Hello Reader, I recently posted a question on LinkedIn that sparked a very spirited conversation. Is calling someone unexpectedly bad etiquette? Almost 30% of respondents said yes. And the comments were even more telling. A significant number of people said absolutely. Don't call without warning. One CEO put it bluntly: "I think it's super rude to think work people can just drop everything to answer your call." I pushed back, gently. Because rude implies bad intent. And most people calling...
11 days ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, Since launching my latest podcast episode on ghosting, I've had a number of people reach out to talk with me about this exact topic. One of them was a business leader who landed a massive client early in her company's life. Within months, the workload was so intense she'd hired a handful of contractors just to keep up. But she wasn't prospecting or diversifying - she was all-in on this one client because they demanded all-in attention. And then one day, mid-project, the manager...
18 days ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, I'll be the first to admit it: I am probably the last person you'd picture courtside or in the bleachers. I'm an arts person. Give me a gallery opening, a theatre performance, live music - and I am completely in my element. And yet, one of my most memorable professional evenings happened at a hockey game. When I was invited to sit on the Rogers Communications President's Advisory Board a few years ago, they treated us to an evening at the ACC (now Scotiabank Arena)....
25 days ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, This has been one of the busiest months I've had in a while. Instead of the typical newsletter, I want to fill you in on what's been happening. My Biggest Keynote Yet 1,000 CIBC professionals. In-person and online. One room. One message. This past Tuesday I delivered the largest keynote of my career. The talk was called "The Question You're Not Supposed to Ask (And How to Ask It Anyway)" - four words that either open a door or quietly close one in diverse, global workplaces, and...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, Ask a Baby Boomer what professionalism looks like, and they'll describe someone who arrives early, dresses formally, communicates through proper channels, and keeps personal opinions out of the workplace. Ask a Gen Z employee the same question, and you'll hear something entirely different - someone who is authentic, speaks up about values, responds fast on Slack, and doesn't hide behind corporate language. Neither answer is wrong. But when these definitions collide - and they...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, I was speaking with a senior leader recently - someone who manages a large, talented team - and she said something about her junior and mid-level staff that got me thinking. "They're good at their jobs. Really good. But the way they communicate makes me question their judgment." She wasn't talking about attitude. She wasn't talking about work ethic. She was talking about email. Specifically, the emails her junior colleagues were sending to clients, to executives, and to each...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, Recently, I was in a coaching session with a client who said something that gave me pause. "I'm just not great at playing the game." And she's watching all of it from the sidelines, feeling invisible. Here's what you need to know about her: she is sharp, hardworking, and deeply ambitious. She just happens to be introverted - and she was starting to wonder whether that meant she was permanently locked out of influence, opportunity, and advancement. I want to tell you what I told...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, I've been thinking a lot about my childhood lately. Our family is from the Caribbean, and growing up in a part of the world known for its warmth and hospitality isn't just a cultural detail - it's formative. It's literally in our blood to entertain, to host, to open our homes to others without a second thought. In our house, almost every meal meant setting the table - the only exception being the occasional bowl of cereal at breakfast. A meal was an occasion to be celebrated,...
2 months ago • 5 min read
Hello Reader, I have delivered variations of the same training many times over the course of my career. To students entering the workforce for the first time. To early and mid-career professionals trying to distinguish themselves. To entrepreneurs building their client base from scratch. To executives leading entire organizations. And across all of them - regardless of industry, seniority, or background - the same skill keeps surfacing as the most consistently overlooked one in the room. It's...
2 months ago • 5 min read