As we end March, a month dedicated to celebrating women, I thought I'd speak about the role of marketing in portraying women. Early in my marketing career, I worked on the branding team for a well-known margarine brand. During one of my first meetings for the brand, the advertising agency came in to show us our finished advertising spot, produced and ready for air.
Read MoreImposter syndrome is a commonly reported experience among the women I coach. I too have felt like an imposter at times. But lately, I’ve had to re-evaluate my relationship to this term.
At the start of my career, I entered a top business school. I felt like a fraud. I didn’t doubt that I was smart enough to be there. Having graduated from a competitive college, I didn’t doubt my ability to get good grades or graduate with honors. It was the soft skills that made me wonder if I had the qualities to become the leader that top business schools expected out of its students.
Read More“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” - from The Summer Day poem by Mary Oliver
Decades ago, I met a man who volunteered with a non-profit organization that provided seminars to help Korean American youth with their career choices. He told me that the organization had held a career summit for medicine. The event was standing room-only as students and their parents crowded into the seminar room. Later, the organization held a summit on journalism careers, and only three people showed up. As a writer and a creative, I was saddened to hear about the turnout at the journalism event because it reminded me of my own struggles to find a career path in a creative field.
Read MoreAt the start of every year, I always spend time reflecting on the last year and considering all the things I want to achieve in the new year. Like so many other people, I used to write down my goals, then look back later in the year in disappointment when I fall short from a realizing them. That's when I realized that my approach may be flawed. Perhaps instead of goals, I needed to focus on habits.
Read MoreTransition brings up so many uncomfortable emotions. When I took my first leap out of a corporate career and started my own company, I faced so much fear and anxiety. When the future is unknown, questions abound. How will I make a living? Will anyone hire me? How do I do this? Uncertainty can whip you into a frenzy of what ifs. What if I can’t make pay my bills? What if I'm not capable of running a business? What if if I fail? Deep Breath. Here are some things to keep in mind about transitions.
Read MoreI held two emotions going into the election – anxiety and hope. I went to my friend’s house with my 12-year-old daughter to watch the election results. We followed as each of the state reported the vote count, holding our breath as the swing state results were reported…..
Read MoreWhat is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the moment-by-moment awareness of the present moment. It focuses our attention on our thoughts, feelings, behaviors and environment in a non-judgmental way. When we practice mindfulness, we begin to discover some of the subconscious thoughts that often get in the way of living our best lives. Mindfulness practice is a way to know ourselves better and to develop a more loving and kind appreciation of ourself and the world around us. Here are four ways to practice mindfulness….
Read MoreWhether or not your livelihood depends on creativity, everyone needs to jump start their creativity from time to time. Being a coach, strategist and writer, I often ponder the art of being creative and how to keep that creative spark alive. In the spirit of starting the new year fresh, I thought I’d share some ideas on how to jump start your creativity.
Read MoreLisa S. Lee is a coach, strategist, blogger and storyteller. Lisa uses solution-focused coaching and storytelling to help leaders uncover and embrace their authentic leadership style and align their work with their greater purpose.
