Get the Job Before you Get the Job: How to transition from one role to another

This blog was originally written for a guest appearance on the Momscancode March blog. Moms Can: Code is a membership-based community that provides moms learning to code with opportunities to connect and the resources they need to be successful. Check them out and join as a mentor or someone looking to grow your career!

Getting a new role can be daunting. How do you break into a new organization? What steps should you take to build credibility? Where do you start? The key is preparation, persistence, and confidence. Here are some tips to help you land that new role.

Start from the inside. When looking to make a move from one role to the next, a great place to start is your current company. Making a big leap is easier with a support system of sponsors and mentors in place, a well-known reputation established, and access to executives and opportunities. Real-life example: I started at Veeam Software in Channel Marketing and became known for being hard working, capable, and team-oriented. After three years, I was approached to move to a new team within the company although I did not have direct experience.

Build your sphere of influence. It is crucial to have a support system both inside and outside your current organization. Prior to applying for a new role, tap your circle to recommend you to the hiring manager, offer insight into a new company or team, give you tips on getting your foot in the door with a new manager, reach out to other managers or executives on your behalf who have influence over the role, and advise you on the best next steps to secure the interview and eventually, the job. Real-life tip: an executive told me recently that when he receives a candidate’s application, it should be preceded by or quickly followed by at least 10 emails from trusted contacts telling him to hire that person.

Preemptively arrange support. First, leverage your sphere of influence. Next, schedule meetings with the hiring manager and leaders on the new team you’re looking to move to before applying for the role or formally interviewing. This is easiest done if you’re moving from one role to the next at the same company (follow all HR rules, of course!), but not impossible outside your current organization. Real-life example: a former marketing manager on my team wanted to move to the systems engineering team. She was successful due to a variety of reasons (capability, support system, drive, and planning). Before taking her technical certifications, she spoke to her manager (me) who provided support, guidance and was prepared to go to bat for her when the engineering manager pinged me. Then she set up meetings with the hiring manager and various people on the team to get an understanding of exactly what was expected from a new engineer and to gain their support. The hiring manager agreed to let her sit in on demos, shadow engineers on his team, and even run practice white boarding sessions to prepare for the certification process. By the time she took the test and formally applied for the role, it was nearly in the bag.

Become an athlete. Make it a no-brainer to hire you. Start saying yes to projects that make you uncomfortable, things that scare you. Start raising your hand for new opportunities. This sets the stage for you to demonstrate your ability to jump into a brand-new role. Real-life tip: start small by offering to own pieces of a project that are not in your wheel house. If you’ve been attending trainings or going to school, showcase your recent learnings to your manager, your sponsor, your mentor, and other leaders who could help evangelize your new skills.

Own your career. Know that nothing will be handed to you. Drive your own destiny by making purposeful choices. Take the risk. Get over that imposter syndrome or that feeling that you’re not worthy and just do it already. Real-life example: My badass boss gave me this advice. She’s a VP of a brand-new team at Veeam and was appointed by the CEO. I’m following her lead, and so should you.

 

Photo credit: http://howtogetajob.info/

The Lump in my Throat

In January of this year during my annual physical, my doctor found a nodule on my thyroid. She palpated, hmmmm-ed, grimaced, and finally said, “I don’t like the way that feels.” Gah! At that moment, a seed of apprehension began to grow in the pit of my stomach, slowly climbing into my chest like heartburn, bitter and nauseating.

The next day I was scheduled for an ultrasound. It is the weirdest feeling getting an ultrasound and not being pregnant. I kept anticipating the sound of a heartbeat booming through the room, the feeling of excitement as an image of squirming life appeared on the screen. But there was only silence and a meaningless shape, followed by a gentle, “All done now, Honey” from the technician.

A week later I was back again, this time to see an Endocrinologist. I was already growing weary of my doctors’ visits. How the hell do people with actual cancer manage this?? The ultrasound confirmed a growth was covering nearly 80% of the left side of my thyroid. I was told to immediately schedule a biopsy and warned, in all likelihood, I would face surgery regardless of the results. Suddenly this lump in my throat felt huge, gagging me from the inside.

I delayed the biopsy for a week due to travel. I tried hard not to think about it, this lump in my throat. But I could feel it. Like a gumball lodged uncomfortably, not matter how hard I swallowed, it remained. I stayed busy with work, Cub Scouts, homework, soccer, friends, all the distractions of my life.

