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2020 Reflections: A Year We’ll Never Forget

December 31, 2020 by Kelly Nash 4 Comments

Every NYE, I like to take a moment to reflect on the year, to acknowledge my growth, to accept what didn’t go as planned, and to appreciate the life I am creating. I like to write these in my journal, as well as post them to the blog (as I did in my 2019 and 2018 recaps). These are some of my favorite posts to write. This year though, I went back and forth as to if I still wanted to share a recap on L&I given how intense this year has been. 2020 was taxing for so many and I wanted to be sensitive to that, especially when the end of the year recaps can cross into “look at me!” territory. But I sincerely believe reflection is a key piece to personal growth. 

It was a challenging and rewarding year for me and I asked myself why wouldn’t I want to write about it and share it with my community? This year was beyond any that we’ve experienced and will certainly be one that we’ll never forget. Despite how challenging 2020 has been, I do believe this year taught us unforgettable lessons that we will take with us for the rest of our lifetimes. And I wanted to make sure I documented all of mine so I can look back on this time when it’s just a distant memory (I know we’re all waiting for that day to come). Through my reflections, I realized I learned a lot about myself. The progress I made alone is reason enough to celebrate.

So with that, below are my ups and downs of 2020.

Kelly stands in front of Maine's legendary light house.

What Went Well

All things considered this year, I feel incredibly grateful. And despite everything that 2020 threw my way, I sought out opportunities to grow, to learn, and to just be. 

I had my best professional year yet.

I received a promotion at the beginning of the year, something I had been working on for the last two and a half years. I started a new role within Customer Success, where I helped to build a new team within Salesforce focused on our data and identity products. My new role and team enabled me to meet and work with more people within my company. I joined a mentor circle where I was able to get exposure to leaders and work on my professional development. I was nominated by my manager to lead a workstream for my team and was recognized for my work on key strategic accounts. I went through enablement on two new product technologies at Salesforce, to boost my product expertise and become a more well-rounded marketing tech specialist.

With Lipstick & Ink, building my thought leadership in the career space was a goal of mine, and looked for more speaking and publishing opportunities. I pushed through my fear of public speaking, hosting #IamRemarkable workshops and speaking on 3 podcasts (thank you to SheFactor, Six Degrees Society, and OneHive) and at 7 virtual events (thank you to General Assembly, ALV Coaching, ChickTech, Young Professionals Connection, Potter and Clay, Renessa Boley Layne, and VCV). On top of that, I also secured my first paid speaking gig which was extremely exciting. I was published on Thrive Global and was featured in the Chicago Tribune and the Non-Fiction Author’s Association. 

I soft-launched L&I’s career advising services, offering my expertise with resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn reviews/re-writes. Thank you to the 13 incredible people who trusted me in helping them with their resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles to ensure they stood out in a competitive job market. I also was selected to be a part of ALV Coaching’s COVID Coalition, where I volunteered my time to those impacted by COVID job furloughs and layoffs. I helped to critique resumes and help individuals prepare for upcoming interviews.

I began my journey as an aspiring author.

Writing a book has been a lifelong dream of mine and I committed in 2020 to make it happen. While I didn’t finish the manuscript as I had hoped (because #2020), I still am proud of the progress I made. I outlined and outlined some more to get my book in a good place for when the writing time came. I officially started writing and completed 4 of my chapters. I hired a book coach and cover illustrator, to help me make my book the best it can be. I uncomfortably put myself out there, sharing the idea and mission behind the book, as well as all of the behind the scenes (which isn’t always sunshine and rainbows). 

I was fortunate enough to travel.

I traveled to Rwanda with Venture2Impact luckily before the borders closed to teach beneficiaries English, computer skills, and entrepreneurial lessons. It was an eye-opening and impactful experience for me, especially traveling alone to a new and foreign continent. While I had gone there to teach, it was the Rwandans who ended up teaching me. I learned a lot from them, especially about confidence, kindness, and gratitude.

Kelly stands with her co-workers in Rwanda.

I was also able to travel with Adam, which is one of our favorite things to do together. We went to St. Lucia before the pandemic and then safely traveled to Denver, Mackinac Island, and the East Coast (NY, VT, NH, ME, and MA) throughout the year.

Adam and Kelly at the Von Trapp Family Lodge

I got in touch with my spiritual side.

I had sessions with an astrologer/human design expert, two mediums, a shaman, an enneagram consultant, and a past life psychic. All of these sessions taught me more about myself, the path that I’m on, and what I’m destined for. It was the best kind of clarity that I needed during such a confusing and overwhelming year. I finally got into a better groove with meditation (something I struggled with for years to get into) and realized how much I love going for walks and doing restorative yoga to calm my mind and rampant anxiety. I made every effort this year to prioritize my mental health and listen to my body, especially when I needed to rest. 

