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Featuring Neha O’Rourke: Career Coach & Motivator

April 29, 2019 by Kelly Nash Leave a Comment

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 met in-person, as corny as it is, I felt like I was meeting my soul sister. We connected on so many levels right away and found that we had a lot in common in terms of our career path, our goals and our values. After finding out Neha’s goal to become a career coach and start her own business, I was beyond impressed. And as I have gotten to know her better over the last few months, I know in my heart that Neha becoming a coach was something she was truly destined for. Neha is hands down the most understanding and supportive person I have ever met.

Neha is now the Founder and Career Coach at Somewhere In Between Coaching, LLC. She’s incredibly passionate about helping women who feel unfulfilled or burned out in their careers and want to make that career change. She believes that each of us has a purpose in this world and she wants every woman to live it to their fullest. Her coaching encourages women to design a career they love so they can live their life on their own terms, while doing the things that make them happy.

Outside of working on her business, you can usually find Neha on a quest to discover the new local coffee shop, blogging about multicultural topics or exploring various fitness studios around Chicago. Read on for our interview to discover Neha’s story and get to know her the way I have – real, down to earth and downright inspiring.

Neha O'Rourke celebrates with champagne.

KN: So, so happy to have you a part of this series, Neha! Can you share with my audience a bit how your journey as a professional has been and what got you into career coaching? 

Neha O’Rourke: Absolutely. My journey is one I think many women can relate to, especially for those daydreaming of a career change. I started my career in advertising and loved it at first. I worked at some of the top agencies, with some of the best brands (Target, Kraft, Nestlé), got promoted quickly based on my performance, made good money and was on the path of what society deems “successful.” However, after a few years, I started to feel unhappy, unfulfilled and in “survival mode” with my career. 

I was working  60-80 hour weeks, had 12 bosses in 4 years, was a slave to my email, never made it to the gym and was eating frozen meals because I didn’t make the time to cook. I rarely saw my friends and family because when I did have free time, I wanted to sit at home on the couch watching Netflix until it shamed me. Needless to say, I allowed my career to suck the life out of me. It had become my entire life and I had lost sight of who I was and what was important to me.

Although my tank was on “E,” I kept going because I loved the people I worked with, I was challenged and I thought I was doing what I was “supposed” to be doing. However, at one point my body started to shut down from this lifestyle. I hit my burnout and knew something needed to change. I quit my job with one goal in mind: prioritize my well-being and figure out how to design my life around the things that make me happy. It was a terrifying feeling because for the first time in my life, I didn’t have a path to follow.

Due to my circumstance, I had a burning desire to figure out how to design a career around the life I wanted personally and professionally. I listened to a nauseating amount of podcasts, books, attended seminars, watched YouTube videos, interviewed people, etc. During this time, I also decided to start my blog “Somewhere in Between” because I realized most of us at some point in our lives have felt in between in some aspect of our lives. More often than not, when we’re in an undefined “between” place, we are labelled as confused, in crisis or merely an outsider. I wanted to change that stigma.

I started the blog to instead celebrate the “in between.” It became a place to share unique experiences that encouraged women to embrace and help navigate the in between. From first generation experiences and multicultural relationships to career changes, it became an inclusive and supportive place for all the things in between. While blogging during my self-discovery career change journey and speaking to many of my readers, I realized there are so many amazing women who are burned out or unfulfilled in their careers. I knew I was not the only one with this feeling.

It became my mission to figure out how to design a career around the life I wanted personally and professionally. Through a lot of trial and error in my own discovery paired with getting trained by one of the best coaching programs, I finally cracked the code! I figured out how to make a career change and design a career you love, that includes personal priorities. Thus my coaching business, Somewhere In Between Coaching, LLC, was born.

If you’re interested in reading more about my career journey, I did a three part series detailing the experience here:

  • Part 1: My Burnout
  • Part 2: Learning the Prevalence of Career Change Dreamers
  • Part 3: I Cracked the Code to Design a Career You Love

Neha O'Rourke types on her computer.

