Success | The Career Pioneer | Motivation to help you change careers or start a business you'll love

Get What You Can, While You Can!

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of Ms. Amanda Lloyd -- my husband's grandmother. As funerals would go, it began and ended with a mostly somber and reflective undertone. Even though she reached 90 years of age, and had suffered from several medical issues in most recent years, it was still difficult to see her be laid to rest and to say "farewell," particularly among immediate family members. We had to travel about three hours to attend the funeral. As the day ended, my husband and I, along … [Read more...]

“What to Say When You Talk to Yourself” 

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When I first saw the above-mentioned title of a book about “powerful new techniques to program your potential for success,” I have to admit that I was a bit of a skeptic. The book was written by Shad Helmstetter, an acclaimed psychologist, who champions the idea that you can improve your outlook, focus your plans, and stay on top, in touch and going for your dreams and any other life aspirations, simply by reprogramming your thoughts. His strategy is simple: adopt techniques of what he … [Read more...]

Belief Is Just the Beginning 

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Courtesy of The Providence Effect/ Dinosaurs

Over the weekend, my husband and I went to the movie theater to watch the documentary The Providence Effect. The movie chronicles the journey of Paul J. Adams III, a black man with activist roots in the 1960’s civil rights movement, whose mission was to turn Providence St. Mel, located on Chicago’s west side, into a “first rank college preparatory school, and its African-American student body into a corps of driven, disciplined, high achieving students.” Inspiration It was inspiring to … [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...]

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...]

What’s Your Attitude? Is it Contagious? Or Does it Repel?

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Are you a movie buff? Or are you a sucker for a good action film or chick flick? My favorite types of movies are those based on real-life events. And although I realize Hollywood fictionalizes some aspect of the true story to enhance the film, I always get chills during the part of the movie when the protagonist experiences sudden revelation or insight. One of my favorite scenes that serves as an example of this, is in the movie Remember The Titans. In case you haven’t seen it, Titans … [Read more...]

Are You Driving Your Destiny? Or Is Something (Or Someone) Else?

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Growing up in Southwest Georgia, my family primarily used a riding lawnmower to cut the grass. Our yard was pretty large, and although my older brothers had at times mowed the lawn with a push mower, it was an obvious relief when they were old enough to use the riding version. As I grew older, my dad also allowed me to drive it in order to cut the grass. It was actually pretty fun and I enjoyed navigating up and down the yard, and maneuvering through bushes and underneath low tree … [Read more...]

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

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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...]

How to Upgrade Your Image & Gain More Respect (And Opportunities!)

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

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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...]

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

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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...]