Emotional Intelligence

 This is just who I am

 I can’t change

 I can’t do any better

Those are all versions statements I used to tell myself and mutter to others when I was afraid or feeling uncomfortable.

Now when I say those statements to myself, I get really curious and start to ask myself:

Is this true?

Is this statement holding me back?

 Am I just afraid and starting to get close to the edge of my comfort zone?

I find that usually, I am my own worst enemy.

A lot of my...

I turned another year older yesterday and to celebrate, I wanted to share one lesson that has taken the support of experts and years to learn, and I’m still working on it.

How to label and work through my emotions.

For some reason, when I was a kid, I decided that feelings were bad. Whenever I had a strong emotional reaction to something, I would get angry at myself, making myself feel worse. I couldn’t even name what I was feeling beyond I’m frustrated, or I’m mad.

...

I used to cringe at the thought of making calls. I would tell my close friends that I hated small talk and would avoid any and every opportunity to interact with strangers, especially in a group setting. The thought of having a more than a five-minute conversation on the phone, even with someone I knew well, used to freak me out. 

Now I have one to two-hour conversations for a living, and sometimes it is difficult to get me to shut up during my sessions. I genuinely and...

Wherever you are in your career - how well positioned are you?

Beyond technical skills and the obvious of course.

To get a job and keep it, you need more than technical skills.

Have you ever taken a second to think about what you like and don't like?

Most of us have not and it is a great place to start to build your self-awareness.  Once you write down your likes and dislikes you are in a better position to start to find opportunities that align with your preferences. 

Download this worksheet to help you get started.

Download What Do I Like? Exercise

How the heck am I going to find people I like?  When I was first hired to launch an online platform and build a team around it, I was scared. For the longest time, I had avoided ‘people-related’ issues. I had the chance to select and lead project-based teams and boss around some interns, but I had never built a team that was going to help me succeed in building an online-based startup. Hiring for a startup is difficult enough, but I was hiring for a business based in a...