10 signs that a layoff is coming

+1 bonus sign After working in Silicon Valley for over 23 years, I’ve been on all sides of the corporate layoff experience. More times than I care to admit. I’ve been in a small startup where the entire company was laid off after an acquisition. Every single one of us. Such a festive party atmosphere! I’ve also been at…

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Podcast interview – The Journey of Work

Larry Cornett on The Manila Folder podcast

I was recently interviewed for The Manila Folder podcast. You can listen to the 30 min interview here. On this episode I sat down with Larry Cornett, Ph.D. and we talked about his work journey. Larry started his career at IBM and then moved over to Apple, while finishing his dissertation for a Ph.D. in…

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What stops you from taking action in your life?

Boy blocked by fence pointing at distant rainbow

How to overcome the biggest barrier to adopting successful habits How many times have you shared advice with someone only to have them say, “Pssht, is that all? Everyone knows that. It’s common sense.” But, I’m sure you’ve noticed that common sense does not naturally translate into common practice. During my decades-long career, I can’t…

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Unlock the hidden job market to boost your career growth

Skeleton keys to unlock hidden jobs

Find hidden jobs or keep competing with millions the old-fashioned way. You apply for a job, send your resume, but you never hear back. You may even make it to the interview stage, it seems like it went well, and then — crickets. You know that you have the skills to get in the door, but for…

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Are you focused on the expired opportunities in your life?

Boy standing in front of old locked door

Maybe it’s time to let go One of the hardest decisions to make in life is whether you should continue to invest in something or cut your losses. We face this in our friendships, marriages, investments, entrepreneurship, and in our careers. When you try to get help with making your decision, you receive a wide range…

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Should Someone Pay for the Unique Experience of You?

K18 hand plane

It depends. Are you actually unique? You’re looking at a custom woodworking hand plane that sells for over $5,500.00 CDN. Yes, over $5K. Not the typical $20-$200 for a plane you would buy at The Home Depot. This is a story about finding your niche and hyper-targeting people who are willing to pay almost anything…

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What Is Your Special Sizzle That Creates an Unfair Advantage?

Game pieces on a board

There is no level playing field in life, despite the popularity of schools, companies, and services jubilantly claiming, “We create a level playing field!” Please. Who are you kidding? You can’t go through life as if you are playing a board game by the rules. Making sure that everyone is playing fair, and that no…

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How to Navigate the Social Anxiety Minefield of Work

Tiny Caution cone on laptop keyboard

Psychology Today reported on a study that examined social anxiety and one’s awareness of it. The gist is that people who recognize, admit, and accept that they experience social anxiety are better at coping with it than people who blame themselves for having it, or try to pretend that it isn’t happening. The first step…

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