And then, I was lying on a gurney in a hospital room starring at the ceiling while a doctor stuck a needle in my neck.

In an attempt to normalize the situation, the doctor and nurse talked to me during the procedure, which was painless and easy. They asked me what I did for work, how many kids I had, how long I had been married.

That’s when I broke. I choked on my words as if they got caught on the lump on the way out. I could hardly say them out loud, afraid I might never say them again.

What if 14 years was all I got to be married?

What if 10 years was all I got to be a mom?

What if 39 years was all I got to be on this earth?

Now these are silly thoughts, I know. In reality, the odds were always in my favor. Thyroid nodules are exceedingly common, especially in women. Thyroid cancer is rare and, if it does occur, is often highly treatable.

But these statistics didn’t comfort me. I’m not a statistic. I’m a human with a very full, beautiful life that suddenly felt so much more precious.

For seven agonizing days I waited for the results. PSA: if you have to get a biopsy, never do it on a Friday!

When the nurse finally called me, the news that no cancer cells were detected was at once both unsurprising and an incredible relief. Of course, I didn’t have cancer. The statistics told me that. But at the same time, I was overcome by a wave of gratefulness. #thankyousweetJesus! The confirmation was like being baptized when you’re old enough to know what it really means: your soul has been renewed.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you that now I have a new lease on life so I quit my stressful job, work out like crazy, and am traveling the world with my children in a decked-out minivan equipped with a greenhouse on the roof that feeds us organic Swiss chard and mung bean.  None of those things happened and mung bean is effing gross.

Still, my perspective, in some ways, has definitely changed.

I was reminded of the importance of being kind for you have no idea the battles others are fighting. I needed kindness these last few weeks, and I felt like an ass for every time I was, ahem, blunt with someone which unfortunately was a lot of times because my patience is equivalent to the life span of Mayfly.

Tense situations often bring out the things that are most important in your life. Like the people that surround you when things aren’t perfect. Those who build a circle of support around you so that no matter where you turn, someone is there. I’m humbled by my fierce support circle.

I find myself taking risks that I may have previously avoided, like taking on another project even though my boss gave me an out or booking first class for our upcoming ski trip without consulting my husband.  (Don’t worry, Sweetie, it was only for the return trip!)

Mostly I find myself sitting outside more and saying yes to chocolate milk pleas after I know those kids stole my last zesty orange diet coke (little shits!).

This year has already brought us so many good things. My husband got a promotion, we’re moving forward with a kitchen renovation we’ve talked about for years (that’ll be good blog material!), and now this, and yes, it is a good thing. It’s a gentle reminder to stayed focused on what truly matters and to make that appointment for your annual physical!

The Gift of Loss

Have you ever lost something, a relationship, an object, a job, only to realize after some time has passed how much you don’t miss it? That is the beautiful gift of loss, my friends.

Now there are some losses for which recovery is impossible. You carry those burdens forever. We learn different things from those losses. To love more, to be more present, to put your phone down. Those aren’t the losses I’m talking about here.

The realization of exactly how much something meant to you is an invaluable thing. It helps you heal. It helps you assess. It helps you move on.

Sometimes the moment of realization comes on quickly, out of nowhere. You could be picking up your kids from school, interviewing for a new gig, or enjoying time alone when it hits you: you are completely out of shits for that lame ass situation.

And it’s like a weight lifting from your back, the jaws of life arriving on scene to set you free, the bartender confirming they do, in fact, have Tito’s. #hallelujah

If you’re on the whole ‘new year=new you’ bandwagon, now is not only an opportunity to try new things (Piyo anyone?) but to let go of old baggage, old heartache, old ideas of what success and happiness and friendship should look like.

In the past few months, a few colleagues of mine have moved on to new opportunities. In some cases, it wasn’t voluntary. I know the feeling. In December of 2008, I found myself ‘exploring new opportunities’ after being unceremoniously let go from my job. At the time, I was miserable. What I didn’t know was just how perfect the timing actually was. I had just graduated with my graduate degree after four painful years of taking one miserable night class at a time because that’s all my credit card could handle. I was lucky enough to be given a severance and within six weeks, I landed a new role in what would propel my career in marketing.  It’s a scary thing to start all over, but the thing is, it happens all the time and it happens to nearly everyone. Embrace the change. Grow from it. One day, you’ll look back on that job and realize what a very small piece of the much bigger picture of your path it was.

