There’s no getting around it: America is more divided than ever. I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that if we ever have a hope of finding our way back to each other as Americans, we need to start talking - and listening - to one another again. I have made it something of a personal mission to put this to practice. From long conversations with family, friends, and … [Read more...]
“Excuse Me, I’m Speaking” – 4 Ways to Deal with Manterruptions at Work
If you think that we live in a post-feminist society, then you can’t have watched last week’s Vice Presidential debate. Vice President Pence interrupted VP hopeful Kamala Harris somewhere between 10 and 16 times. For comparison, she interrupted him five times. If politics isn’t your thing, perhaps you caught the viral Tik Tik video of a 22 year old STEM student at the … [Read more...]
Solving the Problem of Impossible Female Role Models, One Conversation at a Time
When I first entered the business world, I felt very out of touch with the powerful women I was meant to be seeing as my role models. They had salon blowouts, wore beautiful suits, gave amazing speeches about their success stories, and they never seemed to doubt themselves for a second. I knew how hard they’d worked to get to where they were, but because I only ever saw the … [Read more...]
How to Get What You Want in the Workplace
What is it about us, women, who feel like we can’t ask for what we want? Why do we find it so difficult to be upfront about something we disagree with? Women are agreeable. What Does Agreeableness Mean? Agreeableness is a term in psychology that describes someone as considerate, cooperative, and harmonious. If you are agreeable, you most likely focus on interpersonal … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Take Before a Difficult Conversation
Difficult conversations — those interactions that keep us up at night— are a common challenge for many managers. Most of us would love to learn how to approach tough interactions without getting stressed out, losing sleep, or endlessly rehearsing what-ifs. Fortunately, this is achievable for almost anyone; getting there just takes a little effort and practice. And it starts … [Read more...]
Overcoming the Female Confidence Gap
Only about 12% of undergraduate women are STEM majors. STEM is a commonly used acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; which are fields that are imperative in our society today. There are a lot of reasons why this number is so ridiculously low, however an often overlooked reason is the confidence gap between men and women when pursuing education, jobs, … [Read more...]
The What, How and Why of Imposter Syndrome
Have you ever felt like everyone around you knows exactly what they are doing while you haven’t got a clue? How about that all your successes are about luck, while all your failings come down to you? If your answer is yes, you have likely experienced imposter syndrome. While it may feel isolating and confronting, it’s something that a lot of people experience. In fact, more … [Read more...]
Top 4 Lessons I Learned During My First Election Cycle as a Political Graphic Designer
Election season is an intimidating experience for a designer. Between creating late night social graphics for debate night to rushing mail designs to the printer before close, time never seems to be on your side. Below are the top four lessons that helped me meet deadlines, keep clients happy, and stay sane. Staying Organized During the election cycle, your day is never a … [Read more...]
How to Know Your Worth and Get Better Jobs
When I first graduated from college, it was 2008 and the economy had taken a turn. Lots of my fellow graduates were struggling to find work, and as an entertainment industry hopeful, my chances were even bleaker. I also lived in the Midwest far from any lights of Hollywood. So, I did what the Mary Engelbreit picture in my mom’s kitchen told me to do: Bloom Where You are … [Read more...]
Women in Nursing: Reasons to Take Online Classes
As a career woman, you're likely juggling between different things: your job, running a home, taking care of your relationships, keeping fit, among other things. With so much on your hands and less time than you need to get everything done, advancing your nursing career may seem nothing but wishful thinking. This is especially true if you were considering attending a physical … [Read more...]