by Carol deLaski | Jul 29, 2015 | Business, Guest Blogging
I excelled on the fast-track by constantly looking for ways to embrace and contribute to the bigger picture. Taking an interest in the bigger picture is what helps advance careers in any field, especially as an industry leader or entrepreneur.
Do you know what differentiates you as someone who truly excels among your colleagues? If you’re seeking to make an impact in your next role, or even in your current position – perform your job well, exude confidence and develop your personal brand as a leader.
Your personal brand is your unique promise of value. It separates you from your colleagues within your industry. Development of your personal brand is about understanding yourself and knowing what makes you unique and different.
Today, competition for top jobs has become more and more challenging. Therefore, distinguishing yourself and managing your brand is important for achieving your professional goals.
• Differentiate yourself from your peers – Find ways to confidently express your unique attributes while at work. This can be done by staying true to your authentic work style such as being organized, creative, innovative or confident when carrying out assignments.
For example, the Apple brand is known for innovation, therefore, resourceful employees at Apple find solutions to challenges by innovating their way out of predicaments.
• Create opportunities and get results – Try something new and expand your comfort zone. Rise to the challenge on a side project or new initiative and go above and beyond.
Rather than waiting for an opportunity to come to you, realize that it’s up to you to take action. Use networking within your organization to look for ways to work cross-functionally with other teams and identify new projects outside of your role that you might be interested in, and volunteer to take on that project as a way to stand out.
Discover problems in need of solutions that align with your expertise and be a brand builder who embodies your brand as an asset and investment in your future.
• Get noticed and be known for something specific – Use your skills, emotional intelligence, talent and energy to shine at work. Become your best advocate and know how you bring value to your company.
As a former human resource leader at Nordstrom, opportunities arose where there were two or more opposing views. My strength in negotiation would result in two (or more) parties satisfied with the outcome, which is not often easy to achieve. I became known for finding acceptable middle ground.
Be original, and play to your strengths. How well do you understand the differentiated value you deliver at work as your most powerful asset to serve others distinctively, stand out and excel professionally?
Written by Heather Nunley, Business Coach and Personal Brand Consultant at Brilliance Work Consulting. Heather can be reached via email at [email protected]
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by Carol deLaski | Jul 24, 2015 | Confidence, Courage, Laura Hall
Last week, at age 48, I stepped out of my comfort zone and onto a gymnastics mat as I participated as a gymnast in the 15th World Gymnaestrada held in Helsinki, Finland. This event is held every 4 years as a celebration of performance (non-competitive) gymnastics. I was one of 25 participants representing Skyview Gymnastics and one of 250 participants representing the United States. Over the course of 7 days, 21,000 participants from 55 different countries came together to perform over 600 hours of demonstrations and shows. For me, this event was the culmination of a years worth of practice and training. Having never been to a World Gymnaestrada before, I wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew for sure that along the way I would be stretched outside my comfort. This was both exhilarating and and frightening! 
As I look back over the year of preparation, I realize there have been several valuable life lessons that I’ve learned along the way that I’d like to share with you here.
Lesson #1 – You are never too old (or young) to try something new. The participants in our group ranged in age from 1 to 68 years old. I’ve spent years watching gymnastics, but being the one out on the floor was definitely something new to me. I’m so glad that I didn’t let my age or lack of gymnastics experience stop me from participating in this amazing event. The memories that I made in Helsinki will undoubtedly be with me for a lifetime.
Where in your life are you letting the excuse of age or lack of experience hold you back? What would it take for you to say “yes” to doing what you can do in that situation?
My gymnastics skills were far from stellar. I was constantly being reminded to point my toes and straighten my legs. My biggest skills were a cartwheel and a handstand to a forward roll. But, you know what?…I’m really proud of myself! I got out there and played full out to the best of my abilities. I did what I could and that was good enough.
Lesson #2 – Overthinking is not helpful! Prior to taking our routines overseas, we were able to perform at Skyview’s end of the year performance as well at a friends and family show right before we left. During one of these performances, I let my head get in my way. I started overthinking every move and step, and I was extremely worried that I was going to forget something important. Guess what happened!?! I forgot an entire section of the choreography.
