Hey Reader, Happy September 1st. However you're spending today, there's a good chance some part of you is already feeling the pull to get moving on something. Here's the real-life math: you've got about 12 weeks of real "getting things done" runway before Thanksgiving flips the switch and attention turns toward family, holidays, and slowing down. After that, it's a different season entirely. So instead of a September to-do list, I'd offer one question: If you only let yourself make real...
7 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, How many first-day-of-school pictures have you scrolled past lately? From kindergarten backpacks bigger than the kid wearing them to the (genuinely shocking, see below👇) professionally-designed college dorm transformations... it's everywhere right now. Fun to see, but here's the interesting part: that whole back-to-school moment does something for our brains even decades past needing new pencils. It's called the Fresh Start Effect. It shows up at New Year's, on birthdays, and...
21 days ago • 1 min read
Happy August Reader, We've entered one of the weirdest months. It's kinda summer, kinda creeping into fall. Where I live it's still sweltering, but pumpkin candles are already hitting the shelves. I love pumpkin season. I'm just not ready for summer sunshine to end. You might be feeling that same tug-of-war. Part of you wants to hang onto slow summer days, part of you is ready to get back to a routine. Good news: it's coming. September and October tend to be the most productive stretch of the...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, do you remember the song "The Boy Is Mine"? Brandy and Monica, two of the biggest pop stars of the 90's and everyone assumed they hated each other. So they got in the studio and made a song together and it was a hit! A true win-win for everyone. (If you want to go down memory lane, here's the music video link. You're welcome 😉) In the spirit of women supporting women, I wanted to share a few things with you today: First, my friend Sabrina. She runs a fantastic business and hosts a...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I was at a women's breakfast a few weeks ago and the keynote speaker stopped me cold. Her name is Shannon Rich, President of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, CEO and Founder of LeadHERboard, and someone who speaks in front of people for a living. By every measure, she's someone who has figured it out. And she has figured a lot out but what she shared is something I think a lot of us needed to hear. She talked about how emceeing the Hall of Fame dinner threw her off, not once, but two...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, There's a thought a lot of us carry quietly. It doesn't have a name. It doesn't get talked about at dinner or brought up in the group chat. It lives somewhere between your to-do list and the moment you finally close your laptop at night. It sounds something like: I want to walk away from all of it. Not because anything is technically wrong. The career is moving. The goals are getting met. The calendar is full. But underneath all of it... exhaustion. A kind of tired that sleep...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, After a 2-month sabbatical from emails and content, I sent a note to this list last month sharing why I'd gone quiet. The response surprised me. My inbox filled up. And almost every message said some version of the same thing: "I noticed you were gone and I was hoping everything was okay." "I figured something happened — I'm so sorry for whatever it was." "Were you burnt out?" Sweet. Caring. Thoughtful messages. And also... revealing. Because here's the thing: nothing caused me to...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I stopped. Not everything. I kept showing up for my clients (my fav!) but the podcast, the emails, the posting, the planning, the constant hum of what's next, I let it all go quiet. It started when someone I trust looked at me and said: "It seems like you keep trying to break down a brick wall, and your strategy is just to get a bigger hammer." He paused. Then said: "What if there's a door open on the other side of the room?" Ugh...I didn't want to hear it. But I couldn't unhear...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, Yesterday I told you that you don’t have a discipline problem. Today I’m going to name what you do have. You have a restart pattern. A restart pattern is different from adjustment and moving forward. This week on the podcast I talk about one of my favorite phrases: “Miss it and move on” Adjusting the plan is a fantastic tool to use when life throws you off. But a restart pattern is different. Here’s how it works: You get clear. You feel motivated. You create a plan. You start...
7 months ago • 1 min read