It’s a good day for a laugh!

Posted on 04/12/2012 | 4 Comments

Yay, Thursday! Let’s celebrate by having a good laugh. I apologize to people who have already seen some of these on my Pinterest board, but they are too funny not to share in this post too. (there are some new ones too)

It's true. Sometimes I'm so funny that I start laughing halfway through telling the joke and can't finish it.

This is the best spoof of this picture I’ve seen yet. And, yes, I own two of them.

Those dang Girl Scouts!

This one gets me every time! The look on his face is classic.

I tried to come up with a witty pun to add on to this, but couldn't.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, I'm sorry - I just couldn't resist.

I want to meet the person who made this poster because it. is. awesome.

If only...

Yes they are, little girl.

Lionel, is that you?

I consider this post a success if at least one of these made you laugh. Even if it was just a silent chuckle.

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The Energy Bus: Don’t let negative people get you down

Posted on 04/11/2012 | 5 Comments

(Weigh-In Wednesday will be back next week!)

Hello! I’m baaaaaaaaaaack!  Did you miss me? I took a week off to focus on work and some other life things (ok, mostly work but I had every intention to focus on other life things too). I found out a few weeks ago that I’m getting promoted. Whoop, whoop! I was already a little behind on work so I wanted to tie up some loose ends before the changes to my role were announced. So, that is what I’ve been doing (and eating way too much German chocolate cake + making homemade lasagna with Matt). Now, I’m in Louisville for the rest of the week to announce the changes and dig into my new responsibilities.

Another thing I accomplished this past week was reading The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon. I’ve been reading for 20-30 minutes before I go to bed. I read somewhere (Prevention magazine, maybe?) that reading before bed helps you sleep better and I’m a terrible sleeper. So the reading thing is really just killing two birds with one stone. So far, it has helped… but I was also very exhausted last week so I don’t know if I can declare the bedtime reading a success yet. I heard eliminating coffee helps too, but I’m not crazy enough ready to go down that road yet.

I thought The Energy Bus was corny, but very effective in delivering a clear message.  The author uses a fictional story to describe the Ten Rules for the Ride of Your Life.  The main character is George, a guy who is having serious marriage troubles, is on the verge of losing his job, and (to top it all off!) his car just broke down for two weeks.  I liked the book and suggest it to anyone looking for a quick read and reminder that mindset can really shape our lives. 

TEN RULES FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE

  1. You’re the driver of your bus.
  2. Desire, vision, and focus move your bus in the right direction.
  3. Fuel your ride with positive energy.
  4. Invite people on your bus and share your vision for the road ahead.
  5. Don’t waste your energy on those who don’t get on your bus.
  6. Post a sign that says NO ENERGY VAMPIRES ALLOWED on your bus.
  7. Enthusiasm attracts more passengers and energizes them during the ride.
  8. Love your passengers.
  9. Drive with purpose.
  10. Have fun and enjoy the ride.   

I think this book applies to all aspects of your life.  I identified with the importance of maintaining your own positive outlook, but also with not letting other people bring you down.  The author calls these people “Energy Vampires”.  We all know people like this, or maybe are or have been people like this.  These are the people who focus on the negative side of life.  My personal opinion is these people can be grouped into a few categories:

  • The trash talkers.  We all have days or periods where other people seriously bug us  and need to vent.  But, these are the people who spend 75% of their time talking about other people, or let specific people really get to them.
  • The people who cut everyone else down.  I think this comes in two forms: cutting people down and being unsupportive.  The unsupportive people can’t be happy for their friends or family because they take other people’s triumphs personally (that is my nice way of saying they are probably jealous, even if it really has nothing to do with them). 
  • The victims of life.  These are the people who feel like they’ve just been dealt so many more challenges than everyone else, and the rest of us are living in a land of rainbows and unicorns.  I’m sure we could find a couple of these people by scrolling through our facebook News Feed.  Sure, it’s OK to feel bad for yourself occasionally (because sometimes there is such a thing as bad luck) but we all have challenges.  Some are very visible and some are very private.  Don’t compare your challenges because you don’t know what people are going through now, have been through, or will go through at some point in their life. 

I’ve known more than a few people like this in my life, as I’m sure we all have.  I find these people to be extremely draining.  The book suggests telling people flat out that you won’t allow negativity on your bus.  I think the idea of saying “on my bus” is corny, but the overall message is good — don’t let these people play a major role in your life.  Their negativity will be draining on you over time.

