Four years ago, I started my business. There is so much to reflect on and I feel humbled and honored to be walking this journey. Life is full of opportunities for personal growth, so looking back, here are some of the lessons I have learned.   Year One was about humility . I never thought I had a big ego, but as it turns out, it has always been there.  I left my job after 25 years with a big salary, good title and loads of experience thinking, “why wouldn’t I be a valuable,

Love is in the air this time of year, but here’s a question that may make some people cringe, “Does love have a place in business?” Love is not a word used in a lot of company mission statements. Nor is it spoken frequently in business hallways or corporate boardrooms. It’s really not a word that people are comfortable using in a business context. But let’s pause and look at a couple definitions of LOVE. Noun:  A great interest or pleasure in something Verb:  To like or enjo

GroundHog Day…..   An important day to see what is to come.  Will it be an early spring or six more weeks of winter?  Come on Phil, inquiring minds want to know!   This little rodent makes for a boring day in February a bit more lively, especially for the weather diehards in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.   But here’s a question more specifically for you.   Think about where you are at right now.  Will it be 6 more weeks of the same or do you want to make some changes th

I love the energy a new year brings!  It is an opportunity to pause, reflect and reset.   But…..why not create that energy all year long?   The problem with New Year resolutions is that they fizzle out. We all know the statistics. We start off well-intentioned, but by mid-February we lose momentum, become discouraged and often abandon our goals completely.   Now don’t get me wrong, I definitely leverage the energy that comes with turning the calendar to visualize the bi

Executive presence is a term that gets used a lot within organizations, yet it can often be difficult to measure.  Why?  Because it is subjective, filled with bias and depends on the context of the organization and the assessor.  Sometimes described as the “it” factor, this quality is commonly used in succession planning discussions, leadership development programs and career development plans as important criteria when considering advancement. As a coach that prepares lea

Happy December 1!  Do you know what that means?  It means there are 31 days left in 2020. What will you do with the 31 days? How about reflection? My guess is 2020 did not go as planned for you. Me either. Flashback to one year ago today. I was organizing a family trip to the Dominican Republic in February. The first quarter of the new year looked strong for my business. I had a schedule filled with live events and new client engagements. I had plans - personally and profe

Is your business booming or bLooming?  The L can make all the difference. Recently I hosted a couple of women at my home to engage in a vision board exercise.  (For anyone not familiar with these exercises, it involves cutting pictures and words out of magazines that speak to your heart/intuition and help you craft a vision for your future). As they were sharing their pictures, Jen held up a beautiful pink peony in full bloom.  The caption on the image was: “Business is Bloom

Three years ago, I launched ithrive31®, and with it, its bright and colorful brand.  The use of bold colors in the ithrive31 logo and other design materials was intentional, but was in stark contrast with “traditional” organizational marketing materials.  When I shared the look of my brand with my peers in the corporate space, they were not shy with their feedback: “It looks like it is geared toward women and it may not resonate with men” someone said. “If you are working in

Over the last four days, in honor of INTERNATIONAL COACHING WEEK, I have shared real situations where coaching has made a big impact.   Coaching can help you: Get Unstuck – Read Kim’s story on feeling stuck and desiring a new challenge Gain Clarity –Read Joe’s story on working through conflict with his boss Reach New Heights --  Read Bill’s story on being stretched in a new assignment Ensure Accountability – Read Cindy’s story on developing personal accountability   Today’s