I told her I’d just come out of a coma. That was my line to my personal trainer on our very first conversation: “Treat me like I’ve just come out of a coma.” It was half-joke, half-truth. Years of back problems plus a foot issue had kept me from my...
Q4 always seems to sneak up on us. One minute it is summer, and the next, the calendar is packed, the holidays are around the corner, and every project suddenly feels urgent.A client recently told me they always feel like they “lose” Q4. By the time December arrives,...
Stepping into leadership can be tricky. You're great at your role, and now you're managing people, which is a different skill set. I just wrapped a coaching engagement with a client who recently took on direct reports. Fortunately, their company supported coaching, so...
Yesterday I asked a client a simple question: “What’s one thing you’re good at?” They paused. They hesitated. And they honestly struggled to answer. And they’re not alone. So many of us freeze when it comes to talking about what we do well. We call it “tooting our...
I took a long weekend for an alumni event at UC Santa Cruz. It was set right in the middle of the redwoods, and yes, the Banana Slug is the mascot for good reason. And while it was wonderful to see familiar faces, I also came back with a few unexpected takeaways:...
New hires are exciting… and yes, even the great ones can be a little exhausting at first. But what if they are not great? I was talking with a client recently who was starting to have doubts about their newest hire. The skills were there. The fit seemed right. And...
The questions are rolling in from Dana On Demand, and I just got one that comes up again and again: “I’ve totally neglected my network, and now I feel like an asshole reaching out when I need something.” Let me be clear. You're not an asshole. Unless you act like one....
First, I think we need to acknowledge that we're not always focused on getting ahead at work. Summer is often a time to take a step back and recharge. Maybe you're carting kids from camp to camp.Maybe you’ve got a big vacation on the books.Maybe you’re just...
I'm now 2 for 2 in my decision to do a mid-year check-in on my media consumption (and 0 for 3 on quarterly), so I guess it's working well enough. I started the year off with a severely sprained ankle, which impacted my walking and listening to audiobooks. And...
Can you believe it’s July 1? Somehow, we’re halfway through the year. Whether you’ve been thriving or just surviving, it’s a moment worth pausing for. It seems like just yesterday I struggled to find a theme word for 2025. I landed on Thrive. Eventually. ...