Over my years of recruiting, sitting on panels, attending conferences, and reading up on all things career and job search...

What is career freedom? Often, we think career freedom is when we have ample resources, safety, security and surety. We...

Are you living a contingent career? I’ll do that when… How often have you thought, “I’ll take that special vacation...

It is Sunday morning. You had a productive week at work, you got a lot done over the weekend and...

I was talking over dinner with a dear friend. I asked her about her work. She had changed jobs several...

This past weekend I was restocking the bathrooms with toilet paper. When I got to the “kids” bathroom I realized...

Dear Diary, I am very grateful for my job. I appreciate my paycheck. Most days I like the people I...

I have a coaching client who has taken what some might say is a non-conforming path in her career. Almost...

My coaching client, Jill (name changed to protect her time-traveling identity), came to our session feeling scared and worried. She...

I was in a meeting the other day and overheard someone say that they had committed to a goal and...

One of my favorite poems, by Grant Lewi,  has been coming into my mind a lot lately. She was relaxed...

I primarily recruit technologists and technology leaders for roles. Yes. If you are in technology, then you are part of...

“I won’t sleep. I won’t eat healthily. Maybe I will hold off on this certification?” This is from a coaching...

“I was the vending machine of answers for my team. And I was exhausted!” This is from a coaching client...

Two weeks ago, I was looking forward to speaking at the Grace Hopper event (anitab.org) in Orlando before picking up...

I’m on a bit of a mission. How to create alternative lines of revenue. Both for myself and my clients....

This week, I was talking with a woman who thought she had screwed up her interview. When we dissected it,...

I am working with a coaching client who has been getting ready to launch her job search.  For a while...

“Quiet quitting” is the phrase of the day. I have seen a few definitions. I am all for the quiet...

THIS IS A REPLAY OF A PREVIOUS LABOR DAY BLOG. Great Advice Twice! We recently had our windows replaced and...

In 1973, Mark Granovetter, Princeton and Harvard grad, American sociologist and professor at Stanford University, published a landmark study on the spread of...

...

This morning as I was doing my walk there was a large group of young children with soccer balls and...

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I am working with a client on a job search who says she wants a leadership role. She has worked...

You may have been asked, or heard someone asked, “If you could talk to your younger self, what advice would...

I have a friend who owned a lakehouse with her sibling for years. One day, the sibling decided they wanted...

I was on a call with a coaching client last week. At the end of the call, I wished her...

Over the last month, I’ve been experiencing low-level vertigo. If you’ve ever had vertigo, you know it’s very disconcerting. It...

We often hear about how we should work for a company that is aligned with our values. A company whose...

I was at a recent webinar and the host had us do a writing exercise that, at first, I thought...

I currently have a coaching client who has some big dreams. She also has lots of doubts. She is too...

On a recent call with a coaching client, we got to talking about her job search and preparing for her...

I just finished up a Negotiation Strategy Session with a coaching client who was in the midst of changing jobs....

If I asked you how you would know if you were successful in your career what would you say? Most...

This week I have to write 2 blogs instead of the one I normally write. As I was walking out...

I am on a mission to increase every woman’s salary. As Lily Ledbetter states in the below article “…what you...

In a recent coaching session, I asked my client what she wanted to work on, and she responded, “I want...

On March 15th we recognized Equal Pay Day for Women in the Year of 2022. According to the AAUW (aauw.org), of...

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that two coaching clients came to me recently in a quandary. Their problem? They...

Back at the beginning of my career, I sold software for Computer Associates. I had an old-school manager who was...

I was recently talking with a friend (more like bemoaning) about my career situation. Maybe you can relate. I was...

A job search has a lot of moving parts. I do not need to remind everyone of that. There are...

I call myself a True Nature Career Coach. But the term “True Nature” can be unclear. If I said Negotiation...

I was on a call with a candidate that I was talking to about a possible job opportunity. My first...

