A few weeks ago a former colleague of mine invited me to speak to the women attorneys in her office.  Her office had just started hosting a monthly lunch for the women and she was hoping to bring in speakers that could help them with business development.  

Yesterday I had the pleasure of participating in – and presenting at – the 

Are you more tenured with many more years of experience than the person to whom you report? Is your manager the same age or younger than your children? These days, it’s not all that unusual for older people to report to those who are much younger.

Sometimes being the boss feels like being the a parent.  Especially if you hae been out of the workforce awhile and are returning to a much younger crowd.  It seems like you need to tell everyone how to play nicely.

A bear got poked last Monday and it was pretty much the last straw. And folks should be on high alert because this bear is no garden variety grizzly - this bear eats grizzlies for breakfast. I'm talking about Mama Bears. We got poked and now we are angry.

Okay, first we were weepy or numb. Maybe we threw ourselves a pity party because we felt so helpless and hopeless. But no, I'm going with weepy. Any mother who saw the picture of eight-year-old bombing victim Martin Richards holding up a sign reading "no more hurting people". We all put ourselves in his parents shoes and wept.

Being in the market for a job can be challenging, frustrating, exciting and crazy all at the same time.  We all know that networking is the #1, most successful way to find a job - the right job.  Yet, despite this fact, we ALL read job postings?  Why?

Hint number one:  It has nothing to do with self-sacrifice.

Ever since I became a mom, my instinct has been to put my child first. Slowly, that instinct became my default setting. If I didn’t put my child first, I wasn’t being a good mom.  

As my daughter gets older, I realize that she doesn’t ask, and generally doesn’t want, the house and my entire life to revolve around her. She likes to observe; she learns a lot that way.

So you go back to work. You’re used to working whenever you need to – early or late, at the office, remotely or while traveling – with long hours and back-to-back meetings. Now, however, you sensibly build a schedule that allows you to be a parent. 

What does that mean: You look for some flexibility in hours. Don’t misconstrue this statement: this doesn't mean working part time, but fitting the same hours into a slightly different schedule despite the looks or comments you may receive.

After being out of the workforce for a few years, the tendency (or safe route) is to create a blockbuster resume and pursue a career path that mirrors your career PRIOR to leaving.  Because you actually performed these JOBS/ROLES, you feel qualified.

But what if you don't WANT the same job?  Can you still find a satisfying job - CAREER - without starting over?

Of course.

Sometimes, after working a few years (and even before!) we wonder if we are pursuing the right path.  We think "should I have taken different courses in college" or "should I have taken this role in a different industry" or - yikes! - "do I need to start over"?