Early on in her career Ellen Covner, like many other professional women, noticed that working with men could be a very mixed experience. She also learned that group and workplace dynamics often had a style and language all their own that did not promote cooperation, creativity and “drive.” She came to realize that as important as it was to be self-supporting and have a good income, money was not a sufficient motivator to stay in a “good job.” After 20+ years practicing health law in major hospitals and law firms, she was ready for new challenges. She wanted a change that would renew her creativity and joy in her work. The call of the outdoors beckoned and enticed her to focus on promoting environments that nourish people and their properties. [Read more...]
Career Coach • Author • Speaker
What Now? What Next?
The career development journey is an exciting one but the overload of new information, opportunities, and ideas can often lead to analysis paralysis. With the myriad of possibilities you can get overwhelmed if you don’t have a system in place for choosing what action to take.
Tai Goodwin, the Career Makeover Coach suggests two simple questions to bring you clarity about what to do when there are too many options.
What now?
What next?
Sometimes it’s important to focus on these baby steps instead of the big picture so you can tie your answers to the above questions with actions. Tai suggests you write down your ideas. Always carry a note pad so you can be ready on the fly and don’t make a decision until you’ve gotten clarity about what really matters to you in life and career.
Big picture clarity can be scary so this is a perfect opportunity to have a brainstorming session with the strategist on your personal Board of Directors. Have someone help you outline your passion, purpose, values, and strengths along with the vision you have of the lifestyle you want.
A career coach can certainly help facilitate this type of session but if you are lucky enough to have a strategist in your circle of trust – have at it with them and map out 3 paths to create the life and work you want.
The map can be realized with a vision board, journal, or simple outline, whatever suits your personal style. By creating 3 paths you won’t stress yourself out with just one way of doing things and you won’t be limited to a single choice. You can mix and match strategies but the first step will get you moving in the right direction.
By answering what now and what next you will be able to realistically narrow your options based on what really matters to you and take the all important first steps forward on your journey.
Why Everyone Needs a Business Card!
A business or personal card is your ticket to effective follow-up when networking. Learn why everybody should take advantage of this essential career tool.
You Have the Power
I spoke at a women’s book club this week and was inspired by the collective wisdom of these engaging and talented professional women. The discussion focused on rejuvenating existing careers since most of the women present were happy with their organizations but saw room for improvement and wanted to make some modifications in their workplace for a more gratifying career.
These women had great insight about how their organizations could be improved and were frustrated that their ideas were rarely, if ever sought after. This situation is more common than not and compelled me to challenge them develop an action plan and present it to their respective powers that be.
Nobody likes a complainer at work since whining is contagious and toxic. But these women did not complain, they had terrific ideas that were sound and implementable and would ultimately help their teams become more successful and harmonious.
We discussed taking the plunge and presenting an action plan in a thoughtful and wisely timed way. It was clear that their bosses had optimal times for this type of discussion and these savvy women were intuitive about when a plan would be better received and contemplated than not. The women talked about dream scenarios that would make their careers ideal and how with some tweaking, their existing jobs would be much more engaging and energizing.
The energy and intelligence of this community of women was palpable and we fed off each other’s ideas in our group coaching session. The only question that remained was – would they take a risk and put these great ideas to paper, and when the time was right present them to their superiors?
True it was a risky venture but they literally had nothing to lose except the status quo and a lot to gain from their very wise solution oriented plans. We discussed the lack of leadership in so many managers and the need for professional development in organizations. In our 2 hour session we solved many of our collective issues with plans for improvement over a great meal, laughter, and new found friendships.
I was inspired by these women and I sincerely believe that they can and will be change agents in their organizations. They have the power to be assertive, pro-active, and deserve to have their amazing ideas heard. The courage level in the group rose as they rallied each other to move forward with their ideas and one woman courageously shared that she was looking for a new environment altogether since her values were not being met in her current workplace. Good for her!
The power of women in community is amazing and I was honored to be a part of this book club gathering for one very special evening. At the end of the night these women owned the fact that they deserve to be happy in their careers and so do you. It’s time to muster the courage to ask for what you need and want and supply positive strategies for improvement in your work environment. You have the power to be a change agent – so what are you waiting for – just do it!
