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Lipstick & Ink®

Career, Wellness & Empowerment

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career & business

Kelly sits holding a cup of coffee as she chats building and boosting your personal brand.

5 Steps to Build & Boost Your Personal Brand

Personal brand. It’s certainly an overused term, but it's definitely not overrated. Personal branding is more important than ever as it helps you to build ...
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Brittney Oliver crosses her arms in a yellow blazer.

Featuring Brittney Oliver: Content Strategist & Freelance Writer

Brittney Oliver is a Nashville-based career and lifestyle freelance writer and content strategist. Over the past three years, Brittney has built her platform, Lemons 2 ...
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Ashley Marie, Founder of B.T.R. Bar

Featuring Ashley Marie: Founder & Chief Snack Officer of B.T.R. Bar

Ashley Marie, a serial snacker since birth, is the Founder & Chief Snack Officer of B.T.R. Bar. Ashley started the company in honor of her ...
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Kelly writes down her to-do's, being more productive.

10 Tips to Be More Productive

I often get the question, “How do you do it all?” in regards to working a full-time job, managing Lipstick & Ink and my career ...
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Career Development Plan

Career Development Plan [Worksheet]

Creating a career development plan shows that you see your performance and personal development as a priority. L&I®'s Career Development Plan worksheet will allow you ...
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How to Stand Out in a Male-Dominated Workplace

4 Ways to Stand Out in a Male-Dominated Workplace

I work in a company that's 67% men and in the industry of tech that's dominated by men. Salesforce is committed to equality and growing ...
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6 Things to Do to Effectively Pitch Yourself in Any Situation

6 Things to Do to Effectively Pitch Yourself in Any Situation

When should you pitch yourself? When you really think about it, our lives are a series of opportunities to pitch. It could be the pitch ...
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Kelly Nash working on her side hustle.

7 Ways Your Side Hustle Can Supercharge Your Day Job

Nearly half of Americans have a side hustle today and 43% of those side hustlers work full-time jobs. There's no question that side hustles are ...
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The Ultimate Job Seeker Resource Guide

The Ultimate Job Seeker Resource Guide

Hey job seeker, I’m glad you’re here. I know how challenging it can be to start looking for a new job. It once took me ...
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Kelly brushes up on her thought leadership to stand out in the job market.

6 Ways to Stand Out in a Competitive Job Market

I graduated from college back in 2011, during the aftermath of the Great Recession. I knew then I needed to do my due diligence to ...
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Anina Monteforte

Featuring Anina Monteforte: World Traveler & Founder of The World Within Us

I met Anina Monteforte, world traveler, gender equality advocate, and Founder of The World Within Us, through another fellow Shine On feature, Abby Gibbons. And ...
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Women writing in notes about her cover letter.

A 6-Step Guide to Writing an Enticing Cover Letter

Are you fed up with spending hours struggling to write the perfect cover letter? It certainly can seem like an impossibly difficult thing to do ...
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Kelly shows off her personality

6 Ways to Show Your Personality at Work

When I first started my corporate career nearly a decade ago, I didn't feel like I could bring my full personality into work. The way ...
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Meet Shalane Walker.

Featuring Shalane Walker: Corporate Leader & DEI Advocate

I met Shalane at my first L&I event in late 2018. I connected with her right away because of our career background, as we both work ...
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Woman handshakes a man in the office.

The #1 Way to Fast-Track Your Career & How to Do It

Wanna get on the fast-track of your career? I’m going to let you in on a little secret. If you want to get noticed, rise ...
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Beth Levy - I Am the Hero of This Story

Featuring Beth Levy: Women’s Health Advocate & Fashion Entrepreneur

Beth Levy is the definition of badass. She’s a badass breast cancer fighter and survivor. She’s a badass advocate for women’s health. She’s a badass ...
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Kelly speaks at an event.

