Before this, I focused on my career, fun, and adventure but often found myself lost in thoughts about the past or future, rarely living in the present.

During my hospital stay, the pain was unbearable, leading to moments of deep uncertainty. Yet, I found comfort in the simplest things—the touch of my father's hand, my mother's efforts to distract me, my husband's embrace, and my newborn's snuggles.

Everyday activities like eating or just using the bathroom took on new meaning, reminding me to cherish every moment.

When I lost my sense of presence and was overwhelmed by thoughts of the past or future, I sought guidance from military chaplain, Major Kim.

Instead of offering platitudes, he asked, "How would you evaluate your life so far?" Reflecting on my career, relationships, and adventures, I felt satisfaction.

But then he asked, "What do you want to change moving forward?" This question struck me deeply. I realized that instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, I wanted to take what I was learning in the hospital to embrace the present and savor the small moments that bring joy.

As a career coach, I know how intertwined our work is with life satisfaction. So, I ask you: How would you evaluate your life and career so far, and what would you change moving forward?

Finding fulfillment in your career can greatly enhance your overall happiness.

Sending love and wishing you abundant joy,

Danielle

Unfortunately, my immediate circle cannot donate due to medical reasons, and my medical team has advised that a transplant, preferably from a living donor, is the best option for my future.

Now that I’ve completed my hospital evaluations and am actively searching for a donor, I’m returning to work part-time.

I’ve been deeply moved by the outpouring of support I’ve received from many of you during this time.

If you’d like to learn more about my journey or know someone who might be able to help, please visit my LinkedIn, YouTube, or Instagram.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more about my reflections and the lessons this experience has taught me.

The power of community has become very real to me, and I’m grateful to have you as part of mine.

With deep gratitude,

Danielle

In 2014, when I started my career coaching practice, a mentor advised me that to have a successful business meant to find what works, build on it, and rinse and repeat. He also warned that I might eventually tire of my business, but what bored me could remain fresh for clients. This emphasized the importance of scaling — whether through increased pricing, hiring staff, or expanding products and services to larger audiences.

Despite taking his advice to scale my business, I didn't do it in a way that was aligned. A turning point arrived in 2022 when I decided to hire a "high ticket" coach who championed "high ticket" offerings and "plug and play" systems. Regrettably, this path led me further away from my authentic self. By the end of the first quarter of 2023, I sensed a misalignment with my business.

Looking back at the second through fourth quarters of 2023, amidst the whirlwind of my pregnancy, I decided to put myself through my own Inner Compass Process, stepping back and working through what I call my great pivot.

Similar to the process I take my clients through, here's what I did:

I reflected:

I explored my past patterns, not just in terms of business success but from a personal standpoint. Despite being a career coach and business owner, I realized I had gotten out of touch with my own career management. I decided to move away from plug and play high-ticket offer systems and focused on building an aligned business based on what works for me and my clients.

I evaluated what I liked, what brought me joy, and playfulness in business. Letting go of what felt heavy and wasn't working resulted in some of the best clients and more lucrative outcomes in the last quarter of 2023.

I played:

I went on local adventures around the DC metro area, participated in trivia nights with friends, attended dance classes, and more. I brought that playfulness into my business through walking and talking appointments with clients, hosting Zoom meetings in my backyard, walking and recording new content on my phone, and infusing playfulness throughout my work. As a result, myself and my clients were having more fun.

I talked to people:

Engaging in over 30 career and business conversations with former clients, existing clients, and other business owners, I aimed to learn more about clients' needs and what was working for other business owners. As a result, I was able to integrate my findings into my business.

I experimented:

Some experiments succeeded, while others did not. For instance, my work/life balance program called 9tothrive didn't take off. I won't delve into details, but it simply didn't gain traction. However, placing more focus on career coaching for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start the right business and experienced business owners aiming to realign their ventures worked exceptionally well.

While it was challenging to see some experiments fail, it was also enlightening to figure out what worked and achieved success.

I can empathize with why clients sometimes struggle to start a business or make a career change. Over the years, I've learned that stepping outside my comfort zone and testing different approaches is essential to determining what will work. It's scary to acknowledge that something can fail, and sometimes it's painful when an endeavor doesn't succeed—I've had a few good cries. On the flip side, what did work and succeeded was incredibly rewarding, providing the clarity I needed to move forward.

This brings me to my great pivot.

While I've previously focused on career coaching with mid-career to executive-level professionals, assisting them in making career changes, (which I still plan to offer), I've decided to revamp my website and begin producing content to help business owners discover and launch the right business or help existing business owners realign their offerings. I'm thrilled about the content I've been creating, which will soon evolve into a book and an online course.

In the meantime, I'm excited to announce some new offerings:

\u2727Business (Re) Discovery Coaching For Entrepreneurs:

Do you want to start a business, but have no idea what to choose? Or are you looking to re-align your business but unsure of the best direction? This personalized coaching program unravels the narrative of your past, using childhood memories to identify the inherent strengths and core drivers that will guide you in starting the right business or realigning your existing service offerings.

\u2727Business Coaching to Launch New Offerings or Start Your New Service-Based Business:

Are you frustrated with generic business advice that has failed to guide you to your launch date or has steered you off course in creating a business that truly mirrors your authentic self? This personalized coaching program uses reflection, play, and experimentation for aspiring entrepreneurs to launch their new service-based business or experienced business owners aiming to launch an authentic business aligned with their identity, strengths, and viability in the market.

What's Next?

I'm thrilled to embark on this journey with you and to share my evolving thought leadership on these topics through emails and social media.

The announcement of these new offerings marks a turning point that feels incredibly aligned with my values and vision.

While I eagerly anticipate my upcoming parental leave, I'm equally excited about the prospect of returning on May 15th and diving into this new chapter.

During my parental leave, I might reach out from time to time. The joy of reflection and turning thoughts into articles is something I look forward to sharing with you.

As always, I appreciate your continued support and understanding. I might be a bit slower to respond to emails, but rest assured, I will respond.

Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime!

With excitement and gratitude,

Danielle

In my experience, this dissatisfaction often stems from two key reasons:

1. The Dream Job Dilemma:

As individuals explore various career possibilities, they may come to the realization that their dream job doesn't offer the desired financial compensation or may require more education than they are willing to pursue.

This situation can be especially challenging for those who have held well-paying positions for an extended period.

2. The Live to Work Mentality:

There are individuals who, if given the opportunity, would wholeheartedly pursue activities like travel, volunteer work, or homemaking rather than committing to a conventional job. Not everyone loves to work, and that's perfectly okay. It's okay to "work to live", instead of "live to work".

What can you do if you aspire to transition your career but feel disheartened by the options available  and the realities of the job market?

Accepting Reality and Finding Your Path

It's important to accept that certain fundamental aspects of the job market cannot be changed. For instance, if you dream of being a park ranger, you can't change the fact that it's not a high-paying job.

However, this doesn't mean you can't explore alternatives like starting your own business to achieve the income you desire or seek aspects of the job you love in other professions.

Moreover, if you identify more with a "live to work" mentality than a "work to live" approach, or if you've never truly loved your work (perhaps you liked it but never felt a deep passion for it), it might be easier for you to accept this reality rather than feeling pressured to force yourself to "love your work."

So how do you navigate this challenging terrain?

Here are my recommendations:

1. Strive for Career Improvement, Instead of "Loving Your Work":

Rather than fixating on the notion of a dream job, concentrate on finding something better.

Your current financial circumstances may make pursuing your dream job unfeasible, or perhaps you prefer not to make major lifestyle changes. It's also acceptable if you don't fully embrace the idea of loving your job.

In such cases, look for roles, responsibilities, and work environments that align better with your values and offer an improved work-life balance. This could involve making pivots to incorporate more of what you enjoy or even crafting your unique role within the right organization.

Based on my experience, clients who find themselves 30% more satisfied in their next role often see a significant enhancement in their day-to-day life.

2. Maintain Your Networking Efforts and Don't Give Up:

When facing career change disappointment or not finding any jobs that you like, it's common to withdraw from networking or hesitate to put yourself out there.

Nevertheless, networking is crucial for uncovering better opportunities. By actively engaging in conversations and expanding your connections, you'll not only gain insights into potential career changes that align with your preferences but also discover companies that resonate with you.

This process allows you to challenge your assumptions and identify what genuinely constitutes a "better" path, as well as connect with promising job prospects.

3. Confront Disappointment and Use It as a Driver:

Encountering disappointment is a normal part of the career change journey, but don't let it discourage you.

For instance, not everyone you reach out to for networking will respond. Networking is often a numbers game, and with persistence, you will connect with individuals who are willing to give back and support others.

Disillusionment can also occur when you're researching job options or gathering information about a potential career change, especially if one person offers a negative perspective on a particular path. In such cases, it's beneficial to reach out to multiple individuals to gain a broader perspective and validate your assumptions. If you notice consistent trends or recurring themes that raise concerns about the potential change you're considering, it's advisable to explore alternative options that may better align with your aspirations.

Based on my experience, many clients embark on their journey with one specific career path in mind but ultimately discover a better fit through thorough research and conversations.

While disappointment is an inevitable part of the process, it's crucial not to allow it to hinder your progress. Instead, use it as a driving force for persistence and continuous exploration.

4. Seek Encouragement from Realists Instead of Idealists: 

It's easy to fall into the trap of reading articles that encourage you to find work that you love or following influencers that tout perfection. This can be challenging and reinforces what likely doesn't work for you. Instead, seek support from mentors and supporters who offer encouragement, helping you maintain a positive outlook but appear realistic. Having this support can make a significant difference in keeping your motivation and following through because they reinforce what feels real to you.

Of course, if you're seeking support and mentorship with career discovery or exploration, please don't hesitate to reach out. Learn more at innercompasscoach.com.

You've got this!

Danielle

You're not alone. Many of my clients reach out to me for one reason - they're burnt out and contemplating a career change, or considering starting their own business.

But here's the thing: the source of burnout isn't always obvious. It's like being caught in a Groundhog Day scenario, facing the same challenges repeatedly, yet struggling to pinpoint why you're feeling drained.

In this newsletter, I'm going to dive deep into the root causes of burnout and share your options for a more fulfilling career or business.

Unveiling the Root Causes: Why You're Feeling Burned Out and How to Change Your Path

Taking Stock of Your Energy

Let's kick things off with a transformational homework assignment, regardless of your burnout level.

I encourage you to take a week to assess what activities  — including roles, responsibilities, and tasks  — energize you versus what depletes you.

You can do this by making a checklist or turning this into a journaling exercise.

There are three key categories that often emerge:

1. Roles, Responsibilities, and Tasks: Energizing Your Daily Grind

You might find that some roles, responsibilities, and tasks can be a source of invigoration, while others drain your energy.

To cultivate a more fulfilling daily routine, prioritize activities that uplift you and let go of those that don't.

After evaluating your situation, you can decide whether your current role offers the elements that keep you engaged. If not, you might consider a pivot in your career or business, or even explore a complete change if your current activities fail to hold your interest and create the impact you desire.

2. Interactions with People: Navigating Workplace Dynamics

Sometimes this exercise reveals that a challenging boss, toxic leadership, or a negative colleague is significantly affecting your work experience.

Occasionally, there are opportunities to improve the situation within your company (such as changing teams). Other times, the best choice might be to consider alternative work environments.

3. Prioritizing Self-Care: Balancing Work and Pleasure

Sometimes this exercise helps clients realize their job offers no work-life balance, leaving little room for personal time. In such cases, the only viable option might be to explore opportunities at another company or a different career path.

Even if you're passionate about your career or business, neglecting time for leisure and enjoyment outside of work can have detrimental effects. For professions involving high emotional demands, such as healing professions, maintaining healthy energetic boundaries becomes essential to prevent burnout.

If you find yourself grappling with burnout or aiming to prevent it, focusing on self-care, establishing boundaries, and developing coping strategies can lead to significant improvements and help you reclaim your well-being. However, if your job doesn't allow time for these essential practices, it's likely time to consider a transition.

If You're Still Feeling Stuck:

And, of course, if you need another perspective or guidance, to learn more about our services, please visit: innercompasscoach.com.

You've got this! 

Danielle

The Journey of Self-Discovery: A Personal Tale

Before I transitioned into a career as a career career coach, I stood at the crossroads of change. With a diverse background in clinical social work, career development, college planning, and community outreach, I faced the allure of a traditional 9-to-5 job, but I also felt the pull of entrepreneurship.

Then, one day, I made a life-changing decision: I was determined to start my own business, no matter the path it took. Although I wasn't entirely certain which direction to pursue – torn between launching a college consulting practice or embarking on a career in coaching – I wholeheartedly committed to turning my aspirations into a reality.

This decision wasn't merely about craving change; it became a priority, an unwavering chapter in my life story. Through introspection, seeking guidance, and strategically planning my path, I embarked on my journey.

Fear of the Unknown: Embrace the Adventure

Fear often acts as a powerful deterrent, anchoring us within the safe harbors of our comfort zones. The prospect of change frequently triggers daunting questions: "Will the grass truly be greener on the other side?" or "What if I fail?"

When I contemplated entering the realms of college consulting and career coaching, I wrestled with these fears. These fears are genuine, but they are also the catalysts of growth. Regardless of how much research we conduct or how long we ponder, these uncertainties persist. The path to transformation involves calculated risks and a willingness to embrace the unknown.

After extensive conversations with over 40 college consultants and career development professionals, I ultimately made a decision that career coaching was my path. It was a risk, albeit not an enormous one, but it was a risk that I wouldn't know the outcome until I took the plunge.

Clarity Through Action: The Power of Testing and Exploration

Sometimes, the road ahead appears hazy, with multiple career options or business ideas clamoring for our attention. It's entirely natural to yearn for a crystal-clear vision, but often, clarity emerges through action rather than contemplation.

Envision this: When embarking on a career change, gaining clarity necessitates dedicating time to networking, skill-building, submitting job applications, and more.

For those building a business, achieving clarity involves allocating time to test your ideas, develop processes and systems, acquire clients, engage in marketing, and manage sales.

My own journey followed this path. By actively engaging with career coaches and college consultants, and by working with test clients, I discovered my direction. Remember, the road to certainty often begins with a courageous leap into the unknown.

Consistency: Nurturing Your Career Change or Business Launch Daily

Maintaining consistency is one of the fundamental pillars of achieving your career change or entrepreneurial dreams. If you find yourself grappling with uncertainty about your path, the initial steps may involve introspection, seeking guidance from a coach or mentor, or participating in a structured program. Set aside dedicated blocks of time in your calendar for your transformative journey.

If you're considering a career change, this may involve activities such as networking, skill development, submitting job applications, and more. For those venturing into the world of business, it will require allocating time to test your ideas, develop processes and systems, acquire clients, engage in marketing, and manage sales.

Indeed, it may entail sacrificing leisure activities, social outings, or even missing a soccer game, but remember that these sacrifices are investments in your future. Importantly, this commitment to consistency does not imply a perpetual state of imbalance; it represents a temporary shift in priorities. It's grounded in the belief that nurturing your career and business aspirations daily will yield the long-term rewards you aspire to. It means saying 'yes' to your ambitions, even if it occasionally means saying 'no' to other pursuits.

The Path Forward: Join Our Workshop and Transform Your Future

Now that you've ventured into the realm of comprehending the dynamics of change, I extend an invitation for you to join us on the next leg of your journey. My workshop, "Be Your Own Boss," is designed to guide you in translating your entrepreneurial dreams into reality. If you've been harboring the desire to kickstart a business or side-hustle, this workshop is tailor-made for you.

Dates/Times: Tuesday, October 3rd, Wednesday, October 4th, Thursday, October 5th, and Friday October 6th from 12-12:35 PM EST

Here's a sneak peek of what awaits you:

Day 1: Qualities for Success: Gain insights into the essential qualities required for entrepreneurial success, shared by someone who has walked that path and helped others walk the path.

Day 2: Discovering the Right Business: Explore the how to uncovering the right business venture for you through practical strategies and actionable insights.

Day 3: Launching Your Business Venture: Dive into the intricacies of launching a business, complete with guidance on how to create, market, and nurture your endeavor.

Day 4: Your Questions, My Answers: Bring your questions, concerns, and dreams to our interactive Q&A session.

Don't allow this opportunity to transform your aspirations into reality pass you by. Join us and set out on your journey toward a more fulfilling future.

What eluded me then, but has since become glaringly evident, is just how profoundly things would shift.

Looking back, I can see why my initial "niche" centered on providing career coaching to students and young professionals, guiding them through choosing their major and career after college—and how this direction would eventually change.

Many hurdles arose around affordability and the constraints of working with younger clients, often reliant on their parents paying for coaching services. The realization that my niche couldn't afford my services struck me hard.

I reflected on if I had I spent less time obsessing over website aesthetics and pursuing perfection, and instead secured a few clients through networking (which, ironically, had been the way I secured my first clients), I would have swiftly learned that this wasn't my ideal market.

Having engaged with numerous aspiring business owners, I've witnessed the false common belief that meticulous planning is imperative before launching.

Here's my perspective: Start by developing a minimum viable idea or creating a basic website, if needed. However, the true essence lies in prioritizing the acquisition of your initial clients and using this practical experience as a litmus test for your venture's viability.

The noise perpetuated by business experts and online resources often misleads aspiring entrepreneurs into the belief that perfection is paramount. However, how can perfection be achieved without the practical experience to validate it (not that perfection is ever achievable)?

Adding to this challenge is the psychological aspect—doubts about one's ability to deliver effectively without having it all perfectly assembled. This doubt often intertwines with the imposter syndrome, a common companion in the early stages, causing one to question, "Why should anyone hire me?"

My response is grounded in my experience that if someone is immersed in something that taps their innate talents and drives them, they'll figure it out as they go.

Even during my most earnest quests for perfection, my true lessons and business direction emerged while in the field. With each new client, I honed my skills further. I learned that my imposter syndrome gradually waned with every experience, and each achievement bolstered my confidence.

So, if you've been hesitant about launching a business, or if you've been held back by the belief that everything must be perfect from the start, the key lies in understanding what you bring to the table and the value you believe you can deliver, and then putting it to the test.

As you forge ahead, keep in mind that your niche, website, and marketing strategies are all iterative processes that develop in sync with your journey.

And if you're currently seeking guidance in the exciting pursuit of discovering and launching your business, I extend a warm invitation to explore our offerings at innercompasscoach.com. You've got this!

Danielle

Yet the fear of change can be a powerful force, keeping them anchored to familiar yet unfulfilling careers. This is because the human brain is wired to seek the familiar, making uncertainty a trigger for anxiety and sometimes even a sense of paralysis.

However, from my own journey and working closely with clients, I've come to understand that the path to career transformation starts by recognizing the gap between the desired manifestation of our innate gifts and the reality of our day-to-day professional life. This process might entail recognizing and grieving missed opportunities and understanding that even seemingly comfortable employment situations might be in need of a change. While many try to make their current situation work, there comes a pivotal moment when the realization hits - this isn't serving them anymore.

Once someone make these acknowledgments, it helps when they allow themselves to envision a life where their gifts are fully expressed – contemplating how it would look and feel different. The purpose of encouraging my clients to envision a different life is to help them connect with the possibilities that can overshadow the comfort of their current work situation. If an individual can envision what is possible, it's easier to move forward, even if the path isn't clear yet. 

Furthermore, the career transition process involves researching and exploring various avenues for career or business changes that would allow my clients to bring their gifts to the forefront.

What continues to astonish me is the transformative power of this journey. Our minds transform when we imagine new possibilities, and research and test our different options. The daunting unknowns that previously led to paralysis evolve into clear, more secure career and business prospects.

This shift marks the turning point between feeling lost in a sea of choices and confidently selecting a path through careful exploration and diligence.

And that's why many of our clients ultimately take the leap toward career or business options that better align with their core drivers.

Remember, you don't have to navigate this journey alone. At Inner Compass, we specialize in coaching both individuals and groups, guiding them through the process of rediscovering their core drivers to identify more fulfilling career or business opportunities.

Check out our offerings at our website innercompasscoach.com to learn more.

You've got this!

I'll be honest—my journey wasn't without struggles. Each time I had a new idea, I would dive in headfirst, eager to share my new venture without doing thorough research, testing my concepts, or ensuring they truly aligned with my goals.

After my first failed venture, the question from friends and former coworkers, "What do you do?" would fill me with a sense of embarrassment, feeling like I was aimlessly bouncing around without direction.

But every failure brought hidden blessings. I gained invaluable insights into different business models and built connections across various fields.

Looking back, I can pinpoint three critical mistakes I made when starting my former business:

1️⃣ Creating businesses without fully considering my true self and leveraging my strengths.

2️⃣ Falling in love with the idea of a company, but not being genuinely passionate about the entire career it created for me—the roles, responsibilities, and tasks within my business.

3️⃣ Responding to the question "What do you do?" with something definitive, instead of honestly sharing, "I'm testing some business ideas to see what's the best fit for me," and seeking clients to test my products or services.

But hey, I've learned from my missteps, and I'm here to share my insights.

If I could do it differently, here's how I would avoid these three common mistakes:

1️⃣ I would only test business ideas that align with my core drivers and leverage my strengths.

2️⃣ I would conduct thorough mini-tests before a full launch, allowing me to determine if the business was the right fit for me and to ensure financial viability (a mini test is when you have ideal clients test your products or services to give you feedback).

3️⃣ When exploring a new business concept, I would honestly tell people that I'm in the testing phase, rather than projecting false confidence of launching a business that I wasn't sure would stick. If the person might be my ideal client, I might even invite them to test my product or service.

The pivotal difference that sets Inner Compass Coach apart from my previous ventures is the extensive informational interviews I completed with other career coaches to gain their insights about the business and industry before I launched. Moreover, I tested my services on clients without charging to gather feedback, confirming my passion and the company's financial viability. This ensured that when I did launch, the company was truly aligned.

So, if you find yourself in a similar situation, remember—it's never too late to test the waters and start the right business that truly aligns with who you are.

Embrace the lessons from your experiences, and don't hesitate to seek guidance. Visit innercompasscoach.com to learn more. 

The days of pensions and tenures at a single company are long gone. While certain fields like accounting, nursing, and law may offer relative stability, even the tech industry, which was viewed as "stable" just two years ago, has experienced its share of instability.

