Your Big and Bold Life

The Blog is Dead, Long Live The Blog!

2009-06-14T08:34:00.002-05:00

Thank you to all of my loyal readers and occasional browsers. As part of the launch of my new website, I am creating a new blog that will appear as one of the pages on that site. You can find it here. The Blogspot site will remain active, but new content will be created on the new site. Thank you again, and I look forward to continuing our conversation!

~

Successful Transition

2009-06-09T11:15:00.002-05:00

Breakthrough Coaching has a blog post on 8 steps to a successful career transition, that I think hits it nicely. Here are the highlights:

Step 1: Forgive Yourself and Everyone Else in your Life; Clear Your Emotional Landscape; Let go of the past; Create a clean Slate in which you can create newly again; Reconnect to the joy of discovery and creation in present time

Step 2: Take Care of your immediate financial needs by utilizing and applying your most easily marketable skills; Get your overall financial house in order; Eliminate survival energy from your life; Maintain a strict separation between your needs for the present and your desires, aspirations, and vision for the future.

Step 3: Create and sustain an effective support system; Learn and apply the 4 coaching elements critical to your long term success in every area of your life

Step 4: Dis-cover (uncover) your core interests, desires, values, skills, talents and passions as a result of a comprehensive assessment process.

Step 5: Synthesize and Distill your discoveries into a Career Playground Statement.

Step 6: Learn, Research, Network, Build relationships and Key Alliances; Find a Mentor; Build Momentum on your Confidence-Success Spiral

Step 7: Create and implement your Career Master Plan; Learn and apply the Entrepreneurial Attitude wherever appropriate; Target and market yourself and/or your products to appropriate individuals and/or organizations.

Step 8: Apply an ongoing feedback-adjustment process to your objectives, vision and strategy. Seek to achieve balance in all areas of your life—physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual.

I guess I would summarize this as:

1> forgive / grieve and move on
2> get your house in order, financially, personally, career-wise
3> get clear on what you want (a job should be fun, after all)
4> create a plan and a feedback system and go get it!

How to measure success in your job search

2009-06-03T12:21:00.005-05:00

Measuring success while looking for a job can be difficult. There is the obvious measure, "did I get a job offer that I want?" Short of that, how do you measure success? Here is a post that discusses what progress looks like. Here is the executive summary:

Milestone 1: Have you dealt with the realities that come with a change in employment status?
Milestone 2: Have you taken stock of your accomplishments and of what's happening in the world of work?
Milestone 3: Have you defined and researched a target industry, position, company, or venture?
Milestone 4: Do you have your personal marketing materials up-to-date, tailored, and ready to distribute when needed?
Milestone 5: Are you managing your time to ensure that you have access to 100% of the opportunities 100% of the time?
Milestone 6: Have you been invited for interviews or found yourself in front of interesting possibilities?

To this I will add, you can always track what you have done. What did you do today? Finish your resume? Set up coffee networking meetings (how many?) Apply for positions? (how many?) Go to a networking group? Did you get a call back interview? Etc etc.

Sometimes, it can be hard to measure success. My former career coach, Jack Chapman told me that it is like digging a tunnel blind, you don't know when you will break through to the other side, but you can look back and see how far you have come (as well as make sure you are going straight)

Shout-out to Dan Schawbel

Feelin' the Power!

2009-06-02T23:55:00.004-05:00

OK, so in a previous post I wrote that I heard about Ignite Phoenix by reading Pam Slim's blog, Escape From Cubicle Nation, and decided that this was cool, we needed this here in Chicago, so I put out the word for a team, and one came together, spearheaded by the able and motivated event planner and entrepreneur extraordinaire, Michael Sachaj, and last Thursday we held Ignite Chicago, attended by about 30 people, with 11 speakers, and it was a blast! (check out the video on the site!) Folks had a great time, lots of connections were made, I even got a client out of it!

What's the moral of the story? Have fun, follow your passion and good stuff happens! Many people contributed to this, far more than I did, but this started with my idea and vision, my decision set this in motion and allowed this to be! How cool is that?! We are going to do it again in a few months, perhaps downtown near Navy Pier. You can follow it on Twitter: @ignitechi

Wooo!

~

Escape From Cubicle Nation

2009-06-02T23:37:00.001-05:00

Pamela Slim, the coach behind the blog and book “Escape From Cubicle Nation” is presenting an entrepreneurship workshop here in Chicago on July 17. Cost is just $138 with early bird registration:

http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/chicago-escape-from-cubicle-nation-workshop/

I am sure it will be world class learning, and fun.

Dare Yourself!

2009-06-01T11:24:00.004-05:00

So, I was at the train station at 945 this morning, looking at the bulletin board, where people (including me) have posted notices about events, products, places for rent, etc. I noticed the owner of the station's coffee shop throwing out the trash, and I introduced myself and asked her if she talked to a lot of people. She said, "why yes, of course," and I told her about the event I was planning for recent college grads who didn't have jobs (see below) and she started telling me all about the people she knew in this situation. I may have recruited a free sales person, just by starting a pleasant conversation. At the very least, I had a pleasant conversation. And, if I had listened to the little voice in my head telling me to stay quiet, none of this would have happened. I dared myself to talk to her and it was fun, maybe profitable.

I dare you to step out of your comfort zone and have some fun and profit today! Post your adventures in the comment section, if you wish.

http://greatjobandmoveout.eventbrite.com/

Long Term vs Short Term

2009-05-31T22:52:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, job-seekers ask me what they can do to get a job RIGHT NOW. The answer is, if you want to have a good job by the end of the day, there is not much you can do to make that happen. Sorry. However, if the question is, what can I do RIGHT NOW to get a good job in the near future, then we have lots of options (networking, volunteering, informational interviews, building your online brand, consulting, etc.).

Think of it like this, pursuing short-term results, over and over, for a long time, will likely leave you with little or nothing. BUT, pursuing long-term results starting now will begin to pay off fairly quickly, and will evenually yield something much closer to what you want, if you can stay focused and patient.

Use the metaphor of gardening, (which I have written about here and here). If you tend the garden, it will feed you well come harvest time, but you can't plant seeds and expect to have something by the end of the day.

Someone doesn't get it

2009-05-26T11:15:00.004-05:00

To all of those jobseekers who tell me they want to "keep their options open" so they have a better chance of getting a job, I present the following ad, from the supplement to the University of Chicago Magazine:

Wanted: summer job - like tutoring, science, labwork, kids, fencing, pets...
I would be interested in working in a lab (psychology or science) or in any sort of U of C campus job. I can tutor Latin, Attic Greek, and grade school / high school math and English. I also can babysit and have taken many Red Cross courses, including CPR. I've taught knitting, fencing, baking, Latin and math.

This person is totally hedging her bets, instead of clearly stating what she wants as specifically as possible. She is making YOU do the work, to figure out if you have a job that might be appropriate for her. What do you think her chances of success from this ad?

Two posts that say it all

2009-05-26T08:52:00.002-05:00

I found these two posts in the WSJ career section. The first is about people who "dumb down" their resume so that they don't look overqualified for a job that they are desperate to get because they need a paycheck. Sad, but true. The second is entitled "Ready to be the Boss?" about becoming an entrepreneur and some of the good and the bad that comes with it.

The side by side comparison of these two was striking to me. One was about playing small, pretending you are less than you are, in order to get a job that is beneath you, and the other is about stepping up and becoming "the Boss" of your life and career.

You can imagine which one I favor.

~

Cool eBook

2009-05-24T22:37:00.003-05:00

Here is a link for a free eBook entitled The Young Professional Rockstar: Ten tips to rocking your career right now. The style is definitely aimed at young 20-something women, but the content, the recommendations and the exercises are universal. Good stuff, Angela and Jenny.