Getting over being fired is hard and so is letting go of failing friendships. I find the older I get, though, the easier it becomes. It’s heartbreaking to discover a trusted friendship was, in essence, a fraud but posting passive aggressive memes on Facebook only makes you looks like an attention-seeking cry bag. Even though some of them are funny! The thing is, people change, they grow apart, and their actions are rarely a reflection of those they hurt (unless you really are just a giant PITA) but rather of their own weaknesses. They’re trying to manage those weaknesses and doing the best they can.  Forgive them and move on. Forgiving them doesn’t mean continuing to put up with their crap. It means letting go of what you thought that friendship was and ignoring their texts while you hang out with people who really love and support you.

Losing things is a part of life. No doubt an uncomfortable part, but an unavoidable part. So the next time it occurs to you how much you haven’t been thinking about someone or something, take a moment to recognize and appreciate that moment. It’s a wonderful thing and it doesn’t always happen.

Adventures in a Mid-Life Crisis

I’m turning 40 this year. I’m going to be honest with y’all, I’m not taking it well. But I have a goal of making this my #bestyearever. I’m going to work out, eat better, spend more time doing things I love, taking care of myself, kick some ass, take some names.

I’ve turned to Pilates and endless dog walks for exercise, super food salads with a bunch of stuff I can hardly pronounce in them (keeeen-Wa), indulging in flea market shopping whenever the mood strikes me (yes, I need another Mid-Century lamp, thanks), and pouring myself into my job.

But there’s one thing I really wanted to improve that was not as easy.

My face.

Between the decades of sun damage, the nose broken many years ago, the crow’s feet, the fissures across my forehead, it’s kind of a mess.

Now don’t get my wrong, I’m not hideous for Pete’s sake. I mean it’s not like the pack of coyotes that live in our backyard has taken me in as one of their own, but still I look…..tired, blah, weathered if you will. Or as my dermatologist says, “You look like you’ve enjoyed yourself!” Not entirely sure what that means, but sort of sounded like a really nice way to say “rode hard and put away wet.”

I want to look a little fresher, brighter, and if possible 35-er. That’s not too much to ask, right?

I went for a consultation at one of those professional med-spa gimmicks and decided to take a step to get my face looking closer to how I felt it should.

I opted for one of the many laser resurfacing options and I can tell you that I no longer fear hell. Because I have been there.

This procedure involves literally burning a layer of skin off your face. Surely, I thought, this would help!? If you ever do this, understand that when you’re told some minor swelling and mild redness may occur you are being lied to and will not leave your house for three days. I felt a sense of immediate regret when I could smell something on fire as the laser made its first pass. “Oh, it’s just the little hairs on your face searing off, Hon.” The nurse practitioner told me. Oh OK. Just those.

Immediately after the procedure, which really only took about 10 minutes after waiting for an hour with a thick layer of numbing cream on my face, I felt an intense burning. Something like a frying pan must feel when it’s heated up to cook your Sunday bacon. I drove home with ice packs on one side of my face while holding the other side as close as possible to the AC vent without crashing my car. My face was as red as tomato, almost purple is some spots like I had been tanning on the face of the sun.

But the worst part was yet to come.

About three hours later my face started to swell. Especially my left side. I looked like a cross between Quasimodo and Sloth from the Goonies except my face was hot pink and coated with Aquafor. I went to bed with a bag of frozen peas and propped up on six pillows. My husband came in and poked me every few hours to make sure I was still breathing.

The next morning, I laughed out loud when I looked in the mirror. And then nearly started to sob. The swelling was so bad, I could not see out of my left eye! I looked like I had swallowed a bee hive. Thank Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the Talking Walnut that I work from home because I would have had to quit my job.

I called my doctor who assured me that my Sumo wrestler face was “normal” but she could call in a prescription to help bring it down. I was relieved until I realized that meant I would have to leave the house and walk into a store where people may notice my cheek bones were practically touching my eyebrows.

I nearly called a friend to get the meds for me but instead I braved up, put on a hat, sunglasses, hoodie and tried to pull my hair around my face as much as possible. I was about as incognito as Marilyn Mason at a Mary Kay party. I picked up my kids from school later and the after-care teachers signaled to me from across the field that they would sign the boys out, no need for me to come to them. I’m assuming they were concerned the children would run screaming from fear if they saw me up close.