KN: I am so impressed how you just quit your corporate job and ran with your inner feeling and drive to seek out something better suited to you and your life goals. Since doing that, how have you gone about building your business as a career coach?

NO: I was fortunate that I came from an advertising background, so I was able to start my business with the right questions and business plan. However, I had never been a business owner so there were still many things I had no clue about. How do I legally setup my business? How do I approach my taxes? What are the tools I need? Google became my best friend! Outside of the formal business side of things, I spent hours pouring my passion into the creative side, networking with like-minded women and continuing to learn. Although I was spending a lot of time on my business, it didn’t feel like work because it was something I was really passionate about.

One thing that I think really helped my in the setup was being selective in everything I did. Rather than chasing the sexier or quick paying opportunities, I made sure every event, financial decision, partnership and piece of content was serving my larger purpose. I turned down multiple paid opportunities because I felt they did not align with what I was trying to accomplish. Although it was a tough decision in the moment, looking back, I’m so glad I stayed true to my brand.

If you’re building a business, my biggest piece of advice would be not to get distracted by shiny opportunities. Always stick to your mission and do what’s right for what you’re trying to accomplish, not just the easy or sexy thing.

KN: Sooo true! It’s easy to get caught up in all of that. Through everything, what has been the most rewarding and most challenging part of starting and running your own business?

NO: There have been so many rewarding things, but the one that stands out the most is being able to directly impact the women I work with by creating a safe space and empowering them to design a life and career they adore! And I would say the most challenging part of running my own business is being responsible for every aspect of it. If I don’t do something, it doesn’t get done. But I also love being able to touch every aspect of the business, so it’s a great challenge to have.

KN: I agree! And what do you love most about what you do?

NO: My absolute favorite thing is being able to help women uncover their purpose and potential. The “aha” moments when they realize they can design their life around the things they love and make money doing it – that’s the best feeling in the world to me! Life is too short to ignore the things you love!

Neha O'Rourke smiles at the bar.

KN: You said it! I’d love to know too – what keeps you motivated?

NO: The idea that at any moment we can make choices to better ourselves and our lives really motivates me. Outside of my career, I’ve been through some personal hardships and thinking about how I made a choice to have a happy ending to my story – that’s what keeps me going. My life could be completely different, but I chose not to be a victim of my adversity.

KN: I love that. It’s all about having that perspective and having an active choice in how you react to certain aspects of your life. With everything you have going on in your life, how do you handle work/life balance?

NO: In my opinion, work life balance is a scam and I actually really dislike that term. It inherently means that work is something bad and that life resumes when you’re done working. We are not one person at work and another in our personal lives. We live in an era where technology has blurred the lines and thus we have to start thinking about how we manage our energy and align our lives in both aspects. I call it “work/life alignment.”

Aligning to me means giving support to your life and bringing all aspects of your life together in agreement. When you align, you are working towards something you love and you make time for rest, relationships and a healthy lifestyle. It means if I’m feeling tired from a long day of work, I give myself permission to rest and resume work once I’ve done so. It’s not a clear 50/50 split, but rather be in tune with what our mind/body needs for sustainable success.  Aligning gives you the room to enjoy the journey, not just the destination. If you want to learn more about my view on alignment, you can read more here.

KN: I can really appreciate that and agree on the whole ‘alignment’ versus balance. Can I ask what you would credit your success to?

NO: Oh man, so many things and people! If I had to narrow it down, I would say: my community, perseverance, faith and understanding my worth.

