LA Traffic: Songwriter Mandy Bon's Creative Process Starts In The Car

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: Our Most Powerful Tips

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?

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 …

Women Negotiating Raises

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 …

Purposeful Discomfort & Career Growth

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 …

Secret of Getting Ahead is Getting Started

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

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 Generational Gap - Attitudes, Approaches, Perspectives

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 Generational Gap in Communication Styles

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

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

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 …

Marital Status & Career Opportunities

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

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? …

Sexual Harassment

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 …

If your dreams don't scare you...

“If Your Dreams Don’t Scare You…”

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the current President of Liberia, once said, “If your dreams don’t scare you, you are not dreaming big enough.” Indeed, with so much opportunity in the world, why settle for mediocre? Aim high! How does this quote apply to women in the workplace? How can women overcome the doubts that hold them back at work? Women are …

Dress Codes

Are Dress Codes in the Workplace Sexist?

Dress codes have been a prominent part of work culture for as long as anyone can remember. Oftentimes these guidelines are meant to ensure the employees all look neat and professional. In certain industries, it addresses safety concerns. But then there are clothing codes that are based on gender roles. How are men and women allowed to present themselves at …

How You Made Them Feel

People Will Remember How You Made Them Feel

Poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou has been attributed as saying, “People will forget the things you do, and people will forget the things you say. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” Other people have expressed similar sentiments over the years, and indeed, the words ring true. How does this idea apply in the …

Addressing Women in the Workplace

Addressing Women in the Workplace: Friendly or Sexist?

Have you ever thought about how women are described and addressed at work? More than men, women are often referred to with nicknames like “honey” or “missy” – but is that kind of language kind or belittling? Where is the line between appropriate and inappropriate when addressing women? How women are referred to is directly related to the respect people …