I’m in a quandary. I have a simple yet difficult question I’ve been asking myself. Do I recruit AND coach...

I was reading a book by a woman who has dedicated her life and career to helping people eat better,...

Listen up! Time for a 🎤 mic drop moment. While shoveling for the second time today I had a clearly...

I have gone down a rabbit hole. I admit it. I have become obsessed with figuring out how to uncover...

We all grow. That is part of the human experience. We grow older. We grow taller. We grow in our...

A-YO-WA! Yep. That is my new acronym that stands for A Year of Wild Abandon.  Can you feel it? I...

“I felt self-conscious, like I wasn’t pulling my weight” . “I felt like an imposter”. These were the first words...

Which came first? The chicken or the…pig? I was reading a book recently and the author had a funny one-liner...

I was listening to a radio program recently. A woman was interviewing folks and asking what their favorite sound was....

I have been working with the concept that there are no mistakes. If you know me, you know that I...

One of the questions you can count on at some point in an interview is being asked to tell the...

I was listening to a recent Martha Beck podcast. She told a story she heard from Liz Gilbert (author of...

“How’s the job search going?” I ask my client. “I am not so motivated” is her reply. I laugh and...

I was asked recently asked to give my opinion on how someone can determine if they’re being underpaid at their...

I’m in the process of building a coaching business while continuing to sustain my recruiting business. At times I have...

I was at an event in downtown Chicago. As I was leaving, the woman behind the front desk saw me...

Not to beat a dead horse here but, as I’ve mentioned in the past, a job search is largely a...

I was talking with a client, and she asked me 2 important questions about change. The Backstory: Her daughter is...

Imagine being on the IT team and completing the well-planned changes to your routers and discovering that website traffic was...

A job search has many moving parts. It makes sense that you might feel overwhelmed. It also makes sense that...

I woke up at 4:30 am and could not get back to sleep. Today was the day I was going...

I was just going through some stuff on my desk and found an envelope. Across the front it said. “Laurie’s...

On the prep call for tomorrow’s Unstoppable Series – Creating Career Success on Your Terms (COME JOIN US) – one of the guests, Kristen,...

Big Announcement! I am writing a screenplay. This is not an overnight decision. I’ve been germinating on my screenplay idea...

For those who know me, you know that I attended the University of Texas. I graduated with a degree in...

I always include a photo in my blogs. If you are a regular reader, you probably have seen them. They...

You’ve probably heard about the Law of Attraction and the idea that like attracts like. You actually may have received...

On a recent coaching call I was talking with my client about her hopes, dreams and fears. Yet, what she...

One simple way to look at debt is that it is giving away more than you have. And I’m not...

I am an imperfect gardener. I don’t weed as often as I should. I know I’m supposed to fertilize but...

“There’s so much going on and it’s all good”. This was an email I received from a coaching client as...

In a recent blog I talked about a shoulder injury and how I had an epiphany that perhaps I might...

When I think about Independence Day, I know that Freedom is what I believe is our deepest yearning. Free to be ourselves....

I have recently been suffering from significant pain in my shoulder and neck. At first it wasn’t too bad, so...

My passion, you might even say my mission, is to reconnect women to careers that are a reflection of their...

I had my first in-person meeting with a client in over a year and was in a quandary. I stood in...

I am in a wealth building community. Every month we do a call bringing our 💲 questions and 💲 problems....

I was talking with a friend recently and she mentioned that her friend had just lost her 3rd job in less...

We are currently in a brand update. We are updating out brand colors, redesigning our website and updating our wording...

I walked by my husband’s work space this morning and something caught my eye. 6 yellow Post-it notes down the...

I know you have probably said this to yourself more than once.  I know I have. “It’s been a year.”...

My very first friend passed away this week. Her parents and my parents lived in the same apartment complex since...

I was recently working with a client who is on job search. I was prepping them for an interview. I...

I have gained some weight and I am not happy about it. I could blame 2020 and no one would...