While some industries such as healthcare and consumer staples are expected to persist regardless of economic fluctuations, our ability to predict labor market trends is challenging due to economic, health, and geopolitical factors. 

In such a dynamic landscape, the key is to stop focusing on job security, and instead focus on what we can control, which is our employability. Our employability is our ability to move around the labor market and find employment.

Ways We Can Improve Our Employability

One area that we can prioritize is our mental health and well-being. By nurturing our mental health, we can more effectively tackle challenges head-on. This, in turn, enhances our performance, boosts our confidence, and improves our relationships with others - all qualities that contribute to job retention or finding new opportunities.

It is worth noting that job instability can have a negative impact on mental health, and conversely, positive mental health can influence job stability. Therefore, it is essential to establish habits and routines that foster a healthy mindset, regardless of external uncertainties.

Another factor in achieving employability is continually growing our skills. I have found that individuals who stay informed about industry trends, invest in training, and obtain relevant certifications tend to stay ahead of the curve and become more competitive in the job market.

That's why it's never too late to enhance our skill set, but being proactive about it (e.g. getting a certification when our work is relatively stable) rather than reactive (e.g. due to facing layoffs) makes it easier.

Building and nurturing professional networks is also important for employability. We know that companies or departments are more likely to hire individuals they know, like, and trust.

By actively cultivating relationships within your field or fields that interest you, you can develop relationships with others who might know of job opportunities.

We Can Help You Build Resilience and Find The Clarity For The Ideal Career Path.

While researching labor market trends such as job growth can be valuable, it is important not to solely rely on external factors. That's why at Inner Compass Coach, our main focus is on self-discovery, providing guidance to individuals to help them clarify the talents and skills they want to emphasize and their career next steps.

We also recognize the importance of fostering positive mental health to support our clients in feeling more confident through transitional periods. Additionally, we prioritize the significance of relationship building and networking, equipping our clients with the essential skills to navigate opportunities with ease.

Our comprehensive approach encompasses self-awareness, mental well-being, and the cultivation of strong professional connections, empowering individuals to thrive in their chosen paths. Through our offerings, we empower individuals to increase their employability skills and navigate the dynamic job market with confidence. To learn more, visit: innercompasscoach.com. 

Ultimately, our employability comes from our own commitment to flexibility, self-growth, and resilience. So, I encourage you to embrace the challenge, invest in yourself, and take charge of your professional journey.

I often get the question, "Should I quit my job to start a business?" This is a complex question and I'll try to answer it taking the nuances into consideration. In short, there are four questions I like to ask:

1. How much savings do you have set aside?
2. How much will it cost you to live?
3. How much will your business cost?
4. Is your current work supportive in starting a business?

When working with clients, I inquire about their savings and urge them to consult with a financial advisor, if available, to determine their cost of living. While it's possible to reduce expenses, many clients are hesitant to do so, making it important to have a clear understanding of their financial situation.

While it takes some time to determine what business to start, generally, a service-based business often requires less startup capital compared to product-based or retail businesses. Since service-based businesses rely on utilizing your existing skills and talents, you can often launch them with minimal upfront costs. However, product and retail businesses, that require financing will often require you to have income or assets to leverage against your loan, so maintaining your current job or having a job might be important in these circumstances. Therefore, having enough money to cover living expenses is crucial, and additional cash, income, or assets may be necessary for product or retail businesses.

Another aspect to consider is whether your job supports your business aspirations. If you despise your current job and possess sufficient savings and financial flexibility, quitting may be worth considering.

On one hand, having savings that allow full investment in your business can provide dedicated time and resources, potentially leading to a faster launch. This approach enables wholehearted focus on the venture without job-related distractions. However, it's important to recognize that building a profitable business takes time, and there may be a period of uncertainty before achieving financial stability. If you can handle the stress of not having income for some time and commit to launching quickly, this can be a great option.

On the other hand, if you enjoy your job, starting a business or side hustle while still working is viable, especially if you have several hours each day to dedicate to building your business. This approach ensures financial stability during the early stages of your venture. Although juggling a job and a business requires managing divided time and energy, prioritizing security and peace of mind by maintaining a job can help alleviate financial stress.

Over the years, I have observed three job possibilities that allow my clients to build their business successfully while maintaining balance:

1. Some clients choose a job that is relatively easy and allows them to sustain their business financially. This is particularly common among clients who have been in their current job for a significant period (and are potentially bored with it). They possess extensive experience and expertise in their job, allowing them to handle it effortlessly.

Alternatively, they may choose an administrative position that aligns well with their skills and presents relatively low complexity. This strategic approach grants them the valuable resources of time and energy, which they can then invest in launching and expanding their business.

2. Another strategy is gradually reducing their working hours in their current job to part-time or ¾ time. By freeing up more time and energy, they can dedicate themselves to their business. This approach allows for a smoother transition and ensures they have sufficient resources to sustain themselves while building their business.

3. Some clients opt for a job in the same field or industry as their business.

Some clients opt for a job that is in the same field or industry as their business. For example, I've seen career coaches work at college and universities while simultaneously building their own private practice. This approach enables them to gain valuable skills and expertise in their chosen field while developing their own business. It provides a supportive environment for growth and helps them establish themselves as professionals in their industry. However, it's important to ensure there are no conflicts of interest between your job and your business. If in doubt, consult an attorney.

If you decide to work a job while starting your business and your goal is to eventually work full-time in your business, it's important to have a clear transition plan. Set specific goals, timelines, and milestones to gradually reduce your reliance on the job income and shift your focus more towards your business. This ensures that you're actively working towards building your business full-time while maintaining financial stability.

If you decide to work a job while starting your business and aim to eventually work full-time in your business, it's crucial to have a clear transition plan.

Set specific goals, timelines, and milestones to gradually reduce your reliance on job income and shift your focus toward your business. This ensures that you actively work towards building your business full-time while maintaining financial stability.

The decision to have a job while starting a business depends on individual circumstances, financial situation, risk tolerance, and goals. I encourage you to evaluate your options carefully and choose the path that aligns best with your entrepreneurial vision, providing necessary support and resources for success.

You've got this!

Attorneys who work with us are typically employed at prestigious law firms and come to discover they have limited growth opportunities. Or on the flip side, they debate if they even want to make partner.

The common themes that we see are burnout, an internal debate about leaving the law, frustration over billable hours, and long hours.

Many attorneys share that the compensation is great, the work can be intellectually stimulating, and they like the prestige. These are the things that contribute to the ambivalence about leaving.

Of the clients we work with, half of them end up making a pivot and the other half end up using their transferable skills to change careers.

The attorneys we work with who remain in the law:

1. Will share they like being an attorney, but either don't like where they work or want to change their area of focus.
2. Want to try something "more meaningful" such as working for the public defender, district attorney, judge, or a firm that focuses on public advocacy.
3. Start their own firm.

If a person is not ready to leave the law, they will often ask, "How can I find a career within the law that doesn’t work me to death, but can still make money?"

In short, we have found that our clients who move in-house or transition to the government find the best balance. There are the occasional attorneys who move to smaller practices that value better work-life balance as well.

For those who start firms, they love the freedom to work with clients they like, when they like, and to be more creative and strategic in their work.

We’ve seen clients start real estate, small business, estate planning, patent/copyright law, and divorce law practices. We even had a client become a mediator and start a business teaching continuing education units for lawyers on the side.

For our clients who move into contract positions, while they may or may not find the work interesting, they love the freedom to choose the work they take on and the hours they work.

The attorneys we work with who leave the law:

1. Typically never enjoyed practicing law and felt pressure to go into that career (perhaps by their parents).
2. Discover it's not the best use of their time or talents.
3. Want to move into a different career entirely, giving them the opportunity to be more of their true selves in their work.
4. Use their transferable skills in their new career and perhaps develop their under-used skills entirely.

Clients who are skilled and enjoy the multitasking of practicing law have shifted to project, program management, or operations.

We’ve also seen clients who are passionate about educating others move to higher education or training and development. We've also had clients who like using their legal skills, but no longer want to practice law move into business development, strategic planning, compliance, employee relations, and negotiation management for corporations.

If you’re thinking about leaving the law, please know that there are many options within and outside the law that could be a better fit — you’re not stuck.

You can find careers that are more meaningful, and you can also find positions that offer a better work-life balance. 

You've got this!

So you got a call for an upcoming job interview. Congratulations! Now, here’s what to do next that most of us don’t think about — ask questions! Check out our YouTube Video here.

Standing out in an interview is about more than just what you know - it’s also the effort put into preparing. By asking questions before your interview, you give yourself the chance to prepare beforehand successfully, as well as showing the company the forethought that you would use if you were hired for the position. 

In addition, asking questions allows you the opportunity to learn more about the company itself and make sure it is a good fit. People often think that once they are invited for an interview, they are at the whim of the company that is hiring them. When interviewing, there is an opportunity to get to know the company as well. It goes both ways. So not only do you want to use the questions below to prepare for the interview, but it’s a way for you to get to know the company as well and to understand if they are invested in your success. 

Below are a few questions to ask the HR rep, so you can best prepare:

1. “What type of interview will this be?” 

There are a variety of interview types that job seekers run into. Below are a few common examples to look out for, and what they mean for you:

If it’s a phone screening, it means that you just need to prepare the basic questions such as "Tell me about yourself", and "Why are you looking to leave your current position?" The purpose is for you to make a strong impression and get invited to meet with the hiring manager. 

If it’s a technical interview, the company wants to test your technical skills to ensure you have the skills to fulfill the needs of the position. Ask the interviewer what types of questions you will need to answer if your interview is technical so that you can practice. 

If it’s a panel interview, the idea is to meet with members of a team all at once so they can get an impression of you first-hand. The idea is to be you and demonstrate what you are like in a group dynamic. 

And if it’s a behavioral interview, the company is going to ask concrete questions about your past work experiences to get a sense of how you might work through different scenarios if they were to hire you. You will want to prepare interview responses based on the job description for which you are interviewing. 

2. “What questions might be asked?”

Instead of trying to plan for a guessing game, why not get to the heart of the matter, so you can prepare for the questions they might ask of you

 3. “Who will be interviewing me?”

Try to find out if they know who will be interviewing you - you can get information to research your interviewees further on LinkedIn or the staffing page of the company's website. Take some time to learn about their background, so you can tailor your interview responses based on what might be important to them.

For more tips and tools on how to prepare for your upcoming interview and to decide which interview stories to share to best demonstrate your expertise, come join me this Thursday from 10 AM- 12 PM EST for my free workshop with Worksource Montgomery, Master Storytelling for Job interviews. 

You've got this!

Danielle

I often get questions about paying for career and business services and ways to help afford the cost of coaching. This article is to help answer frequently asked questions about paying for the cost of coaching and the different ways you might approach having career coaching paid for.

Please note, this article does not replace the need to talk to an accountant, so please consider talking to one if you have further questions.

Is career coaching tax deductible?

In short, the answer no. According to the IRS, job hunting and moving expenses are no longer tax deductible (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4128.pdf). 

However, if you are starting a business, coaching expenses are tax deductible because the IRS allows tax deductions for supports that provide further education and business training to help your business grow (https://weareindy.com/blog/is-business-coaching-tax-deductible-maximizing-tax-deductions). The key is to keep receipts and document how coaching has improved you as a business owner, and your business. 

Can I bill career coaching to insurance?

No. While we are certified career coaches and licensed counseling professionals, insurance companies do not cover the service of career coaching.

However, many clients have had their companies reimburse them for professional development. We’ve also seen Employee Assistance Programs or Health Savings Accounts reimburse for the cost of coaching.

Please consult your HR department to inquire about your employee benefits.

How do I position career coaching to be covered by my current company?

Many clients that we work with at Inner Compass Coach are not looking to change careers, but want to identify how to better manage their career and where to grow within their current company. Often, this ends up getting covered under the umbrella of professional development expenses.

Here at Inner Compass Coach, we can help you identify what motivates to your core: the talents and skills you want to hone, and how to navigate your career within your current company. 

We often find that companies who value career management and retaining employees will reimburse for these services. We have found that companies retain employees for an average of 2 years after completing our program.

What if none of the options listed above work for me?

If you find that if you cannot write off coaching to your business, nor your HSA, EAP, or employer cover the cost of coaching, consider it an investment in yourself. 

Remember, the cost of your increased work satisfaction and fulfillment is invaluable. If you go to work more satisfied because of the changes you made after completing career coaching, that is worth every penny.

My clients often report that their workplace satisfaction increases by 20-50%, which is the difference between dreading work and enjoying work daily. 

Moreover, we often help clients negotiate their salaries at the top of the payment bracket based on our research, which can often cover the cost of coaching itself.

Take the example of one of our clients, who was in a grants management role at a foundation, and pivoted into a contracts manager role. Not only did she get a pay increase for the change in jobs, but we also negotiated her pay at the top of the bracket, leveraging her experience and skills to advocate for the increase. The pay increase improved her satisfaction, and it paid for the cost of coaching and more.

Career coaching describes a variety of career development services, including career discovery, job search, interviewing preparation, and cover letter, resume, and LinkedIn services. All of these are ways a coach helps their client achieve specific goals.

Career coaches can come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have education and training in career coaching through reputable organizations such as the National Career Development Association, International Coaching Federation, or Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches, just to name a few. There are also career counselors, who technically have a master’s degree in counseling, with a focus on career development, and they are trained to support the therapeutic side of career development. 

There any many out there that call themselves a coach with no training or background. I always encourage individuals seeking a coach to vet the individual and make sure they are getting value, even in the initial consultation.

Here at Inner Compass Coach (ICC), we have backgrounds in clinical counseling and/or certifications from accredited coaching programs, therefore our services are more holistic and therapeutic in nature. 

How Career Coaching At Inner Compass Coach Is Different

At ICC, we primarily focus on career discovery services — helping our clients assess if they want to change their job, career, employer, industry, or start a business.

Often our clients are mid-career professionals: senior, principal, or executive leaders who are feeling dissatisfied in their work and want support in making a more meaningful move without sacrificing their income. 

Unlike most career discovery companies, we do not focus on career assessments as our primary means of helping our clients. Instead, we use childhood memories to help our clients identify where they thrive in their career and what holds them back. Through their self-discovery, they identify more fulfilling careers or start a business.

Many of our clients who work with us love the idea of using childhood memories to guide their career change.

Career development companies often will rely on assessments to provide career suggestions, often unrealistic and not understanding the nuances of pivots, e.g. moving from a senior software developer to a product manager. Here at Inner Compass Coach, we will provide career suggestions for our clients to research, and we have the tools to help our clients do the research. 

Breaking It Down With An Example:

Take the example of our client Adam. Adam was a business analyst, feeling bored in his role.

He worked with another coach, took several career assessments, and found that the assessments organized his strengths and interests. Unfortunately, he felt that the career suggestions were overgeneralized and did not point him in a direction that would help him maintain his salary.

He also felt frustrated that his former coach didn’t understand that he didn’t want to go back to being a business analyst, but also didn’t want to make a complete career change.

When I met with Adam, we explored his childhood and career memories and learned that he was motivated to analyze situations and develop strategies based on his analysis. While his job as a business analyst allowed him to use his analytical skills, he could not tap his skills for strategizing in his current situation.

During our career research and piece of the process, I suggested Adam explore strategic planning as a potential avenue for a pivot. Adam researched and spoke with individuals working in strategic planning, and he pursued a certification.

Adam also used his network to find a position at an aerospace company, and he’s now working in a senior-level strategic planning position today and reports he is satisfied with his move. 

So, think of a career coach as a partner in your professional development and growth. With the right coach, you can maximize your career potential however you define it.

If you’re thinking about working with Inner Compass Coach, here is what we can promise you:

1. We have a proven process to help you identify your career and business direction.
2. We will walk with you side-by-side as you navigate your transition.
3. Whether you choose group or individual coaching, our trained coaches will help make your next moves as clear and actionable as possible.

What we will not do:

1. We will not tell you what career you should ultimately choose. While we guide you with suggestions, you ultimately have to decide.
2. We will not find you a job. We can guide you on how to network and find the best resources in the industry to connect you with hiring managers, but ultimately, you have to do the work.

Let’s see if Inner Compass Coach could be a good fit for you. We look forward to connecting!

I obviously made some mistakes with my first two businesses because I ultimately quit. The biggest mistake of all was that I fell in love with the ideas of my former businesses, not the career that I was creating for myself. I thought the shot glass I had invented was super cool, and the marketing aspect of my marketing company was fun.

The result of this mistake was that the companies I had formed were misaligned with my core strengths. My core strengths are my ability to connect deeply with others and to repurpose what I learn and create experiences to help others grow — these strengths and drivers did not point me to a career in transportation and logistics that my shot glass company supported, nor a career in website building that my marketing company supported.

From my mistakes and from working with many business owners who made similar ones, I can state with confidence that starting a business that speaks to your strengths and core drivers is key.

If you've been thinking about starting a business or side hustle, I'm going to be presenting a free online workshop Be Your Own Boss on Thursday, April 20th from 11:15 AM- 12 PM EST.

I'll be sharing the 3 most common mistakes that lead to business owners quitting early, and how you can avoid them. I'll also answer frequently asked questions that often trip up new business owners such as how to register their business, get a business banking account, insurance, etc.

Basically, it's a workshop with information that I wish someone would have shared with me before I started my former businesses, and I'm excited to share it with you.

You've got this!

Danielle

I’m so good at giving others advice in making a change, but it’s hard to do it on my own.

Yes, that is true for many people. And over the next few days, I will share with you the biggest reasons why making a change on our own is so difficult.

First, if you're dissatisfied at work, you're not alone. In the State of the Global Workplace: 2022 report by Gallop, the findings shared workers are experiencing staggering rates of both disengagement and unhappiness. Sixty percent of people reported being emotionally detached at work.

Often people who are unhappy at work, whether it be a job that’s not a good fit, a terrible boss, or their business is no longer aligned with who they are, will disengage or self-protect by hiding some part of their identity. This is what we call dissociation in psychology. It’s your mind's process of becoming disconnected from your thoughts and feelings to self-protect from a negative (and sometimes traumatic) experience.

When we’ve become habituated to pulling away, disassociating, and self-protecting in our work, it’s hard to re-engage again because our mind has become used to it. So, while it’s easy to give others advice or coaching, it’s hard to do it for ourselves, and we need the support of others to pull ourselves out of these mental habits.

To make a successful career or business transition, it’s important to ask reflective questions that help you get to know yourself again and take meaningful action through conversation and testing the waters that helps you get the clarity you need to move forward, to move you away from the dissociation you’ve been experiencing in your work. When we get stuck asking ourselves these questions, it’s helpful to have someone to bounce ideas off and to support us when moving through our blocks.

That’s why we’ve opened the digital doors of the Inner Compass Community! Our unique group coaching program is for mid-career, senior leaders, executives, and business owners who want to reignite the fire within by using childhood memories — and identify more fulfilling careers or business opportunities through the support of a coach-led community.

Our aim is:

\u2727 To use childhood memories to help you rediscover what drives you, your innate talents, and to uncover the parts of you that want to be expressed in your work

\u2727 To have experienced coaches and the support of other professionals, to help you work through bottlenecks as you work through your transition

To learn more, visit our website at innercompasscoach.com.

You've got this!

Danielle

In 2017, I started working with my mentor Kathleen Ammalee Rogers (Amma) who taught me to explore my calendar from energetic perspective. To summarize, exploring my calendar from an energetic perspective meant reflecting on whether my weekly and daily appointments/engagements energized or depleted me?

Prior to working with Amma, I had learned the typical calendar advice of taking my monthly goals and breaking them down weekly, adding strategies and tactics to accomplish them, and evaluating my habits to support my goals. All the typical calendar advice was great, it was just that connecting with my calendar from an energetic perspective was new to me and it was working!

I began to look at my calendar once a week, and ask myself questions such as:

1) Am I using my time optimally for productivity based on my body's natural rhythm?

2) Do I have enough time for self-care? Eating, exercising, and resting?

3) Do I need to add or remove anything from my calendar?

4) When is the best time for me to tackle the tasks I don't enjoy doing?

Not that this alternative approach ignored my goals or doing the tasks I don't like, it just helped me look at the balance between my work and life, so it didn't get overwhelmed with work.

As a result, I started finding better balance in my calendar, saying no to what no longer served me (or punting it to when things were less busy), and finding myself more proactive than reactive with my time.

I hope these questions and this perspective helps you too!

You’ve got this!

Danielle

As a trained therapist, I've seen several therapists myself over the years- many trained in talk therapy, which is a process of talking through problems by identifying the source of the issue and developing solutions to move forward (talk therapy is what is typically portrayed in movies or tv).  

I remember after leaving a talk therapy session where I'd would analyze my past with my therapist, I would leave in a spin of overthinking an issue, which didn't calm my nervous system.

Then in 2012, when I was pursuing my social work licensure, I started learning about somatic therapy (Soma is the Greek word for body). Somatic therapy includes different practices to release stress from the body, such as meditation, visualization, dance, and movement. 

A Background of Somatic Therapy

To provide some brief background, Somatic Therapy was started by Wilhelm Reich, a student of Sigmund Freud in the early 1900s, who believed that the body should be involved in psychotherapy and that repressed emotions can be seen in body language and movement (picture a person carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders). 

Peter Levine, currently one of the leading psychologists in the somatic therapy field, realized that when people go through stress or trauma, they store the energy of those experiences in their body. If that energy is not released, it will cause dysregulation (picture someone who is about to explode after taking on years of stress).

The purpose of somatic therapy is to use the body to process negative experiences and emotions, thus releasing the energy trapped in the body.

An example of somatic practice for me looks like sitting in a quiet space, closing my eyes, and paying attention to my body to notice where my energy is blocked and then spending time with the sensations, and asking questions to get information.

It seemed counterintuitive because I thought I would come to better conclusions through talk therapy- thinking about my past and developing solutions. Instead, I found through somatic practices like the one I shared above, I was getting better outcomes such as releasing stress and anxiety by using my body and finding more mental clarity.

I can compare my somatic practices to someone who uses exercise or movement to release stress. Imagine being able to feel similar effects to the "feel good" endorphins after the workout, and in addition, finding more clarity on issues that you’re struggling with. 

