Have you ever heard of Soccer Tots?   In 2011 I hadn’t either.   It’s where you take little kids and they jump through hula hoops, run around cones, occasionally kick a soccer ball and sort of attempt to listen to their frazzled looking teacher. (Think; Pre Soccer)   I was supposed to leave midday on a flight for work and it didn’t make sense for me to go to the office so Alyssa suggested that I come watch Soccer tots.   I showed up at 10am in the middle of the day, not at all knowing what to expect.   One of my kids kicked a goal in the cones that were set up over 20 feet wide which made it nearly impossible for them to miss   He turned and saw that I was there in the room and started shrieking with excitement!   “Daddy did you see me get a goal” (He looked so happy!)   It was right then that I realized I HAD to figure out a way to be able to have the flexibility in my work to be able to be around.   NOT just for the big things in life (school musicals, family birthdays and weddings), but also the little things too!   I hadn’t realized what I was missing out on.   After that I became fascinated by the possibility of working remotely.   That was years ago and since then I’ve negotiated flexible and remote work for myself and helped many other people get jobs or change careers that allow them to work remotely!   We’ve had a lot of people come to us in the last few years that are also interested in doing the exact same thing.   For this reason we brought on Adda Birnir, the CEO of SkillCrush.com, to discuss remote work on the podcast. Not only does her company work entirely remotely but also they teach people (especially women) to code (which is one profession that is incredibly flexible)   If you want to learn how to make remote work possible for you check out this blog post and the podcast here!   On the podcast today, we talked about… What it’s like to work in a remote workforce The lack of diversity and representation in the tech industry How couples negotiate the dynamic between career and relationship The factors that set up a remote team for success...or disaster Adda’s favorite secret vacation spot in Iceland   (We covered a lot of ground.)   Plus in this blog post we go through step by step the process we use to help clients get to remote and flexible work in their current jobs OR new careers!

  So, true story: almost everyone on my team here at Happen to Your Career is an introvert. (Myself included!)   Which is kind of surprising for a company that teaches people all about how to use relationship-building and presentation skills to create new opportunities in your professional life, right?   Well, contrary to popular belief, we introverts aren’t completely socially anxious and hiding ourselves away in a closet somewhere. (Most of the time.)   We (and I’m sure you, or people you know) have learned the skills to gracefully survive in a socially-oriented world while still creating space for our “me” time.   But one of the things that can feel the hardest for introverts is also one of the ones that makes conversations the most fulfilling.   The vulnerability of putting yourself out there (whether you’re an introvert or extravert) is part of what creates deep, meaningful, awesome connection.   And connection is why we’re all here, isn’t it?   If you agree, you’re going to love this week’s podcast on vulnerability and how to connect with anyone with AJ Harbinger of The Art of Charm.   I think this episode has the most value per minute of any podcast I’ve ever recorded, so if you are a person who loves self-development and wants to be a better conversationalist, you’ve gotta take a listen.   I consider myself to be pretty good at striking up conversations, and I found myself taking tons of mental notes.   In this episode, you’ll learn: How to use vulnerability as your stealth superpower The 3 phases of connection: an analytical framework for creating emotional interaction (yes, really) How your past, present and future create the stories we tell ourselves -- and share with the world

Ever thought about becoming a coach? If so, press play immediately on this episode where Scott Barlow welcomes back Marc Mawhinney, the founder of Natural Born Coaches program and podcast, where he helps coaches create real, profitable (and real profitable!) businesses.   On this episode, you’ll learn how Marc got into coaching (and the books that have been his biggest inspiration), how building a business is a bit like being a modern-day caveman, how to ensure you’re not getting paid in meatballs, and how to know when (or if) you need a coaching certification.   Being in love with the dream of calling yourself a coach can be very different from truly having a passion for the day-to-day life of being one.   For example, how much do you enjoy sales conversations? Working for yourself is an eat-what-you-kill kind of job, so you’re going to spend time bringing in coaching clients so you can keep the lights on and pay the bills.   And, how much time out of your week would you estimate you’ll be on the phone with coaching clients? Whatever you’re guessing, guess again and listen to Marc to hear about what it was like for him (and for Scott) in building their coaching businesses.