For three solid days my face was so swollen it felt like my cheeks would explode. I was melting ice cubes on my forehead while taking conference calls and trying to read through slits of eyes. The steroids I was given had me climbing the walls and if I didn’t apply lotion to my face 567 times a day, it would itch and burn like a mother. I made a joke to my husband if he still found me attractive and he just winced and changed the subject.

And then, on the fourth day, it all started to subside. The itching, flaking, redness, scabbing, puffy after effects slowly went away. And what was left was indeed a smoother, clearer, prettier face.

Do I look 35 now that’s it all said and done? Meh. But I do look fresh enough that someone who sees me at least once a week noticed right away. And I find that I need less makeup to not look like I have a role in Night of the Walking Dead.

But I’ve learned that if you want something bad enough there are ways to get it if you’re willing to suffer. I’ve also learned that some of those things might not be nearly as important as you think they are.

 

 

First Impressions Aren’t Everything: Take a Second Chance to Look Again

The funny thing about first impressions is sometimes they don’t mean much. And sometimes the realm of opportunities a seemingly unappealing situation can offer you is more than you could ever wish for.

The first time I met my husband, I hardly batted an eye. I was picking up my girlfriend for lunch, who happened to be his neighbor, and she introduced us. He was pleasant enough. Friendly. Polite. And don’t get me wrong, he was totally cute. But I was dating someone else and frankly, was really looking forward to some girl talk and Bloody Mary’s. When my friend invited him to lunch with us, I could have died. He declined, and relieved, I thought, “OK, great, nice to meet you, Buddy. Peace out!”

Three years later I married him.

Looking back, I have no idea what on earth would have encouraged him to pursue me after that first meeting, but he persisted. His second and third impressions left much stronger marks on me. Maybe it was his determination, his ballsyness when he called me up and said, “Hey I know you have a boyfriend but do you want to hang out or what?” This guy even invited me AND MY BOYFRIEND to hang out at his house. Clearly, he had more to offer and he knew it.

Coincidentally, things fizzled with my boyfriend and I decided to give this guy a call and let him know I did, indeed, want to hang out. His response was classic and I still remember the tone in his voice enjoying that moment: “I have plans, sorry,” he told me. Ha! To be fair, I had been blowing him off for weeks and it was like 8pm on a Friday when I finally called, but like WTH? I hung up the phone and told my roommate we could scratch that guy off the list.

As luck would have it, he called me back about five minutes later to let me know his plans with his friend, who I would later learn went by ‘The Nizzle’, had fallen through. Conveniently, he was now available.

Our first date was at an Applebee’s and for some reason, just about everyone we knew at the time joined us, including my friend who introduced us and, naturally, The Nizzle. By far it was the best first date I had ever been on. We’ve been married for 13 years.

About two months ago, I started a new role at Veeam. When the opportunity was first brought to me, I wasn’t 100% sold. It was something I had never done before. It was a detour off the marketing path I had been on. It was on a brand-new team of unfamiliar people. The role had no direct reports and didn’t feel like a step up. I hesitated.

Ultimately, thanks to the encouragement of mentors who are smarter than me, I decided to take a leap of faith. In the very short amount of time in this new role, I have already been handed opportunities like presenting to our CEO, traveling to Switzerland to participate in a team meeting, getting feedback from executives I previously would not have had access to, and learning so much about a side of the business I knew nothing about. This experience is invaluable.

In the ever-changing landscape of IT where companies are bought and sold, merged and downsized regularly, where leadership is continually coming and going, where new departments and roles are created to keep pace with the needs of a company experiencing explosive growth, the opportunities are endless.

Sometimes these opportunities won’t look appealing at first. They might look like a lateral move at best, or they might look frightening. In some cases, they might not be your choice.

But they could turn out to be the best thing that ever happened.

As we ramp up 2018 with sales kick offs, industry meetings, and a fresh start, take the time to revisit a relationship, revaluate an opportunity, renew a stalled connection. Reach out and look deeper, look again. You never know how much clarity and reward a second look can offer.

 

2018 Resolutions: Appreciate More, Do Less, and Be Uncomfortable

Essentially the title of this blog gives away what my goals are for 2018 so if you’re still reading, thank you! Every year I write down my New Year’s resolutions like a big nerd and try hard to work towards them. Last year, I had the typical #basicbitch goals: get in shape, do more yoga, eat more kale, get that Director title, be a better mom/friend/daughter/sister, stay married.