The next time we performed this routine, I chose to approach it differently. I was mindful about reminding myself that I was prepared and that I knew the steps. I worked on staying focused on the part of the routine that I was actually performing instead of worrying about what was coming next. The outcome was exactly as I had hoped. I had fun and remembered everything I was supposed to.
Have you ever struggled with overthinking something? How did it turn out for you? What would it have taken to shift to focused thinking?
Lesson #3 – Some days are better than others, and that’s OK. This was true for both the choreography as well as the gymnastics skills. Some days my moves were spot on, and on other days not so much. I think this is true for life in general. Some mornings I wake up energized, excited, and raring to go. On other days, staying warm and cozy in my bed feels like a better option. Some days it seems like nothing can go wrong, while on other days nothing can go right. What I learned from my gymnastics experience is that it doesn’t do me any good to beat myself up on the not so good days. I had more success when I just acknowledged that this was an off day, worked on practicing what I thought might make a difference and started fresh the next time we practiced.
How do you handle challenging days?
Lesson #4 – Missteps often aren’t as big as our mind makes them out to be. This insight came to me as a result of watching video footage of our routines. I’d come off the floor thinking, “Ugh! That was horrible!” and then I’d watch the video and realize that as a whole, it didn’t look as bad as I thought. I wonder how many times this is true in other aspects of my life?
I suspect that this is probably happening pretty frequently. Unfortunately, most of the time, we don’t get to watch a video replay of our life, so how do we know whether or not we are making an accurate assessment of how we are doing?
I believe that having someone in our life who we trust to give us honest feedback, both positive and negative is extremely helpful. I also think it’s beneficial to question our own interpretations of our life situations. Are we being too hard on ourselves? Are we being too easy on ourselves? How would someone watching from the outside describe what happened?
Do you think your mind magnifies or minimizes your missteps?
Lesson #5 – I can be scared and brave at the same time. One of my favorite mantras is, “feel the fear, but do it anyway”. This World Gymnaestrada experience gave me many opportunities to feel the fear, and do it anyway. I felt the fear when I was working on my handstand to forward rolls. I felt the fear when we practiced front flips into the foam pit at the gym. I felt the fear standing backstage before our big performances. I DID IT ANYWAY! This is my definition of brave 🙂
Where in your life are you being called to do it anyway? Where is fear holding you back?
Next week, on July 29th, 2015 Wholistic Woman Retreats is having our ‘Be Courageous’ Adventure Retreat where we will zip line, leap and climb out of our comfort zones. We’d love to have you join us! Details can be found by clicking here.
Do you love your life? As a certified professional coach since 2009, Laura Hall has been helping people just like you make changes in. As a mother of 2 girls, Laura has a special interest in coaching parents, so if you still have children living at home, ask Laura about her Wholehearted Parenting programs. Laura can be reached via email at [email protected] or feel free to visit her website HallCoaching.com
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by Carol deLaski | Jun 17, 2015 | Carol deLaski, Success
I’m happy to say that Wholistic Woman Retreats (WWR) is celebrating its 5th year of hosting quality retreats and events for busy ‘women-on-the-grow’.
Recently I was asked to write a feature article about WWR for the first issue of Sass Magazine. Created as a collaborative effort by a team of talented Frederick women, Sass Magazine will premier in September 2015. WWR is honored to be one of the featured articles for their launch issue.
As I prepared the article I reflected on who we are, where we came from, and why we do what we do. I believe that it’s good to look back periodically to understand our roots and history. Hindsight offers a new perspective and wisdom can frequently be gleaned from such contemplation.
Wholisitc Woman Retreats was an idea that had been swirling in my mind for over a decade. The idea took root and began to flourish when a fellow coach and friend, Jeanette Eleff, offered to help me put together a retreat designed to both nurture and stretch women to grow. Within a few months we invited 4 other coaches to help us and the Wholistic Coaching Coalition was formed. Kelye Rouse Brown, Lisa DiScuillo, Laura Hall, Sandie Lynch, Jeanette and I formed the original team.
We hosted overnight retreats in special surroundings where women could relax, have fun, listen, talk, learn, and grow together. We brought in health practitioners to teach about physical modalities that support wellness such as massage, chiropractic, reflexology, Reiki, and more. Vision boards, nature walks, campfires, and markets for shopping supported the central theme which was to practice self-care. We learned that self-care was not selfishness, and that focusing on ourselves long enough to fill our own tanks was necessary in order to give our best to our families, careers, and communities. Self-care was a foreign concept to some and difficult to grasp for many, but together we explored this concept and supported one another’s efforts to practice it.
