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How The CEO’s Compass is helping The Drop In CEO

Every 6-12 months I feel off track for which the book, The CEO’s Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track becomes my own self help book. Chapter 1 is titled: It’s Personal – What changed and why are you off track” followed by a quote on the facing page:
 
 “Having Clarity amidst chaos cuts through the noise.” -Deb Coviello.

I was feeling off track, took some time to reflect if I was still committed to my work. I then took some time to declutter my life as it got real messy again. I had so much I wanted to accomplish, but my efforts were diluted and not having the impact I wanted. When I looked at, I found comfort in my chapter on “People: They’re your greatest tool in your tool box” for which I realized I needed help to move my business forward again.

One of the challenges I see in CEO’s is they lack the courage to ask for help until it’s too late and then they wonder why they are in crisis. Fixing the issue becomes so much more expensive than had they moved faster with external support. I see the same challenges in businesses going through Mergers & Acquisitions. They focus on the transaction and lose sight of evolving the leadership team. Businesses spend a lot of money on consulting companies to complete the project, but have they actually created chaos? The leadership teams are not equipped with the tools to sustain the new business model. I often wonder how many companies out there could use Drop In CEO services to bridge the gap between the past and the future state. Any M&A leaders out there, just know I’d love to speak to you to  help navigate the process more smoothly. Just reply to this email as I’d love to pick your brain to help with this challenge. 

So getting back to my story about getting back my story… you will be seeing a lot of changes that evolve Illumination Partners, LLC (my business entity) and The Drop in CEO (my brand) to bring our team closer to my community: C-Suite Leaders of Today, C-Suite Leaders of Tomorrow and Sponsors & Advocates for our work. I’ve called in the calvary to support me through content writing, marketing, video & audio production and even a refresh on our brand images. I’ve set an intention on investing what works and having the courage to ask for A LOT of help! 

I’m grateful I wrote the book, The CEO’s Compass to help C-Suite Leaders of today. It servesso as a gentle reminder for myself to stay on track and make course corrections as needed to enable me to be in service to my community.

Look for a refreshed look to my Get to the point Newsletter in the coming weeks that we hope will increase the value to you and make it a go to resource for you, your teams and the network. 

If you would like to learn more about the book, you can also visit my website  to preview and order your copy. Let me know how I can help you. I’d love to support you. Until then, I wish you much success-Deb
New Date / Times for The Drop In CEO CollectiveI’m so excited about the conversations and value we’re providing attendees of the Collective.

Each week, I teach people different approaches to networking that will make you memorable vs. an elevator pitch.

We bring forward educational content from our podcast or even from the community to teach you skills needed for the C-Suite. 

The spot coaching is also amazing as it’s not just from myself, but the Collective can help you also navigate your challenges. 

I appreciate the feedback about the dates / times and with that we will offer our next Collective on Monday March 20th at 12:00-1:00 and 4:00-5:00 ET to see if this will make it easier for you to invest in your career. 

If you cannot make this session, but know of someone who would benefit, please pass this along so they can register. 

This is complimentary because I care about supporting you and The Drop In CEO Community. 
Click here to get your initiation
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How The Leadership Desert Will Destabilize Your Busines

This week I had an epiphany based on trends I’m seeing in business that can lead to destabilization of your business. Small and medium size businesses continually elevate subject matter experts with some management experience and hope the essential skills of leadership will catch up. And then we look sideways at that person in the corner who raises their hand, asks well thought out questions, may even be the squeaky wheel and we “manage” their presence vs. realize they’re a future leader. Failure to recognize leadership in your organization or even a system to evolve leadership in an organization will lead to a leadership desert; leaving C-suite leaders in wonderment why their business is not thriving. 

Just this week while facilitating a workshop at a client, a few people who were lower in the hierarchy were rather quiet; letting the discussion continue with more senior leaders in the room. When there was a pause, they came forth with the most profound statements and questions that completely turned the conversations in a different direction from sometimes rabbit holes we were falling into. While I was successfully brought our workshop to technical conclusion; I realized there were quiet leaders in the room for which most leaders will not recognize them. We finished our business and these individuals went back to work. However, on my next visit, I’m going to suggest we flip the accountability of the project to those individuals and we are in service to these leaders.

