved your goals, you may find yourself constantly looking for more. You forget that you’re human!

It’s important to remember that there are small steps we can take to make sure we’re in alignment and getting enough rest. 

But we also have to remember, burnout is usually tied to workplace stressors.

I'm going to be sharing how t…

If it doesn’t come naturally to you, saying NO can be an incredibly difficult task.

You feel that despair in the pit of your stomach, that reluctance to vocalize your thoughts, and can’t explain why you always feel the need to people-please. 

In this blog, I want to share some of my thoughts on the importance of saying no.

ESPECIALLY as a leader! 

I've had issues with saying no in the past, and so have many of the clients I’ve worked with. We’ll talk about the importance of saying no, how to…

Here’s some truth for you…

No one is born an amazing leader. 

Maybe you never even expected yourself to become a leader, but here you are. Responsible for leading and motivating a group of people. 

It can feel scary and overwhelming. You may even be thinking to yourself, “Why haven’t I got the hang of this yet?”

Whether you’ve simply worked your way up in your career into a leadership role, or you’ve experienced quick business growth and brought on a team to scale, it’s okay to feel a little…

Whether you’re a new or seasoned business owner, there’s a good chance you’re looking to increase productivity in your business. 

The daily challenges and stresses of running a business can easily begin to take a toll on your emotions and create anxiety.

Some of these anxieties may look like:

• Worrying about where to find new clients 
• The overwhelming concern of not having enough money to invest back into the business or new projects
• Constant unease about the future
• Feeling like you never…

Do you like to hire people who you feel are like yourself? Have the same values? Or have a certain education?

As human beings, we’re WIRED to have biases. 

But what you have to ask yourself is this -

• When do my preferences become prejudices? 
• When do my preferences become discrimination? 
• When do my preferences get in the way of hiring the right people?
• And, where do these preferences come from?

The first step in being able to overcome your biases is recognizing the fact that they are…

Do you find yourself constantly being hard on yourself in business?

Are you easily frustrated, wishing you were further along?

You may find yourself measuring success in financial metrics, and if you don’t achieve a goal, you end up feeling guilty, ashamed, or worse - demoralized. 

Leaders, know that it’s perfectly okay to feel this way. You’re not the only business owner who struggles with issues of worthiness. 

While you know that the work you do is important and meaningful, it’s just a fac…

As a leader, you probably hear time and time again about the importance of having a growth mindset. We’re told that it’s important to have a positive outlook and to be able to shift our perspective. 

But is it ever possible to take it too far? 

In my opinion, it definitely is. When we take these ideas too far, we wander into the realm of toxic positivity. 

Denying reality and forcing ourselves to be “positive” all the time can have detrimental effects.

As leaders, it’s crucial that we learn …

Emotions in leadership - let’s talk about them!

Have you ever thought that as a leader, you can’t be emotional?

Maybe you’ve heard phrases like “leaders don’t cry” or “leaders stay strong.”

Or perhaps you’ve been afraid of being perceived as weak by your team or that showing emotion may lessen your authority. 

Personally, before I started working on developing my emotional intelligence as a leader, I’d always seen emotions at work as a bad thing.

I felt like I wasn’t allowed to show emotions o…

Summary: Burnout cannot be solved with a temporary environment or behavior change.

I also like to put it in this way for those who are a bit more left-brained:  $7 trillion is lost in productivity globally, and the answer is not an attitude adjustment or extended holiday.

What I tend to hear from leaders:

• I don’t have time to take a break now. I will take three months off in a few months.
• I can never take REAL time off. My phone always has to be on, and I end up feeling guilty if I don’t r…