While I'm working in a coaching capacity these days, opposed to clinical therapy, I enjoy using somatic practices with my career coaching clients who need to find the answers to deeper questions such as, "Should I move?", "Should I accept a job offer?", "How should I handle this situation with my boss?", and find that analysis or talk therapy isn't working for them.

While somatic practices aren't for everyone, especially for individuals who are uncomfortable experiencing their feelings or being in their body, for those who want to tap a different side of themselves and try it, I'm going to be sharing some exercises this Sunday from 8-9 PM EST, 6-7 PM MST over Zoom. I hope you can join us!

Have a great President's Day weekend!

Danielle

I can remember the number of times in my 20s and 30s where I would sit with stress, not sure how to comfort myself. \ud83d\ude25

Whether my stress was acute or chronic, I'd quickly resort to trying some strategy, such as taking a walk, calling a friend, or eating a chocolate, to ease the situation. More often than not, it would be a bust for the strategy to work.

To better support myself with stress management, I attended a conference in 2014 focused on finding work-life balance. The facilitator suggested using stress-reducing strategies, such as getting my nails done, going for a massage, or having a self-care day.

I admit, the suggestions annoyed me. For example, if I’m feeling lonely, and I need connection, getting my nails done is not likely going to help in the longer term (at least not for me).

I had a lightbulb moment \ud83d\udca1 — What occurred to me was that none of the suggestions got to the core of the root issue or understanding my unmet needs that were causing the stress or discomfort.

I realized that by stepping back when I'm experiencing an uncomfortable feeling, the act of asking myself, "What do I need?", could really help me find clarity on what to do next.

I’m not saying that identifying my needs is always easy, because sometimes it requires removing mind clutter and processing my feelings, to eventually get to the point where I can identify my unmet needs. And even though I have developed the tools over the years to better identify my needs, I can't meet all of them. But at least the acknowledgment of my needs eases the discomfort.

It occurred to me that I needed to start with the heart of the matter that often causes stress — identifying our unmet needs. That's why I'm starting my 9toThrive Program this Sunday from 8-9 PM by sharing some exercises on how to get to the core of what we need to find better clarity and focus.

Regardless if you are interested in the 9toThrive Program or not, next time you’re hitting a bottle neck or feeling some discomfort ask yourself, "What do I need?" because you might just find you get more clarity and a better solution with this one question alone.

You’ve got this,

Danielle

I have attended many personal and professional development programs because of my background. Sometimes I gain self-insight or learn new strategies, but rarely do I find I get both. And on rare occasions, I experience deep transformation during that program.

The struggle is after I leave these programs; I find myself unable to replicate the experience outside that personal/professional development setting. And while reflection, strategy, and transformation are helpful, rarely have I learned the tools to do so on my own, unless I've then registered and paid thousands of dollars to become a facilitator in that modality (a very good business model for sure).

The frustration with this is that it creates an atmosphere of dependency on that organization or a person who I've experienced the self-insight, strategy transformation with to get more. It's not that I don't believe that we should not have any mentors, coaches, or therapists, because we need outside support to see within — it's just that the focus of these industries should be on moving away from this dependency model we've created.

What if these programs taught participants the tools to deliver their own transformation for years to come after completing the program? And making it so that participants don't have to spend thousands of dollars to become a coach or therapist because they've affordably learned the tools to become their own coach, therapist and strategist.

I aim to change this dependency model with the launch of my 9toThrive Program. The 9toThrive Program is for leaders who want to learn the tools to identify who they are, what they need, and how to make aligned decisions from their self-awareness. 9toThrive participants meet twice a month for group coaching (times and dates TBD).

If you're interested in speaking further, it would be my privilege to get to know you better and to see if it could be a good fit.

You've got this!

Danielle

Back in 2016, I was working with a client who had left a position at a company where his supervisor was abusive and as a result, his confidence went down the drain.

At the time, I was learning about using rituals and ceremonies in my coaching practice from fellow psychologists and clinical social workers. I conducted a "Letting Go" ceremony for myself, releasing a relationship that no longer served me, and I used something similar for this client, with his permission, to let go of his traumatic work situation.

We pushed all the furniture to the corners of my office, dimmed the lights because we couldn't use candles, and sat in the middle with paper and a trash can. I had my client write quick notes about what had happened to him while simultaneously saying, "I'm letting go of..."

He eventually ripped up each piece of paper containing all the perceived harm that he had experienced and, toward the end of the ceremony, we transitioned to reclaiming what he felt had been taken from him. E.g. "I take back my confidence."

It was cathartic for him to move all the frenetic energy that had kept in his body for so long, and he could release a layer of the hurt and shame.

It's been a while since I've done a Letting Go Ceremony with a client or for myself. I miss facilitating them because they are incredibly impactful (so much so that I taught a continuing education class called 'Using Rituals and Ceremonies in Your Career Coaching Practice' for the Maryland Career Development Association Annual Conference in 2018).

Ceremonies are as natural to human beings as breathing — we have used them to mark occasions such as births, milestones, and grief and loss. I think ceremonies are important psychologically because they can help us make sense of our experiences, and allow us to open up in ways that we normally don't give ourselves permission to do.

That's why I'm going to be facilitating a Letting Go Ceremony this Sunday from 8 to 9 PM EST via Zoom (free of charge). The focus of this ceremony will be to release what has negatively affected us both personally and professionally in 2022 and reclaim the lost parts of ourselves, our psyches that want to be expressed moving forward in 2023.

For those who have never worked with me before, I tend to be psychology focused and practical, but this ceremony might seem a little more woo-woo if you haven't built a practice of going deeper within (in a good way). If you'd like to join me, send me a message saying, "I'm in" and I'll send you the details. Happy New Year, my friend!

All the best,

Danielle

Hello everyone,

I know I’ve been quiet recently, and that's because I’ve been detoxing a bit from social media and taking some time to reflect. I've needed to get away from the noise- buy this, do this, tips and tricks, and so forth. To be quite candid, I didn't want to add to it because I prefer to share when it feels meaningful to me. In order to take space from the noise and get clear on my vision for 2023, I've been meditating through movement and practicing various journaling exercises.

One of my favorite exercises that I’ve been doing is sitting on my living room rug with my journal, putting on meditation music, and using the writing prompt: What do I want? After I write my first answer, then I use a counseling technique to take my insights even deeper by asking “why” or “how come” and then write the next thing that comes up for me. Then I take that answer and ask “why” or “how come” and take it even deeper.

Please note, in between my questions, I'll put my right hand on my heart, my left hand on my stomach, and close my eyes as I ask the questions listed above, and when my answer comes to me, I'll open my eyes and write it down. The reason I close my eyes and put my hands on my heart and stomach is that it engages the mind, heart, and intuition, which allows for more clarity to come in.

The reason I love this exercise is that it helps me move beyond my surface-level thoughts and bring my subconscious forward. With all the noise out there, it helps me quiet everything and hear that one voice that needs to be heard above all others- to help me understand what I truly want and need. From that space, I'm finding clarity and direction as I'm entering 2023.

Happy holidays and Happy New Year!

Wishing you all the best,

Danielle

By Danielle Roessle, LCSW, GCDFI, CCSP

Over the last few months, we've watched interest rates skyrocket and job layoffs with companies such as Twitter, Shopify, and Meta. For many people, fears of a recession are creeping in. Interestingly, job growth is still relatively strong, with 261,000 jobs added to the labor market last month.

Even though the labor market is technically growing, I have noticed a recent trend that our clients are not as likely to leave their company, and instead, are finding ways to improve their current situation — by requesting to change certain responsibilities and tasks within their current role, or moving to a different department and seeking a different role within their company.

Our clients have reported that finding ways for internal career development within their company provides a bit more job security during a time of uncertainty while still allowing for skill growth and increased job satisfaction.

For example, we recently had a client who thought they would leave their sales career altogether and instead, pivoted into training and developing within their current company and feels more satisfied.

Often, our clients believe they are stuck in their current role, but in reality, once they have clarity on what they want and need, with the right conversations with key stakeholders, they can make small shifts in responsibilities and tasks that result in increased career satisfaction.

Keep in mind, it's expensive to have to train and onboard new employees, so companies have an interest in retaining their employees (the caveat here is that the employee meets the minimum requirements before they move internally). If there is a need to refocus on building a different skill set, sometimes there is the possibility of moving to a new department.

For example, I was working with a senior leader who desired more people management experience. After some internal networking, they interviewed and were hired by a different department within their company and promoted to a management position.

For many of our clients, employers will allow professional development funds to cover the costs of receiving support with internal career development. We are happy to talk to you about how to get this type of professional development approved by your company.

You've got this!

Danielle

I've been thinking a lot about gratitude this Thanksgiving. Especially as a look at the picture that hangs in my bathroom that a friend made for me that says, “What are you grateful for?” (pictured above).

Gratitude has been a big theme for me this year because it's been an antidote to healing some wounds of my past.

To provide some context, I was bullied as an elementary school student. Because of the wounds I carried from years of peer abuse, I have a pattern of closing myself off to others. Even as an adult, I can turn inward when I’m feeling sad, lonely, or frustrated for whatever reason.

One of the best ways I find out my childhood wounds is gratitude — sharing words of affirmation, my money (I've gotten into the habit of tithing or giving a portion of my salary to charity), and acts of service to others, just to provide some examples. The reason gratitude has been such an antidote for me is because it helps me refocus my feelings, thoughts, and‌ behaviors outward (to something positive).

I'm not saying that gratitude becomes a bypass for processing my pain, but it certainly is an incredible tool to shift my focus when I notice my old patterns of withdrawing from others creep in.

For example, with my friends and family, when I focus on gratitude, I see all the love and support, and it opens my heart v. separating from others because I'm focused on my opinions or judgements. With my business, when I think about my gratitude toward my mentors, cheerleaders, supporters, and clients, I feel carried v. being on an island by myself.

Whether it be sitting down and thinking about what you are grateful for, to sharing a wall of love on your social media platforms, to donating time and money, to making cookies for someone, I suggest doing what feels authentic to you to express your gratitude.

When you spend time in gratitude, what do you notice happens with your mind, body, and heart? Do they expand? Do you notice your thoughts and behaviors shifting like I do?

Even as I’m writing this email, I am noticing my heart opening up and my body expanding.

I want to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving.

In gratitude,

Danielle

The most common thing I hear from potential clients is, “I’m stuck.“

What is stuck anyway? Some of Webster's Dictionary definitions are: to remain in a static condition; fail to progress.

I believe being stuck regarding a career change means being trapped in a set of thoughts and behavioral patterns that feel unsettling.

Unfortunately, in our society, people face many uncontrollable realities that limit opportunities for success and change. For example, a person’s race, gender, age, sexual orientation, economic class, immigration status, military status, and physical or mental disabilities can all adversely affect their job options, even though they are outside someone’s control.

In my experience, career changers feel stuck when they allow the barriers of things they cannot control to consume their focus and forget to look at what is possible within what they can control - such as their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Picture someone you know who has been in their role for 10 to 15 years and has resisted or feared making a change, even though they say it's what they want. And when a person remotely explores another option, they are quick to turn it down because they've conditioned themselves to look for what they fear. 

 In modern psychology, we understand that thoughts influence our feelings, therefore impacting our behaviors and outlook. When all we think about is what stops us from making a change, our defeated perspective becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy since we don’t leave room for any other option. Let's take the example of a job changer who has experienced ageism and allows that experience to consume their beliefs about getting hired. They will likely not make a change since they have not allowed a future possibility of anything except rejection. 

Therefore, if we want to get unstuck, we need to give ourselves the space to see what has caused us to be stuck and allow ourselves to challenge our thoughts and assumptions. When we shift our thoughts to allow the barriers outside our control and the possibilities of what we can control to exist simultaneously, we can see new options because we have lifted our blinders. 

Going back to the job changer who has experienced ageism, what if their belief is that they will get hired by a company that values them? This shift might cause feelings of confidence, and as a result, they might choose to research and apply to companies that value more seasoned employees and network with their friends who feel their company values their contributions. 

Observing your thoughts is the first step to breaking up the cycle of being stuck, as it also causes a domino effect in shifting your feelings and behaviors. Ask yourself questions about what you can control, such as, do you value your work - whether you’re offered a job or not? Do you believe in your abilities - even if your supervisor doesn’t give you praise? Do you feel good about your innate qualities - because they're still a part of you, even if someone might not acknowledge them? 

When you allow yourself to see the possibilities beyond failure, you can take back the power of your future and use it to guide the next steps in your career. 

You’ve got this!

Danielle

Yah \ud83c\udf8a ! My episode with Confessions of a Sales Pro, The Ian Selbie Podcast, has just been released!

I love that I could speak with Ian about something that is near and dear to me, which is how to determine if you should make a career change (a complete career transformation) v. a pivot (an intentional shift in your current career).

While Ian markets his podcast for sales professionals, I think this topic could speak to almost anyone who is considering some type of career change, so please listen if you're trying to determine if you should change or pivot your career.

Typically, when I speak with a potential client who needs to make a career change, they say something like, "I've in my career for years and I don't like it." OR, "I'm okay at my job, but not great at it."

The reason I know this type of client needs to make a career change is because these statements indicate they are not using their Driving Talents in their career.

A Driving Talent is something that you've been doing since childhood, that comes to you naturally, that motivates you to your core. Some examples of Driving Talents are teaching, connecting, persuading, strategizing, listening, and analyzing. For example, if your Driving Talent is for connecting others, you probably were a natural connector of your friends even as a child.

If a potential client is not doing what comes naturally to them and motivates them, the outcome will be that they don't like their career and/or they are good at it. 

When I talk to a potential client who more likely will make a career pivot, they'll say something like, "I'm bored in my job." OR "Something is missing, but I can't put my finger on it."

The reason I know this type of client needs to make a career pivot is that their statement shows that they are no longer growing in their career and that one of their Driving Talents might be under-used.

For example, a sales representative who hasn't been able to use their Driving Talent for strategy might want to pivot into business development to use it more.

So if you're unsure if you should change careers entirely, ask yourself, "Am I using my Driving Talents in my career?"

If not, it's probably time to make a complete career change. If so, but one of your Driving Talents is being under used, it's probably time to pivot. 

Please check out the podcast below using the link in the comments. I get to go deeper into this topic and explore how our childhood memories can give us insights into our Driving Talents and what motivates us deeply.

You've got this!

Danielle

Since I didn’t know what business to start, I went with my idea, and I hired my attorney friend to write a provisional patent, and I started pricing out what it would cost to produce the shot glass. 

The more I dove into it, I realized that the realities of my shot glass business differed from I thought — I was creating a job for myself that focused on operations and product fulfillment, which is not the best use of my time or motivating talents (I prefer to spend my time connecting with others and creating content). Plus, it would cost $60k to produce and ship the shot glass from China, which opened up a can of worms.

I was excited about the idea of inventing a shot glass, but I did not like the reality of executing it.

It makes sense that I was excited about the idea because I have learned through my psychology trainings that ideas can work almost like a drug high and give an instant rush of dopamine (dopamine is the chemical in your brain that gives you a sense of pleasure and satisfaction). But once that dopamine wore off, I had to deal with the realities of implementing my ideas.

I know I’m not alone is this scenario because I’ve had had potential clients seek coaching services because they started a business or pursued a career based on an idea or passion, but realities of their chosen profession differed from what they have imagined, and they were unhappy.

I’ve had to learn to reframe my thinking about my career ideas. When it comes to pursuing a business, job, side hustle, or project, it’s important to investigate the realities of executing it. I ask myself and my clients these questions:

1) Do I truly understand my tasks and responsibilities if I were to pursue it?

2) If I were to pursue this job/career/business/side hustle/project, is it the best use of my time and talents? If not, should I pursue it (because it fits in my bigger picture) or perhaps hire someone to help me?

3) Will I find the motivation to continue doing this job/career/business/side hustle/ project once the novelty wears off? 

4) If I were to pursue my idea, how does it fit into the bigger picture?

Don’t get me wrong, there have been many ideas I have been excited about and executed, but didn’t like the work itself, such as building my website or writing business proposals to get a contract. The difference is that overall, I like my day-to-day job that I’ve created for myself, and if I have a project that isn’t as fun, I’m motivated to complete it because it helps me move toward my bigger picture goals.

You’ve got this!

Danielle

"Danielle, you should go to grad school because you only have a bachelor's in social work."

"Danielle, now that you've graduated with your master's, you should get a job in your field."

In all honesty, a lot of these "shoulds" steered me in directions that did not serve me.

I rushed into a master's program that wasn't the right fit, and when I left grad school, I did not know what I wanted to do because I didn't connect with my degree or training.

I applied to anything that sounded remotely interesting because I "should", and I’m embarrassed to admit that I crashed and burned every time I interviewed — I could not express where I envisioned my career because I did not know what I wanted.

I ended up taking the first position offered to me: a case manager coordinating Medicaid services for developmentally disabled adults.

And you know what happened?

I was terrible at my job! The position highlighted all my weaknesses, such as not being attentive to detail (which the job definitely required). I missed every deadline, and the stack of paperwork on my desk kept piling higher.

While my self-esteem took a hit, this was a great learning experience for me because it helped me reflect on what I truly needed from my life and career, not what I "should" do.

I know I'm not the only person who has experienced self-disconnection because of "shoulds," societal norms, and pressures. I see it happen all the time with my clients who pursued career paths that aren't a good fit because of external pressures.

What I had learned is that I had to put the pressures aside to determine my wants and needs and separate them from what others want for me.

My continuous doorway to self-connection is revisiting different aspects of my childhood to understand my patterns — where I thrive, what holds me back, and what motivates me deeply.

Reflecting on my childhood has allowed me to see the parts of me that external pressures have not influenced to be something or do something that I don't want.

By honoring the genuine parts of me that desires to be expressed in my work does not mean that I don't accomplish the societal "shoulds" such as making money, I'm just doing it in ways that bring me joy and meaning.

Ever since that first job out of graduate school, I've selected work experiences that honor my needs at the moment, and when a job no longer serves me, I reflect, identify what I want and need, and move forward.

Of all the "shoulds" in my life, the only one that I've learned is most important is that I should honor myself.

You've got this!

Danielle

I felt bombarded by the messages that one person, career, or role (like parenthood), would eventually meet my needs from an early age.

When I've moved into absolute thinking — such as looking for a partner to meet all my needs, the search for my "dream job", or relying on parenthood as my primary identity — I've set myself up to have a lot of expectations on the person or role, and then guaranteed disappointment when things don't go my way.

One of the lifelong lessons that I am continuously investigating is accepting the reality that myself and the world around me are constantly changing; people move on, job circumstances change, and children grow up.

Through my training in psychology, I have also learned not only to identify my needs, but to explore a variety of ways to meet them, such as self-care, friends, activities, volunteering, religious life, and other outlets.

The shift from looking to one person or thing to meet my needs to opening myself to all the different possibilities to meet my needs has been profound. I put less pressure on myself and others, and instead allow for surprising ways for my needs to be met that I never expected. For example, my career allows me to be creative in certain ways, but my pursuit of stone carving outside of work allows my artistic side to come out as well.

That's why when I work with clients, I start by exploring their needs and understanding how they can look to other aspects of their lives to meet them and not just rely on their career.

I once had a client go out country line dancing to meet her needs for both physical movement and fun, and she ended up meeting her now-life partner out on the dance floor! 

What ends up surprising my clients the most is how much joy and growth they can get from different areas in their life, in addition to their careers.

I often find that when my clients shift their dependency away from just one identity, person, or thing, they become open to the possibilities and allow a variety of areas to fill their cup.

Cheers to filling your cup!

Danielle

As a former school social worker, I've noticed that it’s only when children get older that they might start associating displeasure with trying something new — perhaps they don't relate to their studies, they aren't "good" at an activity so they stop pursuing it, or an incident shifts their sense of self-confidence.

I've worked with clients who have not developed their skills in years because of the narratives that have stayed with them.

The negative association they have with trying or learning something new is partnered with statements like “I just have too much stuff going on”, “maybe when I was younger but now it’s too late”, and “I don’t want to try something just to fail”. Many of them get into a routine of their day to day and learning, growth, and professional development get pushed to the side. While they might feel embarrassed by this, it's quite common. 

When my clients realize that they have to learn a new skill set or pursue a certification to make the career change they want, they might feel resistance, even fear, in pursuing it. 

Like my niece, my clients might be a little scared to take the first step, but once they do it, pursuing new skills becomes more fun and engaging as they get to relearn what brings them joy and what doesn’t — both of which have value in determining one's career direction.

Learning and growth are second nature to us. Sometimes we have to reconnect with it. 

This is the reason my first homework assignment is to have my clients pursue some type of playful activity they have been wanting to try or haven't done in a while- it's the idea of stretching that muscle of trying something new and making learning and change fun again. The more we stretch that muscle, the easier it is to apply learning, change, and growth to other settings in life. 

You've got this! 

Danielle

I’ve always thought the way careers are introduced to us as children is confusing.

I remember visiting my guidance counselor in middle school and seeing a poster of kids dressed as different vocations—firefighter, doctor, teacher, cook, and so on.

I also remember being asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I usually answered “teacher,” not because I knew it was true, but because having an answer stopped the conversation.

Even then, the question felt strange. It implied that I would be my job instead of simply being me. We do our vocations—but we aren’t our vocations.

Some people are lucky enough to know early on what they want to pursue. But that isn’t the reality for most of us.

That question—and that poster with kids dressed as careers—sets up the expectation that we should already know the answer, and that we should choose one career based on it. When, in reality, our systems should be helping us identify what comes naturally to us and what we do well.

Most of us didn’t grow up dreaming of careers in data science, software development, consulting, or product management. Children think in absolutes, not nuance. We couldn’t grasp what people actually do in those roles—either because we didn’t see them day to day, or because those careers didn’t even exist yet.

This is what the Truist commercial captures so well: our vocations can be extensions of the natural gifts we were born with—and those gifts can be applied in many different ways. Just like Tim, who was born with the instinct to care and offer good advice and is now a financial advisor at Truist.

Career direction is rarely as straightforward as: “Your gift is teaching, so you should become a teacher.”

More often, it looks like: “You have a gift for teaching—and within today’s job market, that might lead you to instructional design, training and development, or other paths you haven’t considered yet.”