Leaders are all around us, but we lack the lens to see them. When we don’t see them and take the time to evolve their inherent leadership skills we run into situations for which business will lack the talent and the work results ebb and flow. The Leadership Desert is a real thing and we need to be talking more about it to raise awareness and have the courage to take action. 

If this is a challenge for you as a C-Suite Leader or you see people on your team struggling with this exact same issue, but you don’t have the capacity or capability to address, please have the courage to leverage a support system. The Drop In CEO community can help you. 

Drop in to my next Drop In CEO Collective offered on March 20th and click here for your exclusive invite to this offering. This forum is for C-Suite Leaders of today and tomorrow. Mostly the Leaders of Tomorrow are coming for which they’re gleaning so much help to them get into the C-Suite. I invite C-Suite leaders to attend because a) you may gain some insights for yourself and b) you may see this as the place for your leaders of tomorrow to gain the skills they need. 

It may be the best investment of 50 minutes towards resolving the Leadership Desert. 

Let me know; I’d love to support you. 

Until then, I wish you much success-Deb

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C-Suite Leadership Messaging is the greatest under developed skill

With my 35 years of business experience and the last 4 years in my own, coaching C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow, one of the most under developed skills is in messaging vision & strategy.

I have seen so many talented leaders including myself successfully delivery tactical content only to be deflated because we were unable to move the needle, spawn conversation or achieve the outcome we seek to achieve. It becomes a source of frustration for many and then creates limiting believes and a negative mindset about ones’ capabilities. Ultimately it deflates confidence for which stuck C-suite leaders of tomorrow cannot find a path forward. 

In this week’s Drop In CEO Collective, I provided a framework for which I have found is starting point to not only craft your 30 second elevator pitch for your vision & strategy, but gets you to think differently.

Here is the framework, an example of good and a very bad example of what not to do:

Framework:

  • Grounding statement that relates your Topic to a greater strategy (gets people to wake up and listen)
  • Provide more details and context that justify why the topic is important
  • Propose a solution or course of action to spawn conversation.

Example of good:  Evolving our Root Cause Analysis capability is critical to reaching long term defect reduction in order to create a greater customer experience. By implementing this training & coaching program within these functional areas in the next 24 months, we will not only see a reduction in our customer defects, but we will be the first business unite of its kind to take a step forward in investing in our people which pays many dividends in employee loyalty. I propose we have a follow up workshop in the next two weeks to work out the details of the strategy, deliverable timeline and necessary resources.

Example of bad: We need to purchase now the Root Cause Analysis training package in order to train all employees across 3 business units using state of the art software that enables collaboration and real time reporting. When we implement the new tool, we should be able to show people how to do RC analysis more effectively and ultimately reducing our defect rate from 5% down to 2% which is our 2024 goal. The cost is $25,000 and would like to discuss how / when we can move forward with this proposal.

The good example aligns the leaders message to a greater strategic goal, provides a bit of context to help people to understand the impact and a call to action to move the conversation forward.

The bad example is from a place of siloed thinking and provides too much detail for which people may deflect or delay any constructive conversation leaving the messenger deflated. 
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The attendees of this past collective agreed that this was a different way of thinking and this could help them to craft more impactful messages and be seen, heard and respected as a C-Suite Leader. 

If this is a challenge for you as a C-Suite Leader or you see people on  your team struggling with this exact same issue, but you don’t have the capacity or capability to address, please have the courage to leverage a support system.

Drop in to my next Drop in Collective offered on March 20th and click here for your exclusive invite to this offering. 

It may be the best investment of 50 minutes towards effective Messaging for influence & impact. 

Let me know; I’d love to support you. 

Until then, I wish you much success-Deb

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What CEO’s can learn from the play “Annie”​

I’ve shared with many of you I’m working with a Functional Wellness Coach to ensure my health is in check so I can continue to be in service to you. During this journey, we’ve discovered Stress has potentially cause my chemistry to be out of balance. As part of decreasing stress, I’ve been doing more things that give me pleasure and are relaxing; one of which is continuing to go to the theater. Last evening we saw the play “Annie” and while it was a feel good story, there are important messages CEO’s can learn to get better results.