Sometimes it isn’t possible to cut out coworkers or family that are “Energy Vampires”.  In this case, I strive not to contribute to the negativity (sometimes I’m successful and sometimes I’m not).  If someone is constantly talking poorly about someone else or complaining, I give them a few minutes to vent and then try to change the subject or offer a positive comment.  If that doesn’t work, I usually leave the conversation by physically leaving the room or distracting myself with something else. 

 Obviously this book brought out some very strong opinions in me.  It was a nice reminder to focus my energy on what produces good things in my life.  Sometimes that can be very hard, but I’d say I am a positive person about 85% of the time.  There will always be people in life who try to bring us down.  The key is to recognize that and don’t let it drain your energy. 

How do you keep yourself focused on the positive things in life?  Have you ever burrowed yourself away for a week to get caught up on life?

(Weigh-In Wednesday will be back next week)

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FITspiration Friday: BACKS

Posted on 04/06/2012 | Leave a comment

Reblogged from Bess Be Fit:

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Good morning friends!! I am SO HAPPY that it is FRIDAY and it’s absolutely GORGEOUS outside!! I am making myself some oatmeal for breakfast and then I’m going to go out on a run and soak up some sun before my brother and I head into the city tonight.  We are meeting my uncle and cousins for dinner and then going to see THE HUNGER GAMES!

Read more… 93 more words

I am reblogging this for a few reasons. I talk about Bess Be Fit's Fitspiration Friday in a few of my posts (it is one of my favorite things about her blog), and I've had a really long and crazy week at work so this is a way to still share with my peeps through that craziness!

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Weigh-In Wednesday, Week 6

Posted on 04/04/2012 | 4 Comments

Before I dive into Weigh-In Wednesday, I have some sad news to share.  My friend from graduate school, Sara, passed away yesterday.  I wrote about her in my Get Lucky 7k post.  I didn’t know Sara well, other than our trip to Brazil for school and chatting on facebook about running.  But, she was one of those people so full of energy and kindness that it felt like I knew her well.  I met her Dad at the Get Lucky 7k and I can see where she got her positive attitude.  My heart goes out to Sara’s husband and family.  I don’t really know what to say, other than it’s so sad to see someone tragically taken from this world at a young age because of a split-second decision by someone to drive drunk.  I know a lot of us have probably driven at times where we were borderline, but this is an important reminder that it is better to be safe and just take a cab. 

******************************************

Happy Hump Day!  The weeks have just been flying by.

Progress!  Yay! 

I’m sure this has become as interesting as watching paint dry, but I think this slow progress is what I can expect.  As I get closer to the wedding, I might consider a 30 day challenge or cutting out certain foods and beverages to help lose weight temporarily.  But, the reason I’m not doing that now is because those things are usually only a temporary solution for me (do you really think I’d give up Crispin for life?  I don’t even want to joke about something like that).  I want to figure out the happy medium in my lifestyle where I can maintain at 135.  I know my goal is 130 but that is mostly to give me some wiggle room :)  

The Food

It is easier and easier to eat healthy Sunday through Friday afternoon because it is becoming a habit.  We keep our fridge well stocked with fruits and vegetables for snacks, and I stick to soup and salad even when I buy lunch at work (which has been more often than I like the past few weeks).  I don’t completely let myself go on Friday and Saturday night, but I allow myself to relax a little and enjoy the weekend.   

I went on a really fun party bus on Saturday night to celebrate my friend’s 30th birthday.  We stopped at Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner.  I ordered chicken fingers with mild sauce, which came with fries.  I ignored the fries (yes, still going on that New Year’s resolution!) and ate four of the six chicken fingers.  I know that wasn’t the healthiest choice on the menu, but I had eaten healthy 90%+ the rest of the week so I was OK with it. 

As I continue to make progress, I expect the food portion to get easier and easier.  I will always crave burgers, fries, and other deliciously unhealthy food.  What it comes down to is being able to make the conscious decision to eat these things in moderation.  That decision gets easier every day. 