  • My community:  I would not be where I am today without certain people in my life cheering me on when I was vulnerable, supporting me in my leap of faith, taking a chance on me with my business and rallying as a kickass community to support one another (including you, Kelly)! I’m a huge believer in the idea that we rise by lifting others and cultivating community over competition.
  • Perseverance: As I alluded to earlier, I’ve had some serious hardships in my life, but they’ve taught me the power of perseverance. No one on this earth goes unscathed and it’s important to make your adversity your fuel. Growing up, my dad always told me, “someone has it worse than you” and that has always stuck with me. The second I find myself feeling defeated, I remember there are people who have it so much worse. One thing that helped me with this perspective was being fortunate enough to visit India a lot growing up. At a young age, I saw children living in slums, without food or running water – all of that puts life into perspective. We have so much to be grateful for. Never let your adversity become your inhibitor.
  • Faith: I actually don’t identify with a religion, but I have a strong sense of faith. You can call it God, the universe or energy, but I have faith in something higher than myself. This has helped me through some of the hardest times in my life and has also manifested in incredible ways as I’ve started my business.
  • Understanding my worth: As a recovering people pleaser, this one is huge. A large part of my journey has been learning my worth the hard way. I spent so much of my life putting other people ahead of myself and the second I learned my worth, everything changed. I am still able to help people, but now I understand what I deserve and I will not settle for less.

Neha O'Rourke proudly stands in front of a mural.

KN: Love, love, love!!! These are all amazing examples – thank you for sharing! Who would you say inspires you and why?

NO: This is going to sound so corny, but I really mean it: rather than a person, I am more inspired by a mindset – tenacity. I believe each and every one of us faces struggles in our lives and the people who have turned their adversity into their fuel are my biggest inspiration. There is nothing more powerful to me than someone overcoming a hardship and making it part of their story.

KN: It’s truly incredible what some people have gone through and how they use that as fuel to motivate them. I see you have undoubtedly done the same! What does the future of Somewhere In Between Coaching ultimately look like?

NO: That’s a great question. My ultimate goal is to continue to help women uncover their passion and mobilize them to make money, doing what they love. I also would like to have a family someday, so I plan to design my business around the lifestyle that best serves my ideal state of motherhood.

KN: That’s great. I’m so excited to see your business keep blossoming! If someone was potentially interested in career coaching but were a bit unsure, what would you tell them?

NO: Don’t be afraid to ask about it. Reach out to a coach that appeals to you and ask them about what they do! Many times, coaches offer a free first consultation, which is a great way to learn more about coaching and see if it’s a good fit for you.

I may be biased, but I think every single one of us could use a career coach. Having a career coach allows you to have a professional who has no other motive than getting you to where you want to go! They help you identify your goals, gain confidence, overcome the struggles and ultimately help you achieve your career goals. Great coaches end up being your trusted ally, accountability buddy and biggest cheerleader. If you want to learn more about what coaching is, read more here or schedule a free consult with me!

KN: Awesome, thanks for sharing that! So, switching gears a bit, Lipstick & Ink is all about encouraging women to make their mark on their lives, the lives of others and on the world. What does “making your mark” mean to you?

NO: I love that so much. To me, making your mark means showing up in your life as unapologetically you. It means leading your life with your purpose at the forefront and showing up uniquely you. I think we all have something to learn from one other and when you make your mark, you create a space for others to be inspired and encouraged by your mark. When we learn from one other, we become better individuals and communities around the world. 

KN: I love that interpretation! If you had one piece of advice for women trying to make their mark today, what would it be?

NO: Don’t worry about what others think or are doing (I know, I know, easier said than done). But here’s the thing – you offer this world a unique point of view. No one is you and that is your super power. Show up in your life authentically as yourself and when you find yourself starting to compare – PUT THOSE BLINDERS ON, GIRLFRIEND! There are 8 billion people on this planet and there is room for everyone. You’re not going to be everything to everyone, but you are going to be something incredible to someone. Always remind yourself of that.

Neha O'Rourke smiles while holding champagne.

KN: And do you have any parting thoughts or advice?

NO: I encourage you to ask yourself if you’re living your life with your passions and purpose at the forefront. If not, decide what kind of life you truly want, then say “no” to everything that isn’t it. You deserve to show up to your life doing the things you care about.