Looking back on 2017, I didn’t exactly blow away my goals but I didn’t miserably fail either. I’m pretty much the same shape, which isn’t really a terrible one, but it didn’t get much better even though I ate a ridiculous amount of kale (what a waste!). I didn’t get that Director title I wanted, but I got a promotion (who-hoo!). My family still lets me live with them and friends still invite me to parties so I think I did OK there.  I’m still married (whew!) and most of the time we actually like each other. #winning Between work and kids and money and stress I’m amazed that anyone stays married anymore, frankly.  Sometimes we joke about getting an apartment and taking turns hiding there on the weekends. Sometimes I’m not joking!

This holiday season, surrounded by friends and family, there were several moments I was nearly brought to tears by the camaraderie, the fellowship, the connection you feel with people who share your name, who share your life and make it so much better. Simple moments like watching your kids snuggle with Grandpa or  laughing until you’re crying over the pasties and penis pump white elephant gift your pregnant friend got.

I was overcome with the surplus of goodness that  surrounded us. The food, the gifts, the decorations, the obscene number of decorated golf carts. Everywhere I turned, despite my jiggly ass, my title, the kale stuck in my teeth, my obnoxious habits, someone was handing me something. A plate, a drink, a kid, a strand of lights, a present, a hug.

I realized one of my goals for 2018 should be to appreciate all that I have, exactly the way it is because I was appreciated exactly the way I am.

My next resolution sounds harsh and lazy and in direct contrast to this first goal, I know. In some ways it is but it’s really just about protecting myself. I have this habit of wanting to ‘help’ everyone, wanting everything to be perfect, wanting everyone to get along, everyone to like me, everyone to be happy. This results me giving unsolicited advice, calling a friend out over something that is none of my business, being stressed over invite lists, making an effort for people who don’t deserve it, worrying about who might be annoyed with me, internalizing someone else’s issues. None of these things are good for me. None of these things help anyone. So I plan to do less. Less butting in, less offering solutions, less pushing people to do what I think they should, less going out of my way for people who’ve demonstrated they wouldn’t chose me again and again. Less putting myself out there for the world, and only offering my true self for the few who truly appreciate the effort.

At the end of 2017, we got a new family dog. This is significant for a few reasons, the main one being I am not a dog person. Don’t worry, I’m not a cat person either. I’m not really a pet person for goodness sake! I have allergies, I don’t like the hair, the mess, the drama. Pets are a lot of work. They are literally like having another child. A hairy, smelly, slobbering child. The second night we had this dog, she barfed all over my natural fiber, impossible-to-clean, practically white rug. To say I felt uncomfortable was the understatement of the century. I like a neat house, clean floors, fluffed pillows that have been karate chopped in the middle so the corners point perfectly. I had practically been walking behind this dog with a vacuum and a bottle of Frebreeze, but even though I sprinted to her as soon as I heard the retching, I was too late. I just about came out of my skin cleaning it up. And then midway through the scrubbing and cursing, the dog and my kids huddled on the couch waiting for my wrath to subside,  I stopped.

It was OK. This rug did not dictate my happiness. Dogs barf. They also love you unconditionally. Being uncomfortable was OK. It forces me to be flexible, to adapt, to step back and view the situation from a new perspective. To accept new joys that inevitably come with new consequences.  Being uncomfortable in life can often reward you.

I hope each of you takes a minute to your document your goals for this year, the ones that are truly most important, and you accomplish them in 2018.

Stay well, my friends!

E

 

 

 

Reasons You Love Someone

I have a friend who puts up her Christmas tree early. I don’t mean the day after Thanksgiving early, I mean she’s shoving trick-or-treaters off her front porch with boughs of holly. I love the absurdity of it, but even more than that I love her genuine love for that absurdity. She’s the type of the friend with a bigger than life personality. The type of friend whose jokes leave you choking with laughter. She’s extreme, exaggerated, over the top and yet is so perfectly herself; unashamed, humble, and real.

My husband’s bff epitomizes the DGAF attitude. He may have written the book on it. We have pictures of this guy casually peeing from his beach chair into a hole the children dug in front of him, apparently for this purpose. (Don’t worry, there aren’t any kids in the hole at the time!)  He’s the kind of person who always seems to find his way to front of the line, to the secret entrance that may or may not have been locked before he found it, to the VIP room, into the roped off parking area. But let’s be honest, he gets shit done. And if he’s dragging you to the front of the line with him, you know you’re going to have a good time. He’s also the guy that will stand up to defend you, that won’t take anyone’s crap, the guy you want on your team.