Karenina Jahnigen

Writing like a Pro in the business world seems like a huge undertaking that is easier said than done. Luckily, we have Danny H. Rubin as our guest today. Danny Rubin is “THE writing guy.” Danny has studied communications since college and has worked as a TV News Reporter and Consultant and has come back around to what he loves most, which is writing. He uses his greatest strength to teach practical writing instruction for the business world. From writing to apply for jobs to writing to start a business from scratch, Danny offers his writing advice as the writing expert in the business world. One of the key takeaways from the episode is viewing the job search as an expectations game where employers are going to expect you to do X, but you’re going to learn how to do Y. Why, you ask? Well, while everyone else is doing X, you’re going to put that little bit of extra effort it takes to do Y. This is your opportunity to do something another way to stand out from the crowd of job-seekers. All Y is, is a change in the way that you think about what you’re writing. We have all been so conditioned to write a resume and cover letter the same way. So, a hiring manager is going to expect that same template from every candidate. But, Danny is here to walk you through a process that will show you how to go about writing those pieces in a smarter, more strategic way. You will see more results when you know how to be interesting when describing yourself in your stories. Your writing should highlight details of your experience that will enhance your overall platform. Listen to the podcast to learn more about the power of telling YOUR story of success in your cover letter. Danny will help you learn how to write to command attention, prove your ability, and leave a lasting impression on the reader.   What You Will Learn The importance of brevity – Why keeping your writing short and concise is imperative in business communications The importance of writing differently and how to stand out in your writing to get noticed and open doors How to write a powerful Linkedin Profile How to apply for a job when a company isn’t even hiring

What do you do when you decide your current job no longer fits your values? You fill your iPhone with numbers from all of the CEOs you’ve just made friends with by interviewing them for your blog.   (Obviously)   Wait… What? That’s just one of the many ways that our client and HTYC Podcast listener Eric Murphy used to make a career change to his dream job. (take a listen below!) Eric Murphy was working 10-14 hour days in his engineering role for the gas company in Las Vegas Nevada. It was going well… except that every single day he was feeling the urge to work with an organization that was giving back to the world. He even thought the solar industry might be how he should be spending his time. He had no idea that he was so far off. How do you make a career change when you’re burnt out, have no time, and don’t know what fits you? That’s exactly what Eric wanted to know too!  Because he wasn’t just trying to make a career change, he was also trying to figure out what career and what company really fit him.  For every client we work with we help them go through the same process, and Eric was no exception!    1. Determine your Signature Strengths  2. Create Your Ideal Career Profile (What’s most important to you) 3. Target only companies and opportunities that fit    What was incredibly unique to Eric’s story?    That he was both seeking jobs AND trying to discover what his ideal role was at the same time.    This might not sound like a big deal, but if you’re reading this, I bet you feel like you have to already know exactly what you want to be doing before you go talk to peopl about it!    You don’t!    This was the strategy that we helped Eric use.

