Published inForge·PinnedMember-onlyThe Advice That Changed How I Approach Every Job InterviewIt helped me ditch the canned responses for good — There’s nothing quite like being broke to put the pressure on you to nail an interview. I had just moved to California and had less than $500 in the bank — about half a month’s rent. My fledgling life-coaching business was beginning to take off, but income from my two…Interview4 min readInterview4 min read
Jan 2Member-onlyFour tips for salary negotiationThis is a reading from The Career Design Lab, my free online course for people at any life stage who want a career aligned with their values. You’re moving along through the interview process. Things are going well, and you’re expecting an offer. But as you and the employer start…Salary Negotiations5 min readSalary Negotiations5 min read
Sep 8, 2022Member-onlyFive strategies for writing a little fasterHelpful reminders for students or anyone who writes at work I’ve been coaching a client who is in graduate school and writes A LOT. They’ve been refining their writing strategy over several months, specifically to write sooner and faster. Previously, they would put off essays or papers for weeks, and…Writing Tips4 min readWriting Tips4 min read
Sep 7, 2022Member-onlyShould you quit your job before you have a plan?As a career design coach and educator, I often talk to people who wish they liked their work. Their current job is dragging them down, and they dream of pursuing something more fulfilling. If this is you, you might have thought about quitting your job to pursue something better. But…Quitting A Job4 min readQuitting A Job4 min read
Aug 26, 2022Member-onlyHow to make time for the things you don’t have time forMy coaching clients often want to make more time for things they don’t have time for. You’ve probably had a similar experience: you wish you could exercise, read, make art, or start that passion project, but work is just too busy. The non-essential things keep getting pushed off. As a…Life Coach3 min readLife Coach3 min read
Aug 15, 2022Member-onlyJob vs. Career vs. CallingHave you heard the parable of the bricklayers? The setting is London. Just after midnight on a Sunday in early September 1666, a fire breaks out in a small bakery. The wind quickly fans the flames into a firestorm that sweeps through the medieval city. The Great Fire of London…Career Advice4 min readCareer Advice4 min read
Jul 16, 2020Member-onlyBeat the COVID motivation slump with BYO DeadlinesIn 2015 the National Science Foundation made an unusual decision. The funding agency ditched their annual deadline for four major grant proposals and moved to an anytime submissions system. The decision solved a logistical challenge — once a year, program grant managers were overwhelmed with a deluge of applications —…Working From Home4 min readWorking From Home4 min read
Published inThe Startup·Jun 26, 2020Member-onlyDealing with that difficult boss“He just doesn’t have any empathy,” Adam told me, referring to his manager. “He’s really cold and totally rigid about taking time off, even when it doesn’t make any sense. He’s just a difficult person to interact with.” Adam works for a conservation project in Arizona, and he came to…Workplace Culture4 min readWorkplace Culture4 min read
Apr 10, 2020Member-onlyHow to feel more motivatedDo you ever wish you were more motivated? I hear this often from my clients, and I want to tell you how I coach them to get things done anyway. The first question I’ll ask is: “If you were motivated, what would you be doing?” I asked this last week…Motivation3 min readMotivation3 min read
Published inThe Startup·Apr 3, 2020Member-onlyHow to make hard things funThink about something meaningful you’ve accomplished in your life. It could be a professional success, an athletic win, or something in your personal life. On a scale of 1–10, how much effort did that accomplishment require? Were there times when it wasn’t “fun”? …Self Improvement3 min readSelf Improvement3 min read
