If speaking up for yourself at work feels a little awkward, you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve done something amazing but downplayed it like it was no big deal. Or you’ve needed support, but convinced yourself now wasn’t the “right time” to ask. Sound familiar? Let’s talk about two essential career skills that often get a
Have you ever found yourself saying "yes" to a project when your plate was already overflowing? Or apologizing profusely before declining a meeting? If you're nodding along (or maybe even wincing a little), welcome to the club! As women leaders, many of us have earned black belts in the martial art of stretching ourselves too
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." - Oscar Wilde (who clearly made enough mistakes to know what he was talking about) Let me tell you about my recent Zoom fail. There I was, delivering what I thought was a brilliant workshop on executive presence, when a participant kindly messaged me: "Deb, we
"If content is king, then repurposed content is the kingdom." - Me, just now, feeling pretty clever about it Let me tell you about my recent conversation with a coaching client - let's call her Sarah. She was lamenting about the "content hamster wheel" she felt stuck on, constantly creating new materials while perfectly good
As much as I love my job, it’s still stressful to go from a daily schedule of watching Netflix and eating cookies on the couch to coaching, speaking, consulting and writing. Lucky for me, I have a very understanding manager (also me). My manager is compassionate, empathetic, and caring while still holding me accountable for
Wendy. Leslie. The other Leslie. Michael. Ellen. Signy. Priya. Ben. Mark. Juliann. Every female leader needs a support system to thrive – and those names represent (a subset of) my support system. I'm talking about our own personal cheerleading squad - the unsung heroes who have our backs, lift us up, and help us soar
When someone brings up a controversial topic at work, most of us fantasize about diving under our desks or suddenly developing an urgent need to attend to our emails (or at least I do). Why? Because we're afraid of saying the wrong thing, hurting someone's feelings, or ending up in a conversation we can't navigate
Picture this: You're about to lead a major presentation, and you're doing that thing I call the "Professional Woman's Pre-Meeting Meditation." You know the one – where you're mentally rehearsing how to sound confident (but not bossy), friendly (but not frivolous), and authoritative (but not aggressive). Oh, and don't forget to smile! But not too
Ah, 21 years. That magical moment when you know each other inside and out, when you can finish each other’s sentences—and yet, that very familiarity can dull the spark, the intrigue, the excitement. Whether it’s a long-term relationship or a long-term business, the challenge is the same: How do you keep it fresh? How do
You know, those gut-wrenching moments when a project flops, a promotion slips away, or a client takes their business elsewhere? I do. We all do. And bouncing back from setbacks can be extra challenging for women. No, it's not just in our heads. Research shows that we often face higher scrutiny and harsher judgment for
