So many of us have amazing ideas that we want to turn into lucrative careers. But starting your own business takes a lot of work! What should you know before becoming an entrepreneur? Our first tip in learning about this career path is to listen to our new podcast interview with two guests who know a thing or two about …
My Passionate Journey of Creating a Successful Business
How do you combine your passions with an opportunity to turn them into a business? What if your passion is, say, food? You can find out in our new podcast interview with Angela Shen, a food-loving entrepreneur who got the idea for and started her own successful culinary touring company, Savor Seattle Food Tours. From a daughter of immigrants running …
Stop Feeling Frustrated & Angry by Transforming Your Commute
Nearly all of us have had to endure long, stressful commutes to and from work. While the daily commute can be a drag, there are ways to make it tolerable and even fun! Melissa Addey is an author, speaker, and Creative Writing PhD student at the University of Surrey. Her book, The Happy Commuter, offers over 100 ways to improve your …
Why Do People Hate the Term “Work-Life Balance”?
People have been talking about the importance of work-life balance for years, but lately, new opinions on the subject are emerging. Though many have taken its value for granted, some are actually starting to reject work-life balance. Some say it’s unattainable, or at least unrealistic. Some say the focus is wrong, and instead we should aim for work-life integration or …
LA Traffic: Songwriter Mandy Bon’s Creative Process Starts In The Car
Singer/songwriter Mandy Bon is an up-and-coming musician that any 20-something can relate to. From young love to the dreaded feeling of being stuck, her new EP, Traffic Jams, showcases four songs that articulate honest hopes and worries. Mandy composed, recorded, and mixed all four tracks on her new EP, and even took charge of most of the music video production, …
How to Pursue an Entrepreneurial Idea: Aidan Vuocolo’s Most Powerful Tips
Have you ever considered starting your own business? Have you ever been struck with an exciting idea that could change the way you work? So many of us want to pursue an entrepreneurial idea, but we don’t always know how. Luckily, there are experts out there who can help. Aidan Vuocolo started Stories Behind the Grind and, through interviewing the …
Are Dream Jobs Important in Today’s World?
Ever since we were little, we’ve been asked what we want to be when we grow up. A doctor? Maybe a firefighter? And as we grew older, we needed to create 5-year career plans, choose our college majors, and take steps to reach our dream jobs. But how many of us have the same goals now that we did 20 …
How Women Can Gain Confidence in Negotiating Raises
Negotiating raises can be difficult or even scary for a lot of people, but it seems especially so for women. Why are so many women reluctant or even afraid to ask for a raise? How can we overcome these feelings? We could have an entire discussion about how societal norms can harm a woman’s confidence and feelings of self-worth. But …
The Importance of a Village
Regardless of the stage of your career, it’s paramount that you surround yourself with team members that are reliable, supportive, positive, and work well together. How can you choose the right people to work with? How do you find an environment that inspires your best work? Do you recognize the true importance of a village? You know what they say: …
Purposeful Discomfort & Career Growth: Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Oftentimes, the only way to grow is to get outside your comfort zone. Likewise, it’s not surprise that purposeful discomfort goes hand in hand with vigorous career growth. What is purposeful discomfort? It starts with learning a new skill, flexing your work paradigm, and experiencing new concepts or foreign ideas. You may feel a bit out of balance, and it …
The Secret of Getting Ahead is Getting Started
Mark Twain has widely been attributed as saying that “the secret of getting ahead is getting started.” His words ring as true now as they did a hundred years ago: If you want to reach your destination, you have to take that first step in the right direction. While this is true across all aspects of life, it’s especially important …
Relationships, Personalities, & Friendships in the Workplace
Relationships in the workplace can be tricky. Should you befriend your co-workers, or is it better to keep the relationship strictly professional? How can you develop strong relationships with your co-workers to build a solid team? How do you determine whether friendships at work are hurting you professionally? On the flip side, you may have to work with people you …
Bridging the Generational Gap in Attitudes, Approaches, & Perspectives
Our workforce today is as diverse culturally as it is in the ages of workers. With millennials, boomers, Gen-X, and Gen-Z doing business side by side, it’s natural for there to be some generational clashes. We recently shared a podcast about overcoming differences in communication styles. Now, let’s dive into how we can bridge the generational gap in attitudes, approaches, …
Bridging the Generational Gap in Communication Styles
Our workforce today is as diverse culturally as it is in the ages of workers. With millennials, boomers, Gen-X, and Gen-Z doing business side by side, it’s natural for there to be some generational clashes. One of the biggest clashes is in our divergent communication styles. From written notes to verbal interactions, there are always tons of differences and misunderstandings. Do …
Stop Apologizing: How to Break the Secret Bad Habit
Have you ever noticed the behavioral pattern women have to constantly apologize? What are we so sorry for, anyway? Why don’t we hear men apologizing every five minutes? The reasons behind women’s perpetual apologizing run deep, going back to our early childhood and repeated social training thereafter. Despite indications to the contrary, our work does have merit and validity. How …
Leading by Example: Do You Have What it Takes?
Think about the exceptional leaders you aspire to emulate. What traits and characteristics do they possess? Which leadership skills will help you engage, inspire, and motivate others? To climb to the top of your career, you’ll need to develop your leadership skills. Knowing what to work on will help you cultivate the right traits. Effective leading also takes also takes …
Does Marital Status Affect Career Opportunities?
Have you ever worried that your marital status might limit hiring prospects and promotions? For decades, women have faced the burden of being negatively judged for being married or having children. Meanwhile, men don’t suffer these same stigmas. In fact, oftentimes, these perceptions are subconscious. But does marital status still affect women in their careers? How does it impact a …
Keeping Up Hope When Job Prospects Don’t Work Out
Today’s generation faces a tougher job market than any in recent history. Many young women – even those with advanced degrees – are enduring what feels like an endless loop of job applications and interviews. With no clear end in sight, it’s easy to get discouraged. After repeatedly getting rejected for job prospects, how do you keep your hopes up? …
The Secret to Preventing Burnout at Work
For many of us, each day is just go, go, go! We’re constantly busy with our jobs, household chores, errands, and trying to fit in quality time with our loved ones and maybe a good book. When ambition runs high, we often take on more than we have time for at work. With so much on our plate, it’s easy …
We Must Stop Shifting the Blame on Sexual Harassment
Accounts of sexual harassment have been everywhere in the past few months. Harassers like Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey aren’t just in the movie industry. They exist in nearly every level of every industry. Sexual harassment is a pervasive issue, and thanks in part to the #MeToo movement, there’s finally an open dialogue on a problem that should have been …