Over the last few weeks, the Coronavirus went from something happening across the world, to something happening in our backyard.

The uncertainty of the pandemic creates fear, panic, and a sense of lost control. As many people have put it, this is uncharted territory.

It can be terrifying to know what to do next when our government and leaders aren’t giving us a plan.

But there’s one thing we can control: our mindset.

Because fear is only as powerful as we make it. We can choose to live in fear and panic, or we can choose to find peace and connection.

Shifting our mindsets to find peace amid chaos is one way we can take back control of this terrifying situation, take care of ourselves, and take stock of the good in our lives.

We’re all in this together.

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.

Women are asking for raises and getting promotions at the same rate as men, yet we have a long way to go to close the gender gap. We need a new approach to leadership, one where traditional feminine strengths are recognized and rewarded. Playing by the old rules of leadership is over.

Yet, when we try to adopt a traditionally masculine approach to leadership (i.e. authoritative rather than participative), disconnect with our emotions, and focus on our weaknesses rather than our strengths, the gap in female leaders grows wider.

It’s time to own who you are and what you bring to the table.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on Sunday, March 8, 2020. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.

This year’s theme is #EachforEqual and recognizes a “collective individualism” that is necessary to advance women’s equality and close gender gaps in business, sports, media, and leadership.

Collective individualism means that we’re all part of the whole. Each of us is part of something bigger than ourselves, and our individual actions, mindsets, and behaviors make a difference. We can each do our part to make the world a better place for women and close those gender gaps.

Gloria Steinem said, "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."

It’s up to each of us to do our part to celebrate the achievements of women, challenge absurd organizational barriers, and advance women’s equality. Together, we rise.

Women are asking for promotions and negotiating salaries at the same rate as men. We’re showing up at work, committed to our companies and careers. And this translates to more women in senior and C-suite leadership positions across the country.

Yet, women continue to be underrepresented at every level of leadership.

The 2019 McKinsey report, Women in the Workplace, revealed that men said the biggest obstacle to parity in leadership was having too few qualified women in the pipeline, while women said they are being judged by different standards.

In reality, the research shows that the biggest opportunity isn’t in breaking the glass ceiling, but in what they term the “broken rung.”

You’ve built up great skills and experience in your current role, and now you’re ready to move on to the next level.

Or maybe you’ve spent the past ten years in the same company or field, and now you’re ready to shift gears and transition to a new industry.

Or perhaps you’re struggling to keep yourself motivated at a job that doesn’t align with your values, or one where your ideas or opinions are constantly challenged.

Whatever situation you find yourself in, you’re ready to look for a new job.

You know the tactical things you need to do before starting your job search – updating your resume and LinkedIn profile, reaching out to former colleagues or mentors to learn about job opportunities, making a list of the top companies or job titles you’ll search for.

But you may be overlooking the most powerful tool in your job search arsenal: your mindset.

As a smart, talented, glass-ceiling-busting, emotionally-intelligent, compassionate woman leader, you know what it’s like to feel stress at work.

An assignment from a senior leader arrives without warning. Three emails pile up for every one you address. Your team members seek you out for problems they could solve themselves. Your cell phone rings, your calendar is filling up with meetings, and you still have to address a performance issue with a direct report.  

You come home from a long week feeling tired – emotionally and physically. Your fight-or-flight response is in overdrive, and over time, this constant navigation of stressful scenarios could lead to burnout.

I’m not here to empower you.

Because I know that you already have everything you need to be successful.

You have charm and wit and strength and power beyond what you think you’re capable of. You have the knowledge and resources to learn more, do more, and achieve more. You have skills and life experience that no other woman has, and that gives you your own unique perspective on the world.

You are empowered because you have those qualities; no one can take them away from you. Nor can someone give you permission, authority, or power to show up as your beautiful, authentic self.

No one can give you power, because you are already powerful beyond measure.

We’ve all been there – that Sunday-night slump, feeling defeated before you even set foot in your office, counting down the hours until you can go home, wondering if there’s more to life than this…

Sure, you may like your job or company, but something just doesn’t feel right. If you’re racking your brain for an excuse not to show up, constantly daydreaming about endless vacations, or standing in your closet for what feels like an hour trying to decide what to wear, you may be feeling stuck in your job.

And even though most of us have felt this sinking feeling at one point in our careers, it’s a sign that something needs to change. Feeling stuck in your job can have devastating effects on your life, leading to low self-esteem or self-confidence, feelings of unworthiness or not feeling good enough, decreased productivity or motivation, or even depression.

I spent my career in healthcare specializing in continuous process improvement.  My job was to help smart people solve hard problems, figure out ways to make their jobs easier, and to set the strategy for transformational change.

Continuous improvement also translates nicely to the work I do with my coaching clients. I help women take small steps every day to transform their lives, discover their strengths and purpose, and lead with intention.

I used the concept of Kaizen to help me improve my own life and find my dream career when I found myself trapped in a toxic work environment where my ideas and opinions were constantly challenged. I felt stuck and discouraged. I didn’t know where to start or what I wanted to do.

It started with a mindset shift and daily gratitude practice. From there, I started to identify my strengths and values and how I could use them to find a career I loved where I felt appreciated, valued, and respected for who I am.

I’ve always lived by the quote, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” It’s shaped my life in so many ways – from being the first person in my family to go to college, to negotiating my first salary and being called “entitled,” to leaving my lucrative corporate job to run my coaching business full time.

