This question comes up often during fireside chats and interviews, and it was the final question I was asked during my keynote at the Sigma Kappa 2024 Convention a few months ago. Picture this: a room of 800 sorority sisters buzzing with energy and anticipation. The pressure was on to deliver something impactful that would resonate and make a difference. Three words came out of my mouth: Ditch the ladder.

Does your company offer Life Support? At Changemakers in 2024, I learned of a unique company benefit, Life Support, that enables employees to buy back their time by paying for things like house cleaning or grocery delivery.

As we enter the fall (and new school year!) and gear up for annual performance reviews, your compensation and a potential promotion may be top of mind. I want you to be able to go into these conversations knowing what you’re worth and ready to ask for what you deserve.

My advice to nail these sometimes tricky conversations? Be aware of the energy you bring into the room and have a thought-out plan.

Lately, so many people have been asking me if a book should be a part of their next chapter.

My answer is always YES! If—and this is a big if—their idea is actually a book.

And if it's not a book, that's totally ok. Maybe it's a podcast, or a Substack, or even a business. What really matters is that you know where you're going, and why.

Think it's too late to start a new career at 72? Think again!

Babs Costello did just that with her @brunchwithbabs lifestyle brand. In March 2020, at the age of 72, she posted her first TikTok (at the urging of her daughter Elizabeth Ariola), and four years later, she has over 8 million social media followers

Whether asking for more resources, presenting an update, negotiating, or giving employee feedback, storytelling can be a powerful tool.

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Leigh B. on 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵. We talked about what being BOLD means to each of us. For me, it means unabashedly going after something when you're not quite sure what the outcome will be.

Imagine your personal crisis revealing your most profound life mission.

This is what happened to Bonnie Wan, whose journey to writing her first—and now bestselling!—book began in the depths of a serious life shake-up.

How does motherhood affect ambition? Lindsey Stanberry led a powerhouse panel discussion with Erika Hanafin Feldhus, Hitha Palepu, L'Oreal Thompson Payton, and Liz Tenety on this topic at The Win Summit, and I wanted to share some of my favorite takeaways:

If you struggle with perfectionism (recovering perfectionist over here!), I recently read a brilliant tip from L'Oreal Thompson Payton, an author, journalist, and speaker, that I just had to share: schedule time to worry. This gem comes from her fantastic debut book, Stop Waiting for Perfect: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Into Your Power. I asked L’Oreal for permission to excerpt the part of her book where she elaborates on this, and she graciously agreed.

When I chat with students, I encourage them to raise their hands and not worry about overthinking every single word. Perfection isn't the goal here — it's about embracing your voice and letting your ideas flow naturally (flaws and all).

Every career has its seasons, and each season is wonderful in its own way. I've found that when I'm clear on which season I'm currently in, it's easier to set goals and priorities. Here's how I think about the seasons....which one are you in?

Thinking about changing jobs? My advice: unless you're working in a toxic environment, don't ditch your day job (just yet)!

One of the women shared that 2023 was a year of slowing down and practicing gentleness with herself. And because she gave herself this time, she entered 2024 feeling re-energized and with radical clarity about her next chapter.

Which do you think is more important as a leader — WHAT you achieve or HOW you get there? Throughout my career, I’ve found that while achieving goals and hitting metrics is undoubtedly important, the way we go about it — the 'how' we do it — may be even more important. The ‘how’ defines your team's culture and creates a space that people feel proud to be a part of.

Lately, so many people have been asking me if a book should be a part of their next chapter. My answer is always YES! If—and this is a big if—their idea is actually a book. And if it's not a book, that's totally ok. Maybe it's a podcast, or a Substack, or even a business. What really matters is that you know where you're going, and why. Because here's the thing: good ideas come and go, but book ideas are obsessions that just don't go away.

Why do so many women still subconsciously sabotage their own success by not speaking up? For one thing, women who do speak assertively are (unfortunately) often perceived as being overly aggressive or pushy — a double standard that makes it difficult for women to know how to voice their opinions without polarizing themselves from their peers. This goes back to a tendency to want to please others. Taking a stand will inevitably alienate someone — or so we assume — so instead we play it safe, act as people pleasers, and keep quiet.

I’ve been thinking a lot about mentorship lately and it struck me that being a good mentee actually takes just as much effort as being a good mentor! It's a two-way street, and both sides need to put in the work for the relationship to be successful.

Loving your career is hard to do if you’re not creating real value at work. Yet it’s easy to get consumed in our daily work and mile-long to-do lists. It happens to me all the time. And I often need to remind myself to stop and ask, “Is the work I’m doing creating real value for the company?” And by value, I mean the kind of value that is visible and people talk about. The kind of value that makes me proud and confident.

We all have an upper-limit problem that gets in the way of achieving our full potential. One of the ways that this manifests itself is through worry. Picture this: you’re feeling great about a project you just completed, the sun’s out, and you’re strolling along, feeling happy. And then suddenly, you start worrying about your daughter and whether she is making friends at school, and then it spirals into whether she will be lonely for the rest of her life. Sound familiar?