Over the years we’ve expanded our programs to include a physical adventure retreat each summer and a Gratitude dinner each fall. Women responded so well to our variety of retreats that they began asking how they could stay connected between our events. A membership community was formed in response to that request and gatherings are now offered in Frederick on the last Wednesday of every month. Women can come to one or all of these ‘Be You Evening Retreats’ to stay connected to each other, the coaches, and to themselves as we support each other in being our best. An Affiliate Coach Membership program was launched this year to support new coaches in building their practices. This program was well received as we brought 5 new Affiliates on board. WWR continues to expand!
At times members will bring friends from outside the area to our events, and when they do it’s not uncommon for visitors to ask “Is there something like this where I live?” I respond that, at this time, WWR is a local organization. But we are poised to grow in our next 5 years and I expect to answer that question differently on our 10 year anniversary. Our dream is to take WWR to new communities and offer our special brand of energy to women everywhere.
What makes Wholistic Woman Retreats special?
- WWR is a community where women feel accepted as they are… yet encouraged to be more.
• In this community women practice non-judgment and don’t tell each other what to do. We don’t ‘should’ on each other but allow one another to process out loud (or internally) and come to the conclusions that are right for ourselves.
• We believe that each of us is a ‘work-in-progress’ and we honor the evolving edge and pace of each woman’s growth.
• We create space for self-reflection and discovery because we know that wisdom revealed is more potent than wisdom taught. We believe that people are more likely to make changes that last if the idea originates within them.
• We are experts at creating nurturing spaces for women to reflect, discover, and grow.
• And last but not least, we celebrate the accomplishments of each woman in our community.
This is especially true as we cheer the founder of Sass Magazine, Kim Dow, to be her best. Kim has been our graphic designer for many years. Her company, Kalico Designs, has provided a consistent, branded, look for WWR that reflects our momentum and energy. We wouldn’t be who we are today without our coaches and our alliance partners. Kim is in integral part of our team. We believe in her, and in her vision, just as she has believed in us and our vision. So be sure to ‘Like’ Sass Magazine on Facebook and look for the first issue in September.
If you want to learn more about Wholistic Woman Retreats be sure to also ‘Like’ our Facebook page and visit www.wholisticwomanretreats.com to join our email list and receive updates about our programs.
Carol deLaski is the Founder and CEO of Wholistic Woman Retreats. She is a professional certified coach, speaker and author of Lost and Found: Discovering Strength in Love and Faith. Carol specializes in strengths development for businesses and individuals. You can contact her at [email protected].
by Carol deLaski | Jun 11, 2015 | Laura Hall, Personal Development, Self-Care
Those of you that know me personally, know that I love my life. Sure, I’ve had moments when things weren’t going the way that I wanted, but for the most part my life is good! I’ve been wondering lately if I’m just lucky or if there is something I’m doing that helps me love my life. What I’ve come up with is that yes, there has been a little luck involved (I was born in a free country during a time where modern day advances make so many things easier – think indoor plumbing, I’ve never had to fight for an education and my parents taught me to believe I could do anything I put my mind to, but the bigger impact has come from the questions I ask myself on a regular basis. I believe these questions are important to ask yourself everyday. On days when you love your life as well as on days when you don’t love your life.
So, what are these questions you might ask…well, they are the 3 questions that I ask myself every day and instead of keeping you in suspense, as I’m not one for drama, lets just cut to the chase.
- What is my life trying to teach me? When you go to bed each night, review your day. Think about the ups and the downs that occurred. Try looking at these moments as life lessons that are there to course correct you and show you the way to loving your life. One of my favorite shirts that I own right now says, “Do More of What Makes You Happy”. What makes you happy? What was it about the “ups” in your day that felt right to you? How can you bring more of that into other situations? For example, I find I’m happier when I’m outside, which is why you will often find me sitting on my back porch with my computer instead of inside at my desk. This is especially helpful when the computer work is something I’m not looking forward to. What was it about the “downs” in your day? What are they trying to teach you? Are there relationships that need more boundaries? Are you trying to go it alone when you really should be asking for help? Is it time to let something go that you’ve been holding onto? Be curious and then wait. The answers will rise up to meet the question.
