Hi Friend,

If you’re part of the 52% of my audience that had today off then, right about now, you might be feeling the dread of the upcoming workweek hitting like a ton of bricks. Before we dive into strategies for facing that head-on, let’s take a beat to think about why many of us had today off.

Growing up, I didn’t celebrate Juneteenth. I actually wasn’t even aware of it. Juneteenth, now a federal holiday, honors the day in 1865 when enslaved black people in Texas, the last state to implement the Emancipation Proclamation decree, were declared free and today’s holiday is widely referred to as our country’s second independence day. It’s a huge milestone for our country in celebrating the transition from slavery to freedom yet something I wasn’t taught about in school or talked about in my household growing up. And I know that I’m not alone - only two years ago when this holiday gained federal recognition, a Gallup poll found that just 37% of American adults knew something about Juneteenth.

So even though I know I’m not alone in my ignorance, I still find myself feeling some shame that I didn’t learn about it sooner or even now, really know how to celebrate & honor today. And when I find myself feeling that shame like I was this morning, I remind myself that the best way to cope is to have grace with myself while making time to learn more about black history & how to be the best ally I can be. If you’re like me and feeling that same shame, I encourage you to do the same - it’s never too late to learn 🤓.

Now let’s chat about slayin’ those scaries…Monday edition.

Clarify 💡

For those that don’t know, my husband started a sports media company in the living room of our Denver apartment by just talking Yankees baseball with his college best friend over Zoom a few times a week. It’s grown significantly since then and with that growth, his audience has been asking when I would do a tell-all. Last week, I went for it & made my debut on my favorite show on his network, Girls & Co.

Amongst many topics, the conversation, highlighted in the clip below, centered on career fulfillment and how my non-linear path in life lined me up so well to do what I’m doing today:

Reflecting on the conversation since recording (full episode here), the theme that stuck out and has also been central in many of my client conversations this week is how difficult it is to understand mid-transition how your journey makes sense: whether it’s how skills translate across industries & job titles or how feeling stuck now will serve you later. As the saying goes - you often don’t see the forest for the trees when you’re in the middle of it all.

But practicing reflection, even if you’re in the middle of a big transition, is how you level up. So this week, I challenge you to take 10 minutes and jot down some ideas on how your last role prepared you for your current one. Or if you’re between roles, ask yourself: what do I want to take from my last role as preparation for what I do next? Your journey doesn’t need to be linear but only upon reflection can you fully make sense of it and be proactive in where you go next.

Connect 🤝

In addition to the podcast, last week I also hosted my first webinar From Laid Off to Leveled Up, and (spoiler alert) the last piece of advice I left attendees with is to seek community, especially when facing a big life transition like finding a new job. One of the ways I would like to help you build community is through a totally free online slack community I’m developing so…

If you’re interested to learn more of the advice I gave out, the next Laid Off to Leveled Up free webinar is next Tuesday, June 27th at 12p ET - even if you can’t make the session live, sign up so you can access the recording & more free resources.

Confidently Communicate 🗣️

Whether finding a new job or seeking promotion, career success if often connected with your ability to confidently communicate the intersection of what you care about, what you’re great at, and how you uniquely add value. In other words, personal branding is really important.

But even my most savvy PR friends don’t commit the same energy & time they give to their clients to how they present and promote themselves.

Whether it’s figuring out your personal brand and translating that to your LinkedIn profile & communication strategy or preparing you to tell your narrative and focus on your strengths for a job interview, I’m here to help.

Deep breaths & conquer the week 💪

Until next Sunday,