by Michelle Porchia Change – something most people do not like or are afraid of. There is a saying, “The only thing that is constant is change.” Change is inevitable. I, for one, like change (most of the time). I like new things. I like doing something different. So, why don’t most people like change?
People want to know what is going to happen. They have a comfort in knowing what was and what they think will be. Often people fight change before they even know what the change is and how it will impact them. The unfortunate thing is, if one does not get on board with change, you may get left behind, be “left in the cold” or locked out entirely. The business world and the world as a whole is ever-changing. We have gone from an agricultural to a manufacturing to a technological society. Many people embraced the change and have been able to keep up and/or move forward. People have reinvented themselves, their business and even their lives. Continue to revisit this webiste for tips on retooling (http://www.ebonyspeakers.com/ebony-speakers-blog.html.) I retooled my life from being a corporate trainer for almost two decades to being an entrepreneur in the midst of a recession. Yes, that was scary and challenging. At the same time it was exciting and invigorating. Recently I embarked on a huge change. I jumped without a net so to speak. I decided to make my move from Connecticut/New England to the South. I have lived North, West and East and I now live South. This move meant I put my business on hold, although I am still coaching clients via the phone. It also meant disposing of most of my belongings and storing the rest. I gave up my personal space to share space in someone else’s home until I can get financially set and get my own place. HUGE change. It is scary and exciting. I have the opportunity to meet a new group of people – potential clients. I also have the opportunity to expand my circle of friends. I get to try new and exciting things. Wow! It is Fall, a time when the earth is changing. In New England the foliage is beautiful as all the leaves change colors (I will miss that this Fall). After a while though, the color goes away and the trees are bare as the earth rests and prepares to reappear in the spring more vibrant and beautiful than before. I don’t know what direction my business will take other than continuing with my coaching clients. I don’t know what direction my life will take. What I know is that I am looking forward to resurfacing more vibrant, ready and innergized than before. Here’s to the season of change! Your Comments are Welcome Below.
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By Nancy J. Lewis, MS, PHR, RCC
Today’s workplace is filled with uncertainty, chaos, and change. We are seeing things happen in business and with employees that is unprecedented. Downsizing, resizing, mergers, organizations simply going out of business is becoming all too common. As a result of this you have more and more people looking for jobs in totally different industries. So how do you retool your career? You look within and identify who you are, what your strengths and attributes are, and what you are good at doing and enjoy. Retooling is about being authentic and true to your core values and recognizing how to turn challenges into opportunities. What are you passionate and energized about relating to work? What dreams have you been sitting on? Now is an opportunity to see if you can align your dreams with your passion as you retool your career. You must get into action and take steps to retool your career. It means reviewing and making sure your resume reflects your strengths and highlights your accomplishments and successes. It requires letting people in your network know you are looking for an opportunity to share your skills and attributes in a progressive company that values stars. This is not a time to sit back and hope someone finds you. Remember it is not what you know or who you know, rather who knows you and what they know about you. You must BRAND YOU! You must be willing to learn and develop skills in areas that you have not been exposed to before. It might require going back to school for a degree, taking professional development courses at a local community college, or getting a mentor or a coach. It may mean having to do research/reading on an area of interest you know little about. The important thing to remember is you must commit to lifelong learning. In retooling, you take your transferable skills and apply them to your next career opportunity. If you were good at marketing, technology, teaching, etc. how can you leverage those skills in your next career move? It is vital to build on what you have learned in life and be willing to utilize those same skills in a new career. You can no longer guarantee that jobs you have had in the past will be what you do in the future. You must be open minded and have a willing spirit to adapt to the constant world of change. Retooling makes you look at what is important to you and then begin a plan of action for moving forward in the face of change to achieve greatness in your life. Remember to ask for what you want, engage others in your job search, commit to life-long learning, look at failure as a detour and not a destination, keep a positive attitude, and continue to walk in integrity and faith. Your Comments Are Welcome Below By Michelle Porchia I initially developed Innergize Day to help women put themselves first, take time for themselves and to live their passion. Nowadays everyone is so busy going and doing instead of being that everyone needs innergizing. Below are four steps on how you can innergize. It is scheduled for the day after Autumn begins every year because that is when the earth goes to rest. Step One: Give Yourself Permission Give yourself permission to put yourself first and NOT feel guilty. When you take care of yourself, you are better able to take care of others. When you rest, relax, renew,rejuvenate, you have the energy and clarity to do what you want to do. Step Two: Take Your Breaks There is a tendency to skip lunch and breaks while we work--or we eat while we work. It is important to take periodic breaks to rest your body and mind. When you rest your mind, you are more productive and creative. It is also important to eat properly (this does not mean eating at your desk and working through lunch). Step Three: Entrepreneurs: You Are Your Business Investing in taking care of your body is investing in the foundation of your business. If you are not able to work, your business will suffer. It is crucial to make health and happiness a priority while developing your business. If you work 24/7, you will burn out. You need to schedule time for you in the same way you do for your clients. (Are you getting the theme here?) Step Four: Celebrate As Kool and the Gang sang, "Celebrate good times, come on!" You need to celebrate yourself. Celebrate life. Celebrate the little things as well as the big things. You don't have to celebrate elaborately. You can do simple things like treat yourself to flowers, a new book (and allowing yourself to read it), going to bed early, watching a movie in bed, etc. For more information on innergizing or to schedule time with Michelle to help you to innergize, click here to visit Michelle's website. By Nancy J. Lewis, MS, PHR, RCC Positioning yourself for success is necessary in a competitive world where change is the only constant. Being in position is about being open to the importance of reinventing and retooling your skills to improve your marketability in your career and business. It is about knowing what your strengths are and how to leverage them in helping you achieve success. What position are preparing for as you move forward? What do you need to do to make sure you are ready for the position you desire? Consider the following strategies for positioning yourself for success. 