Have A Great Weekend

2009-05-23T10:01:00.002-05:00

Go have a great weekend. In a culture that is obsessed and defined by work and material success, it is Bold just to take time away and have fun. Go barbecue with friends, or go fishing, or go to a concert or a museum or whatever floats your boat, and do it Guilt-Free, just because you like doing it. You'll return to work refreshed.

And, be grateful to the men and women who have sacrificed their lives and more so that we can be free and prosperous. This weekend is MORE than BBQ and fishing and whatnot. It is another chance to be grateful.

~

Don't wait for a job...Just start working!

2009-05-21T15:10:00.003-05:00

OK, your first reaction to the assertion "don't wait for a job...just start working" might be "what? I don't have a job, how do I do that?"

If no one is going to pay you to do what you want, you can volunteer (shout out to Dan Schawbel!) or be an entrepreneur (or both, of course), either way you get experience and contacts. OK, fine, you're not making money, but you are setting yourself up for the job you do want down the line. So, I come from the world of training. What can you do with that? Tutor someone. Offer your services, gratis, to a church or volunteer organization. Come up with a free program and reserve a room at the public library (they may even help you promote it). Create an online course and hang it on your website or blog. You may even totally screw something up, and that's OK because you will learn a ton, and no one is the worse for wear because you are not charging them.

Or you can even try to make some money. Get paid to tutor. Come up with a money-making program and offer it through a church, library, or just rent out a hotel conference room. Whatever. You may lose money, big deal, but you will learn all about DOING the thing you want to do, and about the business of managing your time, money and marketing. Now who looks better on a resume, you or some guy who has been working on cover letters in the basement all day? Yeah, I thought so.

Most important, whether you are volunteering or going entrepreneurial, you are doing what you want to do, honoring your desires and values, without waiting for someone to hire you and give you permission. How does THAT feel? Yeah, I thought so.

So, stop reading, go do it!

~

Building Up Big Mo

2009-05-21T11:51:00.005-05:00

OK, so I noticed myself procrastinating again. Not a good sign. I was playing it safe amnd doing semi-useful things, or just plain wasting time on the internet. A nice short-term strategy if I don't want to face risk or rejection, but just plain dumb if I want to live the life I want to live. But, the good news is I noticed it, and decided to change. So, in the last 24 hours, I have done the following things, which seemed "scary," but once done, left me feeling exhilarating:

Called an entrepreneur I met at the gym, who has abasoutely amazing stories and experiences, to set up a coffee meeting
Reached out to a friend I had wanted to see while on vacation, but didn't.
Called a potential client who has been hard to get ahold of.
Reached out to a good friend when I was really upset about a personal issue (I just wanted to hide, but didn't)
Went to a networking event at the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, when I was tempted to stay at my computer all day. (I met some amazing people!)
Set a date for my next teleclass and posted it to EventBrite.

It always amuses me, I put stuff off or avoid, basically because of some fear of feeling bad (rejection or embarassment or whatever), and I always feel better, more energized, stronger, freer, & happier, when I actually do it.

~

New Look

2009-05-19T14:25:00.001-05:00

As you can see, we have a new look for the blog, in keeping with the brand we are building out. I would love to hear your feedback.

~

What does a coach do?

2009-05-19T12:18:00.002-05:00

I heard this quote, from Daniel Pink's book Free Agent Nation, in which he eplains what a business coach can do for a free agent (or freelancer or entrepreneur, or anyone for that matter).

“In a sense, coaches are shrinks without the couches, management consultants without the flow charts, and sympathetic bartenders without the shot glasses”

Yeah, that pretty much captures it....

I intend to read the book someday. Usual promises apply, if I do read it, you get a book review. If you want to buy the book, please click the link below.

Thanks to DFish at Rock Star Consulting for the quote.

Entrepreneur!

2009-05-15T21:01:00.000-05:00

This is what it's all about, baby!

Networking is like a garden, part II

2009-05-15T20:19:00.004-05:00

So I read this post on networking, from career coach @JoanSchramm, whose Twitter following I truly envy, and the following really stuck out:

The secret to being an effective networker is to do things for other people, not to expect them to do things for you. The time to build your network is before you need it. Remember — every time you reach out to others and provide a service or share useful information, you’re sending the message that you’re thinking about them and that they are important to you. Do this on a regular basis and when the time comes that you need your network, it will already be there for you.
I totally agree. However, sometimes you find yourself out of a job and your network isn't built out yet. Whaddaya do? You start "gardening." A good network is like a garden, you have to put a lot in before you get anything out. You plant a seed, you water it and fertilize it and in time, many of the plants will bear fruit. The key words are "in time." If your networking starts with doing favors for others, before asking them to do for you, then you are planting seeds and tending the garden, and you will have a bountiful harvest. If you go to a networking event and ask ask ask without offering anything, that's like dropping seeds into the ground and then immediately demanding the harvest. It just doesn't work that way. That is the slot machine mentality, not the gardener's mentality.

So, bottom line, as hard as it may seem, if you find yourself laid off, is start tending the garden, but don't demand results. The results will come, though, if you tend the garden.

~

Players vs. Craftsmen

2009-05-14T22:39:00.002-05:00

So, as I research small business owners, looking to define and refine my niche, I have come to the conclustion that there are two basic types: the Craftsman* and the Player. What differentiates them is the degree of interest they show in "business" activities like Sales, Marketing, Finance, Strategic Planning, etc.

Basically, the Craftsman's goal is to do as little "business" as possible, enough to allow him or her to focus on the craft, i.e. a dentist will focus on toothcare, a graphic designer will focus on design, and they just want to make a decent living and do their "Craft."

At the other end of the spectrum is the Player. The Player loves the game, and wants to do things bigger better faster, and is willing to put the time and energy into improving the business activities, and possibly even "empire building." For certain Players, the "Craft" may not even matter, and they will bounce from real estate to restaurant management to retail to whatever, all for the love of the"Game," where money is as much a score card as an end in itself.

Most small-business owners fall somewhere between one and the other, but would still likely consider themselves more of a Craftsman or more of a Player.

As I develop my niche, I am finding myself more attracted at this time to working with Players.

*Thanks to Dave Eastman for the title.

~

About Damn Time

2009-05-13T22:55:00.004-05:00

Dan Schawbel declares The Demise of Job Boards and the Rise of People Searching. It's about time. Those things are dangerous! Why? Because people think they work...but they don't, so job-seekers, who are often in difficult financial and emotional straits, spin their wheels in the mud, without even realizing it. You can post your resume to Monster or CareerBuilder, and most likely the only folks who will contact you are spammers for commission only financial sales. No thanks. Or you can work the boards really hard, sending off resume after resume to the HR departments listed...and never hear back. Job-seekers will waste hours crafting their resumes and cover letters and e-mails and have nothing to show for it. Do you want a job? Great, go MEET PEOPLE! It is slower, more labor intensive, than shotgunning hundreds of resumes, but this method actually pays off. And meeting people can be fun, too.

~

AXIOM, An Example

2009-05-12T22:15:00.006-05:00

Here is an example of declaring intentions: When my daughter was born and I was holding this tiny, squealing bundle in my arms, I very clearly remember saying to myself, “I want to be a good father for her, I want to do this right.” I had seen too many dads, in real life and on TV, who seemed hapless and clueless, and who would defer to the mother or simply fail to handle the situation. Not me, I was going to be good at this. I declared it so, to myself, and to her. At this point, there was no reason to believe that I would be a good or bad or mediocre parent, I simply had no experience with children. So I set my intentions to be a good dad.