First and foremost, the song “The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow”, gives hope that you always have another day to make things right or to enjoy success and life. So many CEO’s dwell in what is going wrong vs. playing to what is going well and applying more energy. Where things are going wrong, they spend too much time in the weeds, vs. enabling teams to solve their own issues and inspire optimism. Fast Companies article about how CEO’s can lead with optimism in uncertain times is critical to enable high performing teams to meet those challenges. 

While I could gush about the entire musical score for Annie, let me share my personal thoughts. I was once a victim to circumstances and I simply wanted to “survive” until tomorrow. The turning point came when I realized I had no more energy to survive and wonder how I got to this place. I focused on the immediate vs. the future. I had my hands in most everything vs. improving my decision logic and prioritization. I worked harder vs. smarter and knew no other way. Where was my boss? Where was the coaching I needed to develop the essential skills vs. applying resources at the issues?

I am so grateful I can now see clearly these challenges are common to most C-Suite leaders and those seeking to get into the C-Suite. No where do I find a systemic approach within corporations to identify these gaps in skills nor a program to evolve them. Only a lucky few have a mentor or a coach with others falling into despair or feeling stuck. Given this insight, I have curated these gaps into The CEO’s Compass as a guide to stop and recognize the gaps and start helping leaders develop new skills & approaches to their leadership style. This is a DIY guide to get back on track, but I can also support you and your business challenges often moving you from crisis to stability in 90 days or less. Let’s have a conversation. 

If this is you, PLEASE do not continue as you have. PLEASE do start to do something different. If you are trying to get into the C-Suite, consider my book as a resource to get you on track in days vs. months. I also propose the Drop In CEO Collective that could jump start you to the right track in 50 minutes or less. Time is valuable and leveraging tools to give you back time and reduce stress is an investment in yourself that you should consider. We all want to see The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow!

Message me if you’re interested in the Drop In Collective or click here for your exclusive invite.  

Let me know; I’d love to support you. 

Until then, I wish you much success-Deb

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STOP committing to your career and start committing to relationships.

You’ll be much happier in the long term and here’s why!

When I met my now husband I was flattered by his attention, yet baffled how two opposites could be attracted.

He was outgoing and I was quiet, he raced cars and I read books, he was came from a big family, I came from a small family.

Yet over time, we realized we were more similar than different when we focused on our values and working on a relationship that blended our strengths and demoted our weaknesses and differences.

We’re still working on it, but after 34 years of marriage I think we have figured out how to have a good relationship.

Jobs come and go and most of us have seen that. We commit so much to the work and fail to commit to a relationship with ourselves, family, community & co-workers.

Those relationships are those that will stick with you through the ups and downs and maybe could be that phone call after many years that says: “Are you available, I’ve got an offer for you”.

You don’t get that through investing in a job or career, but by investing in one relationship at a time. That nurturing is what will give you more job satisfaction.

I know after being in business now 4 years that the relationships from the past are bringing me the clients now and not so much from recent networking.

Think about your situation and ask yourself if you are happy with your career progress? Being shut down when the bar keeps rising; a never ending cycle of disappointments.

What about that past co-worker or boss; have you connected them recently?

I propose you invest more in yourself and cultivating relationships?

Just like a marriage is hard work, but it has so many more years of sustainable satisfaction. Dan and I have our arguments; last week it was about curling and we constantly quarrelling on the ice. ?This week, we were communication quite well and we won the game. It’s because we care about each other and want to make it work.

Now think about your past relationships and who are you going to contact right now?

Let us know in the comments.

Until then, I wish you much success-Deb

#dropinceo #CSuiteLeaders #CEOsCompass

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What C-Suite Leaders are missing to get back on track

On the way to work I got a flat tire. Nothing special, it’s happened to all of us! The unfortunate thing was the people who installed it completed a transaction and got paid for putting on a new tire. However, they never drove it around to assure the seal was intact and the vehicle was safe. As a consumer, I want the assurance that I don’t have to worry about the flat tire happening. While driving at high speed, all of a sudden my tire pressure alert came on and showed it dropped from 35 to 20 and ultimately to 6. I was rescued by AAA and got my tire repaired by my tire dealer who said it is possible there was dirt that enabled a leak and a loss of pressure. They added bead seal and assured me after pumping it back up, it was safe.