Stacy Breuers, Sales Representative Martin Scott Wines
Stacy Breuers spent 18 years in the banking & finance industry in a high powered career that met her values at the time. She held a myriad of positions from consulting on Mergers & Acquisitions to a working for an Executive Search firm managing operations and marketing, and later worked in secondary markets on the lending side of the financial coin.
As you would expect, these kinds of positions required long hours and constant travel. Eventually Stacy decided that she did not want to spend all of her time on the road. Six years ago she enrolled in a wine immersion course at the Culinary Institute of America (CIS) while on a vacation in California, which whet her appetite (and her thirst!) to learn more about the wine industry. [Read more...]
Alicia Sylvia Butler, General Manager – Harris Estate Vineyards
Alicia Sylvia Butler is woman who knows career reinvention. In her 20 plus years in the professional world-of-work, she has enjoyed a variety of careers all of which she loved while she was pursuing them. This queen of career change has transitioned purposefully through different fields playing to her strengths and using her transferable skills. [Read more...]
Oana Hogrefe Photography
After earning a rigorous PhD in Physics at Emory University, Oana Hogrefe forged a career in the software industry. First as a developer and then a manager, she led teams locally and overseas. Career life was good until the economy took a turn and the tension in her company started to become palpable. In January of 2009, the company closed the Atlanta office and Oana was faced with relocation to another city, or a lay-off. [Read more...]
Joyce Boyd, Registered Nurse
As an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, Joyce loved math and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. She was one of a few women in her academic discipline and this followed suit in the professional world. She landed a competitive spot in a fast tracked entry-level engineering program at a prestigious Fortune 500 company designed to mold the industry leaders of the future.
This program included a full scholarship for Joyce to earn her Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Working as a Systems Engineer, she loved her job with the company and discovered she was better suited to program management than the theoretical design of engineering. [Read more...]
Mona Hoffman, Rough Edges Design
In her own words, Mona Hoffman “jumped off the cliff” in February of 2004 resigning from a successful corporate career to seek a new and more fulfilling livelihood. A born leader, Mona worked her way up the ranks of the office furniture industry and distinguished herself in a male dominated workplace. From product development and marketing, to eventually an executive level position as general manager of a business unit, Mona was never one to be satisfied with mediocrity. [Read more...]
Renaissance of the Gratitude Journal
In 1995 Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book Simple Abundance: A Day Book of Comfort and Joy was on the bestseller list and Oprah was talking about how impactful a gratitude journal could be in the way we view the world. My dear friend and colleague, Nichole reminded me of the importance of a gratitude journal when trying to stay positive on the job while working to reach our current career goals today.
So during this season of Thanksgiving, let’s all take Nichole’s great advice and consider keeping a gratitude journal as we move a step closer towards our career dreams. It’s easy to get bogged down in the negative but if we focus our energy on the positive we can use that momentum to take a step forward towards the change we want to live.
The process is simple, each day – write down 3-5 things for which you are grateful. For the sake of this exercise – let’s keep the gratitude focus on work or your professional life. In one week, you’ll have between 21-35 things that you are thankful for. You might be thankful for colleagues, a work environment, skills you possess, or a great idea not yet realized. The possibilities are endless.
If you are feeling down, pull out your journal and read through each item, spending a few seconds thinking about each. It can be a great way to feel more positive. This journal is also a way to reflect on what you value so you can plug these values into your new career if a reinvention is in your future.
Today I am profoundly grateful for the community of readers that follow my blog as well as the 150+ women whom I interviewed for my book. These individuals have inspired me with fresh ideas, energized me to take on new challenges, and helped me understand that I am truly in control of my own career destiny. I am grateful for the opportunity to reach new audiences with my public speaking events and to the people who are reading my book. My personal Board of Directors and mentors are people for whom I am also very appreciative for they have challenged me, taught me, and held me accountable to achieve.
Cheers to you, Nichole – it’s so important to take a step back and be thankful for what’s going well. Happy Thanksgiving!
