Rejuvenate Your Job Search

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New Year's Resolutions For Job Seekers I'm not generally someone who believes strongly in creating New Year's Resolutions. They're mostly rooted in lofty thinking and, for much of the population, are very rarely based on definitive plans.  I do recommend, however, using the start of a new year as an opportunity to explore your accomplishments from the previous one, and consider what your life could look like in the days ahead. In lieu of the new year, (and for those die-hard resolutions … [Read more...]

The Working Mom’s (and Dad’s) Dilemma


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Today, I received in my email inbox what was practically a cry for help. The author of the email (who will remain nameless) desperately needed some advice on whether to leave a lucrative, relatively stable job working for the federal government, in exchange for staying at home with her four beautiful children (including a newborn). As a brand new mom myself, I could certainly understand her dilemma, which I have shared here  previously at TheCareerPioneer.com. With just one month remaining … [Read more...]

Don’t Give Your Employer Too Much Power: Generate Multiple Streams of Income

Courtesy of Dreamstime

I recently had a revelation about the importance of generating multiple streams of income -- repairs to the house needed to be made, the mortgage was looming, the credit card bill mounting, and I could’ve really used the extra (unexpected) dough. Since I’m not really a lottery player , I realized the next best solution to building wealth is to start thinking of ways in which I could start earning more cash by diversifying what I do professionally, how I do it and whom I do it for. NOTE: … [Read more...]

Are Your Talents Wage-Worthy?

Courtesy of Dreamstime

What’s your secret talent? Are you an excellent writer? Do you make a killer cheesecake? As a parent or concerned citizen, have you raised funds for your local school that exceeded everyone’s expectations? Can you stitch a new garment out of an old tapestry that could rival that of any leading designer? Are you well-oiled machine when it comes to planning birthday parties and annual gatherings for yourself, family and friends? Up until now, have you done all of this for free, even … [Read more...]

Top 10 Do’s to Turning Your Passion Into a Dream Career

Courtesy of Dreamstime

Last year, I quit my full-time job to stay at home with my daughter, rather than put her in daycare. I knew, within the first couple of months, that I didn't want to just sit around watching soap operas and court shows while eating bon-bons as she took her naps. (In a previous post, I explained how my daughter spent the first couple of months of her life in the NICU. During that time, I was home without the baby and had lots of time to think when I wasn't sleeping or pumping.) I needed … [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...]

Discovering My Career Path: Confessions of a Self-Help Junkie

Growing up in a tiny town in Southwest Georgia, I knew that I was destined to help people live more fulfilling lives. I also knew that I wanted to write in some capacity as a profession. That’s why when I graduated with a journalism degree in 2005, I decided to start a career as a health reporter at Bloomberg News in Washington, DC. As a journalist, I became the authority on various topics of health and science, disseminating information that I hoped helped people make better, more informed … [Read more...]