Another friend babysat my youngest son during the first year of his life. She hardly knew me at the time and yet volunteered to help me when I needed it most. She’s the person whom the phrase ‘it takes village’ is coined for. She’s the friend who calls you instead of texting just because she hasn’t talked to you in a week, who watches your kids last minute, who organizes a meal plan for the home bound. She’ll drop off Starbucks on your birthday because she knows how much you love that pumpkin spice frappayappa mocha soy racket but won’t go get it yourself.

We all have a million reasons why we love those closest to us. There is something unique about each person that captures us, endears us to them.

It’s their brand.  And if it appeals to us, we’re loyal to it.

We all know what brand loyalty is: the reason we patronize the same stores, buy the upgraded versions of the same products, wear the same pair of jeans until they turn into shreds. Well that and the fact that your butt looks great in them!

Personal brand is something I’ve become more and more keen about lately.  I study it and offer advice on it.  I even gave a presentation on it recently.

But lately I’m struggling. Struggling with my own brand.

Maybe it’s the time of year. Or my new role at work that is light years away from anything I thought I would be doing. Or that I haven’t written anything beyond an email in months. Or that my ‘to do’ list keeps growing. Or that some of my relationships feel strained. Or that I feel like I’m in a fog while others are celebrating their success.

It’s like I just can’t get it together lately.

I made a list of all the things that are bugging me. Alone, each item is ridiculously minor. But combined, they all rest like a burden on my back, a weight on my heart. Sometimes I feel like I can hardly breath.

I know, it’s dramatic! And that bugs me, too. I just want to go back to being that confident, self-aware badass persona I thought I had nailed.

It’s usually at this point in my blog that I offer suggestions for solving a problem just like this. I wish I had one of those! Anyone?

Several months ago I built this new blog site. And then did nothing with it.  This #fail is weighing on me, too. Here I am telling people to evangelize themselves, create original content, and have a side hustle to help build their personal brand while I’m sitting here doing a whole lotta nothin’.

I realize this is probably the most terrible way on earth to kick off my new blog site, but, welp, this is how I’m feeling right now and if I’m good at anything, it’s saying how I really feel.

My hope is this step forces me to move forward, jolts me back into the current, ignites a new spark inside me. At the very least, I hope this can serve as an example to others in a similar rut.

If I can do it, you can, too.

Stay well my friends,

E

Pow! When Feedback Hits You Right in the Kisser

Originally published via LinkedIn Aug 22, 2017

Unless you’re one of those people who magically evaporate into the air as soon as they enter the office, you’re likely to receive feedback from others both positive and negative–because you actually do stuff and ain’t everyone gonna be happy about it. But as Bill Gates says:

“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.”

Still, it’s rough hearing negative feedback. My typical reaction is to process the following emotions in this order in about hour and half: shock, outrage, hurt, embarrassment, acceptance, time to #carryon. Oddly, my reaction to positive feedback is similar. Minus the outrage and hurt, of course.

Overwhelmingly, I have received positive feedback in my career. Either I’m really that awesome or lots of people are lying to me. But, whatever, I’ll take it!

Recently, though, I got some feedback that totally stung. Like a mother.

I didn’t reach the acceptance and time-to-carry-on stage for a good two days and after a few Tito’s and sodas (with a lime).

Here’s the thing about people’s perception of you. It’s not always accurate, but it’s the truth for them.

In this case, the less-than-flattering feedback came from someone I thought I had an excellent working relationship with. I’m gonna be honest with ya’ll, I believed this manager thought I was the freaking cat’s meow. When I flipped open that review sheet with a smile on my face, I just about spit my diet coke across the room. Like that feeling when someone you think you’re totally cool with throws you under the bus on a call or you try on swim suits at the beginning of the summer in a dressing room with bad lighting after spending all winter eating lettuce. Totally deflating and totally wtf.

I got some advice from people smarter than me on how to handle negative feedback and it helped me tremendously so I wanted to share it for anyone who may need it.

It’s one person’s perception. Now if you have 27 people giving you the same negative feedback, it might be a sign you need to change your tone, but if you get more good than bad, take this person’s comments with a grain of salt.

Talk to them. I was advised to reach out to this person, thank them for their honesty, and talk about how I can improve their perception. I’m so glad I did this! I’m also glad I did this after several days and some Tito’s. I wrote down everything I wanted to say and tried to be as calm as possible. That conversation brought to light issues that could help correct this perception and, most importantly, it gave me some closure and understanding.