- What am I pretending not to know? I believe we all have an inner knowing. Oftentimes we don’t like what that voice inside of us is saying, so we ignore it. Oprah Winfrey says, “Difficulties come when you don’t pay attention to life’s whisper. Life always whispers to you first, but if you ignore the whisper, sooner or later you’ll get a scream.” Learn to listen to the whispers. It makes life so much easier! I find this question helps me access the whisper. I encourage you to give it a try. What are you pretending not to know?
- What can I do differently tomorrow? This question is about knowing that everyday is a new day and it gives you the opportunity to be something different than you were yesterday; to do something different that you did yesterday. At my core, I believe that life is both a classroom and a laboratory. As soon as I learn that something isn’t working, I go into my life and start experimenting. I set different intentions. I try something new. Albert Einstein says the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Stop the insanity! If your life isn’t working; if you aren’t loving your life, TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT! It doesn’t have to a big something. Little changes can have big effects especially when they are carried out consistently over a period of time.
If you are experiencing a challenging time in your life, why not give these questions a try. If you need a little extra help, look for someone that can help you figure out what is getting in the way of you loving your life. You deserve it! You deserve to love your life!
Do you love your life? As a certified professional coach since 2009, Laura Hall has been helping people just like you make changes in. As a mother of 2 girls, Laura has a special interest in coaching parents, so if you still have children living at home, ask Laura about her Wholehearted Parenting programs. Laura can be reached via email at [email protected] or feel free to visit her website HallCoaching.com
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by Carol deLaski | Jun 3, 2015 | Personal Development, Sandie Lynch
Hope is defined as a feeling that what is wanted can be had or achieved. Other definitions include…
to cherish a desire with anticipation
to desire with expectation of obtainment
to expect with confidence; trust
Typically when we use the word hope, we are talking about something we want to happen but there may be some varying level of doubt associated with it. We may not be 100% sure it will happen, right?
In certain aspects of life, we have greater hope for things to happen than we do in other areas. What causes the differences? Also, some individuals seem to embrace hope more readily than others. What may be some of the reasons for this? Is it experience, observation of others’ results and outcomes, or maybe even deep seated beliefs to bend one way or the other?
How do you find and build hope in your life? If you want some suggestions below are 10 steps to build and stay the course toward building hope and loving yourself healthy.
10 Steps to Build a Road to Hope
1. Acknowledge where you are and what may have been contributors to the situation.
2. Give yourself and maybe others in your life grace and forgiveness. We can’t change the past only our future.
3. Examine the contributors to the situation and choose the one you have control over and are willing to take responsibility to change.
4. Do research: read books, google, ask others what are some alternatives to get started on this one thing?
5. Pray for the Power of God to assist you with what you need! He already knows and will bring help when we ASK! Ask and you will receive!
6. Tell one or two people who you trust and know will be supportive, encouraging, and give a hand to lift you up when you stumble, because you will but the important part is to keep moving forward.
7. Live each day at a time and celebrate your successes. Note what didn’t work and make modifications and adjustments. It is a success to know what doesn’t work!
8. Remember, small changes make big differences.
9. Create a visual accountability monitoring tool that keeps your progress and accomplishments in front of you.
10. Along the way….Be Kind ALWAYS… to yourself, just as you would be to a friend asking for your help!
Here are some things to consider…
What is a situation in which you want to build hope?
What factors have contributed to the situation?
What is the one thing you are choosing to take responsibility to do differently?
Who will be your accountability partners?
When will you tell them and when will you get started on your Road to Hope?
We’d really love to hear your answers!
Whatever it is that you want to accomplish, hope is the first step in moving toward it! Grow your hope and keep moving…what you want will appear!
Written by Sandie Lynch MS, RDN, LDN, Registered Dietitian, Personal Trainer, and Wholistic Wellbeing Coach. Owner and CEO of ATP Consultants, LLC. Sharing 5 Key Principles to Attain Top Performance in living your best life at any age!
Check out ATP Fitness to “Kick-Start” your 2015. Learn, practice, and embrace the strategies that will build Wholistic Wellbeing for life!
Contact Sandie at [email protected] to find out more!
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