Natural Gifts

“In times of stress or pressure, our acquired skills often desert us, and we panic.”

-Margaret E. Broadley

Your Natural Gifts  

Why I Succumb to the Thumb

Via Flickr

I never sucked my thumb. (I was a paci girl!)

My children never sucked their thumbs (which was lucky for us.)

So why am I now succumbing to the thumb?

As in, the Facebook Thumb?

via Flickr: ksayer1

After much debate, I have a business page on good ole FB. Lest you think me a complete luddite, however, I'll have you know that I've had a personal page for quite a while... but, cough, never used it much cough cough.

And currently, as I write this sentence, my business page says that I launched it "20 hours ago." However, from what I can tell, everyone else's FB business pages say, "launched 20 years ago." Which is questionable, since Mr. Zuckerberg wasn't even alive back then.

(Or maybe he was a toddler.  I've no idea.)

Anyway, here's why, up until a few days ago, I thought Facebook pretty much Zucked:

1) I NEVER wanted to know who ate Tostitos while watching the hockey game last night.

Or who liked the fact that that individual did that and then liked that she liked that ... and where that monumental revelation occurs on someone's timeline.

2) I had concerns about someone "liking" their own status.

Or commenting on their own update.  In my mind, it equates to a person addressing herself in the third person. And I am forced to wonder, is this the new way of communicating offline as well? Will FB permeate regular dialogue?

Perhaps I'll do a little experiment. At my next cocktail party I'll try saying, "It's been nice talking to you, but Katie would now like to go tear into some of those bacon-covered shrimp thingies. And then she'll let you know if she likes them by giving you one thumb up.

3) I wondered how everyone all the way to Venus and back could share everything safely, without some sort of Invasion of the Life Snatchers happening.

Here's a satirical segment I recently saw on The Onion.  The gist of it is this:

Q: When the CIA wanted to legally infiltrate people's every life detail, what did they do?
A: They started Facebook.

(Okay, well, I thought it was kinda funny. A little Zucked up, but funny.)

Via Flickr: ksayer1

Like It!

So why did I decide to switch over and enter this brave new world?

(Like I even have to tell you; everyone but me has known the answer for like, 20 years.)

Because I'm realizing that:

1) I kind of "like" how efficient and revolutionary it is.

Now I can connect with people I love connecting with but don't have the time to offline.

2) It has an incredibly good design.

I'm all about good design that has almost universal appeal.  Because I don't go for trends too much, being a non-conformist by nature, I tend to seek out innovations that are excellent to use, allow for individualistic experiences and are progressively beneficial.

3) I have business needs.

Since the world is on Facebook, I need to be there too.  (I know, I know. Duh!!)

So Please 

(now that you know I'm a convert) 

Won't You, O Won't You, Gimme a Thumbs Up?!!

If you happen to be thumbing through Facebook, which, statistically speaking, you just did less than five minutes ago, be sure to check out my new business page at:

https://www.facebook.com/growcareercoach

And let me know if you "like" it!

P.S. 

Don't get me started on the Twitter Bird. 'Cause I've Zuckumbed to that one too. (Or have I been Dorseyfied?)

Tasting My Own Medicine

Via Creative Commons: Flickr

As I said in my previous post, I have taken the plunge and am giving my first workshop   open to the public called, "Your Hidden Potential: Discover Talents You Never Knew You Had."

I've done other workshops, but not an open one.  And it's a bit scary for me, to tell you the truth. I've performed onstage in front of thousands of people- but always in character.  (The only exception was a cabaret I did for charity, and even though it went smashingly well I was a nervous wreck beforehand!)

But I'm excited.  And I know that I need to venture on to a new stage, excuse the pun. I also know it's time to let everyone know about the talents they don't know about!

(Excuse the plug.)

I will admit that this wasn't my idea.  It was my mentor's idea. When we got together a few months ago we talked yet again about how someday I would do a public workshop.  As in, distant future, when the time was right and I'd know EXACTLY what I would say: 100% crystal clear vision and content.

But that's when he gave me a taste of my own medicine and encouraged me to "just book a date" for a workshop and then commit to doing it.  It didn't matter what the specifics were.  I could figure that out after I'd committed to doing the presentation.

Hmmm.... I raised an eyebrow and scrunched up my nose a bit; I always do that when someone calls me out on something.

That advice did sound familiar... kind of like the suggestions I'd doled out to my clients hundreds of times!  Wasn't I the one always telling people to, "Just go for it!  Take a little step!  You don't have to have every single piece in place before starting the puzzle." (And helloooo?! My very first blog post!)

So how could I argue with my mentor who taught me everything I know about helping people move forward?  And I'm certainly glad he did, once again, push me to move forward. It's why coaches need coaches!

