Being strategic means having a filter to assess opportunities for the right fit. Before I say yes to anything these days, I turn to my “Strategy Screener,” which lays out a set of questions that help me understand if this opportunity is something I can merely fit in or if it’s the right fit.

Our culture normalizes overextension, even though it’s anything but normal. Your margins are the border around your capacity. Just like on your resume, they leave blank space to breathe. You need that space in order to absorb things that come up in the moment, adapt plans, or to renew and sustain yourself.

The scrappy culture of nonprofits shaped my worldview not only at work, but in life. Now, as my own boss, I am trying to shift my habits and model what it looks like to operate beyond the bare minimum. I don't want to be scrappy. I want to have resources that match the challenges our business is taking on, and I think you, as my clients, want that, too.

We hear from clients all the time who are teetering on the edge of a choice, wanting to take the “right” path (whatever that means!) and worried about potential regrets down the road. Today, we’re hearing from Penney Leadership Coach Jessica Crowley on what it means to make a career decision with confidence.

I'm psyching myself up to attend my first in-person conference in three years. Conferences are nerve-racking. Networking, especially now, is intimidating. ​Will I remember how to talk to people? Are we going to shake hands? What do I say about myself? Couldn't I just stand in a corner and scroll Instagram instead?

While I'm preparing to walk by myself into a room full of people I've never met before, I've had a weird and wonderful realization: Some of the most meaningful and treasured relationships in my life came about as a result of...attending a professional conference?!

So today, I wanted to share six simple ways for how you, too, can make meaningful connections at a conference.

The process of working with recruiters in a job search has always been mystifying to me. Since I came up through the nonprofit sector, the only recruiters we interacted with were looking for executive director level positions. They seemed to have nothing to do with the rest of us, except when they asked a few performative questions about what we (the lowly staff) were looking for in a leader.

But as I've worked with clients at all different levels and in all different sectors, I've learned a thing or two about how you can leverage recruiters as a helpful tool to identify and land an aligned position.

Here’s what I want you to know about the role recruiters can play in your job search…

Today we’re hearing from Alice Cable, a participant in last fall’s cohort of the Career Collaborative Accelerator. Alice was kind enough to give us a behind-the-scenes look into her decision to invest in herself through group coaching, what the coaching process looked like for her, and what’s changed in her life as a result.

In today's edition of #CareerDiaries, we hear from a midlevel nonprofit professional who is integrating what a new ADHD diagnosis means for her identity and workflow as a professional. Here, she takes us through the process of preparing to tell her employer about the diagnosis and asking for accommodations.

There are all of these moments in life that are incredibly defining– that create a ‘before’ and an ‘after’. Starting a new job, ending a relationship, moving to a new city, etc. So many of them I wasn’t aware of in real time. Today might be the first time I’m fully aware of the fact that yesterday was ‘before’ and tomorrow is ‘after’.

In my grief I wondered: How am I going to show up for work tomorrow?

She's probably said it before, but in the podcast This is Working with Daniel Roth, Brené Brown states that when it comes to your career "nothing is wasted."

That's absolutely true, but it's also a bit more complex than those words imply. I know this, because I used to take the concept that 'everything you've learned is useful' a bit too far.

Here are some myths that have been fully busted.

At Penney Leadership, we often ask clients what surprised them most about their answers in a Career Navigation assignment. The first thing that pleasantly surprised me about the Values Assignment was how effective it was at allowing me to quickly home in on 4 words that resonate as my core values–the beacons of light that guide my life journey with fulfillment, meaning, and purpose. The first three words that emerged felt like no-brainers. As a career coach, it’ll probably come as no shock to you that three of my core values are engagement, purpose, and connection. My fourth core value is grit, and here’s why I wasn’t expecting it.

I'm starting a two-month sabbatical next week. Usually, I work fast, cramming as much as I can between school bus pick up and drop off everyday. So slowing down for two months feels absolutely radical.

> I'm hitting pause on one on one coaching to make room for exploring new ideas and questions, and getting to work on a book proposal.

> I'm taking a break from the constant push-pull between the needs of family and the needs of my work.

> I'm allowing myself to settle in to a different rhythm for the summer season.

But I’m not wholehearted looking forward to this time. In fact, I’m a little scared of it. Here’s why.

My five year old daughter burst into tears as we were reading her bedtime story.

She was due to start kindergarten in the fall, and the book she chose, Countdown to Kindergarten, brought up a tender worry: "Mommy", she said, "what if I’m not the best in kindergarten?"

As a girl, I was taught to try to be the best at everything so that I could get the best grades, open up the best opportunities, and go to the best college. As a first generation college student, I can understand why my parents instilled this mindset within me.

But as a woman who has had to do a lot of un-learning about perfection over the years, I was alarmed to hear this worry coming up for Avery at such a young age.

Grief at work is something we don't talk about enough, and yet, at one time or another, it will inevitably impact all of us. Grief is big, it's unpredictable, and it's a part of the human experience. Here’s a roundup of advice for how to help yourself through a tough time.

This week, we're hearing from Penney Leadership Strategic Career Coach Jessica Crowley. When Jessica joined our team, I was fascinated by the winding road that has brought her career to where it is today—and how her diverse experience is one of her greatest strengths, not a weakness. Here, she tells the story of what that journey has felt like for her. - Carole Ann

This week, a client who is interviewing for a new position asked me how to assess whether the company culture is the right fit.

"Culture" is a big concept that can mean a lot of different things. To some, it means a company's "vibe" or "personality." To others, it means the values and practices shared by employees. I've even heard it described as "a company's soul."

Last Friday night at bedtime, I was reading a chapter book about Eva the owl with my seven year old daughter, Avery. Eva’s owl class was having a show and tell about their hobbies, and each student brought in something to share about what they like to do for fun. After all the owls shared, they talked about their parents’ hobbies. But while other kids could easily say what their parent enjoyed doing, Eva wasn’t quite so sure.

I turned to Avery before flipping the page and asked: “What do you think Daddy and my hobbies are?”

She thought for a quiet moment and then said: “Ummm…lying down and working??”

That hit me in the gut. This is why…

Late last summer, I received one of the most lovely emails I've ever gotten—and it was from someone I didn't even know. Jessica didn't expect a reply. But she wrote so wholeheartedly that I knew I needed to meet her. Now, I'm so proud and excited to introduce you to her as the newest member of the Penney Leadership team. That's right—Penney Leadership is shifting from a "me" to a "we"—a coaching practice with two Certified Professional Coaches.

A client recently scheduled a session to strategize on how they can develop their skills at work.

At the beginning of the conversation, they were thinking small—constrained by working within the limited funds available for professional development at their organization.

Unfortunately, a lot of organizations offer limited (if any) financial support for professional development. But don't let that be the deciding factor on how or if you grow.

There are more resources and opportunities for professional development than ever before.

Get in the driver's seat of your own professional growth by exploring these creative ways to develop your skills (many of which cost $0)…

One of my clients anonymously shares her quitting journey, including five key takeaways that can guide your next job transition…