What is the real goal of having a career anyway? It’s a topic of conversation that comes up time and time again: SUCCESS. It should be noted that the definition of success is subjective. There are some people that are perfectly content on that “traditional” path of success, from getting a degree to landing a job that pays for a fairly decent lifestyle. They get promoted and continue working, perfectly content with their progress. Or maybe they don’t even get that promotion, yet are still perfectly content with the life and career path they’ve chosen. Then, there are those people that start to lose interest in their work and even with a promotion (and raise!), they still can’t help but feel like their career has turned into a J-O-B. It’s become a chore to get out of bed to go and “work” at a place that previously held so much promise, but now holds only daydreams for something better. What’s better? It could be anything, anywhere…anywhere but where they’re at right now. If this sounds familiar, don’t sweat it just yet.  There is a light at the end of that dark tunnel that you’ve gone down. The problem isn’t you. From the day that you started your career, you have continued to learn and grow. You’ve evolved in your role at the organization. The problem is the organization hasn’t shifted the same way you have- the work that you have been doing is no longer aligned with the person you’ve become as you’ve grown in your career. As you pick up new skills and add more years of experience under your belt, you learn more about what you love about your job and what you could really do without. You begin to look for more work that aligns with what you value. These little micro-pivots in what you look for in the work that you do help you along your career journey. These shifts in your values shouldn’t be looked at in a negative light. These little shifts bring you incrementally closer to your career goals. Look at it as an invitation to a bigger path to get to your north star. If you’re wondering how you’re going to get out of your situation when you’re not even sure what to do next, take it from Lisa and trust that “leaning towards happiness, leaning towards places where you’re already finding flow and satisfaction […] is going to be the best way to start to uncover what direction you’re growing in and what can feel really good for that next step.” You owe it to yourself to leave your career pain for your career freedom. If you need help to follow your breadcrumbs to your dream career, visit our career coaching page. Connect with Lisa and she’d be more than happy to help! About Lisa Lewis Lisa Lewis, the new HTYC Career Guru, started her career in digital marketing and contemplated going back to school to get into psychology and counseling before finally following her own career breadcrumbs and doing what came naturally to her, which is career coaching. Here at HTYC, Lisa is involved in all things career change- from her role in the Figure Out What Fits: Career Change Bootcamp, to resume critiques and mock interviews, and also to helping people put all the pieces of their career change puzzle together through one-on-one career coaching. She specializes not only in honing in on your strengths, but also in positioning those strengths for potential employers. If you want to learn more about our career coaching and other services, head on over to our career coaching page.

Are you the kind of person who wants a job that aligns with what you value or what you’re interested in? Or better yet, do you want to feel like you’re meant to do work that has the ability to leave the world a little bit better, and makes you feel fulfilled? As high performers, people like you and I are always looking for ways to improve ourselves and our situations. We want to take what we’ve got, maximize it to its full potential, and follow our life’s purpose. That’s why I’m excited to share Jessica Williams’ story with you today as my guest on the podcast. Jessica is the founder of the company called The Superwoman Project that does everything from writing, speaking, and coaching to support the advancement of women into positions of power within their careers. It took her a little bit of adventuring -- and a lotta bit of reflection -- to answer the questions of what she was meant to being doing and how she could make a more meaningful impact with her work. In the episode, she shares how she discovered her passion and calling to guide women through their professional development. Whether you are in the midst of following your calling or have no idea what it is yet, take a listen to today’s episode, How to Find Your Career Calling and Own Your Purpose with Jessica Williams. We’ll get into: The step-by-step process to figure out “your calling” Actions to take to become clear in the direction of your career and own your path Tactical tips on how to transition out of a job to pursue your deeper career calling If you’re ready to align your career with your life’s purpose, don’t miss this episode.  

The art of life crafting. Ever heard of it? It's about defining what you want in your life, taking that vision, and prioritizing where you put your energy and effort to achieve those goals. Simple enough, right? You'd be surprised how many people don't take advantage of the benefits that life crafting can bring into their lives. Not only will it open doors to everything that is possible for you, but it will also provide a framework to get to the life you want. Now, let's take a moment and think about what it is that you would like to have in your life. Think about it this way, in a perfect world, what does your life look like? In terms of your career, where would you be working? What would you be doing? How does your work impact your personal life? Life crafting allows you to design your career goals and manage how your career aligns with your overall life goals. In order to get comfortable with the idea of life crafting, we'll take a look at what may be holding you back from intentionally designing a life you’d be in love with and how to move forward in achieving your career goals to better fit that life you've designed.

As High-Performers, we like to make sure we have the majority of our bases covered before we dive head-first into the deep-end of our career change. But, sometimes we find challenges where we least expect them. When we look at career change, we know that taking on this big life change requires a great amount of time, energy, financial planning, and a solid support system to lean on when the career change process becomes overwhelming. One of the least-talked about topics of career change is our current and ongoing support system. Today, we have Rebecca Maddox as a guest on our podcast. Listen in as she shares her challenges in finding the right way to communicate with her support system as she took on her cross-country career change. Learn ways you can navigate your relationships in order to remain authentic to yourself and your career goals.