We’d love to think that everything is back to “normal,” and all our pandemic-related stresses and frustrations are behind us. THIS ISN’T TRUE. Whether we are dealing with returning to work, navigating a return to normal with our significant others or children, or rethinking our career path, many of use are still dealing with COVID-related fatigue. My return guest, Jane Springer, is a life and wellness coach. She and I discuss what we’re seeing with our clients and how we are helping them navigate the world in 2021.

Today, my guest is Carson Tate of workingsimply.com, and we’re talking about our work relationships. Carson is an employee engagement expert, and we talk about why relationships at work are so important. She also gives us tips for re-engaging with our coworkers now that many of us are going back in the office.

Our topic today is 7 Raise Rules for Women Who Want to Make More Money, with Laura Browne. Men and women approach salary issues very differently, and Laura and I dive into these differences and how women can ask for what they want. Laura provides us with some of her best tips for asking for a raise and negotiating a salary and compensation package.

I’m a huge fan of Brené Brown’s work, and I love her concept of FFTs. If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you know that I don’t say anything that wouldn’t be suitable for all audiences, so I’ll start by saying that FFTs stands for “F’ing First Time. Brené talks about FFTs in the framework of doing something new. Of challenging ourselves…of evolving to the next level in our development as a human. Which got me thinking…what do FFTs look like in the framework of our jobs? When we are given a new task…asked to work in a new way…learn a new skill?

Today my guest is Ed Evarts, author of “Driving Your Career.” We talk about ways to take responsibility for your own career success.

Through various groups I belong to and sites I visit regularly, there is a lot of talk about being in a “toxic work environment.” Today, I want to drill down on what actually constitutes a toxic work environment and what to do if you are in one. I also want to talk about what isn’t a toxic work environment and how to manage these situations.

Today I have several guests on the podcast. Alycia Grenesko, Reese Kerlin, and Kristin Kerlin talk with me about why they reached out to me for coaching, what shifted for them during coaching, and what advice they have for others who may be thinking of hiring a coach. I also speak with my coach, Mimi Bishop, who also holds dual roles as a coach and a coachee. Mimi and I talk about the different kinds of coaches we have sought out for different stages of our lives and businesses.

My guest this week is Dr. Nicole Tschierske, and we are talking about how to infuse your current position with passion, excitement, and creativity - no matter what is happening in your company, with your boss, or in your personal life. We talk about the “grass is greener” concept that is so prevalent as we come out of the pandemic, how to decide if “hanging in there” a bit longer is the right move for you, and specific action steps you can take to stay motivated, productive, and challenged in your current role.

My guest this week is Dave Fano, Founder and CEO of Teal, which provides people with tools, resources, and community for career management. We are talking about startups – how they are different, what to expect if you work at one, and how to transition back into a corporate environment. We also talk about the red flags – and “green flags” – to look for in evaluating a startup as a potential employer.

My guest this week is Mark Danaher, founder of Mark Danaher Training and Coaching. Mark and I discuss the seismic shift in people’s work because of the pandemic – especially the large number of people who are rethinking their career direction. Mark gives us the signs that you may be ready to make a career shift, as well as strategies to help you make that shift.

My guest this week is Mark Herschberg, and we’re talking about How to Manage People You Don’t Manage. This is a particularly important topic in light of the changes we’re seeing as corporations respond to COVID. Mark talks about the unique challenges of managing people you don’t manage and gives us tips for leading by influence.

My guest today is Marina Kirik, and we’re talking about stress and fatigue around the changes to our work environments due to the pandemic. Marina explains some of the unique challenges of work-from-home, work-in-office, and hybrid arrangements, and gives us strategies for coping with the stress around each. Marina also shares ideas for keeping the healthy habits many of us have adopted during the pandemic as we return to work or see other changes in our work situations.

My guest today is Matthew Mottola, author of The Human Cloud. We talk about The Freelance Economy, what it means to be a freelancer, and the good and bad reasons for entering The Freelance Economy. Matthew also gives tips for ways to start working as a freelancer – and how to make yourself indispensable as a freelancer.