I’m on the phone with a friend as she was driving away from Starbucks. She was trying to convince me...

I’m reading a great book called Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing by Olga Mecking. Niks, in Dutch,...

I was talking with a young woman who had recently been laid off. She was unhappy. I listened to her...

I was listening to a recent call and the speaker said that your brain responds to the command 5 4 3...

I am in the process of decluttering. One of the hardest things, so far, is decluttering my book collection. I...

There was this commercial when I was a kid from a product called Calgon and their tag line was “Calgon,...

It is March. The name of the month itself implies movement. In Rejuvenation: A 4-week Mini-Adventure, we talk about each season...

When I was in grade school, we had a summer reading club. After summer, in the first few weeks of...

I was recently working with a coaching client who said she was at a crossroads in her career. She wants...

We just completed Week 4 of the current Rejuvenation: A 6-Week Mini Adventure. (ALERT: the next mini-adventure starts on March 3rd. and you do not...

On a recent conference call, we were asked to give our best networking tips. There were some great ones: like...

This Friday a bunch of my girlfriends and I are getting together to play online Scattergories.I can hardly express how excited I...

From the other room my husband hears me say, “Great job, Laurie”. He chuckles and wonders what I am up...

This week’s blog is short and sweet. Short because I am simply here to tell you that Wednesday kicks off the...

For the first blog of 2021 I am going to get a bit woo-woo on you. I have a deck...

Given all that has happened in 2020, I know for many of us, 2021 cannot come fast enough.  One of...

If you asked me in June if I wanted to sit down and do some goal planning, I would have...

I have been making a real shift in my relationship to money over the last few years. When I became...

When I heard Tony Hsieh passed away last week from injuries suffered during a house fire I was saddened. I...

I was recently reminded of a story that the famous author Paulo Coelho had on his blog: There was once...

I am working on with a coaching client at the beginning of her career. She is struggling with creating a...

Last night I woke up at 3:30 am. That happens. Sometimes I go right back to sleep.  Sometimes I go...

I am not even finished with the book Burnout: The Secret of Solving the Stress Cycle and I’m already planning it as...

Every year for over 20 years a small group of friends and I have been getting together around the Christmas...

I have 3 vision boards. I write my career goals every January and post them on my bulletin board at...

I am currently working with a high-level software engineer in Silicon Valley who has had enough! She has been with...

I have been struggling these past few weeks. I wake up many mornings with this low-level sadness and anxiousness that...

I am going to say something pretty radical here so get ready! If we had listened to the millennials, we would...

In our most recent meeting of The “IT” Community, a gathering of Women in Information Technology building careers and lives they...

I am currently watching a house on a corner in our neighborhood being built. They tore down a ranch that...

I had two different experiences with people and their dogs that taught me a lot about how to handle personal...

I was recently asked about all the writing I do. How do I come up with my ideas?  Do I...

Here is a story I recently read on the interwebs. (There was no author’s name given). A father said to...

I recently read an article in Oprah Magazine (the one with Breonna Taylor on it – the only cover in...

Strap on your “Anything Is Possible” wings because I had a mystical experience that gave me another way to further...

I recently started working with the App called Lose It!. I had been slowly but surely losing weight for almost two...

For all of March and April and most of May, I was busy at work. There was not much recruiting...

This past weekend we had our monthly meetup. Our topic was More Fun From 9-5 and we talked about the benefits of...

I was recently talking with a coaching client whose job has significantly changed since Covid19. She has been moved to...

What I know about astrology can be summed up in one word: Capricorn. That’s my sign. As a Capricorn I...

At our recent Women in Tech Meetup we were talking about our dream career.  The question I asked was, “What is...

I was talking recently with a woman who was feeling frustrated in both her job search and her career trajectory...

How are you feeling right now? Are you using your quiet wisdom to get centered? Are you using your fierce...

Note:  This is a blog sent out on March, 4th, 2019 that we felt was worth re-sending.  It speaks directly...