The Workouts

I work out about 4 times per week.  I’d prefer if it were 5-6 times per week while I’m training for Tough Mudder, but 4 times per week is still good.  Last night, I modified part of a treadmill workout I found on Peanut Butter Finger’s blog.  I have limited running to 3 times per week to allow myself at least a day to cross-train.  My first run of the week is intervals, my second is a tempo run and my third is a long run.  This is the workout I did last night.  The first 20 minutes is the workout from Peanut Butter Fingers and I modified the last 10 minutes for extra challenge and because I think it will help my speed more to run at 1 minute intervals.  I have no science behind why I think that :)

I was dripping sweat by the end of 10 minutes, but it wasn’t too challenging from a cardio perspective until the last 10 minutes.  This is mostly because I’ve been building up my running.  I did the first 20 minutes of this workout a month ago and couldn’t go beyond that.

I decided to put a lot of focus on my arm strength since that is what I’m most worried about for Tough Mudder.  I did a workout that Bess Be Fit posted this week.  She recommends going through this twice so you do a total of 200 reps for each move, but I could only do once.  I also could only do 30 tricep extensions.  I have a lot of work to do!

  • Bicep curls: 40 reps at 5 pounds, 10 reps with 10 pounds.  Repeat.
  • Overhead tricep extension: 40 reps at 5 pounds, 10 reps with 10 pounds.  Repeat.
  • Upright rows: 40 reps at 5 pounds, 10 reps with 10 pounds.  Repeat.
  • DB rows: 40 reps at 5 pounds, 10 reps with 10 pounds.  Repeat. 

I used 5 pounds and 7.5 pounds because that is what I have at home.  I tried our 15 pound weights for the last 10 reps and couldn’t do more than 2-3.  The 7.5 pound weights were probably a little light so I’d recommend going with 10 pound weights if you have them.  I could definitely feel this workout in my arms afterward.  I was actually a little worried about dropping the water pitcher as I was refilling my water!  When I try this workout again, I will probably do timed intervals instead of reps (1 minute with 5 pounds, 15 seconds with 10 pounds… or something like that).  I tend to get bored with counting so I think the timed intervals will be easier for me.

Ok, off to work I go!

What are some of your favorite workouts for arm strength?  How do you strive for moderation in your diet?

How is your week going?

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Spring Cleaning: April Goals

Posted on 04/02/2012 | 6 Comments

(first, let me just point out how badly I wanted to do a play on April Fools for the name of this post)

Tonight, I did something I’ve never done before.  I chose to clean instead of work out.  I don’t choose working out over cleaning because I love to work out that much; I do it because I dislike cleaning that much.  Seriously, sometimes I pick stuff up and think, “WTF am I suppose to do with this?”  Obviously if it is a magazine the answer is never to throw it away.   I might need those articles again sometime.

Ok, I’m not really that bad (most of the time).  I am pretty good at organizing stuff.  When I moved in with Matt, I was able to merge most of my stuff with his by putting in more shelving and rearranging how everything was organized in the storage room, closets and cabinets.  But, I’m not good with the day-to-day upkeep around the house.  I think I got into the mood to clean tonight because it is spring and we are having my family over on Saturday night.  So… enough about my lack of cleaning skills.

I read a really good blog post on Saturday where the author graded herself on various goals she had set for the month of March.  She had cute little chalkboard icons and everything.  I can’t remember the name of the blog and it is driving me nuts!  I remembered the blog… it is Eat, Spin, Run, Repeat.  I highly recommend checking it out.  I thought it was a really good idea to set goals for the month since it is such a short amount of time.  These aren’t really “goals” as much as things I want to get done in April.

Partake in a few personal indulgences.

I am bad at this.  I have been talking about getting my car detailed for over two years.  Have I had it done yet?  Nope.  I buy one pair of jeans every 18-24 months because I can’t justify spending money on clothes that can’t be worn at work every day.  I indulge every now and then on smaller things, like some makeup I just bought at MAC, but I really don’t shop a lot for myself.  So, here are my personal indulgences:

  • Get my car detailed.  I love my car so, yes, this is a personal indulgence.
  • Buy a new pair of jeans.  I already have this planned for the weekend of April 14 when Colleen comes to town!  The pair I bought last year is too stretchy so I have saggy butt by the end of Casual Friday.
  • Start my race bib scrapbook.  This isn’t really a financial indulgence as it is a time indulgence.  I want to dedicate a few hours one afternoon to finally starting a scrapbook for my race bibs.  They currently look like a big tangled pile of messiness:

Stay on the healthiness journey.