How to Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader

A few weeks ago, I joined a webinar put on by Charlene Walters and Entrepreneur about how to establish yourself as a thought leader. The ...
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Maureen Wright smiles on.

Featuring Maureen Wright: Wealth Advisor & Finance Blogger

Maureen Wright has always fancied herself as an educator. Maureen was an accounting and finance tutor in college and continues to educate her clients in ...
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Megan stands in front of Machu Picchu

Featuring Megan Zink: Marketing Strategist, Writer & Photographer

I first met Megan Zink through a mutual friend nearly two years ago. She and I immediately clicked and bonded over the fact that we ...
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Carla Jensen pauses to smile while signing her books.

Featuring Carla Gomes Jensen: Founder of Solarium Press & Children’s Book Author

Thanks to the close friendship of our husbands, Carla Gomes Jensen is a dear friend I've come to know and respect over the years. I've ...
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Abigal Gibbons, Founder of The AGC.

Featuring Abigail Gibbons: Natural-Born Connector & Founder of The AG Collective

Abigail Gibbons, recently referred to as “Lady Boss For the 20-Somethings,” is the founder of  The AG Collective (AGC), a social networking company advancing women ...
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Elaine Rau, Founder of LadyBossBlogger

Featuring Elaine Rau: CEO and Founder of Ladybossblogger.com

A former National Wedding Sales Manager, Elaine Rau unfortunately lost her brother-in-law, her job and her home all in one week. Stuck in a developing ...
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Home office desk

6 Ways To Show Up At Work As a Remote Employee

I currently work at Salesforce full-time and while I do have a designated desk in our Chicago office, I do consider myself a remote employee ...
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How to Master Self-Promotion at Work (Without Rubbing People the Wrong Way)

How to Master Self-Promotion at Work (Without Rubbing People the Wrong Way)

Ever wonder why you’re not being promoted or getting a raise even though you’re killing it at your job? It could be that you haven't ...
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Kelly documenting accomplishments & feedback

Record of Accomplishments and Feedback [Worksheet]

If you're looking to get noticed by leadership, land a promotion or accelerate your career, then you must document your accomplishments and feedback you receive ...
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7 Ways to Use LinkedIn to Your Advantage

7 Ways to Use LinkedIn to Your Advantage

Having a LinkedIn profile in today’s day and age is a must and is expected by employers, recruiters and professionals alike. It’s one of the ...
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Kelly shares how to establish influence in the workplace.

6 Ways to Build Influence at Your Company (Despite Your Job Title)

It can be easy to fall into the trap.  The trap where you believe that where you’re at in your career or what job title ...
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Featuring Lynn Greetis: STEMinist & Co-Founder of Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters

Featuring Lynn Greetis: STEMinist & Co-Founder of Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters

Lynn Greetis is the co-founder of Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters along with her husband, Alex Behrens. Not only does she own her own business, but ...
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How To Balance A Side Business While Working A Full-Time Job

How To Balance A Side Business While Working A Full-Time Job

I’ve genuinely enjoyed being a part of the corporate world and where my career path has taken me (let me just say that not all ...
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Kelly Nash sits on her outdoor couch clutching a pillow.

Learning That I Am Remarkable, And So Are You

I am remarkable. Say those words out loud – I am remarkable.  How does it make you feel? Do you feel empowered? Or do you ...
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Kelly lounges on her outdoor couch, taking a break from the work day, thanks to her flexible schedule.

Why A Flexible Schedule at Work Has Increased My Happiness

This post is sponsored by Tiesta Tea. All opinions are my own. Read my disclosure here. That work/life balance that everyone talked about for decades ...
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Notebook, computer, notebokok and a pen lay on a desk.

The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Your Resume [e-Book]

Are you ready to learn valuable tips and take action in crafting your resume? Whether your resume needs to be built from scratch or it ...
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Krystin poses outside with her sunglasses.

