4 Reasons You Lost Your Mojo and How to Get it Back

Photo Credit: Frugivore Magazine



Recently, I've had several conversations with close friends about the trajectory of our careers.

 Where is this thing going? Have we taken a backseat or are we at the helm, gearing up for greater successes and career advancement? Here's my story (and I'd venture to say, that of many other women)…

 Since having my second child, things have taken a turn, maybe even a slump. I'll be honest, kids change things. Especially for women. This revelation is nothing new, of course. A search for … [Read more...]

Conquer Self-Doubt and Embrace Success

Courtesy of The Providence Effect/ Dinosaurs

If you could speak to your 30-year-old self with the knowledge you have today, what would you say? That was the question that led Joyce Roche to write a deeply personal memoir entitled, The Empress Has No Clothes: Conquering Self-Doubt to Embrace Success (BK Business). What would she have told her younger self? That she had earned her spot and deserved success, she says. Back then -- as a young professional moving up the corporate ladder, oftentimes in predominantly male environments … [Read more...]

What I learned at the Kingonomics Conference

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I spent the better part of my son's first birthday at the Kingonomics Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Investment & Crowdfunding Conference. Was it worth it? In a word, yes. Kingonomics was held this year on the anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom, 50 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The two-day conference aims to bring together aspiring innovators, entrepreneurs, … [Read more...]

Identify Your Why & Find Your Soul

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People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've gotten back the chest X ray and it doesn't look so good, or when the doctor writes "prognosis, poor." Here is my resume. It's not what my professional bio says, proud as I am of all that: I am a good mother to three good children. I have tried never to let my profession stand … [Read more...]

From rival to relationship: How to foster collaboration among women

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Lately, Tina dreads going to the office. Her two coworkers, who are both female and also in their early 30s, seem to have something against her. While working on high-profile projects that require close collaboration, the pair always find a way to edge Tina out -- partly out of spite, and at times so that they can steal the limelight. When Tina comes around, the chatter and giggles between the two stops, leaving Tina only to assume they were talking behind her back. 

"What's with these … [Read more...]

[Podcast] The Society for Professional Women of Color

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Skip the synopsis below and click to listen right now! Career Pioneer Podcast | Society for Professional Women of Color Jocelyn Tejeda and Sherry Williams, the founders of The Society for Professional Women of Color, recently talked to The Career Pioneer about how they got their start, and what led the duo to launch a professional network for women of color in 2011. We ended up having a very robust and fun convo about what it takes to be an entrepreneur today and the work ethic involved. We … [Read more...]

Making a Comeback | My Journey Thru Illness

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I have been sooo missing in action for the past couple of years, only posting a few times throughout the year and most of those posts were contributed by guest bloggers. For this reason, I want to say thank you for being such loyal followers. Your support is much appreciated. Honestly, I am truly humbled. 

I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. Have I groveled enough? OK, good, because things are about to take a turn for the better. This kid has decided to make a comeback. … [Read more...]

Five Tips for First-Year Freelancers

Today's guest post comes from Mark James at Crunch Accounting, a UK based online accountancy firm. Thanks, Mark, for providing such sage advice for beginning freelancers and small business owners! If YOU have any advice, please share in the comments below. Enjoy Career Pioneers... Contrary to popular opinion – that we’re late risers, work little and work solely in our underwear – in reality a freelancer’s life can be pretty tough. Especially early on. Many lack clients, contacts and … [Read more...]

Changing careers doesn’t have to be scary

Today's guest post is written by Marie Buckner, who made a career change after working in accounting for 20 years. Here's her advice: Changing careers can seem daunting, but I have done it and found it less frustrating and scary than I thought. I was holding down a position at the time and did not let anyone know about my desired career change. Remember that saying "loose lips sink ships." I say that you never know if your private conversations will reach higher-ups in your firm, who may fire … [Read more...]

The Power of Paying Your Dues

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

During my baby shower yesterday (yep, I'm expecting baby number two in August), a good friend and I started talking about where we had previously lived several years ago. Together with three other friends, who were all either in college or barely trying to make ends meet in our newborn professions, we shared an old rowhouse near the iconic neighborhood of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. That's right about where the glamor associated with that house starts and stops. And you'll soon … [Read more...]

How to Find the Perfect Professional Mentor

Today's Guest Post is courtesy of Melissa Crossman, a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area with her two dogs. She writes extensively about education and technology and blogs on behalf of American InterContinental University. The Importance of Finding a Mentor In a competitive job market, working with a mentor can mean the difference between struggling to get hired and moving swiftly through the ranks of a prestigious company. Mentors can prepare you for the … [Read more...]

The Benefits of Being Shy

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Are there benefits of being shy? Let's talk about it... I was quite shy as a little girl, and that certainly didn't change as I got older. I could easily spend hours upon hours in my room playing "pretend" in the company of my dolls and teddy bears. As an adult, I preferred a movie outing alone rather than dinner with friends. As a kid, I think a lot of people took my shyness as weakness. In fact, most people thought of me as the "sweet little girl." But I'll have you know that I got into a … [Read more...]

Break Through Barriers In Career, Business (And Everywhere Else in Your Life)

REEL Breaking Through Barriers

Happy New Year, friends! I hope this year is starting off well for you. It's certainly been an eventful transition for me. Like a lot of you, I've been examining my personal and professional life, trying to figure out how I can take things to another level in some areas of my life while maintaining other areas without driving myself into the ground. That said, one of the things that I'm resolved to commit to this year is Balance. Last year was a milestone year for me: I turned the big … [Read more...]