Ok, obviously I’m going to do this… especially now that I found my wedding dress and have extra motivation.  I wanted to put a couple specific things down about this though.

  • Swim 3 lengths of the pool without stopping.  Considering I can’t even swim one length right now, this will be very hard for me.  I am really nervous about this one, but it needs to be done. Time to put the swimming lessons I took 3 years ago to use.
  • Complete 10 incline push-ups.  This will be another tough one, but necessary for Tough Mudder!
  • Lose 4 pounds.  I’ve been bouncing around the past few weeks and need to start making some progress here.

Career / Personal Development

I own 23 books about business or leadership that have either been given to me or I bought (not including 2-3 other books that I swear I own, but can’t seem to find).  I have had the best intentions to read them… at some point.  I am actually interested in these topics, but what usually happens is I put them on my bookshelf and completely forget about them.

  • Read three of the books.  I already started The Energy Bus last night. It is pretty good so far.  Don’t worry, you will hear about it when I am done :)

Make progress on the wedding planning front.  

Venue, photographer, and DJ booked.  Check.  Wedding Dress. Check.  Ok, so we have made good progress so I can’t really complain.  We just want to make sure we plug along so there aren’t any surprises.  These are some big things we want to get done in April

  • Price out professional invitations versus DIY invitations.  We know DIY will be cheaper, but we want to figure out if the savings is worth our time trying to do them on our own.  I love crafts so I wouldn’t mind doing them on my own, but the summer is also already starting to get busy.
  •  Pick out the bridesmaid dress. This will be done on April 14!
  • Plan the ceremony music.  This is up to Matt since I got my way and we are going with a DJ instead of a band :)
  • Send a “Save the Date” email with the hotel information.  Klassy.  I know.  But, we don’t see much point in sending formal Save the Dates if we are going to send invitations in two months anyway.
  • Book our engagement photos.  My friend Denise very nicely offered to take our engagement photos… and I’ve been a flake and haven’t gotten back to her.  So, I need to do that this week.

There it is.  My month in a nutshell.  I’m sure I’ll do some other things too, but these are the big ones to get done.

What goals do you have for the month?

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My travel log: an abbreviated version.

Posted on 03/31/2012 | 2 Comments

I got a passport in December 2006 for a work trip and, five years later, it is almost full.  To say I love to travel is an under-statement.  I’ve been lucky to travel a lot for work, a little bit through my graduate program, and a fair amount for personal trips.  This is a (mostly) one-picture glimpse into some of my trips, both international and domestic.

Las Vegas – May 2005

This trip was so much fun and probably my first real adult travel experience.  Five of us girls crammed ourselves into an MGM hotel room, laid by the pool, went out on the town at night, and just had a lot of carefree fun!

The ladies hanging out at the hotel bar before a night out. I was into the scary makeup back then.

Cancun – January 2006

I went to Cancun with my friend Katie a few months after Hurricane Wilma.  This was my first international experience – way back when they didn’t require passports!

Dancing at Señor Frogs. Despite what it looks like, I am not about to "smack that a$$"

Toronto & Niagara Falls – May 2006

This is when I fell in love with Toronto.  My friend Erin traveled here for work frequently so I tagged along.  We hung out in the city for a few days and spent the weekend in Niagara Falls.  Why wait to spend a romantic weekend in Niagara Falls with a guy – go with one of your girlfriends!  :)

<I am very sad to say that I can’t find any pictures of this trip :( .  I still want to mention it because it was a lot of fun>

Ireland – January 2007

I got my passport in December 2006 for this trip!  I went to Galway, Ireland for a work project.  I got to spend a weekend alone in Ireland so I took a bus tour around Western Ireland.

Cliffs of Moher

Don't fall over the edge.

Brainerd, Minnesota – May 2007

We went to a cabin in Brainerd for Laura’s bachelorette party (Colleen’s sister).  It. was. so. much. fun.  The thing I most remember is “Have I got a dance for you!”.  This guy would not leave us alone and repeatedly asked if someone would dance with him.  When the band was on break and they were playing filler music, I decided to make him wish he never bothered us so much to dance.  It started out like this:

Then I did a little of this:

and this:

Paris – July 2007

I stopped in Paris to visit my friend Noemie for four days before a study abroad.  Noemie had to work a few days, which gave me the opportunity to do sight-seeing on my own.  I am a very independent traveler so I loved this.  I could operate on my own time and didn’t have to feel guilty making Noemie see things she has probably visited a million times.