Featuring Krystin McDermott: Recruiting Expert & Job Matchmaker

I've known Krystin McDermott since high school and have been so impressed over the last few years specifically with the way she's risen through the ...
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Neha O'Rourke smiles while holding champagne.

Featuring Neha O’Rourke: Career Coach & Motivator

Neha O'Rourke and I met simply by chance towards the end of 2018, all thanks to a simple DM on the 'gram. When we officially ...
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Megha Hamal sits on a bright white couch.

Featuring Megha Hamal: Founder & CEO and Personal Branding Expert

I had the pleasure of meeting Megha Hamal at Cliquish's "Life's A Pitch" event this past January where she and I both sat on a ...
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Kelly stands in the alley of Hero Coffee.

7 Ways to Establish Your Personal Brand in the Workplace

In the last few years, the topic of having and establishing a personal brand has been much discussed. We keep reading and hearing in the ...
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Kelly Nash stands in front of the Chicago Board of Trade.

8 Qualities to Make a Powerful Impression in the Workplace

What are the qualities that make a powerful impression in the workplace? As businesswomen, we're consistently looking to make that memorable impression - whether it’s ...
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A woman hands over her business card.

4 Reasons Why You Need a Business Card

When’s the last time you passed out a business card? Or a better question, do you have a business card to pass out and share? ...
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Margot Craig stands in a European city.

Featuring Margot Craig: Financial Advisor at Paradigm Wealth Management

Margot Craig is someone I came to know by going to an event I almost didn't go to. My friend, Bettina, had asked me to ...
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Featuring Emily Merrell: Founder & CEO of Six Degrees Society

Featuring Emily Merrell: Founder & CEO of Six Degrees Society

I personally came to know who Emily Merrell is at one of her hosted events in Chicago last fall. I remember walking into the event, ...
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Kelly takes a moment to think about the career advice she'd give to her younger self.

Career Advice I’d Give to My Younger Self

If you could give career advice to your younger self, what words of wisdom would you give? Asking myself this question made me really think ...
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Lightbulb sits on a chalkboard.

Defining Success & What It Means to You

It wasn’t until I had a conversation with one of my oldest best friends over Thanksgiving that I really thought about the meaning of success ...
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Alyssa Bove shines in white.

Featuring Alyssa Bove: Owner & Designer of TrendingAbove

Alyssa Bove is such a ray of sunshine. I met her last year at a Chicago event and was immediately captivated not only by the ...
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Pen and paper are critical when setting goals.

Setting Goals + 5 Ways You Can Stick To Them

With a new year, comes new goals. And with each year, we set those goals for things related to our careers, our health, or our ...
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Courtney White, Founder & President of Culinary Care.

Featuring Courtney White: Founder & President of Culinary Care

I personally came across Courtney White and Culinary Care a few months back when I attended the organization's biggest charity event of the year in ...
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Featuring Candice Crane: Founder & CEO of Petal

Featuring Candice Crane: Founder & CEO of Petal

Candice Crane, Founder & CEO of Petal, a delicious rose-flavored water. She is supermom to her two rosy-cheeked girls, wife to her soulmate, and lady-boss in ...
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Kelly and Caroline have a conversation while Kelly hands over a business card.

How to Treat Social Events as Networking Opportunities

As the holidays approach, we can expect social get-togethers like friendsgivings, ugly sweater holiday parties, and even family gatherings. They are all chances to get ...
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Kenzie smiles amongst trees.

Featuring Kenzie Pittman: Body Positive Advocate & Blogger

I’ve known Kenzie for years because she’s one of my friend’s younger sister. However, I didn’t really get to know Kenzie personally until this year ...
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Leah Caplanis sits on an outdoor bench, promoting her brand, SOCIAL Sparkling Wine.