What Didn’t Go So Well

My work-life balance became unbalanced.

When I started my new role in March, I had no idea what I was doing. I mean, that’s typical with any new role that we start. But I was the only one on my team that didn’t live on the west or east coast, so I was already navigating new territory alone. Once the lockdowns happened and I began working from home full-time, I immediately became overwhelmed. I was trying to figure out my place on my team and in my new organization that I had no experience in. I put an undue amount of pressure on myself to excel. I coped with the uncertainty and loss of normalcy of the pandemic by throwing myself into work, working 12 hour days with no sense of boundaries. After three months of that nonsense, I took control of the situation, being upfront with my manager about my workload and getting permission to decline meetings out of my working hours. This year above any others, I learned the importance of establishing boundaries to protect my energy and my work-life balance.

COVID-19 had personal effects on my family.

Someone extremely close to me (I don’t want to say who because I’m not sure she is okay with me sharing) ended up contracting COVID-19 in March, one of the first early cases. She had flu-like symptoms but ultimately had alarming lingering effects of the virus through nearly August, even having to see a respiratory therapist and do breathing exercises every day. The ‘long-hauler’ effects have cropped up again and she is now facing a number of symptoms that she cannot shake. She is one of the healthiest people I know, so we’re all baffled by how this is affecting her, including her doctors. No one can explain why this is happening and why all of her tests have come back normal. Watching a loved one go through this has been gut-wrenching, especially when you know there’s nothing you can do.

I lost my confidence.

Just recently, I hit a wall while writing my book. I became frozen in self-doubt and my inner critic came rushing in with thoughts: Your stories are trivial. You’re talking too much about yourself. No one cares. Your writing sucks. This book will never meet your expectations. Why are you even writing a book? I could go on and on about what’s been on repeat through my mind these last few weeks. It’s paralyzing and makes me want to give up so I can be free from this mental rollercoaster. I’m trying to remember my ‘why’ and counter my inner critic, telling myself that my story can positively impact others, even if it’s just one person. I’m hoping by mentally working through this, I can have a resurgence of my creativity and determination to keep writing.

What I Learned

Racism still exists.

I was deeply affected by George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery’s deaths this year (among so many others) and the respective awareness of racial injustice in our country. My company did a phenomenal job ensuring there was an open dialogue, resources, and emphasis on what people of color especially have been going through. I took part in as much as I could, listening and digesting. Through that exposure and delving into my own research, I learned just how difficult and unjust it can be being a person of color in America. I was honestly so disappointed with myself that I had been oblivious to it for so long. But no more. I acknowledged racism and shared my thoughts and feelings about it, even though I was incredibly uncomfortable in doing so, afraid to say the ‘wrong’ thing. But I realized that saying nothing is worse than saying something incorrectly. I created a healthy dialogue with friends and acquaintances about it, listening, and learning their perspectives. I made a vow to myself to stay woke and continue my own personal work of what I can do to ensure a more equal and equitable environment in my own community.

Black Lives Matter

Photo courtesy of Isabel Liang, The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc.

I’m done with busy-ness.

I am the type of person who always has a never-ending to-do list and a calendar packed full of meetings and events. Before the pandemic really got bad, I was dreading the month of March because I had so much on my plate that I had committed to. After everything began getting postponed and canceled, I felt a sense of relief. That’s when I knew I had to start setting better boundaries for myself and saying no to the things that don’t feel like a ‘hell yes.’

Kelly cheers with a glass of wine

Nature is my medicine.

Nature calms me in a way nothing else can. I learned this starting with my walks during the lockdown and discovering a nature path a mere mile from my condo. As the weather warmed, I made every effort to get outside because I started to notice the positive effects it had on me. Adam’s and my road trip out east taught me that there is a direct correlation between being in nature and my anxiety decreasing. Since I learned that, I’m taking that with me into 2021 and ensuring that I incorporate the great outdoors into my daily life, even if that means just a stroll through my neighborhood!

Kelly stands at the top of the Stowe Pinnacle trail.

Family ancestry is so freaking cool.

I loved delving into my family ancestry this year. Through speaking to some of my aunts and doing my own family tree, I discovered the Nash side of my family came to America in the 1600s, founding New Haven, CT, and settling down on the east coast. When Adam and I decided to take our road trip out east in the fall, I wanted to make a few pit stops to explore my heritage. We were able to find a graveyard dating back to the 1600s where many of my ancestors were buried. We also drove on Nash Hill Road in Massachusetts, where my ancestors lived during the 1700-1900s. This schoolhouse was on that road, across the street from two houses my ancestors lived in (that are still standing/being lived in today!). Peering inside the schoolhouse, it looked like no one had ever left. There were old desks, chalkboards, and posters hung on the wall. It was one of the coolest parts of our trip!