Me in front of the Eifel Tower.

Bucharest, Romania – July 2007

Bucharest was the first stop on a 10 day study abroad trip I took through my MBA program.  We traveled with 40 students from the Vienna Executive MBA program so it was just as interesting traveling with them as it was seeing the sights of Romania and Russia.   This was about 6 months after Romania joined the EU so there was a lot of excitement in Romania about their future.

Palace of Parliament in Romania. It is the world's largest civilian building, most expensive administrative building and heaviest building. It was designed and nearly completed in the 1980's by the Ceausescu regime. After the fall of that regime, it was largely seen as a symbolism of the excessive luxury of Nicolas Ceausescu's leadership.

St. Petersburg, Russia – July 2007

This was the second portion of our Economies in Transition trip.  I know this is a very random picture, but this is where I had the best Chicken McNuggets ever.  Yes, I do like to visit McDonald’s in other countries to see what the differences are (and sometimes I just crave American food).  My favorite part of Russia was seeing the ballet ‘Swan Lake’, but I cannot find any good pictures from that evening.

McDonalds in St. Petersburg

London – November 2008

I took a long weekend trip to London to visit my friend Noemie since she was working on a project there.  I saw the changing of the guards, went on the London Eye, walked around a lot, bought a great wallet at Ted Baker (that broke less than year later!), and we went out on the town with Noemie’s friend Jeannine.

Big Ben in the evening. So pretty. I took this picture from the London Eye across the river.

Brazil – January 2009

This was another study abroad for school and my last class of my MBA program!  Woohoo!  We spent two weeks studying at FGV in Sao Paulo and went to Rio for the weekend.  I know this picture isn’t a picture of Brazilian scenery, but I like it because it reminds me of how much fun I had on the trip.

I was twirling.

East Coast – October 2009

My best friend, Colleen, and I take a trip almost every year.  This was our third trip.  We went to Portland, Maine; the White Mountains in New Hampshire; Montpelier, Vermont; and Salem, MA.  I could share a lot of great pictures from this trip, especially because it is beautiful here that time of year.  But, one of the highlights of the trip was the Wife Carrying Competition:

They went over this obstacle, through water, up a hill, and to the finish line!

Thailand – May 2010

This is a trip that is really difficult to sum up in one picture.  I spent two weeks in Thailand with my friends Melanie and B. Bea.  We visited Phuket, Chiang Mai, Koh Phangan, and Koh Samui.  I wrote all about this trip and have a few more pictures when I did a guest blog for This Life in Motion on Monday.

Our resort in Koh Phangan. Check out This Life in Motion for more pictures - especially of the Full Moon Party! If you click on this picture it will take you to my guest post about Thailand.

Around the world – August 2010

I went on a three week work trip to Europe and Asia that included: Scotland, Prague (Czech Republic), Seoul (South Korea), Singapore, Hong Kong, Nanjing (China) and Shanghai (China).  I got to spend part of a weekend in Prague and a full weekend in Singapore.  I’ll probably have to share more than one of this trip :)

Old Town Square in Prague

Seoul, South Korea. I am having a brain fart on what this place is called.

View from the Singapore Flyer

Las Vegas – September 2010

We went to Vegas in September 2010 for my brother’s wedding.  It was so much fun!  This was my first time staying downtown and it won’t be the last time.  The Golden Nugget was so nice (and affordable) and downtown is very laid-back and easy to move from casino to casino.  We had my brother’s Grooms Dinner at a local bar to watch the Vikings game.

This was the Vikings vs. Saints game in September 2010.

Napa Valley – June 2011

We went to Napa Valley in June 2011 for my friend Shannon’s wedding.  It was beautiful (and the best wedding food ever).  Shannon organized a bus to take us around to a few wineries in the area.  We also stopped by Picchetti Winery, which is a little south of San Francisco.  They are no relation to Matt’s family but we feel a connection anyway :)

Benessere Vineyards

Cancun – December 2011

We went to Puerto Morelos in December for Mark and Ada’s wedding.  It was a nice break from Minnesota winter!  It was also nice and quiet at the resort.

Ceremony site at the resort

As much as I love traveling, I also love coming home.  There is something to be said for sleeping in your own bed and not living out of a suitcase!

What are some of your favorite places that you’ve traveled?  Do you have any big weekend plans?