Doing scary things helped me become more confident, advocate for myself, expand my comfort zone, learn new things, and help other women navigate similar circumstances.

Those scary things weren’t always easy, and they often came with mistakes, uncertainty, change, fear, overwhelm and self-doubt. But they always came with a lesson that helped me grow as a leader.

Fast foods and takeout appeal to many professional women. They’re affordable, filled with tasty flavors, and fit in today’s fast-paced world where many of us hardly have enough time to cook our own meals.

But those tacos, fries, pizzas, donuts and soft drinks come with a hidden price – your health. Fast foods are often loaded with too much sodium, extra sugar, saturated fat and harmful chemical preservatives.

When you factor in the cost of managing heart disease, diabetes and obesity, those meals don’t seem to be much of a bargain, do they?

Confession time: I haven’t had the best work-life balance this month. And this week, I’ve noticed a huge difference in my energy levels, mood and body. I’m stressed at work and at home (moving is one of the top stressors in our lives, and I’ve done it both at work and home this week). I’m finding myself snapping at my husband, Blake, I’m reaching for chocolate in the afternoons, my jaw is nearly wired shut from constant clenching, I’m relying on takeout because I’m too tired to make dinner (and because I’m still looking for the pressure cooker). I’m not putting the right things into my body, and I’m not putting out my best self.

It’s been a whirlwind month! I kicked off the month with a trip to Seattle to speak to the Amazon Ladies’ Leadership (ALL) group on Wellness in the Workplace (more on that later!).

And I’m wrapping up the month with yet another move. This is number 6 for Blake and I in the nearly 10 years that we’ve been together. By now, we’re moving pros, but it’s still stressful. And, one of my major work projects is moving three cardiology practices into one new building. Needless to say, I’m a busy woman these days!

Entitled.

That’s what I was called the very first time I negotiated my salary. Not from my boss, but from my boss’s boss.

I was fresh out of grad school and had just been offered a job at the hospital where I completed a 6-month administrative residency, and he was my Preceptor. In school, we were told what to expect as far as salary ranges, and the offer was very low compared to what we were told.

I wasn’t successful in negotiating that offer, but I was determined to get what I was worth. I applied to another job and got an offer from Johns Hopkins Hospital. Now, I had leverage. I told my boss about the Hopkins offer, and he asked “what will it take to get you to stay?” So I said, “A manager title and $10k more than this offer.” I was prepared, I did my homework, I had options, and I was confident in my ask. I got exactly what I asked for.

I hate exercising.

If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know this is true. I detest it. I avoid it at all costs. If there is an option between going to the gym or doing something else, I will always pick the other option. Especially if it involves wine.

But, I know that exercise is the one thing missing in my wellbeing routine. I know that exercise is key to preventing chronic illness and can reduce my chances of developing breast cancer (even though I have the genetic mutation that increases my risk).

I know that exercise will help me stay mindful and present and keep my energy levels high. I know it will raise my good cholesterol and lower my bad cholesterol. I know it’s a part of self-care and taking care of my body and setting the foundation for my future health.

I know all of this. So why do I still avoid it?

I recently had a conversation with a friend, talking about our various health issues. I started a new job this past week, and the transition from full-time entrepreneurship to full-time employment was harder than I anticipated! I was waking up in the night with racing thoughts and anxiety, I was hungry all the time, and I noticed my energy changing throughout the day.

She was frustrated with her weight. She started a new diet a few months ago and consistently lost a bunch of weight in the first several weeks. But now, she hasn’t lost a single pound in the last month. She’s been keeping up with her diet and exercise routine, but it’s not having the same impact that it did in the beginning.

2017 was not my year.

Sure, I was making more money than I ever had. I was leading a phenomenal team of staff I also called friends. I bought my first ever *brand new* car.

But I was also burned out. Depressed. I didn’t believe in myself. I felt like a total impostor. I was sick all the time. And drinking way too much.

After grad school, I climbed the corporate ladder like my feet were on fire. I held every volunteer role I could. I said yes to EVERYTHING. I had no time left for me.

Something had to change.

We all have goals for ourselves. Some may be bigger than others, but a goal is still a goal. It’s easy to make goals, but it’s not always easy to achieve them. Everyone has their own way of setting goals and mapping a plan of action. Some are list makers and some just go with the flow. Within the middle of goal setting and a course of action, it can be easy to lose motivation, which can then lead to procrastination. This leads to us thinking that we can’t reach the goal we set in the first place. No matter where you are in the scheme of goal setting; I am here to tell you, you can do it!

I had known since I was little that I would be going to college to get a degree, although the degree of choice changed a little over the years, from marine biology to architecture to engineering. I was fortunate to have parents that told me I could be and do anything that I wanted, and supportive mentors and teachers throughout high school. When I got to college, things changed a little…

This time last year, I could barely get off the couch. I was in a job that destroyed my confidence, I was drinking too much, and I had a long commute that left me exhausted.

I didn’t recognize the person I’d become.

I used to be the woman who organized group events, hosted dinner parties and volunteered for everything. I held leadership roles and tried new things and thought of every day as an adventure.

This time last year, I wished my days away, just trying to get to the weekend or the holiday or the vacation.

I wasn’t enjoying my life, and I wasn’t taking care of myself.

Through months of therapy and personal development, I built a stronger self-awareness: a deeper sense of who I am and what matters to me.

I also left that job and chose to grow my own business. With my own rules. Where I could use my strengths and live my values every day.

And I’ve never been happier.