I spent years working as a senior manager in local government, enjoying the perks of job security, benefits and support from IT, Finance and Human Resources teams. On top of that, I had access to paid professional development opportunities. But all of this disappeared when I took the leap to become a consultant.  While I wouldn’t trade my freedom for…

I recently had a conversation with a friend about how she’s feeling guilty for taking time off. This isn’t the first time someone has shared their worries about how they’ll be perceived for taking more than a week’s vacation.  In our culture of seeing being busy as a badge of honour, it’s no wonder so many people struggle with hitting…

As I work with organizations to plan strategically for the future, a big theme that continues to come up in conversations is the challenge dealing with the micromanagement approach. This is often tied to a discussion about change management. While some members of a leadership team see the need for and are implementing change, they’re rubbing up against managers or…

As a professional communicator and consultant, I’ve always prided myself on being a good listener. My job is to hear my client’s concerns, aspirations and challenges, then come up with easy to implement solutions. While this sounds great, once I took on the role of podcast host, I realized I needed to up my active listening skills.  As an interviewer it’s…

I was recently at a conference where the issue of gender inequality in the workplace was raised. This wasn’t a formal topic but rather sparked by one woman sharing her personal experience.  Full disclosure – I was that woman.  It all started with a presentation about the importance of supporting mental health in the workplace. The presenter shared ways to…

Like many parents, I’m juggling a lot of balls. Running a consulting business, being a podcast host, mom, wife, speaker, advocate and much more. It can be a lot and at time some of the balls drop.  It’s taken me years to accept the limit of how many balls I can juggle, and being okay with watching balls drop. And…