When you focus on what comes naturally to you, you open yourself up to multiple career or business options—ones that meet your needs, use your innate strengths, and offer a sense of fulfillment. Not just one.

You’ve got this!

Danielle

In business (Agile or SCRUM methods), there's the concept of a sprint, which is a short amount of time for a team to complete a set amount of work toward a larger goal.

The problem I often see from my corporate clients is the expectation from their companies to perform sprint after sprint, with no downtime to rest and rejuvenate. If a runner were to do this, they would easily injure themselves, preventing them from racing.

I've been reading articles about Quiet Quitting. Many of these articles are completely missing the point of why workers are "quietly quitting" in the first place. 

To provide a little historical context, during the 2008 recession, many companies downsized, forcing their workers to work “lean”  — more work for longer hours on less pay. Many workers were willing to do this because of the fear of losing their livelihoods. Going back to the running metaphor, workers were expected to run sprints with zero downtime to maximize profit.  

Even after the economic downturn, the expectations of sprints continued, even though the economy rebounded because profit has historically been prioritized over people. 

In my opinion, we have a burned-out workforce, similar to a runner having shin splints because of improper training. Because of this, companies turn to lip service programs such as mental health and wellness programs, PTO (and workers feeling unsafe to take it) and forced social hours.

The reality is that people want to feel fulfilled by their work, be fairly compensated for it, have reasonable hours, and have their companies support their core needs (healthcare, childcare, family and medical leave).

I think this "Quiet Quitting" is a bounce back from the overwork and unrealistic expectations we had promoted since the 2008 recession. When profit and people are not mutually exclusive, we'll stop seeing trends like this. 

While changing broken systems takes time and advocacy, there are several areas where we can change our circumstances now to avoid burnout.

1. We have a choice in finding career options that bring us more fulfillment. 
2. We can negotiate our salaries, find opportunities that provide a higher salary, or find companies that compensate more.
3. We can search for companies that better provide for our core needs (health insurance, childcare, and medical leave).
4. We can choose to quietly quit.
5. We can find companies that allow for rest after marathons or between sprints because they have realistic expectations of their workforce. 

When we take action, even if only for ourselves (opposed to advocating for a change in legislation) companies follow the trends — the average salary for a job goes up, companies increase their compensation to retain talent, companies change their policies and plans to better meet the needs of their workforce.

I'm hopeful on many fronts because I've seen many clients make satisfying career changes and find amazing companies to work for, and I've also seen companies change policies to meet the changing trends. 

I'm also grateful for the media focusing on the trend of Quiet Quitting because it sheds light on what's broken and what we have power over. 

Ms. Williams writes, "Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family...

...But I’m turning 41 this month, and something’s got to give."

I find Ms. Williams's letter timely for several reasons.

I’m currently working with an executive at one of the Big Four consulting firms who has been with her company for over two decades. She’s now a mother of two under the age of ten, and as much as she wants to stay with her job, the demanding work schedule conflicts with her desire to prioritize her family life.

Her work circumstances make boundaries impossible because her job requires her to be on call 24/7 to respond to emergencies, and the organizational structure prevents her from hiring more people.

I, like Ms. Williams and my client, found myself in a dilemma two years ago where I knew my current business model was not permitting me to have the work-life balance I was seeking, and my burnout was getting the best of me.

Often we might love our careers or businesses, but we hit a point where things are no longer working and "something has to give".

I wish US businesses were more conducive to a balanced work life, but sometimes we have to leave what we once loved to move on to something that honors our needs at the moment.

I love that Ms. Williams shared in the vulnerable statement, "Praise to these people, but I’m going to be honest. There is no happiness in this topic (of retiring) for me. I know it’s not the usual thing to say, but I feel a great deal of pain. It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine."

I know my client is experiencing a lot of pain in leaving a company and people that she loves. For myself, I had to mourn that my past business structure was no longer working.

Yet, there is so much excitement and hope.

Ms. Williams shares that she's excited to move on to her work with Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm supporting people and businesses that she believes in.

My client is enthusiastic about the prospect of working for a small boutique consulting firm that has an organization structure and workload that permit more work-life balance.

I'm thrilled that I'm shifting to a business structure that allows me to license my materials to associates to serve clients and a workbook that lowers the barrier of access to my coaching materials. 

While Ms. Williams, my client, and I all had to give up something and experience pain and loss, we are letting something else come in (Family). My hat is off to Ms. Williams for her vulnerable piece and for sharing all the pain and excitement of this transition. I know many of us can relate.

My beloved mentor Amma, who died a year ago from cancer, was an incredible role model to me for conscious cell phone use. She used it to communicate and connect with her clients and loved ones more deeply. I'd often receive affirming text messages from her with emojis, inspiring images, music recommendations, and resources with hyperlinks to check out. 

Amma also loved using her cell phone to listen to music and podcasts that inspired her. She'd also spent long periods without it. Her favorite pastimes included sitting outside enjoying nature, taking long hikes in the woods, and camping with her son. She'd also take flow time to meditate, write her book, and do other activities from her higher inspiration.

It occurred to me I have so many choices about how I use my cell phone. Instead of unconsciously picking it up to check my Facebook or work emails fifteen times a day, I could use it to catch up on listening to spiritual lectures, reading inspiring books, and listening to meditations. Instead of dreading my text messages because I've historically hated text messaging, I could use them as an extension of my ability to connect more deeply with others.

When I drive to a new place, I can appreciate that my cell phone gives me accurate directions and that I don't have to print off MapQuest directions like I did in my early 20s or constantly pull over to read a map (although I still love my atlas).

I have found that my awareness of my cell phone use can be the difference between feeling overstimulation, or feeling self-connected and aligned.

I'm grateful that my work with my client on work-life balance has given me the privilege to explore my consciousness around my cell phone use. I have hundreds of micro-choices in a day to use it in my service, or to my detriment, and that feels very freeing to me.

1. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧- Come up with an ideal job description for yourself and list the roles and responsibilities you are seeking.
2. 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫- Identify if you have novel ideas that you would like to pitch to companies or if you like to improve on existing ideas.
3. 𝐃𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡- For smaller companies that interest you, do some research and informational interviews to explore if the company has entrepreneurially minded culture, meaning they are open to ideas and innovation. For larger companies, explore whether they have an innovation department. An innovation department is where companies collect ideas, do research and forecasting, and testing.
4. 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤- See if you can network your way into the company and connect with the right people. You might not pitch your ideas immediately; you might decide to meet over several meetings to develop the relationship.
5. 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡- It's all about timing, but the goal is to do your homework and eventually pitch one or several of your ideas. When you pitch, you want to do it to entice the company to hire you and not use you as a free consultant.

If you're entrepreneurially minded, don't squash that part of yourself or give up. It just takes a bit of time and effort to figure out where you want to apply it. You've got this!

When Louie was younger, he could easily hike for four to six miles. He was on a mission to smell and mark everything he could.

Now that he’s getting older, he doesn’t want to walk as far — he wants to take things slow and spend time really sniffing things out.

Every time I watch Louie during our walks, it reminds me to slow down.

When I was younger, I tried to get as much done as possible, feeling a sense of urgency to create a lucrative business. On the one hand, the sense of urgency helped me build the foundation for my business. On the other, I spent countless hours rewriting my website, praying my social media strategy would work, and trying fifty different ways to get my next client. I was not aware of the best use of my time.

Over time, I realized I had to slow down, step back, so that I could see the bigger picture. I also learned to track my strategies to help me determine what was a good use of my time.

Instead of working 12-hour days, I only work 6-8, and try to focus on tasks that I enjoy and that will move my business forward. When I do those tasks, I take my time to appreciate them (such as writing this post).

We often equate long hours with productivity. While that might be the case occasionally, if it's done day after day, in my experience, it turns into a lack of focus, mediocrity, or burnout. That energy wave can only be ridden for so long.

While I'm sad that Louie is getting older, I love this stage of his life. He enjoys short walks, smelling different plants, cuddling, and eating food with the few teeth he has left. I love that we've been slowing down together.

We’re blessed in the United States to have so many options — we can change our job, career employer, industry or start a business. When I speak with clients in career or business transition, they share they are overwhelmed regarding their options.

In reality, the career options are not the problem, almost every one of my clients finds a better fit in the long run. The problem is the overwhelm they experience from their negative thoughts about their career options. I call these thoughts 'The Binding Mindset' because they are the opposite of thoughts that are positive and freeing. It’s the difference of thinking, "I'm not qualified for the options I want" versus, "there are a multitude of career opportunities that could be a good fit and leverage my strengths."

Interestingly, the binding mindset is not novel to career transition — it’s like an old frenemy because we’ve all experienced it before and put up with its sh*t. For many of us, the negative thoughts experienced during a career transition will often mirror the core negative thoughts we experienced when we were children. Let's go back to the example I used above:

Adult thought- Do I have enough experience to get hired for these roles?

Childhood core thought- Am I good enough?

On the flip side, my clients will often rediscover the times when they've felt truly free in their careers, and the positive thoughts experienced in those memories will often mirror the positive thoughts in childhood memories. Referencing the previous example:

 Adult thought- I led a team through a rough business transition and we thrived, so I'm qualified for these roles. Not only am I going to apply, I'm going to reach out to someone I know to pass my resume along to the hiring manager.

Childhood core thought- I'm good at (fill in the blank).

We have learned through neuroscience and modern psychology that negative thought patterns can be reprogrammed to something positive. That’s why if we want to achieve true career freedom, it helps to reflect on where we’ve been in a bind previously, and also where we’ve experienced freedom. With that information, we can make a conscious effort to let go of the thoughts that no longer serve us, and to repeat the thoughts and choose opportunities where we feel free.

If you're looking for a summer read, and you want to explore how your childhood stories can help you experience more career freedom, check out my book The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change, which can be found on major online booksellers such as Amazon.

Cheers to more career freedom!

Danielle

I’ve been studying family systems therapy recently, and I’ve been thinking about how we turn into our parents regarding our careers. It would make sense that our parents influence our careers because they were essential in forming our beliefs about ourselves and cultivating our talents as children.

In my experience exploring behavioral patterns as they relate to career, here is what I’ve learned:

Your Parents Influence Your Beliefs for Better and for Worse- Your parents fostered your beliefs about worthiness, safety, security, money, risk, work ethic and more. There are some of your parent’s beliefs that serve you, while others hold you back in your career — some that you’ve taken on as your own, while there are others you let go.

I worked with a nurse who loved her field but disliked how her company evolved over the years. As a boomer who grew up poor, she valued job security, which is why she stayed at her company longer than it served her. She realized that her beliefs about scarcity and security — instilled by her parents, who survived the Great Depression and WWII  — were no longer serving her career, and a big part of her journey was letting go.

Your Parents Cultivate or Stifle Your Innate Gifts- There are some parents who recognize their children’s innate gifts, and they harness them from a young age. And for those who are lucky enough to have parents who do this, they might pursue a path that allows them to develop expertise using their gifts. It doesn’t mean they don’t hit hiccups or feel the need for support along the way. It usually means they make career pivots instead of overhauls.

On the flip side, some parents believe that certain innate gifts are not valuable, and therefore, their children only use them in their free time or not at all, and their children learn to believe there is no value in them either. For these future adults, they often pursue careers that are a poor fit. Even if the career is an alright fit, they felt a lack of choice in their past, and they need a reflection process to reclaim their choices.

We worked with a client who was an incredible illustrator but took the path of computer science because their parents believed that computer science was lucrative and would provide job security. My client hated computer science, and his journey with us was in the discovery that he could turn his talent for illustration into a lucrative path.

You Might Share the Same Innate Gifts as Your Parents- If you look at your parents/guardians, what were/are their innate talents- creative, artistic, strategic, analytical, or something else? You might find that your talents are similar, and pursuing a career path that allows you to use those underlying talents is your best option.

We worked with a client who was a retail store manager who felt they were in the wrong career. When we explored their innate gifts, we learned they were analytical and good at making sense of contrasting information, just like their dad. They pursued a career in data science and, interestingly, their dad's career had a lot of overlap with data science.

There’s merit in reflecting on your family's beliefs about life and career because you might find that certain beliefs allow your career to thrive, while other beliefs will hold your career back. You might realize your parents harnessed certain gifts and repressed others. The gift of being an adult is that you can choose the beliefs that work for you and let go of those that don’t. You can also make career decisions that allow you to spend more time using your innate gifts. And for those who are parents (or future parents), this exploration can lead to making fulfilling changes, correcting the past, and being a more aligned role model for future generations to come.

If you want support in this reflection process, check out my book, The Inner Compass Process on Amazon here, so you can learn how you can use your childhood memories to guide your career change. 

I’ve found the human mind often believes that with growth must come insecurity — that is because our minds are designed to keep us safe and to maintain homeostasis. Often when people contemplate change, there isn't enough data to make an informed decision. For some people, this encourages the imagination to contemplate extremely bad yet unlikely outcomes, causing more anxiety and stress than is helpful, leading to inaction and further stagnation. 

So, what do we do with our overactive mind when it comes to career change? I find the best way to proceed is to give yourself permission to gather more information and explore your options, without the need to make a decision.

For career or business change, exploration could look like self-discovery, career and business research, informational interviews, taking classes, job shadowing, or volunteering. The outcomes explored could range from a career or business overhaul to a smaller pivot in our job, business, industry, or employer.

The permission to explore options allows for multiple things to happen:

1. It allows us to have our needs for learning and growth to be met more immediately without having to commit to a career change until we are ready. And when we are ready to make a change, such as taking a new job or starting a business, we choose the outcome based on our assessment that it will be a better fit and meet more of our needs, thus alleviating some of our fears. 

2. It also allows us to see the possibilities that are out there and for opportunities to unfold because we are open to them.

3. As we gather the data and information, it makes room for that inner voice. The reason that inner voice can be heard is because we are giving it options, not forcing outcomes. And when we listen to that inner voice, it's immensely powerful and affirming because we are also meeting our need of being seen and heard (it's just coming from within). That inner voice is what gives us the confidence to make a decision and move forward.

And if you would like some guidance with the career or business exploration process, please schedule a consultation with us here, because having someone else to support through the bottlenecks is so much easier than doing it alone. 

You've got this,
Danielle

Career transition can cause a lot of anxiety, yet we often forget that it is a privilege to live in a country that allows for career transition.

I remember spending seven months working in India after college and many people had no occupational choice because of their birth status. If someone was born as a commoner, peasant or servant, there was very little chance of moving up in society.

I don't want to negate anyone's anxiety or frustration around life transition whether it be professional or personal, I just want to provide a small reminder of how lucky we are to have these dilemmas opposed to fearing for our safety or other basic needs.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday with friends, family and loved ones. If you served our country, thank you. Once again, happy Memorial Day!

The debate about taking a mental health day is not exclusive to me because I know many of my clients struggle to take a day off or even take a vacation because they debate whether it will add more to their plate and if it's worth it.

I thought back to my time working at a high school in 2010, when I was working 80-hour workweeks, exhausted and burned out. It was my 26th birthday, and I went to work with a sore throat instead of calling in sick, because we could not get a substitute, and I thought it was more work to take off than to go in. I went to Urgent Care during my lunch break and tested positive for strep, went back to work after picking up my antibiotics, and continued teaching classes. It took me almost two weeks to recover from being sick. 

If my older self could speak to my younger self, I would ask, "Is my fear really true — will taking off the day be detrimental to my work? If I don't take the day off, what will be my consequences physically and emotionally?" I hope my younger self would have said, "We are always short staffed, and we'll figure it out. If I stay home, I can get over this strep throat much faster, and perhaps I won't get sick again."

The heart of the matter when it comes to taking a mental health day is evaluating our perception v. the reality of the consequences of taking time off. Are there truly negative consequences for taking time off, such as punishment from our supervisor or leadership, a delay in a project meeting its deadline, life or death, or something of that nature? Or are we afraid of our laundry list getting longer, no one else can step in and do the job as well as we can, or we might lose money or income? If there are true consequences of taking a mental health day, it might be time to reconsider where we're working, what we're doing, or how we're doing it. 

What are the consequences of not permitting oneself a mental health day? Will our physical or emotional health take a toll and impact our personal and professional lives?

On Monday, I had to explore my perceptions v. the reality of taking time off, and my conclusion was that I should take the day off. After all, the "to dos" on my plate could be handled the next day. In addition, I had to make a concerted effort to NOT think about all my "to dos" during my day off because, in my opinion, it would have been a waste of a day and not truly a mental health day only to think about what I had to do the next day.

I even took off part of Tuesday for self-care and nurturance. I'm sure glad I did because today I have the capacity to tackle what I need to and I'm feeling stronger. 

I have learned that often most career changers will go straight into action-mode or the job search, and yet very few have taken the time to process their experience. This makes sense to me because the U.S. workforce values action and achievement, not necessarily reflection.

That problem is that if a person’s negative work experience is not processed, it can bring on a subconscious level of negative thoughts about oneself or the workplace such as a lack of self-worth, confidence, trust in one’s intuition, clarity in career's next steps, which can prolong the job search or become a self-fulfilled prophecy in the next role.

What I’ve come to realize is that most career changers can’t stop thinking about the past and what went wrong at the last job, which is very different from processing what had happened to them and letting go of the subconscious thoughts that are holding them back.

The key to letting go of subconscious thoughts is to investigate their origin: the reason we had the difficulty we had in the last job was born long before the last job, or that boss. In fact, thought patterns are formed in the brain during our childhood, and they become how we understand the world. Therefore, the same difficulties we had with our parents are the same difficulties we have with our bosses. Not because our parents and bosses are good/bad people, but because the world makes sense to us when we surround ourselves with what is familiar.

The solution to not making the same mistake in the next job is to explore and release the subconscious patterns that are holding you back. That requires going back to childhood and literally rewiring our thoughts. 

There are multiple ways to explore subconscious patterns — from journaling, to reflection, to talk therapy, to my favorite, somatic therapy (a therapy to connect the mind and body).

When a previous work experience is reflected upon and subconscious thoughts are released, so much energy gets freed up to clarify the next steps, reclaim confidence, connect with intuition again, and so forth. It ultimately shortens the job search process from what could be overly prolonged because subconscious thoughts are no longer sabotaging the search.

If you’re struggling to process your last work experience, it would be my honor to work with you to let go of what is holding you back and to support you with what's next. Please click here to schedule complimentary consultation, so we can better understand what's in your way and how to move past the block.

You've got this!

Danielle

I recalled a memory of working with a marketing professional back in 2020, who decided to stay at home for four years to support her two young children. When we started working together, she had so many doubts about her resume gap and being able to re-enter the workforce at the same level. She would say things like, "Why would anyone hire me when they could hire someone who's been working this whole time.", "I'm so out of practice with my skills and I have not kept up.", "No one wants to hire someone who might prioritize her children over work."

She questioned why she wasn't getting interviews and when she did, she was not getting offers. Her lack of confidence could be observed through her body language, heard in her words, and felt in her energy. Her resume missed some key accomplishments because she downplayed them. 

We have learned in modern psychology that what you think about an event or situation triggers how you feel, and how you feel impacts how you behave.  This, in turn, can impact the situation at hand. It is certainly possible that my client's internalized biases about her career triggered feelings of apprehension, which lead to her insecure body language and vocal tone in her job interviews. 

Albert Mehrabian, a researcher of body language, found that communication is 55% nonverbal, 38% vocal, and 7% words only. I suspect that even if my former client said all the right things in her interview, every subconscious message she thought was likely imparted in her vocal and nonverbal cues. 

This is why International Women's Day is so important — public acknowledgment against gender bias starts getting people thinking and potentially taking action to make changes.  It's also a reminder that everything we do has a ripple effect, and even the smallest efforts can result in significant change.  For example, an HR leader reads a post online about the gender pay gap and encourages their company to expand their family leave policies, or a company leader decides to make a statement and create a company policy for transparent compensation practices.

I am thrilled there is a movement that is looking to challenge gender bias on a larger scale. With that being said, changing our biases as a society begins with ourselves by starting to notice what we think and how it manifests in our actions. Please do not interpret this as blaming the victim such or that I am saying that women are at fault for gender inequality. Indeed all the "isms" and discrimination in the workplace is real — It is more how do we test our biases at a subconscious level and begin change within ourselves?

While not every person wants to take on the exploration of their biases that hold them back in their career (beliefs about ageism, classism, ableism, racism, sexism, orientation, just name a few), in my decade of experience as a clinical social worker a career coach, I have found that almost everyone is open to exploring the thoughts that hold them back in their career. I wanted to share a brief exercise if you want to start the process of challenging your biases, judgements, or thoughts that hold you back. For the sake of this exercise moving forward, I'm going to use the word "thoughts" for whatever you choose to challenge:

1. Be curious about your thoughts- Ask yourself, "Where did this thought come from?" After all, your thoughts might be a false interpretation of an event or situation you experienced. Another question you can ask yourself is, "Who's thoughts are these?". You might come to realize that the thoughts might not be your own — they could be a family member's, they could be internalized from society, they could be an opinion from a friend.  

Byron Katie, one of the leading experts in changing beliefs and founder of The Work, suggests asking the questions, "Is it true?" and, "Can you absolutely know it's true?", which helps your mind question the validity of your thoughts." When you disprove your thoughts, they have less power.

In the example of my client, when I asked her to test her biased thought, "Why would anyone hire me when they could hire someone who's been working this whole time?" She realized her thoughts were a mix of a lack of self-worth from childhood, amplified by societal messages about women leaving the workforce. She disproved her thoughts by thinking about the companies that interviewed her, despite her time away, and her friends who had taken time off to be with their families and were hired by wonderful employers. 

2. Flip your thought to the positive and explore its opposite- When you explore your thoughts, try flipping it around to its opposite. While this might sound strange, this allows you to see what the reverse of your thoughts might look like. 

For example, my client's negative thought was, "My time off has hurt my ability to get a job." to, "My time off has helped my ability to get a job and perform it well." Here was her list of when she explored her opposite. 