And I was off to a rousing start. Less than an hour later, we had to ask the on-duty nurse to show us how to change a diaper. Neither of us knew, and we had a baby girl. It would have been easy to get discouraged at that point, throw my hands up in the air and sigh that I didn’t know what I was doing (which was true) and that I never would, and this declaration would have become true, I would never know what I was doing. Instead, I recognized that diaper-changing was a skill that a good parent needed, so I swallowed my pride and held my breath and learned how to do it. For better and for worse, by the end of the week, I was quite accomplished and by the time my daughter was out of diapers, I was a true expert, I had changed diapers in the most outrageous of venues with the greatest of ease (I will spare you the details).

So what’s the lesson? You declare something to be true, and then make it happen (or even let it happen).

What do you want to be true?

Axiom

2009-05-08T10:08:00.002-05:00

I was driving the other day and saw the business name "Axciom" on a building, and it reminded me of the mathematical concept of an Axiom. According to Wikipedia:

“In traditional logic, an axiom … is a proposition that is not proved or demonstrated but considered to be either self-evident, or subject to necessary decision. Therefore, its truth is taken for granted, and serves as a starting point for deducing and inferring other (theory dependent) truths.”

Basically, your axiom declares something to be true, and then you can build an entire system or universe around it. WHOA! This is the essence of the creative process, willing something into existence by declaring it so, then re-ordering the universe around it.

What can you *declare* to be true? Do it today, that is bold!

Pure Magic

2009-05-07T11:00:00.004-05:00

OK, I got this blog post on networking, entitled "It's Time To Go Against The Grain" and it blew my mind! It defies conventional wisdom, and therein lies the power of course. The gist is, rather than going in all gung ho with your elevator speech and your personal brand statement and researching the speakers, just be interesting, be yourself, and don't ask for a business card, but rather be so engaging and attractive that people ask you for your card (how is that for Big & Bold? I love it!) Definitely worth the read! I am going to take his advice. I will let you know how it goes!

Bottom line: Going against the grain, setting yourself apart from the crowd in any way, is powerful just because of the courage it takes and the attention it draws.

~

A moment of clarity

2009-05-06T23:49:00.001-05:00

This thought came to me tonight:

An employee seeks an employer, who will pay him and direct him to create value. An entrepreneur directs himself to create something of value then finds someone who wants to pay for it.

So I ask you, where does the power lie?

~

Thunder...and Reactions

2009-05-05T14:33:00.008-05:00

So, I was reading this post, entitled "You can't reinforce fear," about compassionately dealing with dogs when they are afraid of thunder (long story, I liked the title, I followed a Twitter thread...). Basically, some dog owners / trainers would argue that you shouldn't comfort a dog when it gets scared by thunder, because you reinforce the fear response, and the author of this post disagrees.

I have no opinion, not being an expert, or even a dog owner, but this does remind me of a story I often tell my clients about "perspectives." Once, when my daughter was about 18 months old and my wife was travelling, there was a huge thunderstorm, and my daughter would wake up crying about every hour or so, and I was physically and emotionally exhausted from this. At one point, between crying fits (hers, not mine), I called a friend and I had wanted to complain about how hard this was, but instead he said "I hear you're tired, but this is your big chance to be Dad, to show your daughter that the world is a safe and loving place." (cue light bulb over head!) My friend's words changed my perspective on the situation, from one of FEAR to one of LOVE and POWER. Next time she woke up, instead of dragging my tired and cranky self up to her room and resenting her for her demands, I ran bounding upstairs, picked her up with all the love in my heart, and held her close, rocking her gently and telling her that she was safe and loved and that the world was a safe and loving place for her and I would stay with her until she went back to sleep.

Nothing changed in the "real world," I was just as tired, just as stressed, the thunder was just as loud, my daughter was just as scared, but my perspective on this event changed and that changed EVERYTHING! And wouldn't you know it, she fell asleep so much more quickly than when I was cranky.

We always have a perspective on our situations. What's yours? Is it based in FEAR or LOVE and POWER? How is it serving you? Do you want a new one?

(Thanks, Seth, that conversation has made a huge impact on my life, and on my daughter's!)

~

How does H1N1 Swine Flu Relate to Big & Bold?

2009-05-03T16:22:00.003-05:00

To me, this looks a lot like panic. The press is devoting a lot of airtime and column space to Swine Flu, a Twitter account about Swine Flu was in the top ten Twitter accounts (as I write this), the Vice President of the U.S. warns people to stay away from airplanes and subways, and the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization are at Def Con 2, ready to seal our borders and quarantine entire cities (OK, I exaggerate a bit on the last one...a bit). What The Hell? Why is this such a big deal? Maybe a I don't get it. That is entirely possible., but it seems like the government and the media are totally overreacting. My guess is...they are afraid to underreact, to be too slow, too late, as the Bush administration did in New Orleans after Hurricaine Katrina, so everyone overreacts instead...sorta like a doctor who orders every test under the sun so the patient can't sue IF something goes poorly, rather than simply doing one's best. Unwise. NOT Big & Bold. Neither panicking nor playing CYA games are ever Big & Bold.

I usually ignore big media. I find that I am happier that way. Certain of my relatives are appalled that I do this. They are constantly shocked and scared and outraged and disappointed by the latest news story. It seems like a lot of work to me. I remember a few years back, when the media was hooting and hollering about flu vaccine shortages, these certain relatives of mine asked about my reaction to this outrage and my family's contingency plans for dealing with this crisis and they seemed disturbed that we had neither reactions nor plans. A few days later, I went to Walgreens to pick up some paper towels, noticed that they were doing flu shots in the store, so I got one. Five minutes, ten bucks, no mobs. Was there ever a flu vaccine shortage? I never saw any real evidence for one, only "media" evidence. Meanwhile, a lot of people were very angry and upset about this. Was that Big & Bold? No, I think that was a waste of time and energy that could have been put to better use.

Bottom line, be aware, be ready for problems...and opportunities, and then live your life. Be skeptical when the anyone tries to sell fear or outrage. When everyone is screaming and panicking, it is Bold to be at peace.

~

Ready to Launch Ignite Chicago!

2009-04-30T22:12:00.004-05:00

It's a go, Ignite Chicago is on! What is Ignite? Ignite is a chance to present for five minutes, 20 slides, on any topic, in front of a live audience. Ignite has been held in Portland, Phoenix, Boulder, and other cities.

Why am I bringing this up? Well, talk about Big & Bold, you come up with some idea that you have a passion around and step up and present it to an audience, that takes audacity! Some participants have presented on the history of the samurai sword, how to bargain for a car, and how to not suck at writing. Why? Why the hell not!? Just 'cuz they like it. That's Big & Bold, baby!

Also, I am personally involved in this project. I read a post about it at another coach's blog, Escape From Cubicle Nation, and decided that I wanted to make this happen in Chicago. I found some helpful team members, and now it is going to happen, so this is also about me being Big & Bold. When I saw this, I thought to myself, could I get this off the ground here? You know the answer: Why the hell not?! It feels great to think a thought and make it happen. Yay me! (Yay Michael, Lynn, Matt & others, too!)

So, I ask you, my loyal, engaged, and exciting readers, please plan on joining us, this will be silly fun, and networking. Please pass the word along to people who would enjoy this. And, if you are feeling particularly Big & Bold, I dare you to submit an idea to present, something you are passionate about, something that really matters to you! Yeah, now you're living!

~

Monsters, Inc

2009-04-28T12:06:00.008-05:00

Havi wrote a post about monsters (that is the...ahem clinical term, of course) that I wish I had written, about how to interact with the fears, the issues, critical voices, the doubts, the old beliefs that can keep you feeling scared, ashamed, confused, distracted, or even in physical pain. It's very well-written and humorous and I highly recommend it. And she wrote it and I didn't. So, I will write the post that she wishes she had written (if you read hers, you will see what I mean, and you will see that this is all in good fun):

You can't run away from a monster (call it an issue or problem if that feels better), it always follows you.