The problem with this situation is the service provider was seeking a result – install a tire and get paid. For the consumer, I wanted Peace of Mind; knowing my vehicle was safe and the service provider had assured the workmanship was sound and validation the car would work in the end application. A big fail from a consumer perspective.

Yet the same pattern exists for C-Suite leaders; getting the results and claiming success. I propose to you that C-Suite leaders who seek results are in reality in pursuit of Peace of Mind; knowing they can sleep at night and won’t get that late night call.

Peace of Mind is a state of being for which you know you, your team and the consumer is cared for. It’s not a number, but when you do the right things and see the consumer happy, you know you have Peace of Mind.

I felt very dissatisfied after the transaction with the tire repair place and I have my fingers crossed each time I get into my car. However, this story is meant to inspire those leaders who seek results and then realize there was a better way of helping their teams to perform at the highest level based on purpose and elevating individual performance.

I would love to give a copy of my book The CEOs Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track to the tire repair place so they can assure their customers Peace of Mind. If you don’t want to be “That Person” who is only seeking results and truly understands that pursuing Pease of Mind is a better use of their time, consider a copy of the book to help you get there with The CEO’s Compass. 

If you would like to discuss more your situation and how Peace of Mind will get you to a different place because you’re stuck and don’t know how to get back on track, please reach out to me. I can be your compass and guide.

-Deb Coviello

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How creating a little chaos leads to simplification in your life

I thought the sky would fall when I didn’t get my newsletter to you on Wednesday! It’s now Sunday morning and the sun and stars are still shining bright and no one got mad at me.  I declined a number of networking calls and thought I’d ruin my business development efforts on the possibility they might lead to something. Then I realized my business model is mostly referrals and by being highly selective with my time and who I connect with. When I limited my weekend work time to only clearing out emails and planning for the upcoming week, I had oodles of time to spend with my husband and dog this weekend. As for the laundry that piled up? My husband helped me with that once I asked and we ignored the wrinkled garments in favor of good conversation. The 8 hours of sleep I’ve enjoyed almost every night has lead to my personal looking much calmer than ever before.

So why do I always worry about not getting everything done in this complicated life I created in the past. Because I thought I would miss opportunities. Instead I was inflicting so much activity into my life, it was complex and I was exhausted. With 2023 and my theme of Simplification, every decision I make might cause some chaos in the short term, but ultimately leads me to calm and contentment.

In the last 24 hours, I really think I upset some people. However, that short term chaos with less than substantial relationships have given me peace of mind that I’m getting more clear than ever before about where to invest my time. But enough about me and seeking ways to simplify, what about you and your life?

Framework for creating chaos that leads to simplification:

Get very clear about your non-negotiables (i.e. sleep, exercise, reading) and fix those times
What will you say yes to and what will you say no to? This decision logic is your defense mechanism
Look at your calendar and what can you delete, delay or delegate away
Cancel meetings / recurring events that no longer have value.
Make that hard decision, while uncomfortable now, will lead you to peace of mind.
Spend a little extra money for convenience where it frees up time

These are some suggestions and not all encompassing. However, I ask you to have the courage to create a little chaos if you care about making a difference in your life. By getting real clear and simplifying things, you’ll make room for amazing results. 

I’m here to help the C-suite leaders of today and tomorrow navigate your challenges with confidence. I do this so we can all spend more time doing the things we love with ourselves, family, friends and community.  In support of that, we need to turn Deb’s cool article into action to help you achieve your goals. 

In the next week, I want you to write down what you are simplifying and the impact it will have both positive and negative and let me know what it will be. Then write down the action you will take towards simplification once reconciled with the desired outcome.

When you send it to me, I’ll provide you feedback. If you need more help, book a short call to see how I can support you for a successful 2023.

My upcoming solo podcasts in January are going to take you through the season of goal setting, so make sure you follow here and gain some valuable tips. 

With Simplicity being this years theme, I’ll get to the point and wish you an amazing start to 2023!

And if you’re seeking DIY resources to support you in 2023: If you’re interested in learning more about  my Podcast, my book , my blog or general information about my resources, click on each of the links to learn more.  
Register for
The Drop In CEO Collective:
January 24th @ 7:00pm ETLet me start by apologizing for our technical glitch on our last collective. In error, we included a previous zoom link and didn’t realize the change. For those of you who tried to get in, I’m grateful you planned to join me. We are repeating that session on 1/24/23.