Kelly stands in front of Nash Hill Schoolhouse in Williamsburg, MA.

I can’t always be in control.

I am a control freak. I hated admitting it in the past, but now I own it. It’s part of who I am. I like to be in control of situations and always know what’s coming so I can be fully prepared. 2020 didn’t give me – or anyone for that matter – a heads up on what was coming. Needless to say, I felt completely out of control when the pandemic hit and was wrapped up in my anxiety due to the uncertainty. If this year has taught me anything, it’s that there are always going to be things I can’t control – but I can control the way I react to them. 

How much I miss hugging.

Hugging and spending quality time with loved ones are things I definitely will not take for granted moving forward. I miss everyone and cannot wait for the day where we can safely and lovingly hug each other again.

Wishing you a healthy, safe, and prosperous new year, filled with lots of hugs!!

Pink lipstick stain

Kelly, Founder of Lipstick & Ink
Kelly Nash

Kelly Nash is a Chicago-based writer, speaker, career advisor, and founder of Lipstick & Ink®. In addition, she works full-time in technology as a Success Manager at Salesforce and has over 10 years of digital marketing experience. Kelly has been featured in Thrive Global, International Association of Women, General Assembly, Salesforce, SheFactor, and Six Degrees Society. She is also in the process of writing her first book.

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Filed Under: thoughts, life Tagged With: life, life changes, personal thoughts, reflections

About Kelly Nash

Kelly Nash is a Chicago-based writer, speaker, career advisor, and founder of Lipstick & Ink®. In addition, she works full-time in technology as a Success Manager at Salesforce and has over 10 years of digital marketing experience. Kelly has been featured in Thrive Global, International Association of Women, General Assembly, Salesforce, SheFactor, and Six Degrees Society. She is also in the process of writing her first book.

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Comments

  1. Jenna says

    December 31, 2020 at 6:39 pm

    Loved everything about this of course! You’re such an amazing writer and I truly hope you push forward with your book. Life has many obstacles that get in the way, but it’s what we do with those obstacles that actually creates the life we deserve 💕 Happy New Year 🎉🍾

    Reply
    • Kelly Nash says

      January 2, 2021 at 12:23 pm

      Thanks so much, Jenna! I really appreciate the love. Happy New Year!

      Reply
  2. Jill says

    January 23, 2021 at 2:58 pm

    Kelly: With so many people focusing on negativity and what has been lost it is nice to see the positives. Keep working on your book and if you have those moments of self doubt pick up the phone and call me-I’ll be your cheer leader!

    Reply
    • Kelly Nash says

      January 23, 2021 at 4:06 pm

      Aww, thank you for reading! That means a lot and I appreciate you leaving me a comment with your support too! I need all the cheerleaders I can get 🙂

      Reply

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HI THERE!

Kelly, Founder of Lipstick & Ink

Welcome to Lipstick & Ink®, your home for everything career, wellness and #realtalk inspired. I’m Kelly, a Chicago-based advertising tech professional, career advisor, writer, speaker, events host, and goal getter.

