Something interesting happened to me the other day. I received a rather peculiar request, out of the blue, by a prospective client. There was nothing inherently wrong with the request — it didn’t violate any core principles or values of mine; it just struck me as a bit bizarre. My Read more…
“Embrace the hurt, people! Love the burn! No pain, no gain!” Once again, I asked myself why I paid good money for people to devise creative ways to subject me to sheer agony. Grace was the W.O.D. or “workout of the day” (with no relation with the theological concept). I Read more…
One of my sharpest emotional crashes happened in Chinatown. I started out on cloud nine; I just got engaged to the man I loved, and was out celebrating with friends and family. I showed the diamond ring on my finger time and again, until interest in the rock was replaced Read more…
Does anyone else cringe when friends text you about their latest MLM product? “Let’s grab drinks,” they say, or “we should catch up sometime.” My heart usually responds with something that, oddly, feels like grief. I want to be happy for my friends who feel financially empowered by these new Read more…
“You’ve got to hear this story,” he said excitedly. I was meeting with the owner of a local chain of luxury auto detail and repair shops. “When I started the business,” he said, “I knew some people I had taken good care of — from back when I worked other Read more…
She shifted in her seat and looked at me uncomfortably as she tried to answer my question. As a corporate recruiter from a successful software company, she has expertise and experience, and was kind enough to share both with me as I asked about hiring strategies. “How important is character for Read more…
My husband had just come home from one of the first national conferences dedicated to organizational health. When I asked about the conference, he answered with a quizzical, almost confused expression on his face. “One of the best parts,” he said, “was an amazingly insightful question by a young woman Read more…
This was not my first rodeo. I had led teams before. But this was a brand new industry for me and my first time leading a sales organization. I was also a member of the family that owned and operated the company, so I felt like I had something to Read more…
Fatherhood has been the most challenging part of my life, by far. Trying to lead my family as my small children grow up has taught me things about myself that have deeply shamed and scared me to death, as well as given me deep and powerful hope. No matter how Read more…
He was middle aged, but slim and smartly dressed, maybe late forties. He was in a grey suit, expensive, with a neutral tie. He had on stylish brown wing-tip shoes and incongruously colorful socks. We were in a suburban bank. It was closed early for the day. There were folding tables Read more…