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Engagement must have trust

Engagement not only relates to how involved someone is but also the attitude behind the decision to take part. Attitude becomes a key driver and it can have huge impacts on both the culture of an organization and on how work gets done.
A company’s culture is what sets them apart. It’s why people choose to stay and why people just know they need to do business with you.

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Propel Yourself Forward

Everything we do well is driven by a passion and a desire to do whatever it takes to produce the best. For some of us, that means it’s time to embrace the imperfect and messy. For others, it means saying no to something that doesn’t give you that lift or keeps you from spending time developing a talent or skill you enjoy.
When you reach that point, it’s time to PROPEL.

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Use the holidays to recharge

Emotions run high this time of year. Pile on the excitement of Christmas and the stress of finals and moving back home, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. With a little planning, you can use this break to come back ready for a successful semester. 

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you.com

Personal websites are not an oddity anymore. You don’t have to be self-employed or a small business owner to have your own site.

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Brand You

Your brand reflects your personality and the services that you offer to your clients. It’s the first impression someone has of you. The right brand will draw clients to you. Crafting an irresistible brand takes time and thought.

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Action vs. Intent

I’ve been thinking a lot about action and intent. You can judge or evaluate based on an action. An intention can’t be measured. However, if you think about it most of us judge others based on their actions. Yet, when we look internally, we give ourselves a lot of credit for just having “good intentions.”

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Network like a champ

From your first days at your big girl job, through every level of promotion, and even when you decide to branch out on your own with some freelancing, the first piece of advice most of us get is “make sure you network.”

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What happens when success doesn't bring you joy?

You’ve poured your heart and soul into a huge project. You’ve met every deadline. The evaluations look great. Yet, none of it brings you joy.  So many of us spend time chasing one finish line after the next only to end up asking ourselves, “is this all there is?”

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Self-promotion isn't shameful

When you are striking out on your own, there’s nothing wrong with using your knowledge of marketing and public relations to promote yourself and build your business.

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Leading through dark times

As much as we hate talking about it there will be times in life where we all face trials. It could be the death of a close friend or family member, a divorce, or even a health scare. So how do you lead others amid your own personal crisis?

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The right questions

Questions are a great tool to unearth what lies beneath the surface in people. But knowing how to ask the right questions can be a huge asset. Learning how to ask questions that encourage people to open up will make you a better interviewer, storyteller or manager.

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Belief – your hidden weapon

Beliefs shape our directions. That hope will fuel you on the path to your dreams. Watch when the words “no”, “can’t” or “won’t” slip into your vocabulary. Yoda put it perfectly. “Believe you can or can’t; you’re right.”

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Be Authentically You

A lot of life’s drama is self-imposed. By avoiding it from the beginning, your first years in college can be the start of a lifetime of celebrating the things that make you uniquely you.

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Dealing with setbacks

Let’s face it. Sometimes life doesn’t go as we plan. How we deal with those setbacks either propels us forward or pulls us deeper into the abyss.

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She started talked and never shut up

You know that person. The one at the office you dread to see show up at your door. The one who can go on and on about their weekend, their problems, the guy in the cubicle next to them, and everything else that crosses their mind. How do they keep on talking without ever taking a breath?

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On your own? 3 pieces of advice…

The three most memorable pieces of advice I received when I was starting out on my own were: 1) clarity comes through experience, 2) map out your short and long-term plans, and 3) practice self-care.

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Your voice matters. Protect it!

You can find a lot of information about putting together a memorable speech or killer presentation, but there’s one part of the process you might not have thought about – your voice.

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If I knew then what I know now…..

For the last two years, I’ve asked over 200 sorority women the same question, “What do you wish you knew about college before you took your first class?”
Below you’ll find a list of their answers.

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When the words won't flow

Writing requires patience and practice. Don’t get frustrated when the words are slow to flow. Try out a few of these ideas and see if you aren’t soon filling page after page.

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When mom isn't there to fix it

You were the top of your class in high school. You got that scholarship you wanted. You’ve made straight A’s all your life. Then, something happens. You fail your first test in college. Your high school sweetheart dumps you for a new girl he met in college. You don’t get into the Greek organization of your choice. Now what? I’m surprised each semester at how poorly equipped young women are at dealing with failure (or disappointment). Learning to cope with disappointment is a skill that will come in handy all your life. There are no participation trophies given out in real life. You must learn how to deal with things and get past them to move ahead.

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Don't let burn out beat you

There will always be times where you feel overwhelmed or frustrated. Instead of letting those feelings drive you away from a career you enjoy, here’s some ways to re-ignite your passion for the job.

