Moonshot Mentor with Laverne McKinnon

Feeling stuck in your career? Discover how gratitude can be a game changer! This enlightening discussion reveals personal stories and research showing gratitude's power to lift you from negativity. A compelling case study of Margaret illustrates how a mindset shift can unlock new opportunities. Listeners are encouraged to adopt their own gratitude practices and learn how appreciation fosters resilience and transforms tough times into moments of strength and comfort.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit moonshotmentor.substack.comAre you feeling stuck in your career and unsure whether to stay the course or make a bold change? If you’re in an industry like entertainment that’s experiencing a massive contraction, you may be questioning if it’s better to wait for things to improve or to pivot.What if there was a way to make this decision with confidence and clarity? By combining practical considerations with a deeper understanding of your values, you can navigate this challenging time with a clear mind and steady heart. In this week’s blog, I explore two essential decision-making models that can guide you: the pragmatic approach and the spiritual approach.

Ever notice how some days you’re able to handle stress, communicate well, and keep your cool, while other days you feel overwhelmed and in a spiral of mercury in retrograde? In this week’s blog, I dive into how you can stay in an awesome, cool, and balanced state more often – so you can achieve your career goals and not get derailed.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moonshotmentor.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit moonshotmentor.substack.comReady to pivot your career or find a new job but feeling stuck on reaching out to your network because it’s been a long time? This question came from a reader of my blog on Substack and it’s a problem we all face when reconnecting. I believe it’s possible to overcome those blocks and in my latest blog, I break down the four key reasons we hesitate and how to tackle them head-on. 

If you’re like me, deadlines can be both motivating and stressful especially when tackling larger goals. While deadlines are valuable in order to create accountability, prioritize tasks, and track progress, we often create arbitrary ones in our careers that are unrealistic and ultimately unhelpful. In this week’s blog, I dive into how to best use deadlines to achieve results.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moonshotmentor.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit moonshotmentor.substack.comGrief can feel like an immovable boulder, crushing and overwhelming. If you’ve ever wondered how to lighten this burden, you’re not alone. Inspired by a reader's question about how to manage the weight of grief, this week’s blog in the form of an advice column explores how changing your perspective can turn these heavy burdens into lighter, more manageable experiences.

Have you ever found yourself making a choice because you felt you had no other option? 😟 Maybe you took a job out of sheer desperation, hoping it would solve your immediate problems, only to find it left you feeling unfulfilled and stuck. You're not alone in this experience. Many of us face situations where making a decision from a place of desperation seems like the only way out. But what if there was a better way? What if you could make decisions that not only meet your needs but also align with what truly matters to you?In this blogcast, we’ll explore the power of values in guiding decisions. By identifying and honoring your values, you can transform how you approach decisions, even in tough situations. This shift can help you move from feeling desperate to feeling empowered and in control. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moonshotmentor.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit moonshotmentor.substack.com*Apologies for the loud outside motorcycle noise during part of this recording!Nostalgia often hits when we least expect it, making us yearn for versions of ourselves that no longer exist. 🌟 These past identities, whether an ambitious young adult or a naive expat landing in a new city, play a crucial role in shaping who we are today. Yet, we rarely acknowledge the need to grieve them.Recognizing and mourning the different versions of ourselves from the past is an essential yet frequently overlooked aspect of growth. It's normal to miss who we once were. Allowing ourselves to grieve these former identities can help us move forward with a clearer sense of purpose.This week’s blog is inspired by a reader's question about grieving old versions of ourselves. If you have a question or topic you’d like me to address, drop me a DM or post a comment. 

For a long time, I used to obsess over my career narrative, trying to justify the why and how of big wins and humbling losses. The truth is that I could never quite connect the dots except that in the down times, I would feel discarded and dismissed. In this week’s blog and podcast, I explore career resiliency through the journey of a poinsettia plant I bought last December and how trashing it didn’t feel right just because the winter holiday was over. To be fully transparent, I related to the plant because I could see how it was thriving despite it not being in season. It’s now August, and that plant is sprouting so many new leaves that it’s time for a repotting. This got me thinking that, just like poinsettias, our professional lives also go through cycles. We experience growth, change, and sometimes the need to shed parts that no longer serve us. But first, we have to ride out the withering away of those parts in order to get to renewal.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit moonshotmentor.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit moonshotmentor.substack.comThe path of solo entrepreneurship or creative ventures is filled with exhilarating highs and daunting challenges. It can be lonely and isolating — and also extremely rewarding. In this week’s blog, I respond to a reader’s request to explore the unique journey of the solo hustle and how to navigate the ups and downs.  From identifying your needs to defining success, knowing when to pivot, and processing losses, I explore practical strategies for thriving in the independent pursuit of entrepreneurship and a creative life