Build in Buffer Time

In the past few years I’ve learned a thing or two about my energy and how it relates to my work.

I’m close to equal parts introvert and extrovert so I love my alone time for deep thinking, writing, rest and of course baby + dog videos.

AND – I must, must build in time to connect with friends and colleagues during the week – outside of my client sessions. Fun and learning with other humans is my favorite sport.

This is the dance I weave through my calendar weekly and when I’m on my game, feeling flow and momentum in my work – I know I’ve hit the magic formula.

And then there are the times when I feel depleted, my throat is sore from talking, I forget to do something for the kids or I say to myself – I just need to make it through today.

Uhm, no.

Those are the days I know I bought into the systems that want me to be productive, to get one more thing done, to push myself past my limits at my own expense.

It’s at those times that I deploy one of my favorite tools to return to peace and my way of managing time.

I commune with my calendar and embrace the beauty of the buffer.

For all of my Chief sessions, I block out 30 minutes on each end.

If I have a two hour corporate workshop, I block out the ENTIRE day. Yes, I said that.

I love the experience of my workshops and I’m grateful to make such a big impact on a large audience at one time. And also – it’s a tremendous energy output for this introvert/extrovert and I do best when I have the time to put myself back together and rest.

I also block out every morning until 10am so I have time to ease into the day. I am not and will never be a morning person. I have stopped expecting to ever have a “Miracle Morning.” Miracles are reserved for self-awareness and calling out patriarchy when I see it.

If your days are stacked with meetings, start cutting your meetings to 45 minutes and blocking 15 minutes for yourself in-between.

Add a 30 minute lunch break. You are worthy of rest, recharge and a few minutes to swallow your sandwich!

Book a vacation day or half day after work travel.

Reclaim your time little by little and if you’re on the hunt for your next opportunity, look for cultures where breaks are the norm and you can embrace the buffer.

What's your Power Song?

In 2015, when I started my business, I spent a lot of time and experimented with MANY tools to take the leap, to believe in myself and to know in my bones that this whole vision was possible.

Beyond the hours of training and certification, practice and feedback from mentors – I found my own rituals to rev my energy and to take the essential risks required for change.

One of these is something I still use 8 years later.

It’s free. It’s fun. And it gets results.

It’s your Power Song, people!

In the early days – and for the entire first years of my business – my Power Song was “Brave” by the incomparable, Sara Bareilles.

Before each potential client session, I reserved 5 minutes for my Brave dance party.

Then I expanded the ritual to dance it out before corporate partnership conversations and other high stakes meetings.

It felt both disruptive and empowering to be a little wild before these buttoned up chats and frankly, it reminded me of who I am and why I chose this path.

The feeling in my body was always the same.

Alive. Worthy. All the way lit up.

It shook me loose from my death grip on my mind and allowed me to BE, to be me, to speak from my gut and from all of the internalized preparation.

After a while – I only used the Power Song for something new – like my first Chief meeting or my first in-person workshop after lockdown.

And the songs have changed over the years. Dancing On My Own, Dog Days Are Over, Empire State of Mind and Juice, because Lizzo!

I recommend a Power Song to all of my clients as they prep for interviews or negotiate or resign after getting the big next job. Have you ever tried 9 to 5?

Why not make leveling up fun?

Please, share your Power Song with me so I can begin putting a rev up playlist together and let me know how it worked for you!

Choosing the right coach for you

You may remember that I offer a 30-minute Complimentary Clarity Call to potential clients who think they may want to work with me.

In that call, my job is to truly listen and to give the human in front of me an opportunity to be heard.

It’s also crucial for me to be fully who I am, coach how I coach, and to clearly articulate what I offer and what I don’t.

In my program, I include a career transition framework with a series of tools that help people find their answers and create a plan to go after what they want.

The clients who want to work with me often say, “I LOVE the structure. It helps me understand what concrete things we can accomplish together.”

And then there are those who hear all about my offering. We have a lovely conversation and when I follow up they say, “Your program has TOO much structure for me.”

Completely valid. And good that they know what they need.

The exciting news is that there are MANY skilled and inspiring coaches out there. They are my colleagues, my community and I refer them often.

What’s important for you, as the client, is to think about WHAT you need and WHO you need to help you.

Three things I recommend considering when you choose a coach are…

1. Style

What kind of person tends to motivate you the most? Who do you respond best to in a challenging or vulnerable moment? I would call my style compassionate tough love with space for both tears and laughter. Some people need a bit more of a tougher edge than I provide and still others are looking for more time to talk about feelings and where they’re stuck. I recommend you trust your intuition on whether or not you feel chemistry with your coach.

2. Specific expertise

Where do you want to focus your energy in this coaching engagement? What are your goals? I focus on Career Transition Coaching and no longer offer Leadership or Executive Coaching. Some of my colleagues are Business Coaches and Public Speaking Coaches. You can probably name a type of coach you’re looking for these days and find someone.

3. Unique gifts and offerings

Are there nice-to-haves that would sweeten the deal for you? Would it be nice if someone came from a specific industry prior to coaching? I love connecting people so I’m often creating a community in my Office Hours, pairing up clients for accountability or introducing clients to my own network for conversations. It’s one of the things that my clients don’t necessarily expect from their coach, but love that they get this as a bonus.

As with job searching, finding the right coach is truly about fit. If you can’t decide among all of the coaches you’ve spoken with – my guess is you don’t currently have the bandwidth or desire for coaching OR you haven’t met the right one.

If you think you’re ready and we may be a fit, feel free to schedule a Clarity Call with me at the end of August when I return from vacation.

Boundaries are my love language

In the past couple of months, I’ve been leading discussions around boundaries for all of my many groups. And I’ve noticed something. 

My body is on fire. 

There’s a visceral current. All the energy and flow and a wee bit of sadness when the discussion comes to a close. 

In my work with clients, I would call this a “career clue.”  Career Clues are those topics you discuss, events you plan, projects you lead, moments you mentor – when you feel sparky and alive in your body. A physical sensation. 

My learning curve with boundaries has been an evolution in both my business and personal life. 

As a mostly people pleaser, rule follower kid – I remember a rush when I said no, or went my own way to do the unpopular thing. 

It felt like a high-five with my true self. 

That’s typically how I know I’ve set the right boundary for myself now. While some “no’s” are a “hell no” and easy to say in the moment. There are still many that push me to the edge of my comfort with my own worthiness and the belief that I can have, or even create what I want. 

My boundaries practice is tested when I…

Stand firm in my rates.

Guard my free time.

Choose values-aligned communities, clients and projects.

And even if the lead up  is hard, when I hear the inner slap of that high five, that full body relief on the other end – I know I made the right choice. 

If you’re having challenges setting boundaries in your career – whether it’s about the time you’re putting in, the way you’re being compensated…or recognized – let’s talk it through. 

Is there something you want to ask for?

Something you need to say no to? 

A redistribution of tasks and labor at home?

I help clients with scripts and examples for how they can put these boundaries into words, so they can own what they want in their language – and then get the practice asking for those things, out loud, with another human. 

Looking forward to talking with you in a boundary-strategy session!