Featuring Leah Caplanis: CEO of SOCIAL Sparkling Wine

Leah Caplanis is the kind of woman who can go through a challenging and debilitating experience but come out stronger than ever before. She was ...
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Tamara Edwards looks off into the distance

Featuring Tamara Edwards: Rising PR & Communications Extraordinaire

I've had the pleasure to meet and get to know Tamara Edwards over the last few months. Believe it or not, we met through Instagram ...
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Sarah Kohrt lays on her stomach on a boat dock

Featuring Sarah Kohrt: Entrepreneurial Creative & National Guard First Lieutenant

Sarah Kohrt is one of my oldest and dearest friends. We met in high school and even then, I knew she was destined for greatness ...
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Kelly Nash hides coyly behind the "You Are a Badass" book.

3 Reasons Why to Overcome Your Fear of Failure

It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in ...
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Brittany smiles off into the distance with Chicago skyscrapers in the background.

Featuring Brittany Anderson: Chicago Career Woman & Go-Getter

I had the pleasure of meeting Brittany Anderson at the University of Illinois, where we were both advertising majors and worked on the National Student ...
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5 individuals fist bump over a desk full of computers and wires.

5 Steps to Achieve Your Goals

Goals. We all have them, but what does it take to actually accomplish and succeed in those goals? Even though this post is categorized under ...
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Amanda Tiberi smiles and stands against green ivy.

Featuring Amanda Tiberi: Artist, Designer & Entrepreneur

Amanda Tiberi and I first met in college through our sorority and we have fortunately stayed in touch over the years through social media, where ...
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Colleen Delaney stands in front of Chicago River with skyscrapers in the background.

Featuring Colleen Delaney: Ads Guru, Advisor & Volunteer

Colleen Delaney has inspired me since the day I knew who she was. We first met in college at the University of Illinois where we ...
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Featuring Fareeha Zahid Rey: Google Businesswoman & Mentor

Featuring Fareeha Zahid Rey: Google Businesswoman & Mentor

Fareeha Zahid Rey and I first crossed paths at the advertising agency we both worked at (my first job out of college). From afar, it ...
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A handshake happens between two women following a hot topic negotiation.

How to Effectively Negotiate in Any Situation

For many, negotiating doesn’t come easy, especially for women. According to Forbes, only about 30% of us actually negotiate in a work setting, compared to ...
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Wallet, cup of coffee and a keyboard sit on a desktop.

How We Manage Our Finances

As Adam and I began looking for our first home a few weeks ago, the topic of finances was at the forefront of our conversations ...
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Rebecca Otis Leder smiles in downtown Chicago.

Featuring Rebecca Leder: Marketing Strategist & Influencer

Rebecca Leder is first and foremost a connector. She helps people, customers, and organizations with a mission to build relationships both online and offline. By ...
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Thank you note and pen sit on a desk with a Mac laptop, candle and pearls.

5 Things to Do After Your Final Job Interview

After you've crushed your final job interview, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief. It’s over - you made it! Once you've taken a ...
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Kelly sits and thinks about how she is going to crush her job interview.

6 Tips to Crush Your Job Interview

You should be ready to crush your job interview after you’ve made the time to prepare (tips on how to do that here). Before your ...
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Preparing for an Interview

5 Tips to Effectively Prepare for a Job Interview

You landed a job interview - congrats! That is half the battle in obtaining a new job. Through all the job applying and interviews I’ve ...
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Frustrated and unhappy girl sits at her desk with her head in her hands with her laptop computer sitting on the desk with a pair of eyeglasses.

6 Things To Do When You’re Unhappy With Your Job

Since starting Lipstick & Ink, I’ve had numerous people reach out to thank me for writing the type of career content I’m writing. Sadly, those ...
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Kelly Nash writes notes down in a notebook.

5 Secrets to Accelerate Your Career

Advancing in your career can be frustrating and exhausting. Unfortunately, just doing a good job isn’t going to get you noticed and accelerate your career ...
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Career girl typing on her laptop in bed

Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Ahh, the comfort zone. A place where we feel cozy and safe with little to no stress. When it comes to being on the job, ...
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Girl Boss, pen, and black coffee.