The monster needs something from you, or wants something for you, and it will torment you to get it.

So, as scary as it may be, imagine yourself sitting down with the monster and asking it what it needs, then listen, tell it what you need and negotiate in good faith.

It's that simple (although it's not always easy). For example: imagine your monster is that shaming voice in your head. You miss a deadline and it starts yelling at you "you are such an idiot! Why can't you do anything right?" Rather than letting it beat you up, ask it what it wants. It may want you to do a better job with deadlines, and it thinks that criticizing you will help. But the criticism instead makes you feel like hell and reinforces helplessness, so you are late next time too. Lose-Lose. So you agree with the voice that you will start work earlier on the next project, and it will be supportive, not critical. Then follow through on your promise! And when you hear that voice, remind it of its promise, too, and ask that it be supportive. It may take a while, but you will see change. Win-Win!

Owning it, stage two

2009-04-25T23:47:00.004-05:00

So, I am working on my niche. Why do you, my readers care? Well, you probably don't, except that there is something in this for you. I would like to interview about 15 people who fit my target market:

A dynamic, small-business owner / entrepreneur in the professional services or creative realm, working in Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette or the North side of Chicago. He or she is willing to take risks, try new perspectives and approaches, and also play hard while working hard!

In exchange for sharing information and perspectives with me that will inform my service and my marketing:

I will buy them a coffee-ish drink of choice;

I will find out who their idal client / customer is and then do my best to send referrals; and

I promise not to market at them or ask them to become a client

If you are such a person, please contact me and we can set up a meeting. If you know some who fits the bill, please forward this post to him or her.

Thanks!

Becoming Big & Bold, Part I

2009-04-25T23:19:00.002-05:00

OK, so begins a series of practical and tactical posts around becoming Big & Bold. Will it work for you? I don't know. I present these things because they worked for me or I have seen them work for others. If it sounds good to you, give it a try and let me know how it works.

Do The Scary: So simple, and so powerful, to DO THE SCARY really makes you feel alive. Why, because your fear really wakes you up. Also, if you are afraid, then your fear is indicating there is some real juice here for you. Think about it, is meeting the new guy or gal from the Des Moines office scary? Yeah, probably not. How about meeting the CEO? Yikes! Why, because it is important to you, meaningful, it could make a huge difference in your career if you make a good (or, ahem, bad) impression. So, think what life would be like if you choose to seek out risks like that, just because they were scary! Imagine if you saw the CEO at the airport and just walked up and said, “Hello Ms. Warbucks, my name is Dave Kaiser, I work in the IT department of XYZ Corp. I just wanted to say hi and thanks for looking out for the best interests of the company, and maybe see if you wanted to get a cup of coffee?” Now, she may squash you like a bug with one condescending glance (in which case, do you really want to work at such a place?), but she may actually sit down with you and chat. Either way, you come away feeling alive and your colleagues will admire you for your guts.

So, does this ever get less scary? Uh...no. As long as you are trying new things, it won't get less scary. Easier maybe. Maybe you get used to it. But no, the fear doesn't go away. THAT"S THE POINT! If it did, it would mean you have settled down and stoppped taking risks.

I document some of my risk-taking, here, here and here, just so I can see that I am doing it, and celebrate!

Owning It

2009-04-24T09:52:00.003-05:00

OK, I have been working with my coach around defining a niche. I may be taking the same spin (BIG & BOLD, of course) in a new direction with a new target audience. Scary stuff. Making big commitments around strategy really freaks me out, because I have frequently made choices in the past that have not served me well. Much fear and self-doubt, yikes! And...I am coming to trust that I will work through it, learn from it, and be fine. So, here goes. This is totally an alpha-stage prototype and is very subject to change, but here we go:

My ideal client is a dynamic, small-business person / entrepreneur in the professional services or creative realm, working in Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette or the North side of Chicago. He or she is willing to take risks, try new perspectives and approaches, and also play hard while working hard!

My clients benefit from coaching through
· Clearing the obstacles and roadblocks that keep you from being your best (i.e. poor time management, self-doubt, limiting beliefs)
· Gaining clarity around goals, strategies, passions and values
· Being asked the tough questions they have been avoiding
· Enjoying support and accountability
· Having a true business partner, who is always looking out for them and their success.

I reserve the right to change my mind in six months, or tomorrow for that matter, but I am making a declaration and taking a stand for myself and for my clients, present and future!

(Feel the fear and do it anyway!)

~

What not to do...and a wonderful counterpoint

2009-04-23T23:13:00.002-05:00

Lisa Silvershein, a career coach in Atlanta, created this list of what not to do when you get laid off. The full article is worth a read. I will present the list, in short form, for you, with a question...

#10 - Do not spend your days at home applying to jobs on the Internet.
#9 - Do not send sloppy email to anyone.
#8 - Do not complain about your current situation and play the blame game.
#7 - Do not keep your job loss and job search a secret.
#6 - Don’t spend your time telling people what you won’t do, what won’t work and what you must have in a new job.
#5 - Don’t network with the intention of getting help from a person without considering what you will give to them.
#4 - Don’t spend your days focusing on the doom and gloom.
#3 - Don’t let leads wait until the next day.
#2 - Don’t let each day roll into the next day without marking your progress.
#1 - Don’t keep telling yourself that you will never find a job in this job market.

My question: How many of these things cold be considered Big and Bold? That's right...NONE!

Now here is someone trying something Big and Bold, she is putting her resume on one of those mobile advertising trucks. Will it work? I don't know, but it's original and gutsy. I hope she finds a job making buckets of money.

UPDATE #1
OK, so I just remembered, I hate it when people tell me what not to do and leave it at that. Let's turn these around and make them positive: what to do when you are laid off. So, without further ado (ha ha, I love that pun, I can be a dork sometimes):

#10 - Get out of the house and network, volunteer and socialize.
#9 - Stay crisp and professional with your communications.
#8 - Take responsibility (which is different from blame, OK?) for getting what you want.
#7 - Let people know that you are looking, and what you are looking for, they may want to help.
#6 - Be clear and specific about what you want.
#5 - When networking, look for ways to help the person you are networking with.
#4 - Be optimistic, this will pass.
#3 - Follow up quickly on leads and opportunities.
#2 - Track your progress, so you know how far you have come and what you have gained and learned.
#1 - Remind yourself that some lucky employer is going to get the benefit of your services.

To this I wish to add, be grateful, and express your gratitude (which includes saying "thank you") often and loudly.

It feels good when...

2009-04-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

I stop banging my head on the wall and start looking at other solutions.

I was trying to record some basic text, just me speaking, for a motivational program I am working on, and the program was driving me nuts! So, rather than just TRYING HARDER, which is what I often do, and what I often observe others doing, to no effect other than getting more frustrated, I searched the web for free recording software, and found something that not only solves this problem, but another problem, too! YES! Bonus!

So, bottom line, when something is making you crazy, pause for a moment and think, "is there a better way? do I need to bang my head on this wall?"

Thank you, Audacity, for a great program. Yes, I chose the program partly for its name. What's not to like?

~

Cool (-Looking) Books

2009-04-21T17:01:00.001-05:00

Several people have mentioned this book in the last few days:

I love the title. That's what the Big and Bold brand name is all about. I would like to read this soon. If I do, I will present a "book report" for your amusement.

I like this title, too. Same deal, book report if I read it.

Risk Log, part III

2009-04-19T23:16:00.000-05:00

The Risk Log is a technique to celebrate the real ways in which we already live up to, maybe even exceed, our values. In this case, we are focusing on willingness to take risks and "Do The Scary," in order to live larger and be bolder and just plain have more fun.