• I practiced patience and empathy to deal with other's emotions
• I discovered how to better prioritize my time when there competing demands
• I leveled-up my ability to multitask as a mom
• I learned a ton of skills related to parenting and I can relearn the marketing skills needed to succeed in my next role

3. Continue to remind yourself of the positive thoughts that would better serve you and imagine them- Just because you try flipping your thoughts to the opposite once doesn't mean it's going to stick forever and ever. Your negative thoughts have created deep neural pathways in your brain. Your brain is made of approximately 100 billion nerve cells called neurons. Neurons have the incredible ability to transmit electrochemical signals over long distances and send messages to each other. A neural pathway is formed when the same messages are sent repeatedly; hence to change your negative thought patterns, you have to practice your new positive  thoughts again and again to create new neural pathways.

One of the best ways you can do this is to use your imagination and envision yourself in the future with your new thought- believing it and imagining it as your truth. 

In the case of my client, I had her take stock of all her accomplishments, and rewrite them into her resume. I also had her connect with her former supervisor to discuss the positive impact she had made in the workplace and visualize her doing the same for her new employer going forward. She started feeling more confident in herself again, not only because she had taken some classes to up-level her digital marketing skills, she had mastered certain soft skills as a mother that would help her be empathic and supportive of others as a marketing leader. She eventually landed a role as a marketing director at a tech firm with her newfound confidence.

While I know helping my client assisted her in getting a job, I would like to think this work had a greater impact —  I would like to think as a marketing leader, she hires other women who have stayed at home and recognize their value. Perhaps she is a supportive supervisor to a mother who needs to stay at home with a sick child, knowing that the work will get done, perhaps at 9 PM instead of 9 AM. I would like to think that my client values others because she values herself in the same way.

Now what about you? What biases, judgements, or thoughts that hold your career back? If you were to challenge those thoughts and work to adjust your beliefs, how could this manifest in positive change not only for you, but in service to others? Let us take International Women's Day a little further and start to challenge ourselves. 

I was having a phone session with a client recently, who is a head of a private school. He was sharing with me that he was feeling guilty about leaving his role that he had prepared for so many years. He couldn’t believe how burned out he was with the politics and COVID. I asked him, “Are you able to give yourself fully to this role right now?” He responded, “I work long hours and I work really hard.” We paused, and I asked him again, “Are you able to give yourself fully?” And he said no.  

At that moment, it felt right to share my experience from when I was teaching college and career classes in the public schools back in 2011. The school was understaffed, so I was working from 7 AM to 7 PM, and sick all the time with strep throat and migraines. And I couldn’t give myself fully either. 

 My students were amazing- I loved my conversations with them and watching their successes. I had a lot of guilt about leaving the school because I worried about what would happen to them. Since I was constantly sick, my energy was low, and productivity limited. In some ways, I felt like a body in a chair with my spirit hovering above, yearning for my weak physical body to join it.  

But I valued my health — I couldn’t continue with ongoing strep throat and migraines because my quality of life was pretty much at zero. I also couldn’t squelch my beautiful spirit any longer.  

I left my position at the school in 2012 to become the program coordinator at a nonprofit running young professional networking events. In retrospect, I could give myself fully at my next job and bring my gifts to the world.  

The person who stopped in my role at the school could give so much more to the students than I could. And in the end, everybody benefited- myself, my students, the new college and career advisor, and the organizations in which we served.  

At the end of our conversation, my client ended up saying to me, “Danielle, I feel fully confident leaving my role now.” 

If you were in a position where you’re feeling guilty about leaving your role, remember it’s an energetic exchange. When you’re able to be in a job where the work and culture ignite you, you’re able to give a hundred percent. And someone else will step into your role and give their hundred percent too.  

Give yourself permission to leave. 

Think about it: there are 24 hours in a day, and most of us are awake for 16–18 of them. Nearly 9 of those waking hours are spent working. If you’re considering a career change or seeking greater satisfaction in your current role, here are four steps to help you determine how you truly want to spend your time:

1. Take stock of roles and responsibilities that energize or deplete you

Throughout your day, pay attention to what you’re doing—the roles, responsibilities, tasks, and activities. Notice which ones energize you and which ones drain your energy. For one week, jot down notes in your calendar or journal. Patterns will emerge that reveal what’s working for you and what isn’t.

2. Identify the skills that energize you

Every role or task involves a skill. Which skills do you enjoy using, and which ones leave you feeling burned out? By identifying these skills, you’ll gain insight into the activities that truly align with your strengths and preferences.

3. Pinpoint your underdeveloped skills

Are there skills you’ve enjoyed using in the past but aren’t currently using in your job? Or are there skills you’ve always wanted to try? Finding opportunities to develop these underutilized skills can be a game-changer. Reflect on previous roles and consider the skills you’d like to grow or bring back into your work life.

4. Take action on what you’ve learned

Can you adjust your current role to take on more of the responsibilities and skills you enjoy? If so, have a conversation with your supervisor or make the necessary changes to better align your work with your strengths. If adjustments aren’t possible, it might be time to explore other roles within your career path—or even a completely new career path that better suits your needs and interests.

If you’d like a deeper dive into discovering the best use of your time and skills or exploring career options that fit you, schedule a consultation here. We look forward to speaking with you!

Tip #1: Informational Interviews- Talk to people about their careers through informational interviews, which are conversations with people who are in careers which interest you. These conversations will provide nuggets of information, insights, and resources about their career you are interested in pursuing. It's also how you build your network on the career path you're trying to get onto.

Tip #2: Self-Resourcing/Self Care- Often when making a career change, there might need to be healing — if you had a terrible boss, a negative work experience, or perhaps a job-related or non-related trauma. The many ways we can focus on healing and self-resourcing, such as yoga retreats, therapy, life coaching, or meditation. Bethany recommends Integrated Restorative Yoga Nidra, which was developed to address trauma.   

Tip #3: Ways to Grow at Your Day Job- Volunteer or take on stretch projects, which are projects that are beyond your level of knowledge or skill, so that you can learn and grow. See if there are other opportunities to build your skills.   

Tip #4: Share what you're learning with others- It could be through mentoring or training others, or more. It's also a great way to build your resume for whatever your career's next steps might be and develop your leadership skills.   

Tip #5: Take advantage of training and professional development- Whether it be through your company or outside professional training. Often, companies will pay for professional development that you might use for your eventual career change (as you should). It's a win-win because it improves the way you show up in your current role and allows you to build the skills and experience for your next move.   

Tip #6: Have patience and faith- Believe in yourself. The dream that's in your heart for a reason because it's part of your purpose. Just keep going and you will get there.    To learn more about Bethany, please visit her website: https://www.bethanyoconnor.com/  If you're needing help to clarify your career next steps or know a friend who could use support, please reach out for a complimentary consultation: click here. 

Recently, we have had several clients where they don't dislike anything about their jobs and work is just "okay".

The positive thing about a job being "okay" is that there is no rush to make a transition. The challenge with a job being "okay" is that it's easy to stick with the position longer than we're meant to.

I was working with an attorney back in September of 2020, who had been considering leaving her law firm for over a year. 

The law firm gave her excellent pay and benefits, but the job was just "okay".

When she started researching careers outside her current job, she decided it was easier to stay in her position and postponed career coaching.

In February 2021, she reached out and asked to resume career coaching because she felt burnt out and was ready to leave her job. 

When we were in a session, she shared that she regretted not giving herself permission to explore her career options when we were working together the prior year and that fear held her back. 

Eventually, my client made a pivot to working in-house for a company with a strong mission she felt passionate about, and she experienced more satisfaction in her work.

In the ten years I've been working as a career coach, when things are "okay" for a client, a change is inevitable — it's just a matter of when. 

If you are in a situation where things are "okay", here are some suggestions to assess if you're ready to make the move.

1. Ask yourself, "Does my job here feel complete?" And really listen within.

I share a brilliant video above with me interviewing a former client, Pastor Ken Brown, who shares about his experience making a job transition. His words are touching. In short, if you are questioning your transition, ask yourself if your work feels complete? And if the answer is yes, you're probably ready to make a career change.

2. Explore your career options.

Don't let fear hold you back. Give yourself permission to do your research. Research is research — It's not committing to making a change. You can always make the leap when you're ready, but permission is key.

3. Normalize your experience. 

Most people make a career change every seven years. If you were to compare career change to child development, look at how much growth a person has between the ages of 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35... It makes sense that your career would change as well. Even if things are "okay", it's okay and normal to want to make a change.

And of course, if you need any help, please reach out. We are here to support you through your transition.

Danielle

I was also at the end of a nine-month relationship, and I was heartbroken.

My mind was constantly spinning to find the answers to the rebrand. It was also trying to make sense of the "failed" relationship.

I had hunkered down and gone knee-deep in spiritual work.

At the time, I was involved with a meditation center that focused on movement-based meditation.

Every Wednesday evening, I would partake in a 2-hour meditation that involved dancing, moving, screaming into towels, and crying that would lead to this profound insight, this deeper knowing — my intuition.

When I tapped it, it was clear on what I needed to know and helped me connect with the truest part of myself. 

A few days after an intense meditation, I drove by a real estate company with the name Compass, and I knew instantly that my business had to have the word compass in it.

The following week during a meditation, my inner knowing shared the message, "Name your business Inner Compass."

What I find interesting is that almost five years after the rebrand, I did not name my business "Inner Compass Career Coaching", even though it would have been helpful for branding at the time. I would have never guessed that my business would grow beyond career coaching.

My business name, Inner Compass Coach, has become my calling —  I love teaching others to tap their intuition, and find true freedom and self-connection.

Do you want to find the answers to your questions and have the tools to connect with your deeper knowing? Do you want the clarity that I had when my business name came to me?

I've started a FREE weekly class to help you develop your intuition, where we will experiment with exercises and techniques to help with self-connection, grounding, and following your inner compass.

Want to join me? The next class is Friday, July 2nd from 8 to 9 AM EST/ 6 to 7 AM MST. 

Also check out my video above. I interviewed a former client, Kamyar Jarahzadeh, about his experience connecting with his intuition. His insights are profound.

You've got this!

Danielle

Dan used career conversations for the following purposes:

1. To learn more about the job and next steps

2. To ask questions about compensation

3. To identify how his skills would transfer over to a new role/industry, and learn how to talk about those skills in a new way that people would understand

If you are looking to make a career change without losing your income, Dan provided fantastic tips on to how phrase questions during your career conversations:

1. If I came to work at your company, what type of things could you see me doing?
2. At what level do you think I could work?
3. What is the title of the role you see me in? What are the roles and responsibilities I'd be doing, and what is the salary range?

Overall, Dan said that career conversations help dispel some of his fears. He also found people were more willing to speak about salary than he thought.

If you want to make a career change without losing your income, you can learn more about the Inner Compass Process by purchasing the book on Amazon here or explore coaching here. 

Yesterday was a big day for me. It was the 24th anniversary of my Bat Mitzvah and my business maturity date for Inner Compass Coach.

It's been one heck of a year with some profound moments of deep pain, such as losing my grandmother to COVID, multiple rounds of quarantine because of COVID scares, and not being around friends or family for large chunks of time because of the pandemic.

It's been a reflective year, and I've taken myself through the same process I've taken hundreds of clients through to make meaningful personal and professional changes. I've got to celebrate as well!

Here are my proud moments:

Got married

Bought a house

Published a book

Launched an online course

Hired a career coach to help scale my business

Assisted 15 seniors with applying to college

And now it's time to pause, celebrate, and share my gratitude. Many of you have been such a support throughout this amazing and rough year. I'm grateful to the bottom of my heart!

What can you celebrate in terms of your successes? Who has helped you along the way that you would like to express your gratitude to?

To learn more about celebrating your successes as a part of your career change, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

One of the biggest mistakes I made during my most recent career change was not dedicating enough time to it on my calendar.

Here's what I learned:

-I had to block off time on my calendar to work on my goals

-I had to be conscious that the time I scheduled to work on my goals, I had the energy for it (not when I was exhausted)

-30-minutes to an hour can make all the difference

-To not let anything interrupt my dedicated time

If you're looking to make a career change, what changes do you need to make to your calendar?

To learn more about making a timeline of next steps, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

For the next 21 days, I’ll be sharing my Inner Compass journey on the blog.

Want to go through the Inner Compass Process with me and explore what personal and professional fulfillment could look like for you? Read along and journal your responses to each short post.

Here’s a little secret: I was the kid who tried everything—guitar, piano, soccer, tennis, musical theater… and the list goes on. I never stuck with any one thing for very long.

For years, I saw that as a flaw.

Then I took my first business class with Chuck Blakeman, founder of 3to5 Club, and he asked us to create a business plan. I resisted hard. Planning felt rigid—like it would lock me into something I might outgrow.

But I did it anyway.

And here’s what I learned: making a plan doesn’t mean you’re stuck with it. The best plans are nimble. They give you direction without trapping you. You set goals and benchmarks, pay attention to what works and what doesn’t, and adjust as you go. Planning isn’t about perfection—it’s about momentum.

Follow-through doesn’t require stubborn commitment to the wrong thing. It requires staying engaged, responsive, and a willingness to shift. And when you reach a milestone—big or small—you pause and celebrate.

If you’re considering a career change, what might a realistic timeline look like for you? What would your major goals be along the way? Where might flexibility actually be a strength, not a weakness?

To learn more about creating a timeline that supports both clarity and adaptability, check out my new book:
The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change
https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

I had been debating about hiring another coach for my business for some time- my mind was telling me that was risky. Yet when I really listened to my inner compass, it was telling me, "Danielle, it's time".

As humans, we logic the heck out of things — but our heart, intuition, and body bring another wisdom to the equation.

If you're looking to make a career change, what can you do to build more connection with your inner compass? If you were to listen, what is it telling you?

To learn more about trusting your inner compass, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

If you want to love your work, it's important to test the waters as much as possible. A big part of testing the waters is talking to people who are in the positions you are considering.

I shared some big news last week that I'm working at the Washington Waldorf School. A big piece of finding out if the position would be a good fit was talking to the old college advisor.

I had to ask the tough questions, such as, "Is the college advisor really a part-time position or will I be paid part-time and working full-time hours?"

Obviously, her answers satisfied my curiosity, and now that I'm working at the school, I can assure you that they were spot-on.

If you're looking to make a career change, what conversations do you need to have in order to gain more clarity? What questions do you need to ask?

To learn more about career conversations, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

In order to make a fulfilling career change, it's important to give yourself permission to explore EVERYTHING, even if you're not sure it's realistic.

At the beginning of last April, I had a strong inclination to want to go back and work at my high school.

Attending my high school was one of the most transformative experiences of my life, and I knew I had always wanted to work there; yet my mind kept saying, "Danielle, you can't afford it."

I did some investigating, and I found out that the college advisor would be leaving her position. Even better, the position was part-time. I also researched ways I could scale my business, so I could take on the college advising work.

I applied, interviewed, and was offered the position.

MAKING THE CHANGE WAS ONE OF MY BEST DECISIONS RECENTLY. If I did not give myself permission to explore, I would not be working at my former high school.

What about you? What career changes have you considered and like TO EXPLORE? Remember, researching a career is NOT committing to a change. It's just research.

To learn more about career research, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

What are your Heating Up Skills, or the skills you want to improve upon because they bring you satisfaction in your work?

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>I was shocked by this most recent experience doing the Inner Compass Process because I decided that public speaking was a Heating Up Skill. Doing presentations in front of large groups makes me really nervous, yet, I'm able to reach larger audiences and have a bigger impact.

I got lucky to work with Keith Bailey and Alyce Blum, of Articulated Intelligence, because I've improved my public speaking and storytelling skills through their workshops.

What about you? What are your Heating Up Skills, or the skills you want to improve upon because they bring you satisfaction in your work?

To learn more about clarifying your Heating Up Skills, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

Want to become a better storyteller and public speaker? Check out: https://www.articulated-intelligence.com/

What are your On Fire Skills, meaning they ignite you and you want to use them everyday in your work?

One of my top skills is facilitating. I love facilitating workshops, trainings, and group coaching experiences.

Ian, my partner, shared that when he is outside my office window noticing me work, he shares that I'm expressive, joyful, and energetic when I'm facilitating.

What about you? What are your On Fire Skills, meaning they ignite you and you want to use them everyday in your work?

To learn more about clarifying your On Fire Skills, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

P.S. This is a picture of me back in 2015, when I became an instructor with the National Career Development Association.

Burnout is real! Not only do you have to pay attention to what you're doing, you have to pay attention to how much you're doing it.

One of my top skills is career coaching. I really love doing it, but only to a point. It's amazing that if I spend 1-3 hours a day career coaching, I'm golden. If I go over that threshold, I quickly burn out.

What about you? If you pay attention, what are your burnout skills? Also what are those skills that, if you overuse them, they become burnout skills?

To learn more about using the best use of your time and skills in your career, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

P.S. Here's a picture of me at the height of my burnout. I'M OWNING IT!

When you think about how you want to spend your time and skills, it's not only WHAT you're doing, it's HOW MUCH TIME you're doing it.

One of my top skills is process improvement. I define it as “To take what I have learned in psychology, career development, and self-help workshops and repurpose it for career changers.” I prefer to spend thirty percent of my time attending workshops and repurposing the content for my clients.

What about you? What are your top skills and how much time do you want to spend doing them?

To learn more about using the best use of your time and skills in your career, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

P.S. Here's a snippet of the evaluation tool I created in the Inner Compass Process to help you with this exercise.

Have you asked friends, family, or coworkers what they observe about you regarding your work?

I asked my partner when he observed me most fulfilled and unfulfilled in my work. My partner noticed I was most fulfilled during my group coaching, when I was explaining a concept or facilitating an exercise. He shared I was least fulfilled after an 8-hour day of one-on-one coaching.

My partner's observation was spot on and completely changed my work. I decided to take on an associate to assist with the one-on-one coaching and to focus my time on group coaching and program creation.

Want to try a fun experiment? Ask your friends, family, and coworkers the following questions:

1) When have you noticed me most fulfilled in my work? What was I doing?

2) When have you noticed me unfulfilled in my work? What was I doing?

See if you agree with their observations, and ask yourself if you need to make any changes.

To learn more about surveying others to help you make a meaningful career change, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

P.S. The picture is from NVC Needs Inventory.

When it comes to building a fulfilling career, it’s not just about what you do—it’s about the impact you want to make. That impact is rarely random. More often, it grows out of the core values we form in childhood.

Before we had résumés or job titles, we were already learning what mattered to us through our most contented childhood memories.

For me, my favorite memories center on adventure with my family—traveling to new places, trying new things, stepping into the unknown, and discovering what was possible. Those experiences shaped what I value: curiosity, exploration, and novelty.

That’s why the impact I most want to make through my work is facilitating new experiences for others. It’s what I’ve always craved for myself—and what feels most natural for me to offer the world. Whether in careers, creativity, or personal growth, helping someone see a new possibility is deeply fulfilling to me.

When you understand the values that formed early in your life, you can make better career choices. You’re no longer chasing roles or titles—you’re choosing paths that allow you to express what matters most to you.

So I’ll leave you with this: What values did you develop in childhood? And how might those values shape the contribution you’re meant to make in the world?

To learn more about identifying the contribution you want to make through your career, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

P.S. This is a picture of me taking my first vacation since COVID. I went to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which was really novel for me.

When it comes to finding your fulfilling career, you have to capitalize on what comes NATURALLY to you AND MOTIVATES you.

While I'm a career coach, and guiding others is a natural gift, it doesn't motivate me. I definitely do it in my career coaching practice, but if I coach more than 10 hours a week, I get burned out.

What surprises most of my clients is that I am more motivated by my desire to create novel and transformational programs, more so than one-on-one coaching.

What are your natural gifts (those innate abilities that are second nature)? Which ones motivate you so deeply that you want to be paid for them in your career?

To learn more about identifying your natural gifts, or Driving Talents, and how to pivot your career to be paid to use them, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

When it comes to finding your career direction, you must explore realistic career options that meet your needs NOW.

I started my business seven years intending to create my "Dream Job". My dream job back then looks COMPLETELY different than my dream job now because my life circumstances have changed. Seven years ago, I was single and needed freedom, autonomy, and creativity. Now, I have a family, and I need security and flexibility.

What are your needs now? How are they different from your needs seven years ago? What personal and professional changes do you need to make to meet more of your needs?

To learn more about identifying your needs now and how it relates to finding your fulfilling career, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

When you look back at your childhood stories, you begin to see what mattered most to you. What consistently mattered—across different experiences—becomes what you value.

Over the last few days, I’ve shared several childhood memories, including a happy one about hiking with my family and more painful ones about being bullied. While the emotions in those stories were very different, the same theme ran through both: connection.

For me, connection means this: I want to know you, and I want to spend time with you.

That value shows up clearly in my life today. Recently, I’ve been collaborating on several projects with Daniela Uslan, Alyce Blum Guerrero, Keith Bailey, and Renee Larson, and I’ve felt deeply grateful. Those experiences fulfill my core value of connection.

This is why looking at both your joyful and difficult childhood memories matters. When you step back, you can often see the same value present in both—either being honored or being threatened.

So I’ll leave you with this:

When you reflect on your happy and sad childhood stories, what common theme shows up? What felt most important to you then—and what do you value now?

If you want to identify the non-negotiable values in your work, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

LET'S CELEBRATE with a virtual launch party over Zoom on Tuesday, May 11th from 8-8:45 PM EST/ 6-6:45 PM MST.

Join author Danielle Roessle for a FUN PROGRAM that includes a Q&A session, FREE prizes, and more. Please have your bubbly ready as we toast this special occasion.

To be entered into the drawing, please submit a question for the author, and RSVP by Sunday, May 9th . 

When it comes to finding your CAREER DIRECTION, your sad memories of childhood can be a doorway to understanding your natural talents.

I drove by my elementary school over the weekend and bawled my eyes out. It was the site where I was severely bullied for over three years.

Little did I know that the bullying would have a silver lining — because I had been bullied, I became hyper-attentive to my surroundings and learned to observe and read others around me. I also developed a deep sense of empathy for others because others were mean to me, which has made me a strong coach.

What were your saddest memories of childhood? What compensation skills or natural gifts did you develop because of your need to self-protect? How do those gifts want to manifest in your career?

If you want to learn how to connect the dots of your negative childhood memories and your career, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/ 

When it comes to finding your CAREER DIRECTION, looking at your happy childhood memories is essential.

My favorite memory was hiking with my family in Dickerson, Maryland, at age eight. I felt warm and joyful, I thought that my family really loves me, and I behaved talkative and friendly.