How I Secured Each of My Jobs in My Career

I’ve been very fortunate, but smart, when it comes to my career. The thing is, I’ve been told through the years that I’ve gotten “so ...
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Kelly writing in her notebook smiling, focusing on her career and promotion.

6 Tips to Help You Land That Promotion

The last two companies I worked at did not do a great job of ensuring career conversations were happening. I usually had to seek out ...
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lipstickandink

Kelly💋 Career Advisor & Writer
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙇𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙇𝙞𝙥𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙠 & 𝙄𝙣𝙠 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣? When I started L&I three years ago, I wanted to be intentional about the branding and what it stood for. After careful thought, L&I was born along with a clear, intentional message and call to action for all women who interact with the brand: 𝘖𝘸𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 & 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬.
⠀
ʟɪᴘꜱᴛɪᴄᴋ - 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 💄⠀
There is power in wearing lipstick. A woman wearing lipstick embodies self-confidence and empowerment. She’s the woman who looks at herself in the mirror and thinks, I am powerful. She’s the woman who stands out in a crowd. She’s the woman who knows she can do anything she sets her mind to. With just a few swipes of her favorite color, she feels invigorated and ready to own her power and take on the world.
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ɪɴᴋ - 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 🖊⠀
There is power in a woman’s words and how she puts them to action. Thinking about what she wants out of life and putting it pen to paper creates vision and clarity. By writing in ink, she commits to making what she wants a reality. For a woman in pursuit of her goals and dreams is determined to make her mark.
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𝗟𝗶𝗽𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 & 𝗜𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀💋
"𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙄'𝙢 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜." "𝙈𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛." "𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚." "𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙪𝙗 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙮."
⠀⠀
These are some of the reasons women hold back in promoting themselves in the workplace. 𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻. Going from a small company to Salesforce seven years ago changed that all for me though. I was a small fish in a VERY big pond (and that's when we were under 20,000 employees - now we've surpassed over 50,000!).
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I quickly realized that 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. I had to share my wins. I had to manage up to manager and send the positive feedback I received from my clients and other employees. I had to showcase the value I brought to my clients, to my team, and to the company. 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.
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Here's the tea, friends. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴. It's showcasing your 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. It's delivering facts. It's sharing your learnings so you can help others. 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆. In today’s corporate world, going to work, doing your job and hoping you get the recognition you deserve isn’t going to cut it anymore. If you want to advance in your career, get promoted and nab raises, you need to speak up and share your wins.
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If you're not promoting yourself, ask yourself why. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠?💋
Do you 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬? I recently joined a webinar by @insideoutincubator about the 𝟭𝟬 "𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀" 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘀 & 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆:
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☞ Rule 1: 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 - You doubt what you know & assume others know more than you.⠀
☞ Rule 2: 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 - You think you don't deserve to be in the spotlight or don't want others to think you're bragging.⠀
☞ Rule 3: 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐨 𝐗 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 - You fear being "found out" or don't contribute until you feel you have ALL the answers.⠀
☞ Rule 4: 𝐈 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐈 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐭 - Even after you've been hired or promoted, you feel you have to go above and beyond, saying yes to everything, afraid to say no.⠀
☞ Rule 5: 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 - Reaching out to specific people (i.e. leaders) will make you seem self-serving so you connect only with people you feel safe with.⠀
☞ Rule 6: 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐨-𝐃𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲 - You get stuck in reactive mode and don't give yourself time to work on more of the forward-looking strategic projects.⠀
☞ Rule 7: 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 - You don't want to rub anyone the wrong way and constantly worry about other's feelings.⠀
☞ Rule 8: 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐔𝐠𝐥𝐲 - You make yourself small and defer to others to dictate your path.⠀
☞ Rule 9: 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐲 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫 - You believe you have to be productive 100% of the time and beat yourself up when you're not feeling your best.⠀
☞ Rule 10: 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 - You take on everything and think you have to solve everyone's problems & say sorry way too often.
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Which resonate with you? Some of these I've overcome the last few years, but it’s a kick in the butt reminder that there are a few (3, 4, 6, 10) I still struggle with & want to break! Which do you want to break?💋
[𝙽𝙴𝚆 𝙱𝙻𝙾𝙶 𝙿𝙾𝚂𝚃] 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥. While certainly an overused term, it’s definitely not overrated. Personal branding is more important than ever as it helps you to 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧, 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮, 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧. Regardless if you work in the corporate world or consider yourself an entrepreneur (or both!), knowing and cultivating your personal brand is essential.
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Because here’s the thing – you already have a personal brand, whether you realize it or not. 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱. However, understanding the power of your brand can be difficult and requires self-awareness, intention, and action.
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If you’re unsure or curious about how to get started with building and boosting your brand, I've developed a 5 step formula to do just that! You can read more about these 5 steps and your best path forward in L&I's newest blog post, found via the link in my bio!💋
3 years ago today, I pressed “Publish” on Lips 3 years ago today, I pressed “Publish” on Lipstick & Ink. Even though it was only a blog at the time, I was terrified to put myself out there. I worried about what people would think about me, wondered if my site was good enough, and questioned if what I was writing would even resonate or help others.
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At the same time, it was exhilarating and freeing. I was finally writing again, something that had been a passion of mine since I was a kid. I was in my purpose, sharing my knowledge of how I had grown my career and guiding women on how they could do the same. And most of all, I was pushing myself out of my comfort zone, facing fears I had avoided for years.
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Since February 22, 2018, I have grown more than I thought possible. From my blog to expanding to events to speaking to advising clients to writing my first book, I continue to find ways to grow L&I and make an impact. And I can feel in my bones this is only the beginning.