OK, so to model this, I took several new risks recently:

1> I am making available a special report entitled "Living Larger by Healing Shame." (if you want it, send me an e-mail)

2> I am rolling out a 4 - week teleseminar by the same name. This came together so fast that it just feels like fate. (It starts on Wednesday 4/22 at 11 am central, send me an e-mail if interested)

3> I sent out my first business Tweet!

4> I am being "goofier" with my clients, which really is more of the real me. My role model is Rafiki the shaman~monkey from the Lion King. Too often, I feel I have to be "serious" and "appropriate," and that is SO NOT ME.

You wanna see some great coaching? Check this out!

Be Specific: Help us help you by asking for what you want

2009-04-18T20:55:00.003-05:00

OK, I harp on this, but it is important. Make it easy for others to help you by being specific. IT also takes a lot of guts to ask for what you want, since you may get denied, and getting denied on something important hurts A LOT more than getting denied on something vague or trivial.

SO, here is what NOT to do. This e-mail came across a listserv I am on:

The weather promises to be great this weekend and we're all counting down 'til quitting time, but wait - DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY LEADS ON A CONSULTING/CONTRACT opportunity in the Greater Chicago area? I'm actively networking, but need some help. If you are interested in learning more about my work you can check out my website at www.....deleted.....com or on LinkedIn (NAME DELETED).

What is this guy looking for? I don't know! He wants me to go to his website and figure it out! No way! If he had said something like this (see below) I would know if I could help him.

Compensation Analyst with ten years of experience looking for contract / consulting opportunity. Ideal client is 1> a medium size firm which has recently completed an acquisition and is looking to align comp plans across business units; or 2> Small to medium size firm which is expanding internationally.

Now, I leave it to you, who are you more willing, able, and LIKELY to help?

Have the clarity, and the guts, to ask for what you want. It's amazing what you can get when you just ask for it clearly and with purpose!

'nuff said. Get back to work!

~

Shame and Guilt

2009-04-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

I am currently working on a Special Report about Shame and Guilt. Why those topics, when my practice is about living Big and Bold? Shame and Guilt keep us playing small and scared. It's like trying to become a world-class sprinter while carrying a 50 pound backpack (that's 20 kilos, for my international readers). Sure, we can work on your stance or your posture or your conditioning, and that would help, but wouldn't it be more effective just to take off that damn backpack first?

Details to follow.

UPDATE: I have decided to expand this offering into a teleclass of four 30 - 40 minute calls. I have already created a rough course design and I am excited about delivering it. I will keep you posted.

~

What I Really Want...mk II

2009-04-05T13:14:00.000-05:00

OK, so last time, I said that this was not about the pony you wanted for your tenth birthday and didn't get. Today, it is about the pony. Or whatever shape that pony takes today. AND, I am inviting audience participation with this post. Tell us what you want. I won't hold you to it, I won't tell anyone, and I won't judge you. I'll model this:

I really want to live where it never snows and it's always sunny.
I really want to learn how to ride a motorcycle.
I really want to apprentice with a traditional medicine man or shaman.
I really want to learn how to make whiskey at home.
I really want to be an extra on a Sci-Fi show or movie.
I really a custom made suit.

Some of these things I expect to get in my lifetime, others are more of a stretch. OK, your turn, what do you really want?

Movement

2009-04-02T10:57:00.001-05:00

I ordered new business cards yesterday. It took a lot of work with my branding consultant, then a lot of fussing with vistaprint, and it is finally done! Pulling the trigger on this one was hard, I had to confront a lot of "perfectionist" demons and a few "I don't know how to do this" demons, but it's done, and what a sense of power and joy I got as soon as I clicked "order!" And...double points because instead of putting "Business Coach" or "Executive Coach" or something appropriate like that, i put down the title "Corporate Sorcerer," because that rings true for me, I bring magic to the coaching relationship. My demons were screaming about THAT one. Oh well, it's done.

Now, the next big trick is to get my website up to speed using the new branding concept.

~

Scary, Being Vulnerable, Owning It

2009-03-31T21:52:00.000-05:00

OK, this is scary for me, because it is close to my heart, and I am afraid I will be mocked...and I am going to do it anyway. So, I did some visualization work with my friend and mentor around clarifying a mission in the world. After a whole lot of word-smithing and soul-searching, I distilled it down to this:

"I create a beautiful world by healing shame and evoking magnificence."

I can see more amazing and wonderful talents, ideas and feelings in you than you can, and I can help you call them forth!

The second part of the mission statement is a "shadow mission," or, in coaching speak, the mission of the saboteur, gremlin, critical voice, etc. His mission for me is:

"I create a cruel and ugly world by alternately hiding my glory and then lashing out."

Yuk, but at least I know what I am up against. I committed to my mentor that when I noticed I was hiding, I would immediately do the opposite and step out front and center. I'll let you know how it goes.

~

Risk Log, part II

2009-03-27T16:27:00.000-05:00

So, what risks did I take this week?

1> I completely re-packaged my intake session procedure and ran through that with a client. Always a risk becuase this is really the first real impression a client gets about me, once they have commited to spending money.

2> Brought up a scary topic with a loved one. Sorry, I have to leave that vague, suffice to say, it was scary, and I did it.

3> Stepped up to move the Ignite Chicago project forward, after it had ben languishing for a while. I feal a lot of fear, and joy, about being a leader on this project.

4> I checked in with an occasional client around why I had chosen to limit my work time with them.

5> I called some friends to do business development around coaching. Talking to friends about this important part of my life is so much harder for me than talking to strangers or acquaintances, because I really care about my friends and want them to approve of me and admire me and my business, an I fear they may not (not sure why, I have yet to get anything critical from anybody...)

I am currently considering a four week workshop on learning to take risks. What would you want, concretely, as a result of that?

That's it for now. Have a great weekend!

Progress

2009-03-24T22:35:00.000-05:00

I'll keep it short. I am tired. I am feeling happy and powerful and alive right now. Why? Odd story, actually. I spent the day at my computer, doing e-mails, setting meetings, calling people. At the end of the day, I remember thinking, "What did I accomplish today? Not much." Then I reviewed my to-do list and my sent file and similar items and realized that I scheduled out almost all of my free time for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in a very productive manner, and I crossed many small items off my to-do list that had been there for days (a few for weeks), and then I realized, "THIS IS SOMETHING I SIMPLY COULD NOT HAVE DONE SIX MONTHS AGO! The thought of all that planning and scheduling would have sent me into a panic, to be masked by surfing the internet, but I have changed and grown! I set myself up for success and I am really happy about that. For the next three days, there will be minimal planning, and lots of doing, and it will feel great, because of the planning and organizaing I did today. Yay me!

And, if I can learn to do a decent job of planning and organizing, you can overcome your hang-ups and obstacles, too. This was a big one.

.

Thoughts?

2009-03-23T20:20:00.001-05:00

As a trainer / teacher / facilitator, one of my gifts is that I can take amorphous and abstract ideas and create plans to get there. For example, many people will tell you to "be more confident," because they know that this will help you in job interviews, presentations, in life itself....but no one tells you HOW to do that...until now. I have broken this down into things you can do, steps you can take, to become more confident...and it's pretty concrete, not rocket science.

Soooo, what are other tasks that you know you want to do, but you have always wondered how to do?

.

Outing Myself...Again

2009-03-13T10:46:00.000-05:00

OK, so after talking to my coach...and my mentor...and another coach friend, I have come to the conclusion that I am taking on too much responsibility when talking to some of my clients and being kind of a smarty-pants and fixer.

