Years ago I was in an interview for a big freelance opportunity and my almost future boss asked me – “What was your biggest professional failure?” The question really freaked me out since I did not want to expose my vulnerable side or my true weaknesses. I was trying to land the job and show him why I would be a rock star hire. I fumbled through the rest of the interview and left feeling deflated and lacking confidence for...

Building and maintaining trust in the workplace is vital to a healthy environment where colleagues feel valued and respected. Attempting to build trust amongst employees has become a major challenge for many organizations and lack of trust often leads to disgruntled colleagues and frequent turn over.Lisa Carver from Associated Content shared these practical tips for establishing and maintaining trust at work. Always be tran...

As a career coach, I often work with people that brand products or services for an organization but have no real awareness of their personal professional brand and why it matters. It’s time to take stock of your own brand and use it to achieve your career goals.Your Story Matters – when was the last time you checked in with colleagues, or your boss to ask how they perceive you professionally? If their response does not matc...

In my previous blog posts ‘Confidence On Tap’, Parts 1 and 2, I discussed how practicing bold body language and taking continuous action steps towards goals can have a positive affect on your confidence level. Since it’s ‘Back-to-School’ season, I thought it would be apropos to continue the confidence discussion by focusing on the positive impact that continuing education can have on your overall confidence. Feeling out-of-...

You may recall the scenes in The Sound of Music where Julie Andrews, as Maria, is trying to summon her confidence as she prepares to interview for the governess post with the Von Trapp Family.I love Maria’s feisty, go-get-em attitude. She’s terrified, but she holds her fear at bay by dancing down the road taking big steps and making big, bold gestures – waving her guitar and satchel in the air as she sings “I have confidenc...

As a career consultant, I’ve coached many clients who’ve suffered from a debilitating lack of confidence, and my best advice – born from experience – is to take action.Moving through my own career transition from opera singer to university director, and, additionally, to author, speaker and coach, has tested my confidence mettle, to say the least, over the years.I went from high confidence – singing on stages all over the w...

We all love to talk about how busy we are. It means we’re needed. It means we have places to go and people to see, and it also means we may well be running ourselves into the ground.Blogger Guy Kawasaki went so far as to implore readers to ‘stop the glorification of busy’, and he’s so right. We wear our busy-ness like a badge of honor, and yet where does busy get us? Overscheduled, anxiety-ridden, tired and even sick.Huffin...

I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing over 400 women from around the world about work and career for my book: ‘This Is Not The Career I Ordered’ and my forthcoming book: ‘Thrive Where You Are’.Whether entrepreneurial in spirit or working in more corporate environments, many of the women I spoke with had similar ‘habits for success’. Here are five that rose to the top – helping these successful women work smarter and achiev...

Many people ask me how I juggled a full-time job with a private career coaching practice and still managed to get a book published. I’d be remiss if I said it was easy, but I did learn some excellent strategies that are applicable to anyone struggling to get time on their side. Here are some strategies to help you spend your time more wisely.Make a plan. Figure out what you want to achieve, and then you can create the step...

Last Fall, I had the opportunity to hear Charlotte Beers speak. The legendary retired Advertising CEO and former Under Secretary of State had us all in the palm of her hand at the Indiana Governor’s Conference for Women. We were riveted from the moment Ms. Beers took the stage. She was the personification of charisma. We’ve all experienced someone with great charisma – at a conference, company presentation, or party....