It’s surprising how many of us fear that we are inadequate, assuming the best way to approach our work is “any way but mine.”

We love to sell ourselves short.  This collective practice has emerged in reaction to external cues – specifically, how we are and aren’t supposed to be, think or act.  We internalize these directives and judge ourselves in relation to standards that have little to do with who we are.

An example?  I was recently told by an entrepreneurial client “I’m no...

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What is so appealing about Harry Potter?  Five weeks after the premiere of the latest movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it's still appearing in local theaters. Not only that, Harry Potter is the highest grossing film series of all time, at over $5 billion.

As a fan, I understand why people of all ages and nationalities are in love with Harry Potter.  It is because we recognize our untapped capacity for greatness.

Harry Potter is a boy who is overlooked in his day-to-day life, somet...
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As we discussed in the last post, clarifying your purpose - or objective - is key to sharing your story in a way that will appeal to a prospective employer.  Or, for the self-employed, using your story to help raise capital or secure clients.

Life purpose is something that sounds big, daunting and elusive.  So let’s make it more concrete with some examples.

My life purpose is to help people achieve self-actualization through work.

Oprah’s life purpose is to be “a catalyst for transforming...
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Telling our life stories is something we don’t do enough of.  Nowadays people like snapshots. They like to know what you do.  If they have some time, they might want to know how you got there.  But they usually don’t want a long-winded answer. 

In a twitter world, verbal real estate is scarce.  As a result, we need to maximize every opportunity we are given; to provide the best possible information.

With so much pressure to make our words count, how do we choose the right ones?  We start w...
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On Friday I watched the lively movie Julie & Julia, which shared some surprising insights into charting one's career path.  Below are some lessons I took away from the movie.

1. Careers don't have to come from "traditional" places.  One of the movie's protagonists, Julia Child, was in her late 30s by the time she enrolled in culinary school.  Why was she drawn to cooking?   She loved to eat.  In the New York Times, she described her first meal in France as  "an opening up of the soul and spiri...
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It’s rough out there.  For each job that gets posted, up to ten times more applicants are applying than as little as a year ago. 

The chance of being rejected when applying to any given job is significantly higher.

Rejection can have harmful effects if we take it to heart.  We may feel inadequate, insignificant, or even invisible.    

The key to thriving in today’s job market – whether you have a job or are unemployed – is to focus on the things you can control.  And to keep the things...
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Today, many professionals are expected to be plugged in at all times.  Who sets these expectations?  In some cases, it's the workplace.  In many others, however, we set those expectations.

For example, in a recent job, I didn't have a blackberry.  None of my colleagues did.  My first coworker to get a company-issued blackberry had to fight for it.  Multiple proposals, value propositions, the works.  After several attempts, one stuck. We celebrated her victory.

What did my coworker win?

From a pr...
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