Blog
Want a perfect holiday? Here’s how.
It’s Christmas Eve! It's Chrstmas Eve! And everything's perfect in Storybook Christmas perfection. Well, maybe not exactly. Let's try that again. It's Christmas Eve! It's Christmas Eve! And everything isn't perfect. But it's perfectly *your* story. How do I know this? Because meaning matters, and I was taught about meaning in...
Should You Quit?
First, we need to define success for ourselves. I used to have this crystal-clear idea of what success was supposed to look like—who I was going to be and who would make my parents proud. I thought law school was the path, but when I got there, it was nothing...
That’s Ms. Jackson, if you’re nasty
Picture me, dancing around my office, singing, "That's Ms. Jackson, if you're nasty." Yes, my friends, we're talking about control. (And, go ahead, play this little ditty while you read on... Ms. Jackson would want it that way.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH8xbDGv7oY This time of year, control feels like the ultimate luxury. Between...
The Queen Of Control: Martha Stewart
Last weekend I found myself entranced by the Martha Stewart documentary. I am, you see, a female entrepreneur, well on the other side of what my mother once called the “F*ck You Forties,” and in possession of exceptionally high standards which seem to me to be obvious and, really, table...
Defy The Definitions
It's 2018 and I’m sitting in the dark in a hotel room on an US Army Base in Japan. It’s 3:00am, and I’m jetlagged. I’m not saying that the freeze-dried coffee of dubious age that I just brewed in the coffeemaker of dubious cleanliness is the worst I’ve ever had....
Hey Hot Stuff, Here’s What I Think…
Well, I wasn’t going to tell this story…but it’s just too good. And after last week, I think we could all use a little lightness. So, it turns out that my husband—my wonderful, endearing, and apparently very confident husband—signed up for my newsletter ages ago to support me (thanks, honey!). You know the...
I Propose a Solution.
I am from Miami, I’m think it’s cold when it is 65 degrees outside. Because my son was raised in Boston, he thinks it’s warm when it’s 65 degrees outside. The fact is that it’s 65 degrees outside.But our personal truths are a different matter entirely, and those personal truths...
Scared and Afraid
When I was about eight or nine years old, dressed up for Halloween in a cute little clown costume my mother handmade for me -- or maybe it was the year I chose to go as a "car accident" and wrapped bandages all over myself and sprayed ketchup to look...
Hire More Moms
Before becoming your favorite author and speaker—come on, now!—I ran an executive search firm. We had 35 staff living all around the globe, from Seattle all the way to Siberia (literally). And yes, I know Seattle is not far from Siberia if you take the short way, but going the...
Start small, aim low, go slow
Here we are deep into the first month of the last quarter of the year. 2024 is almost over, and already you can hear the screaming swarms of snake-oil success salesmen, cajoling you to go big in 2025. They are going to tell you to crush it, to lean in,...
Hallway Lessons with Robin Roberts
I ran into Robin Roberts in the hallway last week before my latest Good Morning America appearance. (Okay, look, I know that sentence is ridiculous. I recognize that. It makes me uncomfortable even to say it. But, we're going to have to get through this together, because there is just...
“I’m Sorry”
Did you know that one in four people apologize for something outside of their control every day? I’m not saying we should never apologize. Genuine apologies have their place and are crucial for maintaining healthy relationships and owning up to our mistakes. But there’s a big difference between apologizing for something...