Taking responsibility and trying to fix problems may sound good, but it's not, it robs the clients of their power...not what I want...for me or for you, my client. Sooooo...I am committing (publicly, eeek!) to admitting vulnerability with my clients, talking less and asking more questions, and then shutting up while you, the client, find your power.

Whew...I am totally terrified to post this...I better do it before I think too much.

.

Networking is like a garden....

2009-03-12T08:17:00.000-05:00

Lots of really smart, really sociable people I know get hung up when they hear the word "networking." It just strikes fear in their hearts. One reason, I think, is that the word is so poorly defined and understood. So, in an attempt to close that gap...

I define networking as meeting other individuals, establishing a connection of some sort (personal and / or professional), and exploring how you can help each other. So, you are a friend of a friend, working at a company I am interested in. I call you up and invite you to coffee. You agree and we meet. I ask you to share your knowledge and experience of the company, perhaps the industry and similar companies. If it goes really well, I may ask you if you can introduce me to others at the company. I also offer to help you. I introduce you to a friend at company you want as a client. Or I put you in touch with a vendor that could help you. At the very least, I ask how I can help you, listen closely, and then get back to you if and when I can help you out. Afterwards, I send you a nice thank you e-mail, summarizing what we discussed, and getting you any information I promised. I check back with you in a few months, if I don't hear from you first, or if an opportunity to help you out arises. It's really that simple, and it can be really fun!

Now, the trick, for job-seekers, is PATIENCE. This is not like like a slot machine, where if you put enough quarters in you will sooner or later get a big instant payout. Don't expect a job offer at the end of a coffee or lunch meeting. Networking is like cultivating a garden: you plant many seeds, you water them and nourish them, and some will grow and yield fruit, others won't. In practice, you have many meetings with many people, you check in with them every so often, or when you can help them, and you proactively look for ways to help them or to create win-win for both of you. AND, you never know when they will blossom. You may be networking for a job now, and one of your buddies, who you stay in touch with, helps you get your next job three years later, or puts you in touch with a client, or who knows what.

Bottom line: Networking is about creating connection and helping each other out. Think of it as a GARDEN you cultivate, NOT A SLOT MACHINE that will pay out if you just keep playing long enough.

~

Risk Log

2009-03-06T20:43:00.000-06:00

So, this week, I took a bunch of risks. I am happy about that fact, just for its own sake. Some paid off, some haven't, at least not yet. Let's take a look:

1> I read this blog post, detailing one coach's presentation at Ignite Phoenix, an event where all sorts of people get to make a five minute presentation an any topic they wish. I thought it would be fun to do this in Chicago, and put out some feelers. There is interesst, it may happen, and if it does, I am on the team... (yikes!)

2> Chicago's NPR affiliate is doing a segment called "Hard Working," about jobs and the economy, and they are holding an event called the Hard Working Cafe, on a lark I called NPR and the cafe host, Jane Addams Hull House at University of Illinois-Chicago. I will have a table at the event to do career coaching, and I may even get a brief article at NPR!

3> I saw an opportunity for a team-building event for a local company experiencing falling morale after a new CEO and I am creating a proposal, along with another coach I respect a great deal. This is a doable stretch for me.

4> I called a lead I met at the gym. Not sure where this is going, but it's exciting.

I feel alive when I take risks, and I love it when the pay off. Why am I telling you? Because I want to call attention, yours and mine, to this in order to reinforce it. Where your thoughts go, so goes your life!

Contact Information

2009-03-04T12:06:00.001-06:00

Wow, traffic is heavy today, it's great to see!

I am an executive coach. I specialize in working with clients who want to figure out what they want in life and then get it! In practice, many of my clients are looking for a job, or a better job, or starting their own business. Tired of your job? Or tired of being unemployed? I can help you build a great career, in alignment with your values and passions. Has playing it safe left you in the slow lane? Well then, once more unto the breach, dear friend: get ready to accelerate and live large!

To contact me, please click here, or go to my profile page and click to e-mail me. I am offering special promotional pricing through March 21. Thanks in advance!

“Dave is a gifted coach and an insightful listener...in my experience, his observations and questions are always right on target and perfectly planted to help me move forward. I'm happy to report that with Dave's support, I have gained a lot of clarity (just this week) around being able to name what I want to do going forward and have some action steps that I'm now working on… [T]his is huge news!” -Mary Horvath

What I Really Want...

2009-03-01T23:12:00.001-06:00

No, this is not about the pony you didn't get for your 10th birthday.

So, I have encountered many people who say things like "I don't know what I really want." I would say this too, at one time in my life, and it was very sad and frustrating. So, I am coming to believe that when people say this, they actually know EXACTLY what they want, but don't think they can have it, or at least, they can't have it at that time or any time soon. Maybe it even feels painful or unsafe to even think about what they want, for a variety of historical, psychological reasons. As a result, they don't know what the next best thing is to want, given that they can't have what they really want, and therefore they feel stuck. So what do you do? Admit what you really want, and think about what you are going to do about it. Simple, perhaps, but not easy...

Cool Tool

2009-03-01T22:48:00.000-06:00

My coach* recently reminded me that "Where goes your attention, so goes your life." With that I mind, I have been looking for tools o help focus attention on passion, boldness, risk-taking. At Pursue The Passion, a blog whose authors "want current and future workforces to not only realize that they can be passionate about a career, [and]... want to provide them with the tools to do so," they give us a great tool: "five things to be excited about on a Friday." Yes, it is as simple as it sounds. Pay attention to your excitement, your passion, and you will take your life there. So, get to it! Here is my list of things to be excited about this week:

1> I am leading a workshop on Creating and Maintaining Confidence!

2> My placeholder website should be up!

3> I have several sample sessions with potential clients lined up this week!

4> Lots of people are contacting me about coaching!

5> Its getting warmer and sunnier!

What are you excited about? Feel free to post in the comments!

Update: I was listening to a call today and the facillitator asked us "what really turns you on, in general, and about working with your clients?" What a great way to think about it, and to bring consciousness!

* of course I have my own coach. She's amazing. You can find a link to her website here.

Doctors are the Worst Patients

2009-02-27T11:17:00.000-06:00

So, my blog, indeed my coaching practice, is all about helping people to step up to their life, to jump into their passions and desires and dreams headfirst...AND for the last few days I have found myself encountering huge fears about doing things to advance my business. I got a lead for exactly the kind of client I am looking for, and I am procrastinating about calling her (I am procrastinating at this very second, by blogging about it instead of doing something about it)What the hell is that about? So...I am totally outing myself: right now I am being a chicken. I will report back later in the day and let ya'll know HOW (not IF, dammit) I get through this.

UPDATE I: Two hours and one meeting later. I contacted the client mentioned above, and we are in the process of setting up a call. And I scheduled a time with another client, something I had been resisting and procrastinating. No particular trick here, I just chose to step through my worries and procrastination and do it, and so far, it is paying off. More to follow as I work through this...

UPDATE II: OK, I jumped into one task after another and made a lot of progress today. Called another potential client, contacted a vendor, took on an organizational project, basically, just DID IT. I didn't so much worry about why or what it means or whatever, I just did the things I had been procreastinating, and it felt great. I want to remember this feeling for next time I am procrastinating. The "fear" was less than I thought and the payoff was greater.

Why am I stuck?

2009-02-24T09:51:00.001-06:00

Why do some job-seekers spin their wheels and fail to get traction while others find jobs right away? Certainly, there are macro-level factors like economic conditions and demand for specific jobs. But that's not what leaves people feeling STUCK.

My experience has led me to believe that one of the biggest reasons for feeling STUCK is that you believe that 1> there is something you SHOULD do, but you don't really want to do it; and 2> you don't think you can actually do what you WANT to do. So, you spend your time half-heartedly doing what you tell your yourself you SHOULD be doing (applying for "good" jobs you don't really want), while daydreaming about the job you really WANT, or worse, not even knowing what you really want.

