As a business coach and entrepreneur, a common challenge that continues to come up for both me and my clients is people asking us to give away our time and gifts for free. This could be inviting us to speak, picking our brains or submitting a detailed proposal that basically outlines the entire project. The common element is an expectation…

Being a consultant, entrepreneur and mom comes with enough pressure, without having to hold the emotional load of others. But it can take courage and persistence to set boundaries and not own others’ emotions. Trust me, I know. For way too many years I carried these emotions.  It was only when the load became too heavy, threatening to bury me, did…

There’s a lot of talk in business about finding your niche. Zeroing in on the one or two things you do better than anyone. While having a niche is important, don’t forget to tap into your broader skills and life experience. The challenge with just focusing on your niche is people tend to niche away their gifts that they don’t…

Have you ever been so impacted by someone’s words that they stick with you for days and even months? You know, those conversations that keep playing over in your head and you can clearly hear the person speaking when confronted with a situation.  A few months ago, I was talking with my business coach, Isabelle Mercier, about the various opportunities that…

Leadership is a pretty big buzz word. Many organizations use the term leadership team and talking about leadership skills while still holding onto the control. Too often they are using the word leadership when they are actually talking about management. As a result, there tends to be a lot of confusion about how leadership differs from management.   Simple put, management…

As an entrepreneur, I’m often asked for career advice from clients and friends. This can be as simple as listening to someone who’s struggling with a work task or diving in and helping a friend figure out the next step on their career path. While I give this advice freely, I recently had a friend ask why I’m so willing…