Back to the Medicine Cabinet

Fast forward a couple of months later and I realized I needed yet another dose of my own medicine, since apparently the original dose was wearing off.

This time I was going through a frustrating time business wise (in the form of internet marketing) and said to my husband in despair, "You know, all people seem to want is someone to tweak their resumes or show them how to interview or network.  They don't want someone who can actually help them with what they need FIRST, which is to figure out what exactly they WANT on their resumes or WHO they want to work for or network WITH!!  But, by god, if that's where all the money is, maybe I should just play that game and target the mass market driven by conventional wisdom."

He just looked at me and quietly said, "Have you read your own blog lately?"

Pause.  

(I hate it when he's right. $%@* it!)

"Oh, I know, you're right," I conceded. "And I suppose I should remember the 'create yourself' part."

Then, in order to do some out loud (so I could hear it) affirmation, I said, "I know, deep down, that just because most other career coaches out there (besides my mentor and a handful of others) are banking on the quick fixes a lot of people seek doesn't mean I can't develop an innovative and lucrative coaching business for a niche market.

(And here's where my voice became less timid and more declarative.  It always comes from remembering my great clients who continue to inspire me.)

Besides, the people who choose to work with me tend to be intelligent, thoughtful individuals.  They're intuitive enough to know that the front end of career design- the discovery piece- is just as important as the back end- the interviews, the networking and resumes.  I'm sticking to my mission come hell or high water!"

"There you go," is all he said. And gave me a hug.

(I know, I'm really a lucky lady.)

I felt much better after that.  My medicine tasted surprisingly good.

Workshop, Here I Come!!

Now I'm honestly looking forward to the workshop.  I've come up with a fun program that should be equal parts entertainment and insight. (If you don't think my theatrical background will be shining its way through you'd be mistaken!) Sure, it will be different than most workshops; but then again, Grow Career Coaching marches to its own drummer.

(Like someone else I know, who is going to keep her medicine bottle handy.)

Live in the DC area? Click here for tickets:

http://growcareercoaching.eventbrite.com

OH FOR THE SANITY OF IT ALL!

When it comes to protecting your day-to-day sanity, look for THE ONE THING you need to do to regroup, feel together, not scattered, accomplished and good about yourself. 

It may not be as involved or as lengthy as you might assume; sometimes it only takes a small task or activity that makes you feel whole again. 

Or at least in one piece. (I know, sometimes your standards have to be low.)

Come One Come All!!!!

Grow is growing!

I'm doing more workshops now and this one is open to the public!

Here's the description:

Ever wonder whether you are truly reaching your full potential? Or whether you are fully engaging your abilities?

Come to this lively, interactive seminar filled with insight about the hidden talents no one ever told you about. Presented by career coach, speaker and blogger, Katie Rice, this eye-opening workshop will have you rethinking your own potential!

Click here for tickets:

http://growcareercoaching.eventbrite.com

Create Yourself: Will Gray

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” 

― George Bernard Shaw

Last year, when my friend, Rebecca, recommended I go with her to a screening of Will Gray's documentary, "Broke," I thought little of it.  But Rebecca always has good recommendations when it comes to musical events, so I figured I might as well check it out. (After all, she was the catalyst behind my Enriquez Iglesias experience.) And this documentary was about breaking into the music industry, so I suspected that I'd probably enjoy it.

But "enjoy it" was an understatement. The experience blew me away.

The film screening was held in an intimate setting, a row house in Washington, DC. Upon entering, Will welcomed all of us in what I now know to be his typical warm, affectionate way. I was even a little taken aback by his humility and graciousness, being that he'd made a film, was a phenomenal singer and a gifted song writer.

And let's just say he was quite easy on the eyes.

(Shoot, was that out loud?)

Anyway, what really blew me away was Will's voice.  And I'm not just talking about his speaking voice or singing voice, which was, I have to say, amazing. (He and his fellow performer, Reva Williams, treated us to a few stunning performances following the film screening.) I'm referring instead to what Will had to say.  He had managed to find his Voice with a capital "V," that inner awareness that so few people seem to achieve in their lifetime.  He knew what he wanted: to perform, to create, to tell a story; and he new what he wanted to say: that the music industry was changing in some not-so-beneficial ways and how it that affects the artform of performing and songwriting.

The fact that Will had made his music career- by age 30- something profoundly personal and unique was truly inspirational.  What's more, Will had made his life his own in a world of imitators and skeptics, a world I'd become somewhat familiar with from my time in professional acting. Like a breath of fresh air he was genuine and kind. He hadn't succumbed to all of the phoniness of the music business, from the rejections, from the hardships of trying to express his art despite the throngs of people trying to break into showbiz mainly to be famous.  He hadn't been hardened by the fact that being the right look or sound can easily trump talent.