I am so inspired, Neha! Thank you!! If you want to get in touch with Neha or follow along with her, you can find her contact info below:

    • Website: https://sibcareercoaching.com/
    • E-mail: neha@sibcareercoaching.com
    • Instagram: @somewhereinbetweencoach
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: Shine On Series Tagged With: goal-getters, shine on, shine on series, women who inspire

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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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
[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🌷💋
[𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗘: 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸-𝗜𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁] Let's chat career conversations with your manager 🤓
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How often are you having regular check-ins with your manager about your career development? At minimum, you should be meeting quarterly to review your performance and talk about your career progress. Don't wait until your annual performance review to do so! ❌ 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 and put time on the calendar to meet periodically throughout the year 🗓
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Having these types of check-ins are essential to your professional success and it's important to go into them prepared with your own talking points. Enter the 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬-𝘐𝘯 worksheet ✔️This worksheet will help you to:⠀
➢ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 your manager that you take your career seriously and are willing to put your best foot forward⠀
➢ 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 on your goals and actions you're taking to get you to the next step in your career⠀
➢ 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 a productive conversation with your manager to discuss your wins, challenges, and what you want to work on in the months ahead⠀
➢ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 awareness to your work and a better opportunity to negotiate a promotion/raise/added benefits
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Interested? 😏 Download the FREE worksheet via the link in my bio under 𝚁𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚜 💋
I stand firmly by this career tip. Putting yoursel I stand firmly by this career tip. Putting yourself out there in the workplace and showcasing bits and pieces of who you are is critical to 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙.
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When I first started my professional career, I thought that I had to be a "version" of who I was at work. That I needed to always keep things "professional" and that it was "inappropriate" to talk about my personal life. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴.
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By intertwining my professional and personal brands into one, I've been able to 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. Here are ways you can share more of who you are at work:⠀
✔ 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐨: Whether it’s an internal-facing bio that's visible to your co-workers or the “About” section on your LinkedIn, take advantage of it! Go beyond just what you do for the company and talk about things you do outside of work and what you're passionate about.⠀
✔ 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤: Those few minutes before a meeting begins are a great opportunity to get to know someone, ask questions, and share something about yourself.⠀
✔ 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐨𝐧: Zoom fatigue is real, but having your video on is a great way for someone to get to know you better beyond just your voice.⠀
✔ 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: Even with many of us working from home, you can still show a bit of your personal style whether it's a crisp blazer, a statement jewelry piece, or your favorite shade of lipstick.⠀
✔ 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝: Tap into the groups within your company that interest you as it will allow you to meet more likeminded people and talk about things other than work.
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Don't hold back in putting yourself out there and sharing more of who you are. 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙪𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙔-𝙊-𝙐💋
✨ 𝙽𝙴𝚆 𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙴 𝙾𝙽 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆 𝙵𝙴𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴 ✨  Meet Brittney.
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@bsoliver is a Nashville-based career and lifestyle freelance writer and content strategist. Over the past 3 years, Brittney has built her platform, @lemons_2_lemonade, to help young professionals turn their career obstacles around. Her platform is known for its networking mixers, which have brought over 2,000 professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives together to turn life’s lemons into lemonade.
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I met Brittney at her Chicago mixer back in Fall 2019 and was so impressed with her story and what she was building with Lemons 2 Lemonade. I immediately signed up for her newsletter and followed her on all of her social channels, where we've been connecting ever since! We actually just wrapped up a #L2LChat of our own, where we chatted about the changing job landscape due to the pandemic.
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What inspires me about Brittney is that she balances working full-time and freelance writing for publishers like Fast Company and ESSENCE. She’s  a thought-leader, having keynoted LinkedIn's first women of color conference in 2019 and was listed as Forbe's "Nine Black Women Leaders Dedicated to Empowering Others." Not only that, Brittney has so much heart for what she does and never gives up on herself. That was apparent to me after hearing her story of going on 100 interviews in an 8-month period.
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In all sense of the word, Brittney is crushing any and all lemons she comes across. I can't wait to see how much more lemonade she makes this year. You can read our exclusive interview via the link in my bio!💋
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