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HBR Article Review & Women in Corporate Leadership

Posted on 03/30/2012 | Leave a comment

Happy Friday!

Today, I read a good article and attended a Women in Corporate Leadership lunch.  I’d like to share my thoughts on the article and the Women in Leadership lunch.  I know this isn’t the perfect topic for a Friday when we want to take a break from work, but it is what is on my mind so it is what I’m going to write about :)

The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time – Tony Schwartz – Harvard Business Review.

This article talks about how multi-tasking uses up our energy reserves faster and takes us, on average, 25% longer to complete tasks (and the quality is probably much lower than if you focused exclusively on the task).  This is exactly how I’ve felt the past few weeks.  I’ve been double-booked and in meetings from 7am-4pm a lot of days so I’ve been trying to keep up on email, get performance reviews written, and move my tasks along while I’m on conference calls so I don’t fall (further) behind.  

At the end of the day, I’ve been so exhausted I can barely form an intelligent thought, yet I still haven’t felt like I made progress on the important things at work.  I struggle with this in my personal life too, where I am on my phone while watching tv so I’m not fully enjoying my downtime or my mind drifts to what I need to get done at home when I’m having a conversation so I’m not fully present.   

My solution?  Lately, I’ve been making more conscious decisions to keep my phone in the other room when I’m at home or leave my laptop in my office when I head to meetings at work.  It is something I will need to work on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis, but I think it will make me a much more engaged and productive worker and a better friend… while also making sure I leave the office with a little more energy.

Women in Corporate Leadership lunch

The host of this event was Dale Kurschner, Editor-in-Chief of Twin Cities Business.  The format was a presentation of the recent study on women in leadership and board positions and then a panel discussion.  It was interesting to see the facts behind women in leadership:

  • Women represent 40% of the workforce
  • 51% of middle management roles are held by women (which was surprising since that is a higher percentage than the general population of women in business)
  • The average percent of women on boards is 14.2%
  • Less than 3% of Fortune 1000 companies have a female CEO

In all honesty, I don’t really like the whole ”women need equal representation” talk.  It implies that women are promoted because they are women, not because they are qualified.  I’ve worked too hard in my career to have my qualifications be dismissed as a gender thing.  I think that is the attitude of the typical Milennial or Gen X female.  I also think that attitude is proof that Baby Boomer women were successful in forging the way for women to be seen as equals in the workplace.  I don’t feel like I have to prove myself as a woman, I feel like I have to prove myself as an employee.  The Baby Boomers shattered the ceiling, changed the perception, and gave me the confidence to have that attitude. 

Now, I will step off my soapbox.  Obviously, women are under-represented in top-level corporate roles.  The largest factor is probably that most people who lead Fortune 1000 companies are typically in the generation where women have been under-represented.   When women were in leadership roles, it was often in HR or Communications; whereas, a CEO usually has a strong financial, operations or sales background.  I am not defending the low percent, but I think it is a stretch to say it means we don’t have equal opportunity.  What I think it means is there was once an imbalance, which led to a very small pipeline of women leaders with the right experience to become CEO.  It takes a long time to build a pipeline of good leaders.  As the current generation of CEO’s retire, it will make way for the next generation that has a strong pipeline of women leaders to take over.  I will be very surprised if we don’t see the number of female CEO’s drastically increase over the next 5-10 years. 

I found the data to be interesting (and not surprising) and the panel to just be “meh”.  They weren’t very energetic and the topics were the same you’d hear at any other luncheon.  The gist of it was:

  • The Milennials want more flexibility in their work – how, where and what they work on.  All of these companies recognized that they will need to provide this flexibility if they want to retain talent.
  • You can have it all, but usually not at the same time.  At some point, you need to make trade-offs.  The group that came up a lot in this discussion was young mothers and fathers.  The law firm Fredrikson & Byron lets their Associates work part-time so they can stay on track to reach partner and spend more time with their kids.  (obviously the partner track is longer in this case)
  • Having a diverse board and Executive team leads to more diversity in thought, which leads to better decision-making. 
  • Be yourself.  People can connect better with people who are genuine.  This is something I’ve found to be the most helpful in my career.  I am honest and straightforward, so I can usually build up trust pretty quickly that I’m here to work hard and make the right decisions. 

Have you read any good articles lately?  What are your thoughts on my thoughts about women in leadership?

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