Through these last 3 years, if I could share one piece of advice as to what I’ve learned , it’s this: OWN YOUR POWER. Own the power of yours that’s generated from within, not outside of yourself. Your authentic power. Don’t give your power away. Don’t allow the thoughts of others to get in your way. Don’t compare yourself to others and wonder how you will measure up. Don’t hold back on what you want to do because you are concerned about how others are going to feel about it.
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There is always a choice to make in terms of whether you decide to own your power or give it away. And these days, I choose my power. I choose me. My hope is that you too honor who you are and choose yourself. Because when you choose yourself, you set yourself free💋
We live in a world of 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 We live in a world of 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 - and let's be honest, we have gotten reaaal accustomed to it. So much so, that we may be easily disappointed when something doesn't immediately go our way - including when it comes to our careers. Whether it's seeking a promotion or landing a job at your dream company, we need to remember that it may take longer than we like or anticipate.
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Most of the time, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚. This is why it's critical to ᴘʟᴀɴᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴇᴇᴅ early on to begin preparing to reach your next career goal. For example:⠀
🌱 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Start making an effort to connect with your manager periodically to discuss your career growth. Voice that you are aiming for a promotion. Show to him/her that you take your professional development seriously by discussing your goals and ways you can start taking on additional responsibilities. Try and start taking on the work of the role above yours. Keep a track record of your accomplishments and feedback (L&I has a free template FYI under Resources in my bio!).⠀
🌱 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆: Research the company and learn about their mission, corporate values, and their offerings. Take their available certifications if available to put on your resume. Reach out and build relationships over time with people that currently work there to understand the culture and to let them know you are interested in working for their company. Get your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile professionally reviewed. Tailor your resume and yes, even your cover letter for the job you ultimately apply for.
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Both of these scenarios 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚. But don't let that discourage you. What's something you're looking to accomplish in your career in the next 6 months? Don't delay - it's never too early to start preparing. Plant the seed now and watch yourself grow these next few months. Soon enough, after some hard work and patience, those 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 will come🌷💋
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