Change and chaos is the norm right now. I don’t know exactly how to help. I have not walked in...

I was sent a blog called In Her Words: Where Women Rule the Headlines. The blog is not up yet...

I have felt doubt. My career path has taken me into this new coaching business I am building. On one...

Life is not slowing down for me. In fact, since Covid-19 hit, I feel like I have MORE on my...

I walked out of the post office looking through my mail. I reached to open what I thought was my...

With the recent Covid-19 shelter-at-home order in place my time watching Netflix has increased. Now that I am caught up...

I was talking with a coaching client via Zoom the other day. Our agenda was straightforward. Look at the roles...

Ok. I admit it. My husband and I share a guilty pleasure. We cannot pull ourselves away from watching the...

I admit it. I think my dreams often, not always, but often, have a message for me. Useful wisdom to help...

With Shelter at Home being extended through at least April 30th we are all having to adjust in ways big...

I was listening to a recent Ted Radio Hour segment on “Jumpstarting Creativity”.  They were talking with Brian Eno. Brian...

I just hung up with an  IT leader who is on a job search. She had planned her exit from...

I recently had the honor of speaking on a panel for International Women’s Day at Accenture in Chicago. The topic...

“Sometimes you got to strike ‘ em out without your fastball”.  While watching a recent Blackhawks game, Pat Foley, Chicago...

As a recruiter, I have the privilege of helping companies build strong IT teams-ideally teams that are balanced and diverse...

It seems like in this day in age we are all about saying yes. Be Bold! Make a Scene! Shondra...

No one can argue that the digital age has created many benefits. As a recruiter, the whole way I connect...

You do not have to be a graduate from the University of Texas to fulfill your dreams but when I...

I’m reading the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. In the book, he gives an example of 2 people who...

I was so excited when I bought myself a pair of workout leggings with flowers on them a few months...

I just went and had my annual eye exam. I’ve had glasses since 5th grade (I didn’t wear them until...

Don’t judge me but I just binge watched Cheer, the new Netflix series, and LOVED it! Surprising because I tried...

I was prepping a candidate for a job interview. She has been in the field for over 25 years. She...

I believe that we are continuously being offered advice and counsel to assist us in moving more powerfully into that...

2020 is not just a New Year. It’s a NEW DECADE! What better time to change things up. Grab 10...

It’s hard to argue with the fact that the more confident you feel going into an interview the higher your chance of success....

I often have people on a job search lament the holidays because they believe that companies are not going to...

The holidays can be filled with chaos in many ways. Projects wrapping up at work. Plans for projects kicking off...

This month my book club is reading Born A Crime by Trevor Noah. A must-read (or even better get the audio...

My husband has no interest in playing Cribbage with me. (I know right?). I have no interest in going to...

As we get ready to launch Take Charge, our digital job search readiness program, I realized that one of the...

It just came out of my mouth. I did not consider what I was saying. I was the final decision...

I probably could write a month of blogs from all I learn at the InspiHER Tech Meetups. This Meetup was no...

I’ve always had a weird resistance come up when someone says, “Mistakes are good. You can learn from them”. Not...

Have you ever wondered if perhaps you made a BIG career mistake that there is no coming back from? You...

Last week I wrote about the Super Soul Sunday episode with Dr. Edith Eva Eger, a 90-year-old holocaust survivor, and her idea that...

I was recently watching Oprah’s interview with Dr. Edith Eva Eger, 90-year old Holocaust survivor turned psychologist. She was telling a...

You’ve been in conflict. You’ve been feeling unsettled. You know you want a change but then second guess yourself. You have...

We recently had our windows replaced. We had to take all kinds of memorabilia off of a shelf my son...

Today’s blog is interactive. I am looking for participation.  At the end, you get a chance to help other women...

Flashback Story: I received my degree in business with an emphasis on Information Technology from the University of Texas. My...

Recently I have been re-reading a book called “It’s Not Your Money” by Tosha Silver. I first read “Outrageous Openness” by Tosha several years...

