This Is Not The Career I Ordered™ Blog
Savvy Professional Career Wisdom by Caroline Dowd-Higgins
This is Not the Career I Ordered is read by thousands of careerists around the globe. With savvy tools, inspiration, and resources, this timeless book empowers you to enjoy your career, and love your life!
Master Your Stress in Just 48 Seconds!
Feeling overwhelmed? You’re not alone. In today’s high-velocity and divisive world, stress seems inevitable, whether you’re juggling deadlines, family demands, or unexpected work challenges. What if I told you that mastering stress could take less than a minute? This 48-second Box Breathing exercise is easy and powerful. The Steps: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds . […]
Do It Messy, Do It Inspired!
This month marks my 3-year anniversary as an entrepreneur with my business as a speaker, executive coach, and talent development consultant. I left a senior leadership role in a large organization to pursue my side hustle full-time, and I have never been happier. This was not an overnight decision. I had been pursuing my business […]
Talent Development Must Keep Pace with the AI Surge
The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report 2025” indicates 39 percent of job skills will transform by 2030. Organizations that prioritize employee development as a crucial part of their business infrastructure will be the ones to excel in this rapidly evolving landscape. We are witnessing an undeniable shift; what seems relevant at the start […]
The Meeting Hangover: It’s a Real Thing
I hear from clients daily about meeting overwhelm in their workplaces. The back-to-back meetings to discuss the work leaves precious little time to do the work. Meeting Hangover This new trending term “meeting hangover” describes the long-lasting mental fatigue and fuzziness that often follows the debilitating perpetual meeting cycle. If you must attend continuous meetings […]
Break Free of the Infinite Workday to Honor Wellbeing and Peak Performance
In today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected world, many professionals find themselves caught in the web of what’s been termed the “infinite workday.” A staggering recent report from Microsoft reveals that many workers start their day glued to their screens, scrolling through countless emails and notifications even before they roll out of bed. This pre-work routine often morphs […]
Influencing: A Key Leadership Skill Everyone Can Develop
I’m delighted to feature this guest blog post from Ania Peczalska that I know you will enjoy. You might consider leadership a skill you get when starting to supervise others. Nothing can be farther than the truth. We can all be leaders and you can start practicing leadership no matter your place in your organization. […]
American Companies’ Paid Time Off is Paltry Compared to Global Counterparts
The Average American PTO: The U.S. falls short with an average of just 10 days of PTO annually. In contrast, countries like France and Germany serve up a whopping 30 days. Cultural Differences: In America, taking a day off often comes with a side of guilt. Meanwhile, in countries like Spain, they have siestas! A civilized […]
Employee Recognition and the Paul Hollywood Handshake
Recognition has long been linked to increased productivity and engagement in the workplace. Research indicates it reduces turnover and boosts morale. In these tumultuous times of budget cuts, lay-offs, and ambiguity about the future, much of the workforce is paralyzed with fear which can tank self-confidence, drive, and productivity. An increase in employee turnover and […]
The Lifelong Learning Imperative: Ensure Your Competitive Edge
In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing professional landscape, the need for continuous learning has never been more critical. From technological advancements to shifting workplace dynamics, the skills and knowledge that once ensured job security may quickly become outdated. As a speaker and executive coach, I am an advocate in the work-trenches for lifelong learning. I believe […]
What do you do?
We typically ask a new acquaintance, “What do you do?” and default to probing about their career or work endeavors. I quickly share that I am a speaker and executive coach when I meet someone new because as an entrepreneur, business development is always top of mind. As a career driven and ambitious individual, I […]
Life Lessons from a Hound Dog
We adopted Brody, a Walker Hound when he was 5 years old from a very under resourced animal shelter. It was love at first sight and this dog who had been in a shelter for well over a year was undernourished with serious skin/fur issues because he was in desperate need of consistent food and […]
The Difference between Workaholics and High Achievers
There are healthier ways for you to work without sacrificing your professional values, relationships, or the expertise you provide to your organization or business. There is a cultural misconception that you must be a workaholic, perpetually going above and beyond, aka, the classic Over Achiever to reach peak performance. Workaholism is the only addiction we celebrate. […]
What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?
As a leadership and company culture speaker and an executive coach in the trenches with professionals around the world, I often see people get stuck because they believe they need to be perfectly ready to move forward. Brave, Not Perfect One of my favorite phrases is, “Courage is fear walking.” It’s time to give yourself […]
A Career Letter to The Class of 2025
Dear Class of 2025: A multi-generational celebration is in progress as we celebrate learners of all ages heading into the career world. Even with a tumultuous economy and a lot of ambiguity, I encourage you to tap the power you have within you. You earned your credentials with a tremendous amount of time, effort, and […]
