Originally published on Linkedin - August 23, 2015 Last week I said all I want to do is get people promoted, but I only talked about why that should be a leader’s focus. What I didn’t touch on was the how. Saying you want to help people develop is different than developing them. I want... Continue Reading →

Originally published on Linkedin - August 17, 2015 All I want to do is get people promoted. Well, maybe that’s an overstatement, but not by much. In truth, when it comes to professional successes, seeing one of the associates on my team develop, contribute to the business at a high level and ultimately find their... Continue Reading →

Originally published on Linkedin - June 13, 2015 Over the course of my career I have been coached on personal brand and I have provided coaching on personal brand. It’s one of the most difficult conversations to have because personal brand is, well, personal. Personal brand is how people see you, how you show up... Continue Reading →

Originally published - June 4, 2015 Every day I watch my LinkedIn feed, read blogs, see quotes and am hit with a barrage of information from very smart people sharing with me some very smart stuff. But what I noticed is how much of it geared to starting up your own business, doing your own... Continue Reading →

Originally published - September 10, 2013 My mother, Shirley Ann Walker, passed away on August 28th, 2013. It happened a day after my brother's birthday and a week before her father, my grandfather's birthday. My grandfather, my Pampa, turned 88. It's a blessing her passing wasn't on someone's birthday, but a tragedy it happened so... Continue Reading →

Originally published - August 27, 2013 My mother has cancer. It started in her lungs, though she's a nonsmoker. I always feel inclined to say that she never smoked, because lung cancer has such a negative connotation. But she was never a smoker. Ever. I haven't been real vocal about it. When my mom was... Continue Reading →

Originally published - July 29, 2013 About a year ago, our family packed up and moved to the Windy City. All we had really ever known was life in Oklahoma, mostly Oklahoma City, a little Tulsa Time and some smaller towns. As you grow up in Oklahoma, you are instilled with this sense that Oklahoma... Continue Reading →

Originally published - July 23, 2013 Thrift store shopping has gone through a bit of a revival in the last few years. When the unemployment rate sky rocketed and the economy tanked, many people turned to thrifting to keep clothes on their backs. But we all learned something during that time. Thrifting is pretty cool.... Continue Reading →

Originally published - June 15, 2013 I have a diverse and large group of friends. Somehow, it's something that happened when we moved to Illinois last year. I've always had friends, but when we got here, we had a whole neighborhood to meet. Maybe it's because the kids are older. When your kids make friends,... Continue Reading →

Originally published - July 8, 2013 Congratulations, you're all grown up. You get up and go to work everyday to make a living. Maybe you work in an office, or maybe on a sales floor. Maybe you have to drive around and meet clients. Maybe you sling coffee, or pour drinks, or make spreadsheets, or... Continue Reading →