I’m a master asker.

Maybe that’s why I was called “entitled” when I attempted to negotiate my first contract as a new hospital employee. And arrogant, and selfish another time I asked, this time in a much higher position.

Leaders don’t expect women to negotiate, and when they do, we’re met with that double-bind of being liked and respected at work. They liked me before I asked for more, but now, they think I’m entitled.

Well, I am entitled. I’m entitled to being heard. I’m entitled to being paid for the value I’m bringing to this organization. And I’m entitled to fair and equitable treatment at work.

Do we as women always get those things? No – at least that’s been my experience.

As a leader, whether in a corporate setting or in your own business, you’re constantly making decisions.

You have to decide on the best candidate for your open role, how much to charge for your services, whether to continue with a project or put it on hold.

Not to mention the decisions you make when it comes to your personal life.

(My least favorite is, “what’s for dinner?”)

Society prioritizes rational thinking, pragmatism, and data-driven decisions.

And while I believe there is certainly a place for the “hard” information, this way of thinking leads women to believe we have to make the perfect decision every time.

Have you ever been told you’re bossy? Aggressive? Too much? What about too emotional? You’re too nice?

Do you struggle to find the balance between being respected and liked at work? Do you struggle to find balance at all?

If you’re like most women, you likely said yes to any (or all) of the above questions. And let’s face it: this double-edged sword of trying to hide our feminine strengths to fit into a masculine work environment is holding women back.

Gender bias in the workplace is a clear barrier preventing women from being promoted, being paid equitably, and rising into leadership roles. To #BeatTheBias, companies need to move beyond diversity training and consider the systems and processes that perpetuate bias in their workplace. Reimagining performance management, creating a coaching culture, and committing to transparency are three ways leaders can fight bias within their organizations.

Making mistakes is a natural part of life, so why do women work so hard to prevent them from happening in the first place?

Avoiding mistakes or failure could be a sign that you’re experiencing impostor syndrome; if you make a mistake, you believe that’s evidence that you’re not really cut out for your role, and that everyone will find out you’re really a fraud.

Impostor syndrome can lead to perfectionism, procrastination, and other behaviors that hold you back from reaching the next level in your career.

What would be possible if you shifted your perspective to believe that mistakes are actually beneficial to your job and your career?

There’s a new gender gap in town, and this time, women are leading the way.

The Great Resignation and Great Re-Evaluation are causing women to rethink their careers in bigger ways.

While some women are quitting their jobs for better opportunities, more flexibility, and higher pay, other women are quitting from burnout, childcare needs, or other wellbeing priorities.

Whether you're reaching the next level in your career, turning your side hustle into a full-time gig, or preparing to break into a new industry, making a career change can be challenging without support.

You know you have the talent and the skills to run a business based on your passions and expertise, and it’s been on your mind for years.

But... when it comes down to starting that business?

You’re stuck in analysis paralysis, wondering what you need to do first (or next) to get your business up and running.

You're procrastinating, waiting for the "right" time, or for the "right" offer to come to you.

You're wondering if you really have what it takes to be your own boss.

Thinking about all the things you need to do (and learn) to start your business? It just seems nearly impossible.

It is possible to turn your strengths and passions into a thriving business, and I’ll show you how in three simple steps.

You know that feeling when you flip the page to a new chapter, or the smell of a used book, that can instantly transport you to a different world?

I love that feeling!

That’s why I’m Team Physical Book all the way.

There’s something so satisfying about closing the book at the end of a great reading sesh, especially if you’ve had an ah-ha moment or learned something important.

Whether you’re Team Kindle or you love having a real book in your hand, reading is an incredible way to flex your mental muscle.

I also love sharing what I’ve learned in books with others – for better or worse, you benefit from my Input strength and extreme book collection.

So in the spirit of a new year, I’d love to share the lessons that shaped my life last year from five must-read books.

It’s that time of year again!

You know, that end-of-the-year bustle where in between holiday shopping, too many desserts, and in person or virtual family gatherings, you realize you haven’t achieved half of what you set out to do.

You look at your vision board or planner and sigh, wondering if you’ll ever reach your ideal weight, ideal income, or ideal relationship goals. 

After another challenging year, it’s easy to jump to the negatives – the things you haven’t completed, forgot to do, or messed up.

Luckily, this is the time of year where any day can be a fresh start.

Where you can dream big and think about who you’re becoming in the new year.

As a business owner, putting yourself out there is part of the territory.

And when you put yourself out there as a business owner, a lot of feelings can come up. You might not feel good enough, or you might think “who am I to do this?”

When you talk about your services, put out a new blog or social media post, or any kind of marketing in general, you’re putting yourself out there.

You’re putting that line in the sand and saying, “I’m out there now,” when you launch your website or Instagram account.

When you start posting about the topics you’re an expert in, or the topics you’re passionate about, now you’re really out there.

And this is where your confidence or lack thereof will enable you or hold you back. You either have the confidence to keep going and being consistent or, something happens and you’re ready to give up.

Maybe you’re afraid to put yourself out there in the first place, so you avoid writing a new blog post or social media post.

Or maybe you did put yourself out there and something happened – you got negative feedback or comments, or no reaction, so it makes you hesitant to keep going.

You might think, “is anyone even reading this? Does anyone even care? Why am I even doing this?”

Spoiler alert: it’s important to be consistent with putting yourself out there. And it all comes back to managing your emotions.

So many business coaches out there are encouraging you to “charge your worth.”

That kind of advice might work for white men, but for women who have been conditioned to measure their worth based on external factors, it’s anathema.

For centuries, women have been taught to measure their worth based on how they look, how they keep their house, how well-behaved their children are…

And now, with more than 51% of businesses being owned by women, we’re now measuring our worth based on the income we bring in or how many clients we enroll.