To this day, I crave to be in the same mindset as that childhood memory, especially in my career. I love connecting with others and being my talkative, friendly self.

What were your happiest memories of childhood? How did you feel, think, and behave? What positive mindset do you want to experience in your career?

If you want to learn how to connect the dots of your positive childhood memories and your career, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

Day 20 of my Inner Compass Journey, to find more personal and professional fulfillment.

When it comes to finding your CAREER DIRECTION, looking at how you liked to play as a child is key.

I recently visited my favorite woods, where I played as a child. While the space is much smaller than I remembered, I connected with my sense of adventure! Adventure remains an essential element of my career fulfillment — I need my work to feel new and exciting.

How did you like to play as a child? What qualities from play are you seeking in your career?

To learn more, on how to weave more play into your career CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK, Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

When it comes to finding your CAREER DIRECTION, looking to childhood is key.

This is a picture of me creating as a child. It made me feel joyful and alive! Creating remains an essential piece of my career fulfillment.

How did you like to play as a child? What can you do to make work feel more like play, or what needs to shift in your career?

To learn more, on how to weave more play into your career CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK, Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/

I was sensing that I needed my career and business to evolve, and this book was a manifestation of that calling.

When we go back to childhood, we get to see what makes us feel alive, what holds us back, and most importantly, WHAT MOTIVATES US TO OUR CORE.

As I wrote this book, I took myself through the same process I had taken my clients, and I witnessed myself shift and reconnect with the true me.

I want the same for anyone who's looking to dig deep, reflect, and CLARIFY THEIR CAREER NEXT STEPS.

I wanted to THANK YOU MY CLIENTS FOR THEIR HELP and support in honing this process. I couldn't have done it without them.

To check out the first  lesson, Play Your Way To Clarity, please click here.

With my deepest sincerity

Danielle

In this 3 episode series, my guests share how they have adapted to these changes for their clients and themselves to come out on top. Creating new opportunities using sales skills.

My first guest is Danielle Menditch Roessle, the Inner Compass Coach. Danielle has more than eight years of experience in career development. As Founder of Inner Compass Coach, she uses a unique blend of career development and psychology to help her clients get unstuck and guide them towards a fulfilling and financially rewarding career.

Danielle has presented her one-of-a-kind approach to career transition in articles in National Career Development Association's (NCDA) Career Convergence Magazine, SkillScan, SharpHeels, the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, and The Coloradoan.

In this interview, Danielle shares stories of transformation she has facilitated for her clients, and relates important aspects of sales that can help anyone who is forced into a change of career because of COVID. Her clients were being hired in spite of massive layoffs because of the pandemic. She shares some key insights into how her clients used core sales competencies to win jobs that embraced their skill sets and opened the door to expressing their passions.

https://innercompasscoach.com/

So how do we reset and recalibrate? We have to be self-compassionate- spend time with ourselves and understand what's happening within. 

For many of us, meditation is tough, and we need something more structured, so this exercise provides a foundation to go within, understand what is happening, and to give some self-compassion and clarity as to what we need to do next. 

Here are the six steps to reset and recalibrate:

Step 1: Put your thoughts and judgments on paper.

Some therapists call this a brain dump, but it's the idea that you put everything that is in your mind on paper. Give yourself two minutes and clear your mind and vent. 

Step 2: Observe what is happening from a birds-eye view.

Once you've put our judgments on paper, it's helpful to write down the facts. It helps remove the emotion from what you're experiencing and to see your situation from a birds-eye view.

Step 3: Fully sense your feelings. 

Your feelings are a doorway to allow you to feel what is alive in you and what's important to you. There is no such thing as a good or bad feeling- they are just comfortable or uncomfortable.

In the practice of self-empathy, you permit yourself to feel your feelings and emotions fully. Take a look at this worksheet here and ask yourself which ones you are experiencing at this moment. 

Allow yourself to recognize where your feelings sit in your body and describe them. 

Permit yourself to normalize your feelings because EVERYONE HAS THEM!

Your feelings will be the doorway to your needs and what might be missing in your life. 

Step 4: Fully sense your needs.

We are a society that ignores needs. Our needs are qualities that we all share in common such as connection, physical well-being, honesty, peace, safety, security, play, peace, autonomy, and meaning. These are the qualities that allow us to feel alive, important, and meaningful to us.

During this time of COVID-19 and social distancing, your needs may have shifted. Take a look at this worksheet here, what are your met and unmet needs at this moment? 

A big part of self-empathy is recognizing and honoring your needs because you realize what is important to you and where you might need to make some shifts or changes.

Step 5: Giving yourself positive affirmations.

A big part of self-empathy is giving yourself the messages you need to hear that are supportive and loving. These messages are free of judgments, "shoulds", and demands.

They might sound like, "You've got this.", "I trust myself.", "I'm on my journey."

Just try saying a few to yourself and notice what happens. 

We can only make changes, and shifts when we have supportive and loving messages behind it. 

Step 6. Come up with a strategy.

And now that you've down the work to reset and recalibrate, you are ready to come up with a strategy. 

The strategy will come quickly at this point because you are in touch with your needs at the deepest level and have given yourself the support to take action. 

Whether your strategy is a request of yourself, someone else, or something you need to do, it's going to come from a place of alignment because you're in touch with yourself. 

By Donna Shannon

Without a doubt, COVID-19 is having a dramatic impact on the workforce as businesses close to accommodate public health measures. However, times of strife often kick off innovation in unexpected ways. Today’s guest, Danielle Menditch Roessle with Inner Compass Coach, leads a discussion on the way work will be redefined from here on forward. Whether it is an increase in work/life balance, hiring in new or expanding industries, or implementing creative tech solutions, there is indeed hope for the American worker.

I’m hopeful despite these tough economic times.

I started my career in career services in 2009, during the financial crisis, and my business in 2013 during the start of the upturn. 

With the volatility of the stock markets, the looming coronavirus, and a subsequent economic downturn, these times can be scary. 

With my history in career services, I am incredibly hopeful, and here is why. 

 1. We have an opportunity to reset the work-life balance equation-

During the 2008 financial crisis, companies had massive layoffs and expected more from the employees they retained.

The work-life balance became so off-balance because one employee would do the work of three employees. When the economy began to grow again, the expectations of our workforce remained similar to that of the financial crisis- long hours and high-performance expectations. Our workforce has become so overworked, and stress levels have become higher than ever. 

I am hopeful that social distancing allows us to have more time with our families as we explore working from home. Our workforce has desperately needed to recalibrate our work-life balance, and now it is being forced upon us. 

 2. Creativity and ingenuity are going to be more critical now more than ever-

Many companies survived the last recession such as Groupon, Amazon, Netflix, and Citigroup. There were also new companies that blossomed such as Lyft, Zoom, WP Engine, and so many more. What was the commonality with all these companies? The creativity and ingenuity behind their products and services.

Companies who work quickly to shift their business models will survive this possible downturn such as the restaurants that changed into efficient and hygienically safe delivery services, the companies that figured out how to turn their conferences virtual, and the hotels that figured out how to get customers to pre-book vacations. 

I am hopeful because we need your creativity and ingenuity during times like this to come up with ideas on how companies can survive and eventually thrive again.

3. Our workforce will adjust-

Yes, we are already witnessing specific industries taking a significant hit, such as hospitality, travel/tourism, and the restaurants/service industry.

On the other hand, certain industries continue to hire, such as technology, e-learning, delivery services, and healthcare.

I am hopeful that in the next few weeks, many businesses will figure out how to remain afloat while employees work remotely, and hiring will restart with virtual interviews in the spring.

I am also hopeful that industries such as hospitality, travel, tourism, and services will pick up again over the summer.

We need optimism, positively, logic, creativity, innovation, and love more than ever. What part do you want to play during this situation?

For many government employees, one of the reasons to work for the government is job security. This recent furlough has shattered that sense of security, which takes both a financial and emotional toll.

First things first, if you have been furloughed, take care of yourself. Let yourself feel your emotions, whatever they might be- grief, anger, and disappointment. It is important to acknowledge your feelings because stuffing them below the surface never works.

Don’t Put Your Head in the Sand-

The reality is that NO JOB IS STABLE AND SECURE. Companies of all sectors lay off employees by the thousands. Side hustles, freelancing, and gigs are becoming more prevalent. In 2016, 34% of the workforce was freelancing, and projections show that by 2020, 43% of the workforce will be freelancing (NASDAQ.com)

Perhaps you might consider this furlough as an opportunity to become competitive in the gig economy and to find a side hustle now.

Find a Gig, Side-Hustle, or Freelance Opportunity-

Look at your hard skills. Business owners like me pay individuals to help with their social media, graphic design, administration, emails, QuickBooks- you name it! Post that you are independent contracting on Facebook, LinkedIn, and any other social media sites. There is so much compassion for government employees at this time, so take advantage of it! You can also expand to freelance websites such as Fiverr, Thumbtack, LinkedIn Profinder, Upwork and more.

Build Your Network-

Business owners are more likely to hire someone they know, like and trust. Expand your network by attending association events, chamber events, alumni network meetings, and more.

Build Your Skillset- 

Take free classes on Creativelive.com, Skillshare, Lynda, and more (use Google to research). This is an incredible time to build your skillset and market it both online and through networking.

Think Like a College Student-

Start becoming resourceful like a college student. Think back to that time where you had to make ends meet- you can work as an usher at your local museum, tutor a high school student, shovel a driveway, babysit, pet sit, operate the cash register at a local shop, and more. There is no shame in honest work.

Stay Active with Your Side-Hustle/Gig When the Furlough Ends-

It will be wonderful to go back to work when the government reopens, however, with the growing divide in our political system- a furlough and layoffs can happen again. Stay active with your network and continue to foster your relationships even if you cannot freelance or side-hustle any longer. Consider keeping on or two small projects on the side to have multiple sources of income. And most importantly, continue to evolve your skills so that you remain competitive in the workforce and freelance economy.

Reach Out for Support-

If you need help with brainstorming potential gigs/side hustles, please schedule a complimentary consultation here (I promise no selling). Like Jose Andres and other business owners, this is my way that I can give back to the community as a career coach.

This reality brought a hefty-dose of awareness to how often I was using my phone and the purpose I was using it for .

Cellphones control our priorities. 

There was the time I was sitting on the Metro on my way to meet some friends. I checked my cell and noticed several work emails. “Better respond quickly,” I thought. So instead of using the ride to decompress, I elected to respond to emails.

Instead of meeting my friends excited and ready to engage, I was completely preoccupied with logistics and work. By choosing to be on the phone, I was unknowingly letting technology dictate my priorities (work over relaxation) and ultimately put myself in a stressful mindset.

The habit of checking cellphones creates more work. 

I’m so thankful to my wonderful clients who respect my time and have reasonable expectations. However,  I recognize that not everyone is so fortunate. I’ve seen too many people who feel pressured to respond immediately to a work email, ultimately sending the message that they are now available 24/7.  An email leads to a phone call, which spirals into a sleepless night attempting to resolve a work issue. The reality is that oftentimes putting up boundaries and deciding not to respond in the first place might have led to resolving the issue the following day.

The constant connection reinforces limiting beliefs.

We all have some type of limiting belief about ourselves. “I’m not good enough,” “I don’t have enough,” “Others are better than me,” etc. etc. Our constant connection to our email and social media reinforces these limiting beliefs.

How many times have you felt frustrated after checking your email after you’ve left work for the day? Perhaps it reinforced that the feeling you don't work hard enough or that you did something wrong. Think about all the times you’ve compared yourself to someone else on Instagram, reinforcing the feeling that you’re not happy as someone else or lacking what they have.

And what’s the fallout from telling yourself negative messages all day? Did you overeat that evening? Binge-watch television to escape from reality? Get frustrated when someone is trying to talk to you? The domino effect is not worth it.

At the end of the day, we need a break from our overactive minds.

Constantly checking our cell phones is pushing our minds into overdrive. Between the brainpower needed to solve a problem, or the thoughts that come from the comparison and judgement over social media, we need to give our minds a break.

We must allow ourselves permission to spend time alone or with loved ones.
Imagine your partner, friends, and children associating memories of you spending time with them, not your cellphone.

Imagine enjoying a vacation- fully unplugging and engaging in each beautiful moment of the holiday you worked so hard for.

Imagine a life where you are okay with turning off, being unproductive, and choosing to be fully present.

Wouldn't that be nice?

What you can do about it.

1. Turn off Notifications- I turned off all notifications from my emails, text messages and apps. The exception is inbound calls and calendar alerts. I find when I choose to check my apps, it's about making a conscious choice instead of feeling to the need to react.
2. Setting Sacred Time-  I no longer check my phone before meeting with loved ones and during my time with them. It allows me to stay present and not get distracted with work. It also allows for me to take a break and truly connect. I’ve also set sacred time during walks, meditation, and even movie watching.
3. Permission to Take Vacations- During my last vacation, I disabled my work email and put limits on my phone use.  Because I’m self-employed and rely on new clients, I gave myself permission to work for two hours in the morning. After those two hours, I gave myself permission to turn everything off.
4. Finding Other Things to Fill the Time- Since I've put my cell phone down , I’ve been able to enjoy listening to music as I drive, breathing in air as I walk, and watching people as I ride the train. I've also been writing, drawing, and painting.

By no means have I mastered my compulsion to check my phone. That said, I can report a newfound sense of freedom. My mind feels less stressed and more open. I'm feeling more balanced than ever before.

How often do you acknowledge yourself and how wonderful you are? How often do you demonstrate self-love?

If you’re anything like me, I’m sure it’s easy to forget.

This morning, I sat down and wrote myself a love letter. I was surprised because it was partially a list of character traits I was grateful for and a list of changes I want for myself- to be more present, to be less future focused, to enjoy the moment. I was surprised how much I appreciate myself for my wisdom, intuition, and big heart. As I wrote all of these things down, I felt my heart grow bigger and felt a lot of self-compassion.

If you can give any gift to yourself this Valentine’s Day, write yourself a love letter. Sit down, and put your heart, your mind, and your soul into it and see what comes up.

And if it’s hard to write yourself a love letter, do it for someone else. It’s often easier to buy chocolates or flowers on this holiday, but it’s much harder to open up and be vulnerable.

So give this a try. Let me know how it goes.

Happy Valentines Day!

Love (because I have a ton of it to give),
Danielle

Identify Your Likes and Dislikes


If you were to look at every job that you have had, what did you like and dislike about each one? Were there any patterns among the roles and responsibilities? Perhaps you found yourself enjoying using similar talents or skill sets among your different roles. You might also find that certain skill sets bore or frustrate you. You might also notice that you have strengths and weaknesses in certain areas. Where there any patterns among the company culture? When you look at your likes and dislikes, did you notice anything about the places where you have worked? This is a great opportunity to look at the values and work culture of the various companies where you have worked. Do you prefer a small, medium, or large company? Do you prefer to work from home or in an office environment? Do you prefer set work hours or a flexible work schedule? Do you prefer a startup or perhaps a company that is established and has been around for a while?

Evaluate Your Experience 


Now that you have taken some time to write down your likes and dislikes, it is important to evaluate what you have learned so that you can use the information to guide your career direction. First, look at patterns among your roles and responsibilities. The goal is to identify these patterns and carry them forward to roles and responsibilities as well as strengths into your future career. Once you identify roles and responsibilities you enjoy, find careers that allow you to build upon them and use them every day. If you want to love going to work every day, you must enjoy what you do. You also have to be willing to walk away from the patterns of roles and responsibilities you do not like. Getting hired because you have previous work experience is easy; however, if you do not like your job on a day-to-day basis, you will continue to quit and job hop.

Next, identify patterns in company culture. When you start carefully evaluating what you have liked and disliked about your previous employers, you can better identify companies where you might want to work in the future. You can do research on websites like glassdoor.com and linkedin.com, and you can ask friends, family, and coworkers for suggestions as well.

Do you want to be self-employed? No matter what, you might realize that you just do not like having a boss. You prefer being able to work on your own terms, such as freelancing, contracting your services, and/or starting your own business. You will still be accountable to those who hire you, but you can set your own terms. Starting a journey to self-employment is not a bad thing. A study by Emergent Research, which studies trends in small businesses, found that by the year 2020 almost 40% of the U.S. workforce will be freelancing. If you start a freelancing business right now, you will be ahead of the curve.

Take Action


Now that you have taken some time to evaluate your past experiences, what do you need to do next? Do you need to do more research on career possibilities and companies? Do you need to go back to a specific career that was a good fit? Do you need to start your own business? Or perhaps do you need to hire a coach? Keep in mind that making a career change is a one-step-at-a-time process.

Don’t let the fear of job hopping stop you from settling down; use it as a platform to gather information about yourself, make informed decisions, and take your next steps. Job hopping can be a blessing in disguise instead of a hindrance. It is all a matter of how you learn to share your story and sell yourself to a potential employer.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) occurs when signs of depression begin and end at the same time every year. Symptoms include increased anxiety, mood changes, overeating, sleepiness and more.  Sometimes it is called “winter blues.”  According to Mental Health America, four out of five people who have seasonal depression are women. Whether or not you suffer from SAD, it is important to take care of yourself in the winter months both at work and at home so that your personal and professional situations do not suffer. Try these tips to help get through the winter months and thrive.

At work:

• Take walks. With the limited hours of sunlight, getting outside is important. Ask coworkers to take walks with you. If your work requires a lot of networking, such as owning your own business, ask colleagues to walk with you instead of going to a coffee shop. Walking is a good way to socialize, to get to know your colleagues, and to enjoy the benefits of the vitamin D that sunlight provides.
• Socialize. During the winter months, many people work through lunch and limit social time. If you enjoy connecting with supervisors and coworkers, and you have good relationships with them, schedule lunch time or other opportunities to connect. The benefit of social time at work is that it allows you to focus attention and energy on something other than work. Another benefit of setting times to connect is that you can build stronger relationships.
• Take breaks. We live in a society that values overworking and grinding through the day. We often lose touch with ourselves because we are in action all day. When you take a break, even just for five minutes, do something to get in touch with yourself. Meditate, listen to music, stretch, or just breathe. We often focus on things outside ourselves and fail to develop a relationship with ourselves, so this could be perhaps the most important thing you do throughout the day. We often think breaks will take time away from work, but often with a break we come back refreshed and more productive.

Outside of work:

• Schedule personal time and keep it sacred. We often put other’s time, especially if we have children, ahead of our own. In the winter months, we also tend to use downtime to binge-watch Netflix and favorite television shows instead of pursuing activities that we would during the spring and summer months. Instead, schedule personal time and honor it as much as you would your professional obligations. When scheduling that time, plan things that you enjoy other than watching television. If you enjoy crafting, go craft. If you enjoy reading, go read. This will help bring more work/life balance into your life and change things up when they are getting stale.
• Set aside time with loved ones. Like the advice of scheduling personal time and keeping it sacred, do this with loved ones as well. Make sure this time is separate from going to the movies and watching Netflix. Whether the time is spent playing board games or going to a museum, make sure the time is interactive and focuses on connection.
• Dress yourself beautifully. You may put on the same clothing every week because it does not constrain and feels more comfortable, and you may start associating this clothing with feeling down during the winter. Get rid of clothing that you associate with not feeling good about yourself. Even if you have gained a few pounds and want to lose it, purchase a few items or attend a clothing swap to get things that make you feel beautiful. When you wear things that make you feel beautiful, it helps increase your confidence both inside and outside the work setting. You are amazing and have so much to offer, and you should show it both in your confidence and in your outward appearance. This approach also helps boost positive attitude during the winter months.
• Move your body. During the winter, we may stop working out and doing the activities that excite us during the summer. Do things to move your body, like working out, stretching, walking around a mall or museum, dancing in your living room, getting a massage, or anything else. The idea is to provide moments to allow yourself to feel you and not disassociate from your body. Activity helps you get out of negative thoughts and focus on how you feel, as opposed to what you think.
• Seek support. Talk to loved ones and friends. Winter can be long, but you do not have to get through it alone. Make sure you ask for help because often you are not alone in your thoughts and feelings. Be sure to reciprocate and listen to others since that will help you move outside yourself and not wallow. Of course, if you need more intervention such as therapeutic or medial support, seek out a licensed therapist or medical doctor/nurse practitioner.

More than anything, the way to get out of the winter blues is to bring acts of intention, connection with yourself and others, and mindfulness into your day.  These actions can help you get out of negative thoughts and turn your attention towards yourself and others. If you already feel yourself in a grind, or if your head is overwhelmed with negative thoughts at the moment, refocus yourself. Every moment is a moment that you can make a new choice.

Tips for Setting Strong Goals for the New Year  

Published on SharpHeels: http://sharpheels.com/2017/01/setting-strong-goals/

As we move into the New Year, we often write goals and resolutions hoping to make changes, and about two months into the New Year, they may be thrown to the wayside. Many articles about comprehensive goal setting miss a key aspect of why it is so difficult to accomplish goals — change is hard! Certain things are not discussed when it comes to goal planning. Here are a few key considerations in setting appropriate goals for the new year.

• Are the sacrifices and discomfort in achieving your goals worth it? Many of my clients want a new job, yet when it comes to getting one, they do not want to experience the discomfort that comes with the process — from the introspection that is required in evaluating yourself and your career options to the rejection experienced in being turned down after an interview. Part of the career change process is experiencing pain and discomfort and persevering through it. It means sacrificing free time and other activities to achieve the long-term outcome. The process is much like losing weight — you have to actually sit with the cravings and push through the workouts in order to drop the pounds.

• What if the grass is not greener? We often think that if we achieve a career goal, we will hit a pinnacle of happiness, money, and work-life balance. Of course, this is not true. How many times have you achieved a goal only to be happy for a short period before reality sinks in again. I often hear job seekers say, “What if I get a new career and I don’t like it?” or “What if I get my dream career, and I don’t have work-life balance?” A change in careers may not mean a change in our emotional state. Even if we get what we want, we may have to continue to do the internal work to change to a more positive emotional state. Going back to the analogy of losing weight, often women who lose significant weight do not like the attention it brings to them. Now they have to do the emotional work of the weight loss and the changes it brings.

• What if you achieve your goals? That means you must live with the outcomes. Remember,change is hard. If you actually achieve your goals, it means you have to experience and live with new outcomes — new thought and behavior patterns, emotions, people, and much more. Sometimes these changes are embraced, but that does not mean they are not difficult or even overwhelming. Your life could look different, even for the better, but you still have to deal with that change. Once again to reference the weight-loss analogy, once someone loses weight, he or she has to maintain it, which takes a lot of effort as well. 

