Personal Growth

I recently attended several panels about the job market. Different industries, different speakers, different perspectives. And yet the message was surprisingly consistent. The market is tough. AI is accelerating change. And many of the rules we used to rely on are dissolving. Again and again, the discussion turned toward the same question:  What actually makes someone stand out now? Not surprisingly, the answer wasn’t just technical expertise. The people who will thrive in th

You’re asked a simple question. “What do you do?”  “What have you been working on?”  “What are you proud of lately?” And suddenly… your brain short-circuits. You  know  you have words. You use them all the time. But in this moment? Gone. You start talking, then stop. You hear yourself saying “um” more than usual. You’re halfway through a sentence and already wondering how to soften the ending. Your mind is racing:  Don’t sound braggy. Don’t make it weird. Don’t take up too mu

At the beginning of a new year, excitement is supposed to be the default emotion. Fresh calendars. Clean slates. Big intentions.  But for many people, the feeling is quieter than that—almost muted. Not because nothing is happening, but because they’ve just lived through a year filled with noise. Constant advice. Endless opinions. Metrics telling you what matters. Expectations you didn’t choose. Other people speaking with certainty about paths you’re the one expected to walk.

We often talk about burnout in terms of external forces — crushing workloads, relentless demands, toxic cultures. And yes, those things are very real, as I just explored in my recent article  The Cult of Overwork - Burnout as a Badge of Honor. But after 20+ years working closely with leaders, creatives, and high performers in fashion and lifestyle industries, here’s something else I’ve learned: Sometimes, burnout doesn’t just come from what’s being done to us. It comes from w