1. Plan for success. This requires sitting down and deciding what you want to achieve in your career and business. It is about setting specific goals with milestones along the way to make sure you are on track to have the success you desire. It is about speaking words that are creating the success you desire. It requires doing a data dump of old scripts and information from your past and downloading new software in your mind that is filled with unlimited possibilities that are available to you with your new plan of action. 2. Create a circle of eagle thinkers. Positioning yourself for success requires evaluating your inner circle of people you spend time with. It is important to create a group of eagle thinkers that might also be called your mastermind group. These are individuals who will challenge you, encourage you, and inspire and ignite you to tap into your hidden potential. These are individuals who are positive thinkers and possibility thinkers who recognize and celebrate the greatness inside of you. 3. Learn the art of connecting in building relationships. More than ever before, business and career opportunities happen because of relationships. It is vital that you become a savvy networker that knows the art of connecting and cultivating meaningful relationships. When meeting people at events spend time learning about them and what they do and establish a connection so there will be dialogue beyond that conversation. As you make the connection and follow up, that contact over time can lead to a contract. Take your time and find ways to add value as you nurture the relationship and watch it grow. 4. Ask for help. You don't have to do everything yourself. So many times we feel as women, we can do it all. We have the superwoman complex. If that is you, stop and exhale and do something special just for you this month. You don't have to be all things to all people all the time. Balance things out and get your family and friends involved to help you out. Learn the art of how to say NO graciously and be willing to ask for help. It is amazing when we learn to do this, the load we carry becomes lighter and our stress level decreases. It gives us the freedom and momentum to soar. 5. Have a strong spiritual foundation to keep you anchored. It is essential to have a strong spiritual foundation to navigate through the constant and rapid change in our lives, careers, and businesses. You must know with all certainty that God is your source, strength and shield and that as you walk with Him all things are possible. Stay anchored in your faith walk, stay true to your purpose, and position yourself to be ready for the great things God has in store for you. A strong spiritual foundation equips and empowers you to win! Nancy J. Lewis is the president of Progressive Techniques, Inc. based in Fayetteville, Georgia where the theme of her organization is "Developing a Better You!" Nancy is one of the founders of The Ebony Speakers and co-author of the book, Real Women, Real Issues - Positive Collaborations For Business Success. Nancy can be reached at: (404) 559-7614, email: nancy@progressivetechniquesinc.com and website: www.progressivetechniquesinc.com. Your Comments Are Welcome Below. You’re Never Too Old When You Never Give Up
Reflections On A Visionary Swimmer Who Took Charge Of Her Life by Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA, CDMP I am now embracing a new decade and enjoying each new day. Turning 60 on August 21st gave me new reasons to live, new reasons to learn and new reasons to share the wonders of life with people around the world. And in that spirit I now tip my hat to a new “shero,” Diana Nyad, for accomplishing her lifelong dream and the ripe young age of 64. Yesterday she completed her 110 mile swim from Marina Hemingway in Cuba to Key West, Florida and set a new record. No shark cage, no expanded rest periods and no respite from the pain of that arduous task. Four previous failed attempts. A total of 53 hours in the shark infested, jelly fish ocean using 200,000 strokes to reach her goal. Despite the advice of some to give in and quit, she ignored her naysayers and pushed forward. No beauty queen with a size zero body. This muscular battle tested woman gave each one of us new hope to press forward despite our age, circumstance or marital status. Indeed 60 is the new 40. “All of us suffer heartache. All of us suffer difficulties in our lives. And if you say to yourself ‘find a way,’ you’ll make it through.” And making it through is exactly what Nyad did yesterday some 35 years after attempting the impossible in the Florida Straits. This New Blog Will Find A Way... Each week this blog posting will give you the strength and courage to press forward on your job, in your personal life, with your family and in your community. As Ebony Speakers we want to celebrate your victories and share in the painful impact of your challenges and difficulties. We’ve all been there! As Debra Gould tells us all the time, “Positive Persistence Beats Resistance Every Time.” And my other Ebony Speakers, Nancy Lewis and Michelle Porchia will also bring you new ways to beat back the trials and tribulations that come your way while celebrating new possibilities in your life. As a 60 year old diversity professional and speaker, I am excited about this new blog and the insights and commentaries that we’ll share each week. We’ll rotate, and each week you’ll read the thoughts, actions, tips and techniques from either Debra, Michelle, Nancy or me. And we encourage you to give us feedback and suggestions by using the comment box below. As Ebony Speakers we want to empower and inspire you each and every week and eagerly await your replies. Complete The Survey I have also just created a new diversity survey and encourage you to complete this FREE 8 minute survey. It’s confidential and anonymous and your name will NEVER be revealed. Here’s the link to the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N6QYJXR From time to time we’ll feature other surveys and opinion polls for you to complete as we explore the countless ways to enhance the services we offer to people throughout the global marketplace. Diana Nyad defied the odds, wouldn’t take NO for an answer and pressed forward through unbelievable difficulties until her goal was reached. In our own unique styles, we Ebony Speakers will share our spirits and insights in our weekly blog postings. Regardless of your station in life, your age, your challenges or your ethnicity, we invite you to join us on a brand new journey of hope, encouragement and possibilities along the path of a bright and exciting new future. Welcome aboard!! -Carole Copeland Thomas Your comments are welcome below. |
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