Once we consider these points, how do we move past these emotional hurdles to achieve our goals?

• Learn to accept and embrace discomfort. I always suggest trying something small and moving up in your discomfort level. We are a pain-avoidant society, and we have created an entire economy to make us feel more comfortable and pain-free, so this process takes time. Try one thing at a time to push yourself out of your comfort zone. If networking feels uncomfortable, then start networking with someone you know and eventually move to someone you do not know. Use this opportunity to get to know and push yourself. You’ll be surprised how amazing the experience can be and how it builds your grit.

• Evaluate how your goals will fulfill your deepest desires. Look at what the outcomes will bring you and the deepest desires it will fulfill. This includes really detailing what outcomes you would like, why you want them at a deep level, how they will make you feel, and how they will change your life. For example, if you have a gift to offer to the world, and you cannot do it through your current career, making a career change will fulfill that deep desire. Your new career may not be perfect, but it will fulfill you on a deeper level. The book The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte can assist with this process. I also use journaling and honestly evaluating several areas — the reasons I want to set the goals, my fears and worries, as well as all the reasons I may not want to set and/or achieve the goals. Sometimes being brutally honest with myself on why I may or may not want something allows me to work through my hurdles.

• Shift your perspective about the concept of reaching a pinnacle. When we drop the dream or concept of reaching a pinnacle, whatever that means to you, we take a great weight off our shoulders. We also set ourselves up for more realistic expectations of our lives knowing that we will always evolve and that the journey is more important than the endpoint. Our goals become about fulfilling our deep desires as opposed to thinking we are going to reach a peak. For this New Year, I suggest when creating your goals to evaluate them at a deeper level. If you waver about a goal, perhaps it is not the right time and maybe you should hold off. If you are ready, set the goal and prepare to be uncomfortable, to break old patterns, and to live with the outcomes of your change. Most importantly, shift your perspective from the concept of reaching a pinnacle to enjoying the journey.  This allows for the process to become more gentle and self-loving.

Moving into the new year, may this be a year of personal growth, evolution, and learning!

There are many reasons why we don't stick with our goals. Perhaps they are not goals we want to accomplish in the first place. Or our goals are too lofty to accomplish. Or perhaps our self-doubts get in our way. Perhaps one of our greatest hindrances to achieving our goals is that we don't have anyone holding us accountable.

It is common at the executive level for CEOs, Presidents or Senior VPs to have mastermind groups, round-table discussions, or peer coaching. One of the reasons they are so successful is because they have another set of eyes on their business strategy.

Sadly, it is not as common for mid-career professionals to seek the support of their peers. Peer accountability is one of the best means to help develop strategy to forward your career, increase your performance, and achieve your goals.

Here's are the top 3 reasons peer accountability is essential for your career success:

1. Peer Accountability allows you to look at your goals from all angles: When we set goals, we often do not see all sides of the situation. Having peer accountability helps bring perspective to your situation and carefully evaluate all aspects of your goals - from the sincerity, to the strategy, to the execution of your goals.

2. Accountability helps ensure you have an effective strategy: Once you have a stronger perspective, you are better positioned to form concrete strategies. Peer accountability allows you to build measurable goals and to identify specific benchmarks with a team to help you work out any roadblocks that could get in your way.

3. Accountability helps you stay engaged:  Sharing your goals helps affirm and stick with your commitment. Moreover, it's fun to celebrate your successes and wins with those who have been along the journey with you.

That is why I suggest that coming into the New Year, you do one of several things in committing to yourself and career goals:

1) Set goals and hold yourself accountable: If you are going to set goals for this New Year, hold yourself to them. Do not allow yourself not to move forward and make your failed goal more proof that you're not good enough or deserving. No more self-fulfilling prophecies of failure! It is better to set no goals than to set them and not pursue them.

2) Get an accountability partner and meet with them regularly: Make sure this is someone who is committed to themselves and to you. When you set meetings, stick with them. I recommend that you call to check in once a week and meet in person once a month. Set a format to your meetings and stick with it.

3) Join a peer accountability group:  I'm hosting a monthly Peer Strategy Group on Feb 7th, March 7th, April 4th, May 2nd, August 8th, Sept. 12th, Oct. 10th, and Nov. 14th from 6-8 PM MST. You can join us in-person at my office off Colorado and I-25 or virtually using Zoom.

This group is designed to provide a safe space to receive insights and honest feedback about your career goals, to brainstorm solutions to problems in the workplace, and to build relationships. You will also connect with an accountability partner to support you in between meetings.

I will also be having top coaches in their fields present on their area of expertise during each meeting. Topics include networking coaching, resume writing, financial coaching, and effective communication in the workplace.

To learn more or register, please email me: danielle@innercompasscoach.com.

Published on SharpHeels: http://sharpheels.com/2016/12/making-a-career-change/

Have you been spending hours contemplating your career direction, applying to hundreds of jobs online, and talking about your next career steps? Are you sick of the pressure of everyone asking you “What’s next?” Are you at the point where thinking about your career for one more moment makes you feel like you are going to go mad? If you have answered yes to one or all of these questions, you are probably experiencing career transition burnout.

We are not properly taught how to handle career transition. Most career services teach us that we need to take career tests and network to make a transition. This is great advice when we are in the proper frame of mind. However, if we aren’t, this advice can be counterproductive and lead to compulsive job searching, eventual disillusionment, and burnout. It seems counterintuitive, but if we give ourselves the permission, time, and space to be introspective and reflect on what we really want, we can more easily pinpoint what is next. We need to take a break from the career transition process.

If you are burned out from your career transition, these four steps can help you re-energize so you can return to the process with more motivation and clarity.

• Give yourself permission to not think about your future career. This is easier said than done, but if you focus on giving yourself enough time and space, your next steps will become clear. We very rarely have epiphanies when we overthink, so limit how much time you allow yourself to ponder your next career next steps. Spend quality time with loved ones to distract yourself or think about other things that are important to you, redirecting your thoughts if your mind starts to wander.  Even if you’ve already taken time off, if that time was filled with anxiety and pressure, it really was not time off. You will be amazed at all the “aha moments” that come when you give yourself permission to not think about your future career–usually when you least expect them.

• Cease all career research and job applications. It is amazing how addicted we can become to applying to jobs online. With access to job websites at the touch of a finger, it can be hard to take a break, but it is important to do so. When we are burned out, we are more likely to make mistakes on our applications and apply for roles that are not a good fit. Even a few days’ break will make you more mentally clear. You’ll be able to make better decisions about the type of jobs to target, less likely to make mistakes, and have more energy for the process. If you are really strapped for cash, you’ll be better prepared to evaluate, search, and take contract work to make some extra money.

• Schedule personal time and keep that commitment. It is okay to watch a little television, but make sure to fill your time playing, having fun, and doing the things you love. Having fun lets you re-energize and reconnect with your true self, providing tremendous insight to what you like and dislike. You’ll be more likely to identify careers that are a good fit and able to articulate to others what you are looking for.

• Do things and wear clothes that make you feel beautiful. When we go through stressful transitions, our eating habits often become irregular and we don’t dress as fashionably. Employers like to hire confident employees, and the way you dress expresses how you feel about yourself. Get rid of clothing that doesn’t make you feel good, and find ways to get outfits that make you feel beautiful, whether you purchase them or host a clothing swap with your friends. And do things that make you feel confident to reinforce your inner strength and beauty, because when you go back to your career transition, you’ll want to look as beautiful and self-assured on the outside as you feel on the inside.

Taking a break will motivate you and give you the clarity to pursue your next steps. There will always be jobs to apply for, careers to research, and people to meet, but after your break, you will be able get back to your career transition with the positive energy that will get you hired.

I personally like to pray during life transitions. Not because I think there is someone listening, but it's a meditative act to help me get crystal clear on my wants, needs and deepest desires. In turn, I'm listening to myself.

I began praying several years ago during a major life transition. I wasn't sure that anyone was listening or that my prayers would be answered, but I knew I needed another outlet.

I tried different methods of praying, such as putting my hands to my forehead where my third eye would be activated, my palms to my heart, kneeling, walking, and the list goes on...

I found myself asking for so many things to change, and then I felt guilty because I thought I should only be asking for things that are selfless.

I thought I should give up because prayer didn't seem to work, and then I decided to push my judgement aside—I realized that prayer was a power tool to help me realize what I want. If I didn't put any expectations on how prayer should look or the outcome I should receive, the power in itself was my clarity.

In a society where we are given messages through media that we don't know what we want and we need material things to fulfill ourselves, our true desires get muddled.

Clarity in itself is such a powerful gift.

Prayer is the tool through which I can look into myself and see where I can take action or who I can receive help to make a needed change.

If you are in any life transition and need clarity, try praying. Worse comes to worst, it doesn't work for you and you try something else.

The purpose of this article isn't to share how to answer this interview question, but to provide insight into what's really holding your career back.

We often think that our weaknesses hold us back and define them as as the need for skill improvement or overcoming a personality flaw.

The reality is that we often can take classes to improve our skills and find ways to compensate for our personality flaws. What we often don't think about that really holds us back is our behavioral patterns. A behavioral pattern is a recurring way of acting or reacting in a given situation.

For example, I had client who was a mid-level manager for a large company and wanted to move up. He took a lot of classes to improve his skills and learned how to compensate for his personality flaw of being a perfectionist.

However, he failed to explore his behavioral patterns which were really holding his career back. We learned that he would often back down and not speak up in any situation he perceived as confrontational. This helped his career because he was perceived by others as agreeable.

However, when my client received feedback from his supervisor, we learned that his lack of speaking up hindered his career because he rarely advocated for his advancement and was viewed by upper-level management as unable to make difficult decisions for his team.

By exploring his behavioral patterns, we were able to modify them to his advantage and strategize ways for him to receive support.

If you are looking to advance your career, here are 3 mindsets you have to adopt in order to change your behavioral patterns and advance your career:

Mindset #1: I cannot do it alone:

If you want to explore your behavioral patterns, the first step is to receive support from others. How we perceive ourselves is very different than how others perceive us which is why it's important to hire a talented coach or therapist. A talented coach or therapist can help us identify how others see us and change our behaviors by using mirroring exercises.

Think of hiring a coach or therapist as an investment in your career development. The best leaders in the world understand they cannot do it alone and need others to compensate for their shortcomings. That's why they hire executive coaches, search for mentors and have a board of directors guiding them.

It's time to do that for yourself.

Mindset #2: I'm ready to dig deep:

Understand that exploring both our positive and negative behavioral patterns can be painful, yet it can be enlightening. Know that this is not a superficial process and the outcome can be some major life changes that help you for the better.

If you can view getting to know yourself like getting to know someone new, it can be fun and interesting.

Mindset #3: I'm ready for change:

If you are ready to take your career to the next level, prepare to make changes both internally and externally.

It will not be easy. If anything, it may be one of the most difficult endeavors; however, the reward  — both personally and professionally — is worth it.

I always encourage clients to think back about the positive changes they have made in the past and how it has helped their future. It's important to reconnect with these memories, especially when you get discouraged.

Lastly, this process of changing our behaviors is an evolution- just like our career. When we start making the internal changes, the external circumstances have to change in order to match it.

Additionally, when I talk to former clients who have made a successful career change, they often say that they feel much happier but were surprised at the continuous inner work they've had to confront.

I totally get it. I've made three major changes in my career, including starting my own business. And even now, I still feel like I'm jumping off a cliff into the unknown almost every day.

For some reason, our minds want us to believe that once we do the work to make a change, we are going to remain in some type of blissful state and remain there. The reality is that our lives are constantly changing at that we have to continue to jump off the cliff into the unknown in order to evolve.

I watched an incredible clip by Steve Harvey from Family Feud yesterday in my business class about the need to make a jump in order to soar in life. He brought up a compelling point, if you never jump, you'll never know what it is to live in life's abundance.

Watch this video TODAY! This talk definitely has some religious overtones (it's Steve Harvey after-all), but it's short, sweet and impactful.

I'll leave you with this quote: "We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down." -Kurt Vonnegut

As a career coach, I’ve worked with many clients who struggled to move forward because they were still carrying the emotional baggage of a bad boss. And in the end, who did that baggage hurt the most? My client. Some struggled in interviews because their confidence was shaken. Others held onto resentment and delayed applying for new roles because they wanted more time to recover—but couldn’t afford not to work.

If you’ve had a bad boss and are still holding resentment, that emotional weight can follow you into your next role or endeavor. Unprocessed anger, self-doubt, or hurt has a way of showing up—often subtly—in how we communicate, make decisions, and relate to others. Most companies and clients want to work with people who are emotionally present, resilient, and able to engage openly. Even when it’s unintentional, unresolved emotions can be felt.

Here are three ways to process the emotional baggage of a bad boss so you can move forward and thrive in what comes next:

1. Journal

Write whatever comes to mind about your boss or client. Don’t judge what shows up, and don’t push your feelings away. Pain deserves to be felt.

I often remind my clients that journaling isn’t about writing something insightful or polished—it’s just for you. If you opened my personal journal, you’d probably find pages filled with raw, unfiltered thoughts (and plenty of curse words).

2. Identify, understand, and counter your negative beliefs

Your supervisor’s or client’s actions are just that—actions. What lingers are the beliefs you form about yourself in response to those actions.

Start by identifying the negative beliefs that surfaced (for example: I’m not good enough or I’m not worthy).

Next, explore where those beliefs came from—often a much earlier experience, sometimes from childhood.

Then, consciously counter them with truth (for example: I am good enough. I am worthy.) Look for evidence—even if it comes from earlier roles or different chapters of your life.

When you can hold grounded, positive beliefs about yourself, the actions of others may still hurt in the moment—but they won’t define you or follow you into the future.

3. Stay connected with others

When you’ve been mistreated or bullied, it’s common to want to withdraw. But connection matters. Spending time with supportive colleagues, friends, and family helps reinforce your sense of self-worth and perspective.

This is especially important when the person who hurt you was in a position of power. In those moments, you need affirmation and encouragement from people who see you clearly.

If the experience was deeply harmful and you’re finding it hard to move on, it may be helpful to enlist the support of a therapist or coach. Sometimes we need professional support when we can’t work through something on our own. At Inner Compass Coach, we’re trained in career and life coaching as well as clinical counseling to provide that support.

Don’t let an experience with a bad boss hold you back. Let it become a learning experience—one that shows you how you respond to challenge, how you recover from harm, and how you move forward with greater clarity and strength.

My friends on Facebook also know me as the person who constantly posts motivational quotes—probably to the point of cheesy annoyance.

I do these things as reminders to myself to live my purpose on a daily basis. Because living a purposeful life takes work. It requires intention and presence.

I began the process of uncovering my life’s purpose four years ago during a meditation class led by the amazing intuitive, Bobby Wood. Through a series of events, my purpose became clear, and today I help others build confidence and step into their motivating talents through my career coaching practice.

For some reason, I believed that once I identified my life’s purpose, I’d become enlightened—floating through life in a blissful state.

That couldn’t have been further from the truth.

If anything, I learned that living your purpose takes more work, not less.

Here’s how I now define purpose:

Purpose isn’t a constant feeling of happiness or clarity. It’s a steady pull toward what matters to you, what drives you to your core and has done so since childhood—even on the days when life feels heavy, confusing, or hard.

Just because I know my purpose and love my career doesn’t mean I don’t wake up to crappy mornings. I still experience pain, sadness, frustration, and doubt.

I’ve also realized that gurus, spiritual teachers, and masters who dedicate their lives to enlightenment spend their entire existence teaching, practicing, and reinforcing that way of being. Most of us don’t have careers or lives structured to support constant awareness or peace.

The buzz of an urgent email or a stack of paperwork can snap us out of presence in seconds.

So even if you uncover your career calling or live your purpose through your work, it doesn’t mean you’ll exist in a permanent state of bliss. Purpose doesn’t remove struggle—it gives you something to return to within it.

There will be many moments when you have no control over other people’s actions or life’s circumstances. The only thing you truly control is how you choose to care for your inner state.

So whether that looks like affirmations taped around your house, mantras that help you meditate, sharing inspiring posts on Facebook, taking a workout during your lunch break, or going for a simple walk around the block—if it helps you stay present and connected to what matters most, then it’s worth doing.

God bless you. Go do it.

I hate to admit this, but I have become dull recently. Several weeks ago I was working around the clock on a re-branding project for my business. Even though I was getting through the technical aspects of setting up my website, my creativity slowly became stifled.

I also noticed that my connections with colleagues, friends and loved ones were limited because I was constantly working and when I wasn't, all I was talking about was work. Yes, I officially felt myself becoming dull.

This recent experience took me back to my job transition five years ago. I worked 10-hour days and would come home and apply for jobs. It was a cycle of misery for months on end until I decided to change things up and stop applying.

I started a Meetup group instead and began organizing young professional networking events and it was a blast! I met new people and got connected to businesses and nonprofits, one in which hired me to run their young professional networking events.

Over the course of one month, I transitioned into a job that I loved all because I decided to do something that I enjoyed and came natural to me.

Now as a career coach, I see my clients get into the application grind (believe me... I get it) and I highly encourage them to play to get out of it and here's why:

1. Play provides insight to what you love to do-

If you love building things in your free time, there's a good chance you'll love doing something similar in your career. Some people will decide that their play remains a hobby, while others will incorporate it into their work. Either way, play can provide insight into how you think, problem solve and the roles and responsibilities you might enjoy in your career. 

One of my former clients loved tinkering in his garage and building things. He also enjoyed learning anything web-based or technical in his previous career. When we started working together, he decided to take a free class on website development because he thought it would be fun. Eventually, he decided to go and get a certification in web development.

2. Play gives you something else to think about than your job search-

Play allows you to take your mind off of things for a little while. It gives you a break from the tiring job search and the hard work you put into your current role. Most job changers who add play and travel into their repertoire go back to their current role with more enthusiasm and more gusto in their job search. Moreover, it breaks any cycles of anxiety or depression that can come with major life changes.

3. Play increases your connection with other people-

While going through a career transition, more than anything we need to feel connected and supported. There is more to you than just your work and talking about it. Play provides an opportunity to share experiences, connect and network with other people. Recently, I had a client who got connected to a job opportunity through a person he met through a Meetup group he attends for fun.

And if you're struggling to figure out how to play...

...think back to the activities you enjoyed during childhood and lost all sense of time. If you enjoyed Legos, go purchase an Erector set or join a Meetup group that involves woodworking. If you enjoyed performing, consider joining an improv group or acting class.

1. Travel to New Zealand and Australia with my boyfriend and hold hands on the beach and smell the salt.
2. Dance like I've never danced before.
3. Travel with my immediate family to some place cool.
4. Not worry so much and relax.
5. Have a bigger impact on others in regards to uncovering their purpose.

The reason this topic came up was that I was listening to a powerful podcast on the TED Radio Hour, Rethinking Death. There was a segment about an artist in New Orleans, Candy Chang, who lost someone very close to her and decided to mount an interactive art project on a building wall titled "Before I die". It got her and others thinking about their lives.

As a career coach, I have my clients write their eulogies. The reason I do this is that many of them come to me because they are seeking greater meaning in their careers and in life. I felt that writing one's eulogy was one of the best tools to understand the impact they want to make and the legacy they want to leave behind.

A career can be a tool for living one's legacy. I know several people who do not care for their careers, but they love that it provides the income to make the impact they want in their free time. I also know many people who live their purpose through their careers (including myself).

However you view the meaning of career in the context of legacy, I love the prompt "Before I die, I want..." and the exercise of writing one's eulogy because it gives us insight to how we want to live, what's important to us and how we want to be in the moment.

If you want to write your eulogy, here's how you can do it.

Imagine that your family, friends and loved ones wrote a eulogy or speech for you at your funeral. How do you want to be remembered?

To help get you started, here are some questions to think about:

1. What are some professional goals/milestones you'd like to achieve during your career? E.g. He taught me…; She invented…
2. What would you do if you knew you could not fail? E.g. I would start a business; I would change careers.
3. Which positive personality traits and values would you like to be remembered for? E.g. She was kind- hearted and valued supportive friendships.
4. What would you like people to say about your contribution to your family, your community and the greater world? E.g. He was a supportive partner; She served her community and neighborhood by…
5. Are there any personal goals you want acknowledged? E.g. She ran 10 marathons; He hosted the best parties; She a made beautiful jewelry.

You don't have to have your dream career in order to start living your legacy. You just have to discover what you want your legacy to be and then you can choose to have your career to support it.

When I first started my business, I felt like an impostor. I was still trying to get my processes and systems in place, and I didn't have the confidence that everything was going to work out. I would meet people and feel I had to pretend that I was already successful, and this didn't feel good.

So what is impostor syndrome? It's a term that was coined in the 1970's by psychologists to describe people who are unable to internalize their accomplishments.

As a career changer, you may not feel good enough to warrant someone helping you with your transition. The good news? You have the ability to over come it!

Here's how:

1. Own Your Greatness- Even though I didn't have all my ducks in a row, I had to remind myself that I had so much to offer. Even though I was new to private practice, I still had experience in career development and had helped many others before. When I would remind myself of all my strengths and accomplishments prior to going to a networking event, my body language subconsciously communicated my confidence.

You may not have direct experience in certain areas when making a career change, but you certainly have a ton to offer, such as your personality, strengths, accomplishments, talents and transferable skills. Own them!

2. A.S.K. or Always Seek the Knowledge of Others- My friend Alyce Blum, business owner and networking coach, suggests that you should enter networking situations with the intention to get to know others and ask questions.

I love this advice because most people don't care about what you do; they care about how you make them feel. Asking questions is one of the best ways to do this. It also takes away the pressure for you to feel like you have to show off.

So next time you go to a networking event, know that you have the power to turn the conversation around and ask someone about their job.

3. Practice Til You Make It- I hate the saying, "Fake it til you make it". For me, it means that I feel I have to be fake or inauthentic until I make some obscure goal. I like the idea of practicing because it allows for authenticity, vulnerability and mistakes in the moment.