Educate that person on who you are. Maybe their perception of you is weak because they have been absent in the day-to-day running of your business. Maybe you need to do a better job of ‘reporting the news’ to them. Maybe their view of you is myopic and you need to open that up. In your next 1:1, don’t vent, don’t complain, don’t say you’re busy, just talk up all the amazing stuff you’ve accomplished in the last week with a big fat smile on your face!

Talk their talk. This is a larger piece of advice that should be followed even around people who love you. Say phrases they say, talk about outcomes, metrics, goals, quota, budget, whatever is important to them and understand how your role helps solve their problems and drive business.

Learn from it. Here’s the thing, this feedback wasn’t entirely inaccurate. Like everyone else in the world, I have areas of development. Duh. This person called those out. I immediately set out to improve my knowledge and presentation on those areas. This will only serve to make me even better than I already am. You will never know enough, you will never stop learning and you shouldn’t. This was a good reminder of that.

Let it go. Now that annoying Frozen song is in your head and I’m sorry about that. Eeek! But once you talk about it and take steps to improve, it’s time to move on. Don’t dwell over it or let it eat away at you. Roll with the punches, go out to lunch with someone who thinks you’re a badass and carry on.

When your Plan B becomes your Plan A

Originally published via LinkedIn Aug 1, 2017

I feel like a hypocrite when I tell my kids to follow their dreams.

I didn’t really do that.

When I was a little girl, I ‘played school’ with the neighborhood kids. I’d set up cardboard boxes for desks and teach them long division and how to write in cursive. (Remember cursive?! “Now pick your best ‘G’!”)

Everyone thought I should be a teacher when I grew up. I thought so, too.

Mostly.

Ever since I can remember, deep in my heart, I wanted to be a writer. From those cute stories about bunnies and horses I wrote as a kid to that horrendous, emotional, kill-me-now poetry I wrote as a forlorn teenager to the one article that was printed in a nationally syndicated publication (Cat Fancy—no, I’m not kidding) I had this dream that I’d live in New York and be some hotshot editor at a trendy magazine. I’d write novels on the side and go to fancy signing parties. I’d live this amazing, flashy, glamorous life.

But I didn’t do that. I didn’t follow that dream. Maybe I thought it was too good for me. I don’t know.

Instead, I became a junior high English teacher with the thought that teaching would be my plan B; in case my writing career didn’t work out, I could still pay the bills.

And thus, I sealed my fate—I made my plan B my plan A by putting it first.

I taught for almost six years, most of that time in an alternative education program. These kids were kicked out of regular school for stealing, smoking weed, having sex in the bathroom, gang-related crimes, and generally being huge assholes. Some were abused, some were simply spoiled, nearly all came from broken homes.

It was no joke. I had chairs thrown at me. I was spit at, cursed at. One boy tried to kiss me. And let me tell you, that was freaking gross. I will NEVER understand teachers that sleep with their students. Those people need Jesus something fierce.

I became like a ninja, deflecting the bad and simultaneously embracing the students when they needed me. And they needed me.

One seemingly innocuous Tuesday, just before the first bell as I greeted my eighth graders, one of the girls told me she had found her mother passed out on the bathroom floor. There was a needle nearby. She wasn’t moving. She may have been breathing, she wasn’t sure. She stood their numb, but calm. It wasn’t the first time this happened, she told me.

I called the counselor. The police came. She told them she came to school because she felt safer there.

I was 23 years old and the most stable adult in many of these kids’ lives. And eventually, it wore on me.

I went back to school and when an opportunity came for me to leave teaching, I leaped on it. This move to the corporate world led me to where I am today—in IT marketing—living a different dream I didn’t even know was available.

Sometimes I still feel like I am living someone else’s dream that has some similarities to what I thought mine should be. Instead of celebrating my new novel, I host Lego Batman birthday parties. Instead of living in New York, I visit there every year for the Women of the Channel Leadership Summit. Instead of becoming a famous writer, I write blogs that three people will read. (Thank you, loyal fans!)

And I’m ‘OK’ with this! Why? Because plan B taught me things about myself and opened my eyes to possibilities I had no idea existed.

I’m a tough chick. Blocking flying chairs with one arm and comforting a student with the other taught me that. I’m great at building relationships, driving sales through marketing and I can have a career in IT. As a little girl, IT was something that did not exist even in my wildest dreams. I’m incredibly adaptable. I’ve already had two completely different careers in my lifetime.