At our recent Meetup for Career Women in Tech, we went around and talked about recent challenges we were facing that...

I was at a recent concert of my current favorite new band, The Beths. The concert was at an outdoor...

I was at an event recently at my clients’ office. My client is doing a lot right when it comes...

Our house is over 50 years old. We still have the original windows in much of the house, the original...

At the recent InspiHER Tech meetup for Career Women in Tech we talked about the Imposter Syndrome. Imposter Syndrome, also...

Take 5 minutes right now and write down all your top excuses for not changing your circumstances. I am too...

I was coaching a woman in tech, who is what we call a boomerang in recruiting. She worked for a company,...

In business there is always talk about adding value. The term value-add has been used in several industries from finance...

A job search can be tedious. Daunting. Boring. Scary. And necessary! You have made the decision (or maybe someone else...

I recently complimented my assistant on her totally cute skirt and top and she remarked that’s it’s the most comfortable...

I’m not a church-going gal but I am a faith gal. Being an entrepreneur pretty much requires that you need to...

I am not great at celebrating work milestones. I get very focused on what I am doing and forget about...

Hell no! I would never climb up the side of a mountain without ropes, a parachute, spikes, perfect weather and...

I recently went to moms’ weekend at my daughter’s college. No surprise, that got me thinking about my college days...

I recently was listening to Fresh Air on NPR and they had Dr. Thomas Boyce as their guest. He is...

I was having a conversation with a friend recently who is completely overloaded at work. She told me she had...

Think again! I was listening to an interview about an athlete who was being honored for his basketball achievements. After...

I am in a lull at work. I wrapped a project with a client and have some time on my...

I was just reading that I could apply for a newsletter that would tell me one small thing I could...

I love trivia. I remember being obsessed with the game of Facts in Five when I was very young. Then...

As a recruiter for 25 years many people who I worked with at the beginning of my career are now...

I heard a story about a school near where I live that had something called the Head of Household Stipend...

While getting my certification from Cornell in Diversity, Inclusion and Unconscious Bias I learned about a really cool study done...

I am a fan of Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos. The company I started buying my shoes from because I...

Work is very busy. Yes, that is a good thing. Though I am working a tremendous amount this is better...

I recently watched a Lisa Nichols YouTube video. She was talking about something she learned as a young coach on...

I recently gave a workshop to a tech company on interviewing that covered the laws, gave examples of what you...

I know, it was not that long ago I wrote about Michelle Williams and Negotiation. I decided to write on this...

I was recently talking with a woman who I had recruited for a Project Manager role for my client. When...

In my recent Oprah Magazine, Martha Beck is working with a woman around addiction. Martha mentions something she heard from...

I have a thing for TO-DO lists. I love checking things off them. I like accomplishing things and I am...

The head of HR called me to let me know they were not moving forward with my candidate for their...

I was at a holiday party this past week and learned of an organization that helps coal miners retool themselves...

I love dictionary.com. They send me a Word of the Day and I am often surprised at how appropriate the...

“Mom, TI is not a word.” “Yes it is.” “Uh, no it isn’t!!” “TI as in DO, RE, MI, FA,...

Over Thanksgiving the family got out an oldie-but-a-goodie game called Would You Rather? If you have never played the game...

I was recently listening to an interview with Annie Duke talk about her new book: Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter...

I was in my car going to do some grocery shopping listening to Comedy Central on Sirius radio when Andy...

Last week, I: Ran a pitch contest for 8 investors and 8 tech company founders for Women Tech Founders –...

For Christmas, my husband had asked for a new blanket for our bed. Conveniently, my mom called me to say...

September 25th was one of my favorite days because The Voice was back! For me, The Voice is right up...

On October 17th Gord Downie, lead singer and songwriter of the Tragically Hip, died of brain cancer. The Tragically Hip (TTH...

Recently I was reminded of an article from the Huffington Post on the wage gap. It speaks to several possible...