Feeling that electricity before meetings, the excitement of not knowing what the next thing is, what’s around the next corner. Not always knowing exactly where you stand and being anxious about what’s to come, but feeling something great is building, somehow feeling like you are in the right place with the right people doing the right work.

"If You Love What You Do, You’ll Never Work a Day in Your Life"

NO. WHO COMES UP WITH THIS GARBAGE. You’ll work. You’ll work weekends, holidays, and during your own birthday dinner if you’re not careful. Loving what you do means you’ll RESENT IT LESS. Coming from someone who is literally living her dream, it's STILL WORK.

Founder.

It’s a word I’ve hesitated to claim because, honestly, it feels big. Bigger than me.

But after this year? I think it’s time.

When people ask me? I struggle too…

Do not sleep on retail leaders. If I hear “they only have retail management experience” one more time, well I’m going to casually and kindly explain for the millionth time why they are amazing multifunctional kickass business leaders.

Anyone who had to hear my top volume voice at varying stages of my career figuring out jobs I didn’t truly understand, departments I had just been introduced to and talk so very much for so very long in my loud and overly enthusiastic (but truly actually genuine) voice.

Your LinkedIn doesn’t need to be a finished masterpiece, it’s more of a work in progress.

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me they’re stuck or procrastinating because their LinkedIn isn’t “perfect,” I could probably fund a lovely vacation.

I was thinking about how George Bailey’s network saved his life, quite literally.

George didn’t get where he was by chasing favors or collecting business cards.

I learned all those ideas other people ignored or told me to stay in my own lane about for all those years… I didn’t have to anymore, I got to test them all out right here, use my instincts and you know what? 

Here’s the twist: This isn’t a one-off success.

Sliding into their DMs with a desperate “please hire me” vibe is a surefire way to get ignored. Literally no one wants that and personally those aggressive and time sensitive asks trigger stress (at least they did/do for me).

Purpose fuels so many of us, it’s life giving and motivates our core. Reminds us why we do what we do.

You are not just a Person in your job search you are also a Product. (This is true in consulting as well and maybe even more so)

Crafting your narrative and building your career story is crucial for authentic connection and alignment. This has to be truly you for real success.

To be clear though, if I ask her about really anything…every single time the answer will be Cats, in some form or another. But this time, I feel like I get it, I can put cats and work together.

Side note: “The call is coming from inside the house!” This is what I think of when I say “do it from inside the company”, every time. Childhood movie trauma runs deep y’all, bonus points if you know that OG movie!

The self-proclaimed "thought leader", a true LinkedIn classic. It’s bold, it’s confident, and it can be true or it can be completely hollow.

Layoffs involve real, actual, deep grief when you do that though, it can feel like a betrayal. Makes you want to scream in the rain up at the sky dramatically and ask “was it alll for nothing? All this work???” (That part might be the theater kid in me…)

Everyday is not this wild! But when business speeds up, sometimes you play catch-up. Fractional, solopreneur life means constant commitment. Is it sustainable? Probably not every day. But I’m energized by the work and wouldn’t trade it for anything.