How to Use 15 Minutes and Make It Count

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1. Pray and/or meditate. Start or end your day with a fresh, new perspective on life. Gain clarity through prayer and meditation. Recognize that life is much bigger than the proverbial cubicle in which you live. 2. Have a heart-to-heart with your spouse, relative, or a friend. When was the last time you sat down with the television turned off and the laptop aside, and spoke to your spouse or friend with intimacy? Share what’s really on your heart and mind, and allow them to be open and honest … [Read more...]

Could Your Career Use a Dose of Wishful Thinking?

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Remember what happened when as a kid, you spotted a shooting star or the brightest one appearing in the night sky? What did you immediately do? Did you make a wish? Can you recall how devoted you were to that wish, often thinking of it weeks and weeks after the star had long disappeared? You imagined your wish as a future possibility. It was always crystal clear in your mind. And no one or nothing could deter you from believing that your wish would one day come true. Maybe you’ve matured … [Read more...]

How to Get the Most Out of Self-Help Books, Blogs & Other Published Works

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I read a lot of self-help books. By reading them, I always seem to find the practical advice, insight or inspiration I need to get me through a slump. (Check out my Suggested Reading list for recommendations.) It was my collection of self-help books that inspired me during difficult and challenging times at work, through job transitions and career changes. The self-help genre even served as the primary inspiration for my creating The Career Pioneer blog. I had gotten to a point where I … [Read more...]

“Failure Isn’t a Set-Back, It’s a Step Up.” Plus, Famous Quotes to Live By

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Don’t you just love great quotes? They’re motivational, thought-provoking, and often wise words to store in your brain for those rainy, discouraging days. I created the title quote myself after scourging the Internet for famous quotes to share with you all today. Do quotes encourage you too? What quotes have inspired you to: Take Chances? Rise above the level of mediocrity? Tap into self-belief? Muster courage? Demolish all excuses? Dream again? As I started to think about … [Read more...]

Going. Going. Going. STOP! Know When to Hang It Up and Recharge


I felt so tired this entire week. Literally, fatigued. I have my hand in different projects, including writing daily for this blog. On top of that, my teenage cousin is visiting me from the state of Georgia, so I’ve been trying to find ways to keep him entertained in my normally boring little world. If that’s not enough, I’m also caring for a sick little girl -- my daughter is fighting a cold with a nasty, runny nose, and has been extremely fussy.

 Needless to say, I was feeling pulled in so … [Read more...]

Your Level of Discipline Could Equal Your Aptitude for Success

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When I started this blog almost two weeks ago, I made a decision that I’d post at least one article a day for a certain period of time. It’s taken great discipline to come up with the story ideas, do the research to expand on those ideas, and then to actually sit down and write. As you know, my posts in general are in the range of 500 to 1,200 words. So, writing to this extent on a daily basis, while juggling other responsibilities, is never easy. But, thankfully for me, it's fun! Plus, it … [Read more...]

“No Excuses,” I tell myself. “I’ll get started right away. . . But first, I need a nap.”

"No Excuses" Video

In a recent post, I briefly talked about some of the negative thinking and excuses we make. We allow these thoughts to swim through our heads, breeding fear and insecurity in our hearts and minds and keeping us from pursuing our dreams one hundred percent. Well, I stumbled upon this video on the internet today. Some of you may have already seen the year-old ad campaign. But even if you have, it serves as a great reminder that nothing is impossible for those of us who believe AND who also … [Read more...]

Loose Lips Sink Great Ideas: Flesh out your new venture before announcing it to the world

You CAN achieve Success!

One of my life-long goals is to write a book. There. I said it. I put it out into the world. There’s no turning back now. Have you done something similar to this lately (or ever)? Have you confided in someone (or several people), telling them of a future plan, project, or goal that you’ve wanted to accomplish, but have simply been too hesitant to jump into with full speed? Did you tell them irrationally, without any forethought or planning? Or did you take deliberate steps to announce your … [Read more...]

Is Your Past Dictating Your Future? Live Your Dreams Despite Your Past

I received in my inbox today a VERY ENCOURAGING message from someone I knew growing up. She doesn’t know that I’m using her as the inspiration for today’s post so in an effort to keep her identity anonymous, I will call her Lisa. Lisa has been following the blog since its inception. Which by the way hasn’t even been a week! So it’s nice to already have some loyal supporters. Thanks Lisa! In summary, she shared with me how she felt she made some less than positive choices growing up, … [Read more...]

How a Country Boy Achieved Success: Lessons from a Georgia Hog Farmer

Daddy About to Feed the Hogs in His Sunday Suit

As I sat and began thinking about my next blog post, so many ideas ran through my head. But then I started to really feel an urge to take you guys back a little bit. Take you back to that little girl who grew up on a farm in rural Southwest Georgia. As I share with you my ongoing journey to success and career fulfillment, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the people who’ve incredibly shaped my life into what it is today -- my dear mom and dad. For now, I’ll share about my dad. My parents both … [Read more...]

About

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Who in the world is Emily Brown? Welcome to The Career Pioneer dot com. I show professionals how to change careers, launch businesses, avoid stress and burnout, and gain more clarity on life. The short version My name is Emily Ann Brown. But you've probably figured that out by now. I work fulltime as a journalist. But in my free time (much of my free time, quite honestly) I blog about revolutionary ways to take your passion and ideas and make it reality. I'm going to jump right to the … [Read more...]