Running your own business definitely has its own choreography. Often it feels like two steps forward and one step back. That would be a cha-cha sort of.
However, there will be times when you will come to a full stop and you will need to get back to the basics, to reestablish your foundation. I think of it as going back to the ballet barre.
Goals and I have never really worked out. Resolutions last for a while and then… This year I am trying something different: New Year’s Verbs. These will be my lens for the year. Every opportunity will be evaluated through this filter.
Recently I have been giving my Acing the Interview talk around the Chicago area. There are few things more important in the job search process than practicing your interviewing skills. It really is true that you only get one chance to make a good first impression.
Competition is tough out there! There are lots of qualified candidates and you need to have your answers to the standard questions nailed down and in your back pocket.
While you can’t know all the questions you will be asked, you can prepare for the most common ones. Continue reading
This is the second Interview from the Other Side of the Desk. Have you ever wondered how you could increase your chances of making the cut and getting the interview? Sarah Thompson shared her process and best advice in this interview. There are definitely gold knowledge nuggets here!
Fall has been a flurry of activity and change here at Point A to Point B. September has, literally, flown by. As expected, things started to really pick up as everyone realized that summer was over and it was time to get back to work.
Moderating the “Marketing Magic” panel at the Chicago City Treasurer’s Small Business Entrepreneur Expo on October 4, 2013
My very popular friend Carol Roth was a little TOO popular and was accidentally booked to moderate two panels at the same time. She opted to keep the Shark Tank one, and I am stepping in to moderate Marketing Magic (1:45-2:30 PM). Being the editorial director for Carol’s award-winning blog, Business Unplugged, does have some privileges. This is an exciting, high-profile opportunity for me! Here is the expo link.
NEW – Interviews from the Other Side of the Desk
I will be posting another interview soon with my friend Sarah Thompson who will be explaining how she went through a recent hiring process – who made the cut and why, who she interviewed, etc. It will be an insider’s look at the hiring process. Continue reading
Have you been enjoying your summer? I sure have! It’s all about live music, picnics, and hanging out by the lake for me. What do you love most about the summer?
That said, I also have been booking a lot of speaking gigs, producing different kinds of content, and starting some new projects. Fall is going to be a HUGE push so stay tuned. And please let me know what you are working on. I am happy to help if I can.
NEW – Interviews from the Other Side of the Desk
I know that when I was looking for a job I always wanted to know what was going on in the HR recruiter or hiring manager’s head. (And so do my clients.) Here is the first of a series of audio and video interviews I will be doing – Other Side of the Desk: Julye Berry. Julye has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of the human resources function and gives the inside scoop on what not to do, and what a successful candidate should do when interviewing for a position. Continue reading
We are creating a new resource for job seekers and professionals in career transition. Interviews from the Other Side of the Desk will give you the inside scoop on what hiring managers and recruiters REALLY look for.
Even if you have “been there and done that,” these will serve as a great reminder of what you should and should not do. And that you only have one chance to make a good first impression.
This is the first of a series of audio and video interviews with HR professionals and hiring managers to help job search candidates understand how to Ace the Interview. Continue reading
Finding someone or some group to hold you accountable might be the best thing you can do for yourself. It is too easy to believe your own excuses for not getting something done. It is too easy for life to get in the way of you achieving your goals.
In the Best Year Ever! teleclass series we were all in different businesses and yet the issues we were facing were the same. We were able to learn from and support each other.
Making a decision and committing to actions to a group does dramatically increase the odds that you will actually do what you said you were going to do. Here is one example:
First day of my commitment for Best Year Ever was Wednesday, Jan. 17th. I did my 90 minutes of job-hunting, including finishing the cover letter to <company> (that had begun in draft form more then 10 days earlier, and lay dormant) and CV and sent off (among other tasks). Friday afternoon Jan 19th, the office manager called and booked me for a phone screen for a Community Manager position. It took ONE day to get active, and THREE days to get results… the first of many, I hope.
Off the Cliff – Is There a Net? Getting Your Business Started
Please join us for a lively discussion about how you can get past your blocks and actually START your business.
Catherine Morgan, the founder of Point A to Point B Transitions Inc., will be our presenter. In addition to being a business coach to consultants through her company, Catherine works with Carol Roth, the New York Times bestselling author of The Entrepreneur Equation, and manages Carol’s award-winning blog, Business Unplugged™.
You will learn some techniques for:
This will be a fun and interactive presentation suitable for anyone looking to start a business – or any existing business owner needing an energy boost. Continue reading
Whether you work with people in the same city or around the world, chances are that you are part of – or manage – virtual teams. Entrepreneurs, small business owners, and employees all will have instances where they work with people who are not physically in an office or building with them.
Virtual teams can be highly productive and effective if managed correctly. In this post for the TDS business blog, I share some tips from my experience and interview my client, Michael Sanders, of Legacy Solutions to get another perspective.
I think you will find the information in How to manage effective virtual teams timely and useful.