There’s a meme going around. It looks like this: If you spend any time on the internet, we all have that one follower who likes and comments on everything. Without that follower, we’d have nobody. It’s why the meme doesn’t sit well with me. It seems condescending because that one fan probably doesn’t realize she’s…
It’s December 2001 and America has only just begun its war in Afghanistan. I’m working in a human resources department at an insurance company. I’m the HR leader for “capital development,” which is shorthand for mergers and acquisitions. I’m responsible for providing HR support to companies who are acquired by my organization. These are mostly…
About ten years ago, I began collecting Waterford Crystal’s 12 Days of Christmas champagne flutes. They issued two each year, and I was determined to own the set. I have no idea why tbh. The flutes are quite large and very ostentatious. They’re not expensive and gaudy enough for Melania Trump, but they’re too showy…
I’m picky about my music, and every song has a shelf-life with me. While there are a few songs that will always remain listenable, most music expires after I hear it more than a couple of dozen times. My feelings apply to my favorite genres: new wave, punk, and industrial. It also applies to Christmas…
It’s the time of year where HR companies push content marketing that takes one of two forms: 1. 2016 Year in Review 2. 2017 HR and Recruiting Predictions For years, I wrote these articles for my clients. Now that I’m focused on other things in my life, this work falls to other marketing professionals. And,…
It’s pretty miserable to work overtime. I know this because I’ve worked plenty of overtime in my life. In fact, I worked overtime during my summer jobs throughout school and in several of my early HR jobs. While it was okay to earn time-and-a-half for my efforts beyond my typical 40-hour workweek, I would’ve appreciated…
Confidence is the name of the game when you do anything at the professional level unless you’re a blogger. If you’re a blogger, whether it be HR or golf, you are rewarded for introspection and self-doubt. The higher the level of dysfunction, the more readers feel as if you’re real and human. Radical uncertainty is…
Earlier this year, I started flushing. It’s a codeword for “fucking blushing” and getting warm. No, I do not have hot flashes. I’m 41 years old. I am overheating in crowded rooms, tight spaces, or when my heart rate is elevated. There are many reasons why this can happen, but, for me, it’s anxiety-related. And,…
My friend and advisor, Mary Ellen Slayter, asked me to write my business rules. She said it’s important to understand my personal values, and limits, as I run a new company. I had two immediate thoughts. 1. No dicks. 2. Don’t boss me. It’s not the most articulate set of business principles, for sure, but…
I’ve learned a valuable lesson over the past 12 months. Namely, running a software company isn’t like running a professional services company. As the owner of my HR/marketing consultancy, I’m 100% responsible for everything that happens in my shop. From business development to the quality of my work, the results are the outcome of my…