So how do you get past this? The "simple" answer, although it is rarely this simple, is to give yourself permission to do what you want, and to believe that you can do it, and make plans to make it happen. The details from this pojnt on vary from person to person. Sometimes you can chuck it all and start over in a new career. Sometimes you go back to the "good, safe job" you don't like, in order to meet your obligations and prepare for your next job, but since you now that it's not permanent, now you can do that and it's not half-hearted.

How does it work for you? E-mail me and we can set up a complimentary sample session.

Job-hunting is like dating...Part III

2009-02-24T09:25:00.000-06:00

Convince them they are special...

So, I hear job-seekers express the following concerns:

"They told me I was overqualified"

"They asked why I wanted the position"

"They don't get why I want to switch from consulting to manufacturing"

What's the common thread? You don't get the job, maybe you don't even get the interview. Why not? The hiring manager doesn't see that it is a good fit. He / she thinks you are going to throw them over when something better comes along, and they would rather have someone who is going to stick around.

So how do you get past this? Well, think back to high school. If the Quarterback (the job-seeker) got dumped by his cheerleader girlfriend, and he began paying attention to one of The Smart Girls, she might not even give him the time of day: is this a prank? Is he just paying attention to her for now? What will happen if the cheerleader takes him back? Or if some other cheerleader expresses interest? So what does our Quarterback need to do to win Smart Girl's heart? Convince her that she is special to him. Convince her that she is Miss Right, not Miss Right Now. But how? Talk about what he wants in a girlfriend and a relationship, and link that back to her, as concretely as possible, while showing some feeling. What does he like and admire about this particular Smart Girl? Why does he want to date her instead of the cheerleaders he has been dating? And he needs to show some feeling, be vulnerable, so that Smart Girl feels that she is not the only one taking a risk.

OK, so that was a pretty grand metaphor. Bottom line is, if you want a potential employer to take a risk on you when you may seem overqualifed, or you're changing industries or jobs, or when it is not clear to someone else why you want the job, you will want to:

1> Tell a good story, link what this specific job / company / boss offers back to your individual values and dreams. You may need to explain that this is more important to you than titles or money.

2> Show som feeling, take a risk and be vulnerable. Tell them that it has always been a dream to break into the XYZ industry, specifically at ABC company, and why.

Good luck, and have fun!

Misc

2009-02-17T14:28:00.001-06:00

Ever wondered what Yoda would say if he were a Career Coach? Find out here

Also, here is another interesting blog that touches on coaching and careers.

Enjoy, but always come back here, of course....

There must be a better way...

2009-02-16T22:49:00.000-06:00

So much of my work is around career coaching for people who are out of work or otherwise underemployed. I love my clients and I want what is best for them, what will make them happy and fulfilled by contributing in a meaningful way. They, and the legions who are like them, are such smart and talented people. And yet, so many people are really struggling, burning through personal savings and drawing unemployment, and feeling scared and / or ashamed. Some, I can tell, are great at DOING the job, but not as good at GETTING the job, and everyone loses: a human being who is out of a job, potential employers who would benefit from their labor, and you and me, the friends, family and neighbors of these talented people (and taxpayers as well)

There must be a better way.

I don't think we can go back to the "lifetime employment" model of the 50s (if it even existed then...), but this opposite extreme, where workers can be discarded so easily, doesn't seem to be working either. The economic and human cost simply seems too high.

There must be a better way. Help me discover it.

Help Others Help You

2009-02-10T15:49:00.000-06:00

I saw this post at JibberJobber, a great career blog, about "How to Help a Job Seeker," Jason gives us thes 5 things we can do to help someone in transition.

Thing 1: Get to know me.
Thing 2: Offer to help me with something specific.
Thing 3: Open your network.
Thing 4: Inspire and motivate me.
Thing 5: Remember me after our first meeting.

Good advice, and I want to build upon this and suggest things that you, the job seeker, can do to help others help you:

1> Be specific. Give the other person some details. Looking for someone in Accounting at Baxter? Great! The other person can process your request, they can think if they know someone, or knows someone who knows someone, who matches your criteria. Mention specific companies / organizations. Don't just say "anything in sales," that is so general as to be useless.

2> Be specific. What are the titles and tasks you are seeking to have? OK, "sales," again, that's too general. Are you a VP, Manager, Regional Director? What do you like to sell? What industry? What skills and desires make YOU a good salesperson?

3> Be specific. Are there individuals you would like to meet? Say so! "Bob, you and Jim over at TechnoDyne are neighbors, could I ask you to introduce me?"

Seriously, think about it, if a friend said the following, how would you respond?

"Dave, do you know of any jobs or leads in accounting?"

You would probably say that you will keep your ears open, and then forget about it quickly, since there is nothing to latch onto. Now imagine if your friend said this:

"Dave, I am looking for an HR Generalist role at a pharmaceutical or medical devices. Do you know anyone, maybe at Baxter, Abbott, Anixter?"

Now, you are racking your brains to think of who you know at those companies, or who you know in pharmaceuticals, or in HR. You have something to work with, so you can respond to their request with more than a cliche or platitude. You can actually help!

Bonus> Ask how you can help the other person. Who is their ideal client? What sort of vendors / suppliers / contractors are they looking for? This demonstrates that you have value to offer, and that you are not just some whiny job-seeker looking to get without giving. And, the act of doing something for them might just move your search forward. Imagine how grateful your networking friend will be if you bring her a new client, or a new employee, or a trusted vendor!

Lastly, pay it back and pay it forward, that's just good manners.

Update / Contact Info

2009-02-10T12:06:00.000-06:00

Last week I got three new clients, and I am very happy about that. If you would like to contact me, to determine if we are a good fit, please click here, or go to my profile page and click to e-mail me. Thanks in advance!

Working Hard

2009-02-10T12:03:00.000-06:00

WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio, is doing a great series called "Hard Working," about people in transition or out of work. I recommend it! Go tell your story, if you have one. They are also asking people to post their resumes in the comment section. Go for it! Be big and bold, I dare ya!

Credentials

2009-02-05T16:29:00.001-06:00

A good friend of mine, an expert in workforce development, upon reviewing my site asked me "what qualifies me to do this?" meaning how am I qualified to be a coach, or more to the point, how do my clients know what they are getting?

For better and for worse, there is no licensure in coaching, and certification is voluntary. So any yahoo can call himself a coach. What I can tell you about myself is the following:

1> I have completed training with the Coaches Training Institute (CTI), one of the oldest and most prestigious coach training programs.

2> I am pursuing certification through CTI and also through the International Coach Federation (ICF). While this is no guarantee that I am a good coach, it demonstrates my commitment to learning my craft and pursuing excellence.

3> I have experience as a coach. I have clients in my practice and I volunteer at the Chicago Career Transition Center. My clients report that my services are valuable and that they are getting positive results, they refer me to friends and family, and they give me testimonials (hmmm, perhaps I will post some...)

4> However, the bottom line is that all coaching is personal. The best and most highly trained and certified coach in the world, if you and s/he are a bad fit, is useless to you. Similarly, someone with no training, no certifications, and a bad haircut, who works well with you so that you get results, that's the coach for you!

That's what I got. If you have questions about coaching, or about my coaching, please contact me and I would be glad to speak with you. Have a great day!

Career Coaching...My Plan

2009-02-03T11:15:00.000-06:00

I work with a lot of clients around career coaching, and the basic "plan" goes something like this:

1> Get as clear and precise an idea as possible of what you are looking for. That means what you WANT, not just what you can do or have ben doing;

2> Create a communications strategy around it (so people know what you are looking for and how they can help); and

3> Manage a campaign so that you get the job you want!