What I saw that night was someone who had chosen to transcend that often troublesome world by having faith: faith not only in God but in himself and others as well.  He appreciated the collaborative approach to music, writing and filmmaking. He spoke of the miraculous results stemming from working as a team and how he relished that collective creative process.

It became increasingly apparent as the evening progressed that Will was living in a truly multifaceted way, using his whole person. He had tapped not only into his songwriting ability and singing talent but also his entrepreneurial streak, his sharp intellect, his poetic gift for visual, oral and musical storytelling, and his penchant for finding meaning in life and sharing it with others. He demonstrated all of these extensions of himself in his beautiful music, his insightful documentary and the visual way in which he had presented the entire evening.

Listening to the story and songs of a musician who had gone for "broke" (thus the documentary's title) provided a visceral experience for all of us gathered there.  We shared an unexpected creative intimacy in a normally distant, reserved and sometimes unimaginative city. I suppose we Washingtonians just needed a bit of a renegade to shake things up!

So, from a person who has been fortunate enough to experience your talents, here is a belated thank you, Will.  Thank you for touching my life in such a wonderful way. You eloquently embody what it means to "create yourself."

Meet The Mother of Invention:

Ms. Necessity.

(Charmed, I'm sure.)

She often shows up when times are tight and we're experiencing more deprivations than we care to.

You may have heard that here in Washington, DC we are facing some pretty serious economic deprivations.  While the rest of the country has been reeling from the recession for quite some time, The District has been relatively sheltered from it, mainly due to the fact that our largest employer here is the Federal Government. Furthermore, thousands of government contractors call Washington their home as well, thereby providing a substantial portion of gainful employment.

But that government gravy train is slowing down substantially with the furloughs, deep budget cuts and other effects of the sequestration. I myself am certainly not looking forward to watching our nation's capital struggle.  The impact will not only affect my business, but the whole economy in this area. It will mean even less for those who make very little already and we'll see more individuals living below poverty.

Mother Invention, Please Step Forward 
(Because we need you!)

In the absence of indigence, however, some deprivation can have a beneficial effect.  For instance, think about some time when you had to cut back financially and thought there was no way you could survive without x,y or z.  But then you did indeed survive by coming up with a different means of getting what you needed, without the money you thought was "required." You discovered a personal inventiveness that you didn't know (or had forgotten) existed.

"When no one wants to lend you money, you become resourceful."

-Cheryl Krueger

Founder, Cheryl's Cookies

from an interview with Cake & Whiskey Magazine   

Yes, tight times and a meager budget can indeed be extremely difficult, but as long as we can still put food on the table and have a roof over our heads, it doesn't have to be devastating. It can make us create solutions and force us to rethink our needs and invent alternative plans; a great way of developing that creative brain "muscle!" 

And, as I bet you've also experienced, often times those alternative plans become the key to new relationships, resources and directions. Realizing that maybe we can get by with less and use our cleverness to compensate for cash is one of the most empowering feelings. We move away from being a victim of our circumstances to being a benefactor of our circumstances.

"The quickest way to give yourself a pay raise is to spend less money."

-The Minimalists, 

Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus

Most importantly we move away from the fear of less, the fear of complete depletion if we earn fewer dollars or give up something.  Money can be disabling that way, because once you can afford to have some luxury you get used to it.  You enjoy it, it seems to make your life easier and more comfortable.  But then you start to think you can't even live without that extra benefit , even though it didn't always exist. You've forgotten the fact that you used to do just fine!

After all, the natural tension between priorities and resources will always exist, and more money means more decisions about where funds should or shouldn't go.  Given that it's all relative, when IS enough really enough?

Now, Ms. Necessity, It's Your Turn

So here's my pie-in-the-sky hope for Washington: once all of these highly educated, highly skilled, highly inventive people out there begin making less money than they've become accustomed, they'll be forced to innovate and see some unique opportunities.  Perhaps they'll become entrepreneurial and supplement their diminishing income with a latent interest-turned-side business. Or, for those used to making a hefty paycheck, once they take away the big salary from their list of "must-haves" they may give themselves permission to do something that uses more of their talents.

"... what we do with our money plays a far more important role

 than how much money we make."

from "Don't Indulge, Be Happy"

by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton

I'll leave you with an example of the relativity of money and a common mentality around here: 

A friend recently heard two private law firm partners discussing salaries. One was lamenting to another that she could not imagine what it would be like to live on $100K a year versus the $500K + annual salaries that she and most of her fellow partners at the firm earn. "How do people get by?" she asked her colleague, shaking her head in bewilderment.

Washington, you've got a long way to go, but hopefully you'll get there sooner than later.