When I first learned of an open position with my current employer 5 years ago, I wish I could say I saw it as a dream job. To be honest, it was just one of several openings I’d applied for in an effort to push myself beyond the comfort zone I’d developed. I knew nothing about the agency, to the extent that when someone called to schedule me for the interview, I pretended to know where their office was located so as not to send up red flags of inexperience. When my interview c

I’ve always been a creature of habit. As someone who likes to be organized and prepared, habits give me comfort when fighting my natural tendency to control things that ultimately I know I have no power over. For example, I have some flexibility to my work schedule that would allow me to come in to the office at different times or work from home on occasion. Some days I go straight to morning meetings rather than stopping by the office. Despite this, I always get up at the sa

Last year I had the opportunity to hear New York Times Bestselling Author and incredible public speaker, Matthew Kelly, give a seminar at my parents’ church outside Indianapolis. What I’ll admit I attended reluctantly because there seemed like many other ways I could spend a Saturday turned out to be a truly energizing experience with lasting inspiration. Matthew is the founder of Dynamic Catholic, a nonprofit organization that works to revitalize local parishes and bring peo

One of the most surprising things I’ve learned while launching my coaching business is how much demand exists for this service, although there are virtually no professional coaches in my local community. Looking around and realizing I was either ahead of the competition or in a non-existent market caused me to pause and do some research to ensure the type of work I wanted to undertake was rooted in both growth for my clients and positive ROI for businesses. What I found conti

One of the hardest things about launching my coaching business was deciding what to call it. While I accept that I have to be personal in this type of work, I didn’t want to follow the path so many coaches take by naming it after myself. I wanted something clear, empowering, and that also reflected a bit of my quirky personality. The irony of the name “Boss Lady” is that it reflects a title I myself had trouble embracing. My wonderful co-worker would affectionately refer to m

With over 7 billion people alive on the planet as you read this, it’s hard to imagine many things that every single individual has in common. We are all diverse in our age, appearance, nationality, customs, and beliefs. We can break ourselves down into the most basic parts- the fact that we all breathe air and have blood flow through our veins- but even then biological differences like blood type or medical conditions mean we are not mirror images of each other. One of the fe

Over the years I've worked in a management capacity with dozens of different people at various stages in their careers. While they all had unique talents and strengths, there was one skill that I consistently saw present a challenge regardless of age, experience, or education level. Strategic thinking is the most important ability that I look for in the people I work with. It is something no leader can succeed without, and yet how many classes or training programs are activel

When I committed to launching my coaching services more formally several months ago, the hardest part wasn’t staying up late after a long work day to make it through my certification class, fixing technical issues with my website, or sharing my passion for coaching with people who could benefit from working together. It was a challenge I never saw coming. I’m not a natural salesperson, but over the years have developed the confidence to sell products and pitch ideas without b

A few months ago, a trend went across social media asking people to share their first jobs. Finally a craze I could get behind more than the Ice Bucket, Mannequin, or other popular challenge because it showed that no matter where you go in life, we all have to start somewhere. The main thing most success stories have in common is simple, can be done by anyone, and is yet incredibly powerful- hard work. I’ve learned so much through the experience I’ve gained wearing lots of di

As a little girl, the things I dreamed of accomplishing as an adult were different than most other children. Instead of imagining my future career, spouse, and home or dreaming about my wedding day, there were little things I envisioned for myself. A tree house for my kids. My own space in the woods where I could run wild like I did as a child, spending hot summer days free to play in the river bottoms and fishing whenever I pleased. A horse in the backyard. A table with a pu