One of the things I was told that I needed was executive presence to help me to get to the next level. I was kindly reminded by a member in my network that this is often more critical; beyond learning the soft skills which we’ve worked on in the past.

I never had a coach to help me with this and only once I was ready, did I figure out some of the elements that created my executive presence. If you think this is something that is needed; lets connect on January 24th to give you some insights into why this is important and actionable tips to start you on your journey. 

We will also discuss goal setting and helping you have a successful 2023

Click on the link to get a personal invitation for our next events. 

Remember, investing in your personal development closes the gap in ultimately your performance.The Drop In CEO Podcast Round up
I don’t want you to miss an episode of conversations with experts who share their insights & inspiration with you for a lasting impact. 

In the spirit of simplification, I will stop posting the individual podcasts that have aired because it takes a lot of time. However, I invite you to visit my website and book mark it for catching up on great guest interviews weekly on Mondays and my solo insights every Friday. 


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How Executive Presence is the Game Changer to Get to the C-Suite

Executive Presence is often not discussed as part of performance reviews or even 360 feedback, but is an unspoken necessity to be perceived as ready for the C-Suite. Even this article I link to “Are you a Leader Struggling with Executive Presence”  only speaks to the physical attributes of how you show up to give presentations which alone won’t cut it. Contrary to executive coaches or image specialists who work mostly on the external presence, only a few will discuss the internal presence which I find is more critical. Want to learn more? Read on…

Write down your answers to these questions which qualify how you will project yourself into our community

  • Why do I lead and what type of leader am I?
  • What am I most passionate about
  • What am I willing to put money down on that if we followed would make a difference
  • How do I see the world differently
  • What do I believe in that I would pursue, even if I wasn’t paid for this work. 

I never had coaching while I was in corporate (so many of us don’t get that opportunity) and it was only after I sought coaches as a business owner that I arrived at presence. How do I know I “arrived”. Every time I show up at a networking event, introduce myself on a new team or speak on a podcast, I have the same talking points and people know what I stand for:

  • I guide C-Suite Leaders of Today and Tomorrow to navigate challenges with confidence
  • I do this because I want them to struggle less and do more of the things they want to for themselves or with family, friends and community
  • I assess organizations through the CEO’s Compass with focus on Peace of Mind vs. Results to get back on track

When I show up now, people will actually comment I have great presence. They love how I introduce myself and they know what I’m about. This can be you as well.

Write down your responses to the questions you pose and ask yourself if you have clarity? Could you talk about these insights every time you show up? Does it give you confidence when you speak? 

Post your responses in a prominent place to remind yourself. Practice applying them. What response did you get from the audience you were trying to influence?

If this exercise intrigues you, but you’re still not sure how to apply, send me your responses and I can leave you a voice message on my thoughts. You can also DM me on Linkedin. Are you ready to take action? I’m here to support you.

Conclusion: You don’t need a new haircut, wardrobe or communication training until you understand who you are and why you exist to make a difference. The rest is complementary to the entire package of executive presence. 

If you find this article helpful, I would be forever grateful if you shared with a friend. I can also subscribe them to the newsletter if you give me permission. Just message me back. 

Wishing you happiness, health and great memories as we enter the holiday season.

-Deb

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How finding “Fa La La”​ can help you get through tough times!

While most of you know me as Deb Coviello, The Drop In CEO, behind the curtain is a person that simply wants to spend more time with my family, friends and community. I love having the time to plan and prepare meal experiences that bring people together and create memories. Christmas time is a time I celebrate knowing I can do all of those things and I can say “Fa La La”. I’ve added a link to my cookie photo in this article to take you to my personal Facebook Page so you can follow me, my family, my dog Reagan and curling. I think it’s important that we take the time to get to know each other more personally so when we do come together, the work is so much more meaningful and fun. Connect with me and let me connect with you as well on your favorite personal social site. But what about “Fa La La”? Read on to learn more…