This needs to stop.

It’s time for women to stop taking advice from the very people who make us question our worth in the first place.

Because you are worthy. Period.

You know the drill – as soon as you come up with an idea for a new program or offering, you have a million reasons why it won’t work or why you can’t do it.

You worry that no one will buy your new online course or enroll in your amazing group coaching program.

You spend hours tweaking your Instagram posts or emails, trying to get the perfect message across.

You lie awake at night wondering if you’re really cut out for this.

You fear you’ll never make enough money - or have enough courage to work your business full time, because deep down, you believe you’re not good enough.

You know what you need to do to grow your coaching business. You’ve learned the strategies and the how-tos, yet something is holding you back from really putting yourself out there.

Have you ever had a hunch that came true?

Do you have an uncanny knack for guessing what will happen next in a movie?

Are you “always right” when it comes to sensing bad intentions in others?

If you said yes to any of the above, then you have a strong intuition!

The real question is: how often do you trust or follow your intuition?

I’ve always been an intuitive person, but in grad school, I didn’t trust my hunches or nudges.

When the professor asked the class a question, I almost always knew the answer, but I never raised my hand. Then, when someone else raised their hand and got the answer right, I always kicked myself for not trusting in myself.

I also got really close to a woman who ended up becoming my worst enemy. I always thought to myself, “I should have listened to my gut!”

Have you had any experiences like that?

Deepening trust in your intuition is an important way to build sustainable confidence in yourself. It can also help you make better decisions, avoid disappointing relationships, and gain the clarity you need to take the next steps in your path.

It might seem like magic (and those moments when you do trust your intuition often are!), but there are real and tangible ways you can deepen trust in your intuition so you can make better decisions for your life.

Have you heard that we think more than 50,000 thoughts per day?

Well, new research shows that number is actually closer to 6,200 thoughts.

Still, that’s a lot to process every day. That’s about 258 thoughts per hour or 4 thoughts per minute!

And how many of those thoughts are negative?

If you’re like most women, negative thoughts are almost part of your DNA.

You may not even notice how often you think negative thoughts about yourself, because they’re so ingrained in your thought process.

Negative thoughts erode your confidence by causing you to lose trust in yourself. And a deep trust is the foundation for building sustainable confidence.

If negative thinking is your default thought process, read on to learn how to reframe your thinking and choose empowering thoughts instead.

Where do you want to be six months from now?

Do you believe you have what it takes to get there, or do your beliefs about yourself stand in the way of achieving that goal?

Limiting beliefs are the thoughts you have about yourself, your business, your life, or any given situation that hold you back from achieving what you want.

They prevent you from moving forward toward your goals because you believe you cannot achieve your desires, or that they are not available to you.

If you’re struggling to start something new or achieve a goal you’ve had for years, chances are your thoughts about yourself and your situation may have something to do with it.

“Who am I to start a business?”

“There are already thousands of coaches/consultants/business owners out there – what makes me so special?”

“Who would want to work with me?”

Do any of those questions seem familiar?

We often doubt our uniqueness, especially when we see so many people doing what we want to do.

You might also downplay your strengths, assuming everyone can do the same things you can do.

That couldn’t be farther from the truth!

Your strengths are part of your unique blueprint – they’re the skills, thoughts and behaviors that come most naturally to you.

And you can leverage this uniqueness to stand out in your business, attract your dream clients, and make the impact you long to make in the world.

Are you owning or renting your strengths?

That might seem like an odd question to ask, but many of us don’t realize our true potential because we have no idea what our strengths are.

And, even if you do know your strengths, you may not always own them.

You don’t want to sound braggy or arrogant when talking about yourself, so you downplay your strengths and diminish your accomplishments.

Instead of taking responsibility for their own insecurity, people may criticize or judge you for your strengths. If that happens, you might think your greatest strengths are actually a weakness or something you should hide.

It’s time to really own your strengths!

You have a unique blueprint of strengths that make you who you are. In fact, according to Gallup, the chances of someone else having the same strengths as you in the same order is 1 in 33 million.

So you are literally one in a million!

When you own your strengths and continue to build them, you can achieve your biggest goals and dreams.

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own business?

Women make up about 36% of business owners around the world, and the number of women-owned businesses have increased by 114% over the last 20 years.

With so many small businesses out there, especially in the coaching, health and wellness, and consulting industries, it’s important to set yourself apart.

Starting a business that’s aligned with your strengths and passions is one way to stand out from the crowd and attract your dream clients.

Using your unique blueprint, you can start a business that works for you, instead of trying to fit yourself into someone else’s mold.

You have big dreams.

You want to help people and change the world, but you’re not sure where to start.

One of the best ways to contribute to serving the world is to find your life purpose.

Your purpose is who you are at your core. It’s your reason for getting out of bed in the morning and the reason you feel a sense of satisfaction when you go to sleep at night.

Living your purpose brings meaning to your life. It helps guide your decisions, influence your life goals, and create a sense of fulfillment.

Showing up as the fullest, boldest, most authentic you is what will change the world. Shrinking does nothing to improve the lives of others, and it will keep you stuck playing small.

And you can show up as the most authentic version of you when you find and live your purpose.

The Covid-19 crisis has wreaked havoc on the lives of working women.

Women, especially mothers and women of color, have been hit hardest by the crisis, and many women have lost jobs or left jobs because of the pandemic.

In fact, female workforce participation has already dropped to 57%—the lowest level since 1988, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

And, according to the 2020 Women in the Workforce Report by McKinsey and LeanIn.org, one in four women are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce due to Covid-19.

The desire to leave the workforce can be especially sharp if you’re feeling undervalued at work.

It makes the decision to leave that much easier.