I had to practice in several different ways to help me overcome my impostor syndrome. I had to test my process and systems on several people at no cost in order to have success stories under my belt. For me, sharing stories in which I honestly felt good about my work helped me feel confident and authentic without being cocky.

So next time you go to a networking event, look at it as practice whether it be your elevator pitch, how you answer questions, posture, body language and anything else you can think of.

If you're feeling impostor syndrome coming on, take a moment to own your greatness, turn the conversation around and ask someone about themselves, and know that this is practice, not perfection.

Here are three easy ways to start a conversation at a networking event:

1. Introduce yourself simply

If there’s someone you’ve wanted to meet but never had a formal introduction, keep it straightforward:

“I don’t think we’ve met before. I’m ___.”

That’s it. You don’t need to justify why you’re talking to them or explain your background right away. A calm, confident introduction opens the door naturally.

2. Ask a situational question

Your surroundings are built-in conversation starters. If you’re near the food line, an exhibitor’s table, or a sign, use what’s right in front of you:

“Doesn’t that look delicious?”

“Have you read any of her books?”

“I’m curious—which breakout session are you attending?”

These questions are easy to answer and invite a natural back-and-forth.

3. Use their name tag as a guide

If you’re not sure what to say, take a look at the person’s name tag and let it guide your curiosity:

“Oh, you work for ___—what’s that like?”

“I noticed your title is ___—what’s your favorite part of your work?”

These questions show interest without pressure and often lead to more meaningful conversations than a standard elevator pitch.

Remember, the goal of networking isn’t to impress—it’s to connect. Most people feel just as unsure at networking events as you do. A simple, curious question is usually enough to get things started.

This concept is known to the Chinese as yin and yang or the interplay of opposites such as negative and positive energies. The idea is that when you are able to detect a negative energy, you can counteract it.

If you have found your life purpose or calling, most likely your self-sabotage will be the opposite of whatever it is.

For example, my life purpose to is to help others connect with themselves and others in a transformational capacity. My self-sabotage is to disconnect or tell myself I'm not good enough.

Here are 4 common underlying beliefs that can sabotage your career:

1. I'm not good enough: A belief that you are not deserving or good enough. Therefore, you never go for what you really want such as interviewing for a promotion or asking for that raise. This can also result in the judgement of others because of a false sense of confidence.

2. I can't do something: A belief that you cannot do something because of a fear of an outcome (whether positive or negative). Perhaps you don't take risks or try new things because of a story you've told yourself. I notice this is common for clients who are only willing to do tasks and activities they've only tried before, even if they don't like them.

3. I'm alone: A belief that you are alone, not a part of a team or no one has been in your shoes. This often results in isolation and a lack of connectivity with your clients or colleagues.

4. Something bad is going to happen: This is that "what if" scenario where everything bad is going to happen. It takes a lot of energy and to be worried and results in a lot of precocious activity and also results in not taking risks.

How to overcome these beliefs:

Everyone has negative beliefs and they probably will never go away in their entirety. They will just keep manifesting in different forms at different times in our lives.

Step 1: Face it: Running away from the issue will only make it worse and stronger. I personally like taking a chunk of time to face an issue and doing activities such as meditating, walking, hiking or journaling to process it. Give yourself permission to be with the feeling even if you don't like it. Facing it will make it smaller. Moreover, it can take an incident that can be all-consuming and turn it into something constructive.

When an issue or feeling comes up during an inopportune moment like a meeting with a client, even the slightest acknowledgement of it and saying, "I will talk with you later" helps remove the power of it.

Step 2: Focus on the opposite or the positive: As I mentioned above, my calling is to help others connect to themselves and others in a transformational capacity. When I go into my negative belief of "I'm not good enough", it helps to refocus, say an affirmation like, "I'm good enough" and think about all the times I've helped myself and others connect and transform.

I also like to take a physical action when I'm in my negative belief and surround myself with friends and loved ones in order to feel connected.

Step 3: Get help: Go to a therapist, coach or consultant; take a yoga or meditation class; or talk to a friend. Get the support you need.

Step 4: Don't beat yourself up: We are human beings and we all have moments where we self-sabotage. Be gentle with yourself and know that it's going to happen. If you look at it as an opportunity to learn more about yourself and grow, it's not that bad when it happens.

I was lucky because I was applying for positions just before the economic downturn by randomly sending in resumes and cover letters. I had more than 15 interviews as a result.

I’m embarrassed to admit, but I crashed and burned every time I interviewed. The only stories I could articulate were my past work experiences- I could not express where I could envision my career in five years nor the value I could bring to the company for which I was applying.

I ended up taking the first job offered to me, a case management position coordinating Medicaid services for developmentally disabled adults.

I was terrible at my first job! The position highlighted all my weaknesses, such as managing paperwork and writing reports. I missed every deadline, and the paperwork stack on my desk outweighed my coworkers.

My self-esteem during that one year working as a case manager went down the drain. I dreaded going to work, took my misery out on my family, and went through the same cycle on a daily basis.

I had to spend a significant amount of time evaluating my experience to understand my career next steps. The good thing about this horrible experience is that I learned a lot from it.

Here are three lessons I gained from the mistakes of my first job.

1. Get to know yourself– Reflect on your past jobs and hobbies and assess the tasks and activities that you’ve enjoyed. Explore your strengths, interests, passions, values and higher purpose. When you read job descriptions, ask yourself, “Do I see myself enjoying and thriving in this position because it speaks to my strengths and interests?”

Only seek positions that will capitalize on your talents. There is no such thing as a perfect job, but there are positions where your time is spent doing a majority of tasks that speak to your assets.

2. Practice articulating your value– Hiring managers are seeking candidates that they know can go above and beyond to get the job done. They want someone who can communicate their qualifications with confidence, articulate that they are the best candidate for the position and demonstrate the value they will bring to the company.

Take an inventory of your past successes and write them down. Practice sharing these experiences and telling stories because your past experiences demonstrate your future potential to a hiring manager.

3. Build relationships and establish a strong network– Hiring managers want to fill positions with candidates who they know, like and trust. Moreover, the people who know you can direct you to positions they think would be a good fit.

U.S. News and World Report has found that more than 70% of people land jobs through networking. You never know when you’re going to need to make a change, so having an established network is essential.

If you have been feeling defeated by the job search process, it’s never too late to go back and reevaluate. Your career path is an evolution and you have the ability to change it and make it meaningful to you.

I decided I needed a clean slate and transferred high schools—moving from a large public school to a small, art-focused, private school. This was one of the best decisions of my life because not only did it give me a new start, but I was also at a school with like-minded students who were artistic and creative. I also found a faculty and staff that were like a second family who could provide love and encouragement.

Although the transfer was a fantastic choice, I took old wounds with me, and there was a vulnerability that lingered. Moreover, my sister, who was popular throughout her school years, began to struggle in her later teens and needed a lot of support from my parents, which meant, in many ways, I needed to find emotional support elsewhere.

I was thrilled because my sister eventually decided to transfer to my school, where she could get the attention and support to flourish as well.

As much as I loved my sister coming to my school, it changed the attention I was receiving from my teachers and peers that made me feel exceptional and unique. My sister has one of the most engaging personalities of anyone I've ever known, and people want her to like them and to be her friend. This meant that my teachers and peers were paying attention to her and not as much to me.

My school, which had become my haven and safe place, was still that place, but not mine alone anymore. I had to share it.

There was one person I didn't have to share: my good friend Sherill. She was one of the biggest cheerleaders of my life.

Whether she knew it or not, I relied on her for so much emotional support. She would be the person I would ask for advice about friends, boys, clothes—anything a teenager could need advice about.

I think my favorite part was that she liked me more than my sister, and I needed to have someone favor me.

So you might be thinking, what does this story have to do with my career search? My point is, I understand how important a cheerleader is during important times in our lives, such as a career change. I even have cheerleaders now as I grow my business as a career counselor. I know that the career search process can be frustrating and painful, and there is no better time to have someone cheering you along the way.

It is common for my clients to have a well-intended family member place pressure on them to put more effort into the process. As much as that family member means well, it can add more pressure to the person who is already under stress in the first place.

More than anything, as a career seeker, you need to have someone be on your side—to love, accept, and support you unconditionally; perhaps to hold you accountable and to provide a listening ear.

As you go through the job search, reach out to your cheerleaders and ask them to support you because it's challenging to do on your own. And if you need to find a cheerleader, I highly suggest you join a job search support group because you can find a buddy to mutually support each other through the process. You can usually find job search support groups in your area through Meetup.com.

And if it helps even just a little, just know that I put a prayer out there for those who are in transition, asking to provide guidance and direction. You're not alone.

Here’s one fact you may not know about me- I ran a website development and small business marketing company with a friend for two years. Do I have any formal website development, social media marketing and business administration training? No! It was all self-taught. Did my clients care I did not have formal training? No, I never got asked a single question about my qualifications or educational background (only requests for references). I was referred through word-of-mouth.

How did I gain that experience? Through online and low-cost in-person classes. The suggestions below offer classes in a variety of subject areas, whether you need to brush up on skills or learn a whole new skill-set all together.

Here’s how:

1. Take free or low-cost online classes. With the Internet, information is at your fingertips without having to spend thousands of dollars on a formal education. Some inexpensive options are:

   1. Skillshare- For $0-10 a month, you can take online classes from industry experts. I’ve seen classes ranging from handwriting to logo design. Classes range from design, photography, business, film, technology, fashion, music, gaming, culinary, DIY, writing, crafts and more.
   2. Coursera- Offers free online classes moderated by instructors from top universities and educational organizations such as Stanford, Yale and Princeton. These are similar to taking college classes and can often be a time-investment. Participants who complete the classes will often walk away with a certificate of completion. Any class you can imagine is likely available, ranging from social psychology to finance.
   3. CreativeLive- Offers free and paid classes by industry experts that are very hands-on and practical. Here’s the caveat: you either watch the class for free as it is broadcasted live or you pay for it if you missed it. Classes are organized based on the following topics: photo and video, art and design, music and audio, craft and maker, and money and life.

2. Take free or low-cost classes in-person.

   1. SBDC or Chamber of Commerce- Your Small Business Development Center and Chamber of Commerce often has business classes ranging from QuickBooks to online marketing. These are low-cost and you can often network with professionals who may be seeking employees.
   2. Library- Have you checked out your local library? You can take free classes ranging from using Microsoft Office to learning coding.
   3. Community College Continuing Education- Colleges and universities in your area may be offering low-cost classes to the community ranging from event management certificates to basic accounting classes.

My next article will be focused on how to demonstrate the skills you learned from these classes to potential employers and how to market them.  I hope you enjoy!

The first question that most potential employers will ask is, “So tell me about yourself.” When I practice this interview question with my clients, they tend to share their employment history or personal story. The flaws in these responses are that most employers don’t want you to repeat your resume or know your personal story, they want to understand your strengths and the highlights of your accomplishments. They also want to hire a confident, competent candidate, who will get the job done and bring value to their company.

As a career coach, one of my goals is to help job candidates explore their history, highlight their strengths and accomplishments, and be able to articulate them with confidence to any potential employer.

The purpose of this article is to share five ways to discover your strengths and accomplishments in order to differentiate yourself from other candidates during a job interview:

1. Feedback from Others:

Did a coworker ever share something like, “You always bring the team together during times of chaos.”? Perhaps you have a talent for keeping balance among your team of coworkers during difficult transitions. Let’s say you ran into your teacher at the supermarket and she said, “You were such a wonderful creative writer. I would always be excited to go home and read your stories because they would get me thinking.” Perhaps your gift of storytelling helps others contemplate and process.

Reflecting back on anecdotes and asking others for feedback will help you recognize your talents.

Some questions you might ask are: “What do I do well?”, “What were my biggest strengths when working in this position?”, “What did you perceive to be my biggest accomplishments?”, “What is the biggest compliment you can give me based on my job performance?”

2. Reflect on Your Impact:

Everyone has made a difference somehow. It could have been a conversation that inspired a friend to make a change; a beautiful painting you hung at a coffee shop and someone smiled when they stood in front of it; a small change that you suggested for customer service protocol that positively impacted sales in your department.

Reflecting on your impact, no matter how big or small, can provide so much insight to how you’ve made a difference. It also indicates your potential and the difference you can make in your future.

3. Evaluate the footprint you want to leave behind?

If you were going to leave this earth, how do you want others to remember you? Did you change something for the positive? Did you raise a beautiful healthy family? Did you makes others smile and laugh?

Think about the impact you want to make on the future. Whether it be for work, school, or the people who surround you… there is always a way you can leave a small legacy.

4. Write it down!

Start journaling your discoveries and look for trends. You will be amazed at how empowering it is to hear others speak positively about you and to confirm this by writing it down.

5. Now share it!

We are often taught not to brag. Sharing your strengths with others, a story where you’ve made a positive change, or your future goals, is not bragging or conceited. These stories are what make you unique and are inspiring to others. Especially if they are shared with positive intention.

For example, one of my clients with an extensive background in marketing and public relations, has been interviewing for a job.

We were practicing the interview question, “So tell me about yourself.” Her immediate reaction was to share her career history. She quickly became frustrated because her response was long winded, so she asked to start over.  I answered, “I can read your job history in your resume. Let’s try something else. I want to know what makes you awesome at your job.”

I asked her the question again and she responded, “I’m a ninja at fixing a company’s marketing strategy. I have a background in guiding companies who struggle with their marketing, finding out what makes them unique, and coordinating their marketing efforts to help them stand out from their competition.”

Next time you’re asked a question about yourself during an interview, don’t be shy about communicating your impact. You’re awesome! Now share it.

My second job out of graduate school was obtained through an informational interview. As you’ve read in my previous newsletter, my first job was a total bust, so I needed to find something that would be a better fit, and I did it through informational interviewing. Here’s how:

1. Asking my friends and family to make introductions- I inquired with my friends, family and former colleagues to make introductions to anyone working in the nonprofit sector serving high school youth. Many of them were supportive of my job change, so they were more than happy to help me make connections.
2. Requesting an informational interview- I asked several people who were introduced to me if I could treat them for coffee and ask questions about their position, career path or experience working for their company. I reached out to four people and three of them were willing to meet with me.
   *Be prepared for someone not to respond to your request or to say no to meeting with you.
   Before I met with anyone, I researched their background, information about their company and anything else I could find on the internet.
3. Meeting for coffee- I prepared questions that I really wanted the answers to and could not find from researching the internet such as, “What’s one thing that no one ever told you that you wish you knew before pursuing your career?” During our meeting, I listened intently and asked clarifying questions on topics that I wanted to learn more about.
   And towards the end of our meeting, I would ask that person to make an introduction to someone else who was in a similar role, worked for a different company or who can guide me more on a particular topic.
4. Follow up- After my meeting, I would e-mail the person to thank them for their time and mention a specific thing they said that got me thinking. I would also remind them of making the introduction.
5. The outcome: I was introduced to my former supervisor, Brian, a wonderful leader and program director of a nonprofit organization that helped high school dropouts re-enroll in educational programs. I met Brian for coffee. We spoke for an hour, and I stayed in touch with him after our meeting through e-mail.

Two weeks after our meeting, Brian invited me to an association meeting and introduced me to other managers and directors working for nonprofits that work with high school youth.

I saw a job posting that I was interested in applying for four weeks after meeting Brian. I emailed him asking if I could be considered for the position.

Six weeks after our meeting, I was offered an interview and hired one week later for the position.

The entire process of getting a new job took about two months, and I did not waste my time filling out mindless applications. More importantly, I was able to meet and receive advice from one of my favorite supervisors and mentors through the process and obtain a job at a nonprofit whose mission I was passionate for.

Informational interviews are effective at building relationships because companies want to hire an employee they know, like and trust. Informational interviews build those relationships and open doors you never knew existed. 

We live in a society where, after meeting someone, the second question often is, “What do you do?”—a question that can unintentionally feel like, “What is your worth?” During the holidays, questions like “Have you found a job yet?” or “Any updates?” can stir feelings of self-doubt or make you second-guess your progress.

So, how do you navigate these sensitive conversations?

1. Decide What to Share

Remember, it’s entirely up to you how much you want to disclose. You have the power to share as much—or as little—as you feel comfortable.

2. Understand the Intent

Try to listen with an open heart and understand where the person is coming from. Most people ask because they care and want to know that you’re doing okay. A simple response like, “I’m still exploring new opportunities. Thanks for asking!” can assure them without getting into details.

3. Turn It into an Opportunity

The holidays can also be a chance to network. Many people love offering advice or helping solve problems. You could say something like, “I’m currently looking for opportunities in [your field]. Do you know anyone I could speak with or places I could explore?” or “I’d appreciate any suggestions for where I can network or grow my connections.”

4. Redirect the Conversation

If you’d prefer to avoid discussing your job search altogether and simply enjoy your turkey dinner, redirect the focus. Open-ended questions like, “I’m still in the interview process. How is work going for you?” or “I’m still exploring my next steps. How’s your family?” can shift the topic in a natural way.

5. Focus on What Matters

Holidays are about connection and gratitude. Try to relax, enjoy the moment, and remember that you set the tone for conversations by how you respond. With a little preparation, you can turn these moments into an opportunity for positivity, inspiration, or simply a pleasant exchange.

Transitions are a part of life, and the holidays don’t have to add pressure—they can even become a source of support and encouragement. Happy Thanksgiving!

Payscale

Payscale offers career pathways, an excellent tool for anyone exploring pivots. Career pathways allow you to visualize various career paths based on your current role and skills. You can see potential career moves, how your skill set aligns with those roles, and even expected salary ranges. It’s an insightful resource for understanding how to leverage your experience to transition into a new field. Whether you're considering moving into a related role or taking a bold leap, Payscale can help you strategize your next steps.
https://www.payscale.com/

My Next Move

My Next Move allows job seekers to explore careers by keyword, industry, or interest. It is easy to navigate and provides quick, effective information. Career profiles include detailed insights into knowledge, skills, abilities, personality traits, education requirements, job outlook, and similar professions. It’s particularly helpful for career changers who need a comprehensive overview of potential new roles.
https://www.mynextmove.org/

Occupational Outlook Handbook

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a valuable resource for researching labor market trends. It offers detailed information about career outlooks, helping you identify roles likely to be in demand in the future. This website is especially useful after narrowing down several career options, allowing you to make informed decisions based on projected job growth and industry trends.
https://www.bls.gov/

These websites provide a solid foundation for career exploration, but remember, they’re just the starting point. As you delve deeper into your career research, supplement these tools with resources that focus on specific companies, job openings, and networking opportunities. By starting with reliable, comprehensive websites like Payscale, My Next Move, and the Occupational Outlook Handbook, you’ll have the clarity and confidence to navigate your career transition effectively. Best of luck in your research!arch!

If you’re a parent, you’ve likely wondered what you can do to foster career success for your children, even from an early age.

You don’t want to meddle too much, but you don’t want to leave them unprepared either — at least that’s how I’ve thought about it. Danielle Roessle, a career counselor with Inner Compass Coach, specializes in guiding families and children toward career readiness. She suggests these strategies:

• Set up chores and allowance for elementary-age children, and pay them what a neighbor would pay for the same work.

Also consider having your kids buy their own discretionary items they want — such as the latest Xbox — so they learn how their work translates into actual purchases.

• When they’re in high school, focus on helping children build work skills.

In addition to part-time and volunteer jobs, find ways to include your son or daughter in your career, such as talking about your work as a part of family discussions.

One lawyer dad who can’t breach his clients’ confidentiality will say things like, “I work with couples who no longer feel as if they can live together, and they have problems like figuring out who will take care of the family pets. What would you tell them to do?”

• If it’s appropriate for your family, talk about what you earn to demystify finances and draw comparisons.

One parent helped her daughter calculate how many hours she’d have to work to pay for volleyball lessons if she was employed as a social worker, as compared to working as doctor. Expose your children to how certain jobs would pay for real-world living expenses.

Said Roessle, “When I was in high school, $30,000 in salary sounded like so much money until my parents showed me on Craigslist what it would cost to rent an apartment and how much our grocery bill was each week.”

Roessle is giving a free talk on this topic from noon to 1 p.m. Nov. 6. For more information, contact her at danielle@innercompasscoach.com.

Article by: Katy Piotrowski, M.Ed., is the author of “The Career Coward’s Guides” and provides career and job search support with Career Solutions Group in Fort Collins. Reach her at (970) 224-4042 or katy@careersolutionsgroup.net.

Taking low-cost or free classes is a great way to build knowledge and skills in areas that may be missing from your résumé. It’s also a practical way to test your interest before fully committing to a new direction.

I’ve had clients take classes in video editing, CPR, Microsoft Word, copywriting, marketing, culinary arts, and more. After completing these courses, they felt more confident and better prepared to apply for jobs.

If you’ve taken classes to prepare for a career change or a new role, here are several ways to show your new skills to a potential employer:

Add your skills and relevant coursework to your résumé

The goal of a résumé is to show how you would bring value to an employer. If a job description requires proficiency in a specific area and you’ve taken relevant courses to build that skill set, include them. You might add a section such as Relevant Coursework or Technical Skills to highlight what you’ve learned.

Create a portfolio

If you’re entering a creative field—such as marketing, writing, culinary arts, or photography—build a portfolio of your work. You can create an online portfolio using a free platform like Wix. There’s no better way to demonstrate your expertise than by showing your work. Be sure to include links to your portfolio on your résumé and LinkedIn profile.

Freelance (paid and unpaid opportunities)

Several of my clients have built their new skill sets through freelancing. They offered their services to small businesses and nonprofits in both paid and unpaid roles. This allowed them to build experience, strengthen their résumés, and gather references and LinkedIn recommendations.

Do your homework

Spend time researching how professionals in your target field market themselves. Pay attention to keywords, language, and how they present their skills. This can help you decide how to position your own experience and training.

You may also want to get creative. For example, I had a friend seeking a product marketing role who applied to only two companies. For each one, she created a customized welcome packet and hand-delivered it to the receptionist. She received callbacks—and job offers—from both companies.

Stay proactive

Employers aren’t just looking for qualifications. They’re looking for people who are resourceful, motivated, and willing to take initiative. By investing in new skills and thoughtfully presenting them, you’re showing more than competence—you’re demonstrating commitment to growth.

Your career is yours to shape. With intention, creativity, and follow-through, you can turn newly acquired skills into real opportunities.