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Redefining success

We must be careful letting our successes define our value as a person. If a project goes bad or you get passed over for a promotion, these things shouldn’t cause your value as a person to tank.

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The doctor is in

I was surprised to learn how many young women had never been to the doctor on their own. When you move off to college, you need to take ownership of your healthcare.

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Feedback helps you grow

You’ve completed a project. You’ve tracked the results. In your mind, it’s a success. However, you haven’t really heard anything from your client or boss. So how do you know?

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How safe are you?

Everyone likes to think nothing bad is going to happen to them. And most of the time, you’re right. However, you can also do things that will guarantee you’re more likely get home safe each night. Protecting yourself needs to be your top priority. Over the years, I’ve...

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Can you hear me now?

Cell companies aren’t the only ones asking that question. Are people hearing what you say when it really matters? What about in difficult situations? Are you able to communicate even in an uncomfortable situation? Think about this scenario. In a meeting, you speak up...

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Go Live! Video feeds are the future.

Learning to create compelling video is a must. Some speculate that by 2020, 80 percent of internet content will be video. Right now, 50% of shared content is video. With over 2 billion people on Facebook, is your content drawing people in or sending them to your...

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Do you have basic survival skills?

So you’re headed to college and moving away from home. It’s exciting and a little nerve racking all at the same time. Do you have the basic skills in your arsenal to survive living on your own? Before you pack the first box, make sure you’ve got these essentials...

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Does your message hit the mark?

  If budget is your first question when it comes to advertising, you’ve already missed the mark. Before you even plan your budget, you need to focus on the message. Does the ad tell a story? If it just conveys information you’ve left off the biggest draw for an...

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Are you offended yet?

This is not one of my usual posts. There are no tips or tricks. These thoughts have been on my mind. After the ridiculous way the Trump/CNN/WWE tweet is being bantered around, I just can’t keep silent any more. As long as people have been communicating, it has stirred...

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Attitude determines outcome

One thing I’ve noticed throughout my life is that each of us have the power to affect the outcome of any given situation, even if it’s just in a small way. The emotion or feeling you put out, has a direct impact on how someone else will react to a situation or event....

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We read faces, not hearts

Do you think of yourself as a brand? You should. In today’s digital world, whether you like it or not, everything you post creates an image of you in someone’s mind. You may be the type that throws up your middle finger and says “I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”...

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Do you have a plan for when "it" hits the fan?

When it goes really wrong, do you have a plan? Anyone who has a business needs a crisis communications plan. That plan should be reviewed on a regular basis and updated with potential new threats. Your plan should address at least the top five things you could see...

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Don't overlook text and type in your design

I’m not a designer, but I’ve learned a few tricks over the years. The first thing you need to understand is there is a relationship between the content and the design. You need to learn to see patterns and needs in the content. Your reader, or audience, will respond...

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How to get their attention and keep it

Whether it’s your blog, direct mail, email or a brochure, you’ve got to make sure the benefits of your company or product are front and center. Don’t bury the information that customers need to make decisions. Few people read every word. Make sure your headlines, sub...

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What turns a good feature into a great feature?

What turns a good feature into a great feature? Feature stories are some of my favorite pieces to write. They allow you the ability to really tell a story, craft characters and really engage your readers. Good feature stories get the job done, but with a little more...

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Does your website need rehab?

Here are 6 ways to tell if your website needs rehab. Ask yourself these questions. Does it have a goal? Is it useful and readable? Why would someone come to the site? Most people don’t go to a site because they just feel like sitting in front of a computer and...

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Is an E-newsletter for you?

A lot of people look at an electronic newsletter as the PDF version of their standard print newsletter. I think it needs to be more than that. Digital time is valuable time. If you are going to ask your readers to invest the time to read what you are saying, don’t...

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Is it time to rethink your writing?

What is your job as a communicator? I’d say it’s to make the important information interesting enough to capture a reader’s attention. People respond to your stories on three basic levels: 1) intellectually, 2) emotionally or 3) visually. That’s where creativity comes...

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What every complaining customer wants

Even with the best of intentions, sometimes things go wrong. How you handle that incident will determine whether your customer will remain loyal or if they will look elsewhere for their future needs. If you screw up, fix it fast. Tell the truth and tell the customer...

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Are you customer minded?

How would you define your customer? When is the last time you thought about them? Do you now their beliefs and thoughts? What drives their actions? Do you think of them as invited guests? What happens within the walls of your business directly effects whether that...

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Winning web strategies

People are visiting websites less and less. They are getting their information from Facebook or other social channels. Yet most of us can’t just ditch the traditional website. So how can we keep it relevant and draw our customers in? Online users: Want ease of use Use...

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