Be an Encouraging Developer How can we develop others to create community? Develop those around you by cheerleading, complimenting, challenging, and displaying gratitude. Sometimes, we simply forget to point out what people are doing well.  If we maintain a culture of “catching people doing something right” and pointing it out, it will have a ripple […]

Be a Thoughtful Connector How can we connect others to build community? We have to be unselfish and put others before us.  At every opportunity we should introduce people to one another; it will strengthen and build upon our communities.  We should invite folks to different settings and situations with different people, especially when someone […]

Career goals and 5- or 10-year plans are important to your development, but often times young professionals box themselves in too tightly based on plans they have before launching their careers. One of the beautiful things about the beginning of your career is the ability to occupy many different roles quickly to gain exposure to […]

All of us have heard the advice “Fail Fast, Fail Often”, with the guidance being there is valuable knowledge to be gained through failure that can lead to future successes. I agree with this advice, but I have always tried to add an extra layer – “fail fast and often early in your career by […]

  One of my favorite parts of high school was our lunch and “flex”, think recess for high schoolers. My friends and I would sit at the same table, in the same spots, everyday. Discussions ranged from our current crushes (about 80% of the conversation) to our latest athletic accomplishment, and how it was unequivocally […]

Anticipation + Preparation + Execution = A Great Interview.     If you can master the art of the interview, you’ll have a major advantage as you move through life.  Your ability to give a good interview will give you a huge leg up in getting your job, as well as a lot of other […]

“If you don’t listen to your teammates, you’re just a 1-person team not using the talents of those around you.” Want to lead a team?  In your first leadership role and not sure how to start?  Here’s 5 simple steps to point you in the right direction.   Have a vision – Before you bring […]

  I learned this through my experience in the bakery industry, but the lessons learned and lived can transfer easily to many roles.  As a DSD sales representative, I was an individual contributor.  But my actions and practices, good or bad, impacted other departments’ efficiency.  My service levels and customer relations impacted not only customer […]

If you want to become an impactful member of this planet, you’ll make your life a lot easier by learning how to resolve conflict the right way.  There’s a million wrong ways to do it, and only a few right ones.  So do us all a favor and figure it out. When you’re locking horns […]