Professional Development

I recently worked with a 30-person information-technology firm based here in central Illinois to benchmark its compensation and time off package. Working on this project and needing to strike the right notes from a compensation perspective had me humming songs about money, like the Donna Summer classic, “She Works Hard for the Money.” Just for […]

My son signed up for track and field recently. Not to brag, but back in my day I anchored a state-qualifying, school-record-breaking 4×400-meter relay team. As my son lined up for his first attempt at the same race, I got to thinking about what it means to pass the baton. In today’s fast-paced and increasingly […]

I was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin. If you’ve been to Lambeau Field, you know that the energy of the crowd and the overall aura is unparalleled. If you sit down next to me at a Packers’ game wearing green and gold or with a big block of foam cheese on your head, it doesn’t […]

Flu season is upon us, but do you know what’s just as contagious as the flu? Motivation. A recent Johns Hopkins University study found that when we see other people challenging themselves and achieving “exceptional success,” we’re more likely to do the same. This is tied to motivation – when you see others do something, […]

In my son’s jiujitsu practice, coaches help competitors remain calm under pressure. In fact, emotional outbursts in a match result in disqualification. Once your emotions take over, you’ve lost the ability for rational problem-solving and decision-making. This is advice I’m leaning heavily into these days (takes deep breath). It seems like any conversation is just […]

I fancy myself a pretty funny person. In my house we don’t tell dad jokes; the punny zingers are usually delivered by mom and are met with exaggerated eye rolls (and for an especially good one, exasperated sighs) by my 12 and 14-year-old sons. I often use humor to lighten a tense mood, ensure others […]

Ever been on a bad first date? One where the person you were meeting didn’t look like their dating app picture, the conversation was awkward and you didn’t have anything in common? After two hours of fumbling your way through an uncomfortable dinner, would you want to go back to the dating app and repeat […]

Imagine building your small business over a period of 20 or 30 years of hard work, then, a few years ahead of your planned retirement, a health scare takes you away from work for several months. During your time away, your team doesn’t know how to handle all aspects of the business, customer service suffers […]

Did you know that 25% of the working-age population in the U.S. has some sort of disability? Or that 28% of adults in the U.S. have been impacted by the justice system with an arrest or criminal record? Did you know that almost 10% of Americans are connected to the military as active duty, veterans […]

Just the mention of the words –public speaking – can send shivers down the spines of even the most seasoned professionals. Whether it’s a presentation in front of colleagues, a pitch to potential clients or a keynote address at a conference, the ability to communicate effectively in front of an audience is a skill that […]

The phrase “networking event” sounds like a cringey waste of time, doesn’t it? Even as a verified extravert, the thought of talking to strangers and making meaningless conversation gives me a visceral reaction – pounding heart and sweaty palms as I imagine all of the awkward silences. At first, networking can seem intimidating, or at […]