Hey Reader - This month weāve discussed how to pivot with purpose. Now that youāre on board with the concept of living on purpose, are you stumped about how to make it personal, fun, and juicy? Donāt rely on wishing and hoping. Harness AI to kickstart a blueprint filled with marketable skills. For instance: If youāre new to people skills: Iām just getting started with people skills. Give me a sample list of skills + examples so I can discover my superpower. If youāre in the middle of a job...
12 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Hey Reader - Curator Mary Savage had a simple idea: Showcase blue ribbon winners from American state fairs at the famous Smithsonian Institution. "State Fairs: Growing American Craft," which runs through September 7, 2026, features a diverse range of art, including woodworking, canning, and quilting. My personal favorite? The life-size butter cow. No kidding. You might look at some of the entries and think, Why in the world would someone devote time to that?! But here's what's interesting:...
19 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Hey Reader - Missy Park had an a-ha moment in 1989: a mail-order business specializing in athletic attire specifically designed for women. Her goal was to help women feel confident on the playing field, and that meant rethinking clothing designs. She named her new venture "Title Nine" after the 1972 law enabling gender equality for women athletes. Soliciting funding would have been a natural first step. But Park decided to manage the business solely on the merit of its sales. Surviving...
26 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Hey Reader - Are you someone who has a mixed bag of professional experiences? You may be more equipped to pivot than you thinkāthat's what happened for Joanna Patchett. Joanna dreamed of spending her life as an actress. However, after completing a double major in English and Drama, she wound up spending the next decade trying to find the right path. On the one hand, she was steadily employed. Still, jobs such as teaching English, being a dental assistant, or leading yoga classes felt like a...
about 1 month agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Hey Reader - Transition is upon us, with many people feeling left in the messy middle. One theme has emerged in my conversations: People want to live on purpose. Creating a life filled with people, places, and things you love sounds enticing, but does it also seem overwhelming? You're not alone if you're unsure where to start. Here's the good news: It's possible to break down big goals into manageable, realistic, and attainable pieces. In the September series, Pivot with Purpose, we'll...
about 1 month agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Hey Reader - A friend is getting serious about his girlfriend, so you can imagine how nervous he was to travel to Texas to meet her family. He told me, "I was on my company manners, but the judging was endless. I got the silent side-eye at every meal." "Well, mother-in-law relationships can be tough," I said, trying to console him. "Mother-in-law? I was talking about my girlfriend's brother, who's home from college!" Ahh, my friend was on the receiving end of the controversial Gen Z stare....
3 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Hey Reader - Are you starting to feel like the last man standing, where others have taken off for summer vacation? And is it all making you a little salty? Well, congratulationsāyou've just taken what Executive Coach Melody Wilding calls a resentment audit. Wilding says, "It's like being the consummate gold-star student in the group project in school who's the only one carrying everybody else's weight." But here's a radical idea: What if you're accidentally contributing to the problem?...
3 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Hey Reader - Recently I saw a video about office disagreements, and the narrator recommended having side meetings with each participant. I thought, Good griefāroaming from person to person, replaying the incident? That's not going to do your reputation any favors! Have you known someone who loves to share, share again, and overshare? Yesāyou're in the company of a Trauma Dumper. That's the nickname making the rounds for people who communicate too much at the wrong time and with the wrong...
3 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Hey Reader - I ran into a guy I hadn't seen in a while, and he couldn't stop smiling. "My kid graduated and now he's off to Atlanta for his first big job. We're empty nesters at last. Toggle off full time parenting and toggle on the fun!" You may not be free of a major responsibility, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't adopt his mindset. So, in the July series, Toggle On/Toggle Off with People Skills, we'll talk through four common pressures and ways people skills can help you manage those...
3 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read