A few years ago, I was panicking to get all the Christmas shopping, cookie making, decorating and couldn’t find enough hours in the day. Don’t even ask about the Christmas cards; they’ve now become New Years cards if I’m lucky! Anyway, this particular year, things were falling apart, breaking, forgotten presents etc. and I was getting down on my self. Then out of nowhere when I didn’t know what else to say, I said “Fa La La” and threw my arms up. It was an expression of “Oh well”, that didn’t work and as a way to shrug it off and laugh at the situation. So every time things don’t go as planned, I simply say “Fa La La”

This expression became a “thing” for which my mother bought me a shirt that says “Fa La La” and showed me she cared enough about my mishaps, but also supported me as I celebrated life’s imperfections and the ability to move on. I say “Fa La La” now to you and ask for forgiveness for every time I misspoke on my podcast, mixed up my words, said it was 2020 when it was 2022, for forgetting to call you back, missing a meeting or being late paying a bill. It was because I was probably focused on the most important thing in the moment for which getting it right was less important than being in the moment. 

So my gift to you this week is to think about when / where you’ve been having challenges that ever so slightly bring you down and ask yourself how relevant is it in the grand scheme of enjoying life? Sometimes we give those little things too much relevance for which not only did something happen or not happen. It’s time to shake it off, say “Fa La La” and you would be surprised how quickly you forget about it and move on to enjoy the things you love to do.

I’m heading out shortly to finish Christmas shopping, buy some food because my mom is visiting for a month and my daughter comes home from Italy tomorrow. But I’m also buying ingredients to make Christmas cookies and enjoy memories with the people in my life. If I forget an ingredient… Fa La La. If there is traffic that slows me down… Fa La La…if don’t get to the vacuuming before people arrive… Fa La La.

So here is your challenge: Start saying Fa La La and turn mishaps into fond memories!

Wishing you happiness, health and great memories as we enter the holiday season.

-Deb

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How fixing a light bulb can solve world peace… or close to it!

I don’t often talk about my husband Dan, but he’s the center of today’s story! He’s been my partner for over 33 years and while marriage is a challenge, we find a way to make it work. He knows having the house functioning well is the key to my happiness and hence Coviello World Peace! Read on because there is always a life lesson in everything I write!

“Honey, the kitchen light is out over the island, can you fix it?”. “Dan, the front spot light went out in front of the house, can you fix it?”. “Hey, when you have a minute, can you replace the light in my pantry?”. These requests to help give me light is actually a laughing matter for us as some lights are always blowing out in the house!  While he could let the honey-do’s pile up and usually there is no safety issue or urgency to any light replacement, he knows over time it builds up my frustration. And so goes the saying: “Happy wife, happy life!”. Sound familiar? Dan knows that while fixing a light is only a small act of kindness and sometimes necessary, he also knows in the bigger picture, life will be more peaceful if he tends to these small requests. 

Now I said there is a life lesson in all of this silly little story about how my marriage works, but hang tight as I finish the rest of the story. When Dan fixes the light over the kitchen island, it enables me to cook for the family and read the recipes without reverting to cheater glasses! When Dan fixes the spotlight on our home, it adds to my joy of seeing our beautiful home properly lit up. When Dan fixes the pantry light, I can see my inventory and more efficiently make meals for my family. It’s all about creating community and the things that give us pleasure in our lives. When Dan tends to the small things, the rest of our life is peaceful (most of the time!). 

So what does this have to do with you? As always, I revert to my purpose of helping C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow navigate challenges with confidence. And why is this important? Because I want you to struggle less and enjoy the things you like to do with yourself, friends, family and community. Simple and straight forward. I now ask if you are taking care of the little things that you need to improve your confidence, capacity or capability? Of have you delayed that in favor of urgent matters and procrastinate on serving the most important person; yourself. Sure, you can delay building up your skills, but for how long? Letting it slide too long may result in a poor performance review, missed opportunities or not being respected for the value you bring? And then, peace evades you.

If you know me personally, I’m not a Debbie downer at all. I’m an optimist and everyone of you that I’ve personally met, I’ve seen the value in who you are and potential for much more. I try to inspire you to think differently at every moment and take control of your situation. Getting a good review, raise or promotion is always good, but ultimately you want peace of mind in all aspects of your life. Just like changing a light bulb and keeping the home in good order; you deserve the same. Why not invest in yourself like my husband Dan takes care of the light bulbs?!

Thank you for reaching the bottom of my article! Can I be of more service to you?

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