Occasionally, I look at my job and think, how did I end up here? I look at my kids and think, who’s kids are those?! I look at my husband and think, dude, seriously, again with the refrigerator blindness! The BBQ sauce is RIGHT THERE.

Occasionally, I get discouraged.

But more than not, I’m reminded that the routes to success are winding, wriggly, squirrely little bastards and that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

Recently, someone forwarded me an email from a colleague of hers who was recommending she read this blog he found. “It’s so funny and so TRUE!” the email read.

It was my blog.

So, who’s coming to my signing party!

Boating and Business: Surviving the Summer

Originally published via LinkedIn May 10, 2017

This past weekend, many of us celebrated a poignant and emotional holiday: Memorial Day. This holiday weekend represents several things. First and foremost, remembrance for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. May they rest in peace and never be forgotten. Amen.

Secondly, it’s the official start of summer. Hallelujah, pass the Hawaiian Tropic! And finally, it’s the first weekend of boating season. #Yaaaasss

Because I am a nerd, I’m constantly connecting everyday things to aspects of my job that I enjoy the most. So naturally while living out my fantasy life on Three Rooker Island, along with dear friends and family, our American flags waving proudly atop our freshly polished T-tops, I thought about all the ways boating can help make me a better at my business.

Don’t over salt the margarita: The perfect margarita is made with tequila (and a little Cointreau if you’re fancy), lime juice, and salt. (For the love of Peter, if you have any sour mix in your bar, jettison it immediately to the nearest drain.) A little salt is necessary to cut the tart, tangy, limey goodness of the classic margarita, but too much salt and you ruin it (“like an asshole” as one of girlfriends says). The same is true for marketing. The best marketing is simple, to the point, and with just an adjective or two for impact and emotion. It’s difficult to write good messaging. It’s way easier to pack a mess of marketing jargon and industry buzz words into a paragraph that doesn’t say anything. Unfortunately, the latter just makes you sound like, well, a you know what. And I don’t want to be one of those. So moving forward, every time I start to write copy, I’m going to have a margarita…wait…no, I mean I’m going to be much more cognizant of my ubiquitous use of flimflam words like bergschrund. Just kidding. I don’t even know what that word means.

Know when to wait for an opportunity: On the water, the larger boat has the right-of-way. Why? Because they are harder to stop and you are not trying to die. It might seem counter intuitive to yield to the big guy when you’re trying to get ahead but keep in mind smaller boats are faster, more nimble, and can react to obstacles much quicker. As you both depart the next no-wake zone, take that opportunity to pull ahead. You’ll be on a plane while they’re still building speed. I’ve find myself sometimes hurrying from one project to the next, eagerly anticipating next steps, standing on my tip toes (mostly because I’m short as hell) to peer over the crowd to see what’s going on down the line. This summer, I’m going to try a new tactic: hanging back a bit to wait for the perfect opportunity to present itself. Let’s hope that pans out!

Take the outside: The channel can be crowded both on and off the water. It can get choppy and rough, because everyone is supposed to remain in a designated pathway. Don’t under estimate the benefits of the taking the outside. Sometimes the longer route is smoother, has less traffic and more open space, and you arrive at your destination quicker, drier and less sea sick. Not everyone takes the outside because it removes you from the relative safety of the inner coastal waterways, but when was the last time you heard a CEO/Founder/Trail Blazer/Leader/Super Hero suggest following the status quo is the path to ultimate success? Never. No one says that.

Mind the chop: The ocean is the industry and the chop represents disruption. I tried to think of a slick metaphor here but I’m a few lightly salted margaritas in and it’s hard to type on a boat. If you allow the waves, either from the wake of another boat or an impending storm, to hit your boat in the wrong way, you will at best, get soaked and at worst, risk being capsized. You cannot ignore the chop. Well, you can but those are the boats you see pulled off on the side of the channel with their crew hanging their heads overboard losing their lunch. Navigate effectively. Face the disruption, the obstacles, the challenges, the lay offs and reorgs, the new manager, the next trend, whatever it is, head on and with determination.

Help a brother out: Always assist a fellow boater in need. You never know when it might be you who needs to be towed back to the boat ramp or who runs out of beer. Being willing and prepared to help others will come back to you in the form of admiration, gratefulness, favors, and good karma. Now who doesn’t want that?