Posts in Mentorship and Coaching
Musings From Someone Addicted to Achievement

Not too long ago, I decided to break up with achievement addiction. In the second episode of The Wholeheartedly Podcast, I take a deeper dive into achievement addiction. I talk about how toxic positivity and other factors contributed to my plummeting self-worth and other negative factors. I define achievement addiction and discuss ways that help me move past negativity in order to harbor contentment.

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Taking the First Steps To Create A Career You Love

While my career in public relations isn’t just writing, I use my written and other communication skills to build a company I love. I realize this process doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and I also know that a lot of us don’t have these aha moments at 13 years old. These five nuggets of advice will help you discover more of who you are so you can find or create a career you love.

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Tips To Find A Quality Mentor

So, with all of that being said, should you devote time to finding a mentor? Like with all of my answers, I will say yes and no. Here are some things to keep in mind as you attempt to find a mentor or are in the midst of your own mentor-mentee relationship.

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Should You Go To Grad School as a PR Pro?

This week is the second part of our New Professionals series. As someone who was once a new professional myself, I struggled to find answers to these pressing questions. I want to ensure that you don’t have to spin your wheels like I did! While I don’t have all of the answers -- or even ones that will resonate with you -- I do hope that something will spark interest, action, or understanding for you along the way. This week, we’re delving into the deep waters of grad school and if it’s for you -- or if you should keep that $20K or so in your pocket.

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How To Gain Valuable PR Experience As A New Professional

If you’re a newly minted graduate or are thisclose to graduating, I fully empathize with you! It’s hard to balance the workload, expectations, and fears of the unknown. It can be a windy road. Here is an answer to one of young professionals’ most pressing questions with the hope that it can alleviate at least some of the inner turmoil: How do I get experience when I’m first starting my career? This is the first in a series of (at least) three questions. Think of this as the Dear Abby of PR questions and answers!

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How To Politely Say No To MLMs

I wanted to give you my own version of how to say “no” to an MLM, both from a customer and a consultant standpoint. (I am a PR practitioner after all, and I’ve written a great many scripts.) If you’re uncomfortable with supporting an MLM, these scripts, tailored to your own messaging as well, will hopefully help you be able to say a firm-but-fair “no.” The goal isn’t to hurt someone’s feelings or to lose a relationship in your life, but you have to remember that your thoughts and feelings matter, too. Always speak up for yourself!

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Leading With Empathy

In a blog post later this year, we will touch on empathy mapping and how you can use it to form your brand strategy and business goals. This blog post will show you how leading with empathy can make your team and company stronger by adding a touch of compassion to your strategies.

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The Illusion of Online Life Coaches

If you’re a “Star Wars” geek like me, you’ll remember in “Revenge of the Sith” when Padmé Amidala says, ““What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists? In that same vein, what if all of these influencers and life coaches are actually harming us more than they are helping us? So, here are five reasons life coaches of the digital era can be problematic and just an illusion.

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Why Multi-Level Marketing Can Be A Dangerous Career Venture

MLMs FASCINATE me. While this is purely my opinion, which I share with a growing community of others, I believe MLMs take advantage of people in more ways than one. This blog post will aim to shed light on the dangers of MLMs if you find yourself flirting with the idea of joining one or know someone who is part of one and want to give them ways to escape. Or it could begin to give you your own script to politely decline to support someone’s MLM “business.”

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Join Us For The Own Your Introversion Launchpad Workshop Series

Now that all of us are practicing social distancing and staying home due to COVID-19, it's a good time to remain interacted with one another and *finally* host our inaugural workshop, Own Your Introversion. We’ll be coming at you live on our new Facebook group page every day at 2 p.m. from April 6 to April 10, with a recap session set for April 13 at 1 p.m.

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10 Life Lessons I Learned From Yoda

As a kid, I would fast forward the Yoda scenes in “The Empire Strikes Back” (my personal everlasting favorite) on my VCR to get to the Han and Leia scenes. My closet-romantic self at 9 years old wanted the handsome man and the illustrious career, after all. Looking back, I missed out on the beautifully discombobulated wisdom from Master Yoda. It wasn’t until my 20s that I began to fully appreciate the knowledge bestowed by our favorite little green friend. To celebrate the international holiday that is May the Fourth, here are 10 life lessons I learned from Yoda.

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Five Ways To Find Your Passion

Some of us may struggle to realize our passions. We know we have likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses and more, but we may not know how to leverage that in our personal and professional lives. In some cases, we may not even know we have a particular passion or could decide to build upon a childhood daydream. Here are five ways you can help build your passion.

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Q&A: #behindthehourglass with our CEO

I’m currently reading Grace Bonney’s In The Company of Women, a compilation of sage advice and inspiration from more than 100 women in various walks of life and careers. Reading this book has allowed for a certain nostalgia as I approach my tenth year in my chosen field. This milestone won’t officially occur until 2019, but since embarking on my Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) journey, I’ve been hyper-focused on my own successes and missteps. I chose my 10 favorite interview questions from The Company of Women and answered each with my own “spin” (not to use a cliche PR word).

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How Ethics Shape A Public Relations Pro's Career

September is Ethics Month, so our first blog of the month centers on ethics in public relations. If you’re a public relations practitioner -- or in any career field for that matter -- here’s to hoping you have yet to face an ethical dilemma in the workplace. It can be a challenge to read between the lines and see the gray areas outside of the ordinary black and white. That’s where the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)’s Code of Ethics comes in. We don’t have to spin our ethical wheels. Professional values and provisions are outlined for us as industry standards.

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How To Become Your Own Mentor

Whether you’re at the helm of your own business or have dreams for miles about starting one someday, having a mentor can help you wade through the ups and downs. If you don’t have access to a mentor, what are you to do? Mentor yourself. Here are five ways you can be your own mentor.

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How To Be A Better Public Relations Leader Within Your Organization

Leadership is a primary management function of public relations. Whether you are a Chief Communications Officer of a Forbes 100 company or are an independent practitioner, leadership skills greatly come into play. This August, Hourglass Omnimedia is giving practical leadership and mentorship advice and experienced-based posts to help make your work life a bit easier. These five easy-to-implement qualities will make you a better public relations leader within your organization.

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What PR Pros Need In Their Repertoire

What else do you need besides those things you learned in a public relations textbook and on the job? The following list has some items you probably already have, but some you could hone. Here are five things every PR pro needs in his or her repertoire.

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The Top 5 Things You Should Know Before Starting a Communications Business

I wrote and released my first eBook, The Top 5 Things You Should Know Before Starting a Communications Business, because I wanted to help others make sense of some behind-the-scenes business endeavors before taking the leap. Or if you have already started your business, you can use this eBook and workbook, too, of course. All of us are lifelong learners (or should be), so my hope is that you can learn from these tips as well.

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