The most important part, and here is where a coach is particularly helpful, is number one, clarifying what you want. I can't tell you how many people I have met who are sabotaging their own searches either by pursuing a job they don't actually want, or by being so vague and general that they don't actually move towards a particular job (AND no one knows how to help them, because no one knows what they are looking for). So they waste time pursuing everything or the wrong thing, lose money in lost salary, then beat themselves up about not having a job they don't even want in the first place!

I help my clients work out what they are looking for. That way they have a clear direction, and they are excited (not hesitant) to move in that direction, and their friends, family and colleagues can actively participate in their job search because they know what they can do to help! They get jobs faster than they would on their own*, and more importantly, they get a job they actually want to have!

So yes, coaching costs money, but it is an investment, not an expense, and it will pay off several times over in money saved by a shorter search, and a job you actually like and want and are more likely to keep!

*According to the Wall Street Journal on 1/27/09, page D4, "People who use a career coach find jobs 15% to 46% faster than those who don’t"

Why work with a coach?

2009-01-29T13:32:00.000-06:00

Great question. Why pay some guy or gal anywhere from $100 to $1000 per month for three or four phone calls? The only good answer is, because working with that guy or gal gets you to achieve something you wouldn't get on your own: a better career, overcoming work or personal obstacles, identifying and realizing your values and passions, starting a business, whatever floats your boat! Do you want that? Great, then get yourself a coach!

How does it work? Another great question, thanks for asking! A good coach listens deeply to what you are saying and how you are saying it. He asks powerful questions that get you thinking and feeling. He helps you determine what is truly important to you. He shows you that you have much more power and choice than you think you do. He helps you around obstacles you couldn't avoid yourself. He challenges you to take steps towards your values and passions and holds you accountable, to yourself, for taking them! A good coach helps you get more of what you truly want and need!

I am currently working with a variety of clients. Some are looking for a thrilling and profitable job / career. Some have business goals (i. e., more clients and more revenue). My ideal client is somone who wants to live Big and Bold, honoring their values and living fiercely and passionately, and yet honestly needs support in bringing that to life. What do you want? Let's make it happen for you!

(And if I'm not the right coach for you, I can refer you to a variety of other coaches, one of whom will be the right fit for you!)

Thank you most graciously for your consideration, have a great day!

The Confidence Game

2009-01-29T10:27:00.000-06:00

Everyone tells you to "be confident." In a job search, when presenting a proposal, making sales calls, whatever, but NO ONE TELLS YOU HOW TO DO IT! Annoying, isn't it? Well, the search is over. I will give you concrete action items that you can take today to increase your confidence. Today's post is dedicated to "Remembering Your Triumphs!"

You will have days when the whol world thinks you are an idiot, or a jerk, and when nothing you do turns out right. It is easy on those days to believe that temporary setbacks are permanent, and the that the awful things that people say about you (or worse, the things you say about yourself), are true. Then you create a spiral it can be hard to get out of. Yikes! On days like that, Remember Your Triumphs! Remember the time you saved the big account at work, remember the time you finished the project two days early, remember the time your boss praised you to her boss, remember the time your child looked you square in the eye and said "I love you, Daddy," remember when your community soccer league honored you as coach of the year, etc. No matter how down you are, remember the many victories and successes you have had in your life, and know that more will come. I challenge you to make a list of 50 triumphs, no matter how big or small, and re-read it often. Create a folder, and put positive job reviews, "I love you" cards from your spouse, A+ papers from school, thank you memos from the PTA, anything and everything that reminds you how capable, generous, loving (and loved!), and successful you have been. Review it often and feel your confidence soar! Try that for a month and let me know how you feel!

Job-Hunting...Dating, Part II

2009-01-28T21:00:00.001-06:00

Informational Interviews are Like First Dates. How?

First, you are learning about each other, demonstrating interest (NOT commitment, get it?), and it should be a pleasant experience. You want to establish rapport, demonstrate your value (without overdoing it), and discover if this is a direction you want to move in. No need to be nervous, right? You're a great person, and if this doesn't work out, there are plenty more fish in the sea, right? You're fun and powerful and have a lot to offer, right? So let's keep it upbeat!

Second, don't MAKE THE ASK too soon. On a first date, you may have sex and / or marriage on your mind, and that's fine, but you don't conduct a first date by telling your partner what a great person you are and listing your qualifications, then asking them to get married or go to bed, right? So why would you do this at an informational interview? Build rapport, demonstrate confidence, offer to do something helpful for the other person, and stop and evaluate. If it's going well, bring up the subject of "next steps," or ask if they can recommend someone else to talk to, and if they could introduce you. And follow up with this person, that means a thank you note, following through on any commitment you made, and checking back with this person as your situation unfolds or if you can help them in any way.

And jus in case I wasn't straightforward enough: fun, breezy, confident (for job search and for dating!)

Everything I need to know about job-hunting, I learned while dating, part I

2009-01-28T14:42:00.001-06:00

Yeah, I know, sounds funny, but here is a story I hear a lot:

"I just lost my job and I need another one ASAP. I don't really care what it is, as long as I'm making money. Are you hiring? Do you know anyone who is?"

Doesn't sound that unreasonable, does it? Let's tweak the words a bit, now imagine a man saying this to a woman:

"My girlfriend just dumped me and I need another one ASAP. I don't really care what she's like, as long as she's pretty. Are you interested? Maybe one of your friends?"

Do you think this guy is going to get a date? Me neither. Nor is he going to get a job interview. So how is job-hunting like dating? I will tell you in the next few weeks, but here is an overview:

Informational Interviews are like First Dates (don't make THE ASK too soon!)

Confidence Sells, Desperation Repels

Convince them they are Special

Interviews and Salary Negotiations are a Form of Seduction (take is slow, stay in control)

More later. In the meantime, when you hear someone talking about the job market, imagine they are talking about the dating scene. How do they sound? Desperate? Confident? Lame? Whiny? Like the Alpha talking? look at things through that lens and tell me what you learn!

Falcon, Not Penguin

2009-01-27T23:33:00.000-06:00

So, I created this metaphor during a training workshop. For too long, I was "living small," avoiding risks for fear that it failure would bite me on the ass. I was hiding the best I had to offer, trying hard to be "professional" and "appropriate," and avoiding attracting the attention of people who might disapprove of me and my actions. I was a falcon living among penguins. I wasn't flying, I was shivering all the time, and I wasn't conforming to the dress code. I was unhappy and the people around me didn't much trust me, bcause I was different, and because I wasn't being authentic.

Now, I am a falcon, living as a falcon. I am no longer shivering on an ice flow, wonering how in the hell I'm supposed to cacth fish. I soar high. I hunt. I pursue my quarry and I usually get it! I am living my dream and my values. What more do I need?

I use this metaphor when making decisions. Am I honoring my falcon or am I trying to pretend I am a penguin?

Dave

Welcome

2009-01-27T23:19:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my blog! My name is Dave, I am an Executive Coach and Life Coach. I blog because I love to write and to express my ideas, and I am hopeful that potential clients will find my ideas interesting and seek me out for coaching.

What is coaching and wha does it mean to you? When you work with a good coach, he will help you to identify your values, goals and dreams, and then set plans to realize them. That sounds pretty basic, but think about it. Too many people either don't know what they want, or don't know how to get what they want, so they wander through life frustrated and restless. A coach helps you achieve the things that bring you fulfillment and joy! You will enjoy the material, emotional and spiritual benefits of success, your definition of success!

I am particularly interested in working with clients who want to live Big and Bold! What does that mean? It means showing up passionately? It means doing things that are scary, so that you can get what you want, and because it feels good to master your fear and feel ALIVE! Is this what you want? Call me!