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Kelly💋 Career Advisor & Writer
I don’t know about you, but I have some 𝘴𝘱 I don’t know about you, but I have some 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 in my step this month. The last few months were a different story. It was like 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚎, day after day. Between the dreary Chi weather, starting a new role at work, watching mass shootings and anti-Asian hate in horror, all while in my condo with nowhere to go but the grocery store, it was feeling bleak. 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗.
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In the last week or so, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍. With warmer & lighter days, vaccine rollouts, & vacations around the corner, things are looking up. 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎, 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜:⠀
♡ 𝗜’𝗺 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 - My mojo is BACK & I’m feeling so good about how my book is turning out.⠀
♡ 𝗜’𝗺 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 (𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻) - Being in a new role for a few months, I’ve realized it’s not a good fit long-term. I was fortunate to discover a role opening that’s better suited for me that I'm now interviewing for.⠀
♡ 𝗜’𝗺 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 - @ajayvedo and I were so cautious this last year and rarely saw family & friends. I didn’t realize how much I missed that quality time until I hugged my parents sans masks. I can't wait to spend time with people again, especially my sister @knash27, who I haven’t seen in almost a year 1/2.⠀
♡ 𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 - Adam & I will be vaccinated this month and have 2 trips planned, both involving the beach! I can’t wait to feel the sand between my toes and sun on my skin. Being in nature is my mental cure and I already know changing my scenery & being outside more will be good for my soul.
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One day, 𝘪𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴.  Even in the most hopeless of days, with time, things turn around. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚜. 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚋𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜. 𝚂𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑, 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜, 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗💋
During the first job of my career, I convinced mys During the first job of my career, I convinced myself that because I was at the bottom of the ladder, 𝒎𝒚 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. . Because of that, I remained timid at work, kept my head down and did what was expected of me. When I started my job at Salesforce nearly 7 years ago, I recognized that I was a small fish in a very large pond. Because of that, I accepted that I’d 𝑰’𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕.
⠀
Here's the thing though: I was wrong in both scenarios. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it's that despite your job title, despite your years of experience and despite how big your company is, you can build and exude influence. You can make an impact on your team, your organization, and your company. Swipe to find out how and save this post as a reminder that 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚💋
Whether you’re new around here or not, on this # Whether you’re new around here or not, on this #workingwomanwednesday (is that a thing?), I wanted to introduce myself & share a bit about me & the mission behind L&I!
⠀
◉ I'm Kelly, 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲. I grew up in the north Chicago burbs, went to college at U of I (𝘐-𝘓-𝘓!), and have lived in #Chicity the last 9 years
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◉ I started my career in advertising but transitioned to tech 7 years ago when I landed a job at 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚, where I currently work today in Customer Success
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◉ After years of happily & successfully building my career, 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 2018 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 - 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨. I had an awakening that I wasn't being true to who I was. I had always considered myself a writer, but as I entered adulthood, I suppressed that part of me due to fear & self-doubt. By doing that, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. It was then that I decided to start L&I, not only to resurrect my writing, but to make an impact (𝙸'𝚖 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚢 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚢!)
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◉ I started L&I with a mission to help women 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 & 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 so they can advance & drive impact in the workplace and beyond. With everything I do, 𝗺𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲
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◉ L&I consists of the blog where I write career, wellness, & #realtalk content, a monthly newsletter, virtual and in-person events, as well as career services, which consists of resume & cover letter reviews/rewrites, LinkedIn reviews, & career chats
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My hope is you think of L&I any time you're looking for career advice, direction, or motivation because I am here in your corner, cheering you on. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿💋
If you’re looking to land a promotion, obtain a If you’re looking to land a promotion, obtain a new job, or get noticed by leadership, then 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸! Keeping a record of this information is critical to growing your career.
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𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙠! I have a free template you can download on thelipstickandink.com, found via the link in my bio under 𝚁𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚜. This worksheet is ideal for professionals who work with clients and on specific projects. However, the template can easily be modified to adapt to the work that you do.
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I recommend updating this worksheet on a consistent basis and doing so immediately when you acknowledge your accomplishments or receive positive feedback.
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Have a great weekend!💋
𝙇𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙇𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙥. Today is #EqualPayDay, marking the day into the year the average woman must work to be paid what the average white man was paid the previous year. Aka - it takes us 𝟏𝟓 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬.
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The gender pay gap now stands at 18% globally, meaning women earn an average of 82% of what men earn. For women of color and women with children, the difference is even greater. At this rate, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝟮𝟱𝟬+ 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report. 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑼𝒏𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔.
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So what can we individually do to ensure equal pay? ⠀
$ 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻: The pay gap typically gets wider as women get older. Part of that is due to what is called “motherhood penalty” that proves being a mother leads to discrimination in the workplace. (The pandemic has amplified this as women have left the workforce 4x higher than men.) ⠀
$𝗕𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲: Realize you hold the power in your career trajectory. Don’t put off asking for a promotion and raise, especially when you’ve taken on additional responsibilities or it’s been awhile since you last received one. Plant the seed early on and discuss your aspirations with your manager. ⠀
$𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵: Find your market value based on your role, location, and years of experience by researching on sites like Glassdoor.com. If you’re feeling bold, ask your coworkers if they’re willing to share their pay so you can check for parity. ⠀
$𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 & 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: Always negotiate your pay. As I always say, it never hurts to ask!! Bring facts to the table & quantify your work to showcase your value and make your case.
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Remember to always know your worth & speak up for yourself💋
When I first started my career, I remember being t When I first started my career, I remember being told to '𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭,' make my social media profiles private, and leave my emotions at the office front door. I listened and abided by that for a number of years, 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀.
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After a few years, I said enough was enough. I didn't like that I wasn't being authentic to who I really was. The person I was at work didn't need to be any different from who I was outside of the office. Little by little, I began taking "risks:"⠀
✔ giving my resume and LinkedIn some personality⠀
✔ starting L&I and sharing about it in career settings⠀
✔ speaking my truth and not being afraid to speak up⠀
✔ not sitting in silence at the beginning of calls and asking attendees questions⠀
✔ showing my emotions and sharing how I'm feeling
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And little by little, I learned that 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿. Simply being myself and putting it out there ultimately led to new connections, deeper relationships, increased visibility, and more leadership opportunities - all of which are crucial to growing in your career.
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𝙎𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 - 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 - 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧. You'll be surprised as to what happens when you do💋
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