Career Decisions Made Easy

Advice Wednesday: O's 3-Step Make-it-Happen Plan to Get a Great Job

2010-09-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

courtesy of Oprah.com

"Forget the want ads. O is on a mission to help four deserving women land their dream jobs. With an all-star team of career coaches, fashion experts, hairstylists, and makeup artists, we get down to work..."

Click here to read the article on Oprah.com

Highlight Monday: Nana's Corner

2010-09-13T08:03:00.001-04:00

I came across NanasCorner.com while trying to find quality blogs for grandparents. This website is run by a high school special education teacher in New Jersey- lovingly called "Nana". She says that her "greatest joys" are her grandchildren which is why this is the focus of her site.

On Nanas Corner you will find posts on topics such as poems, staying in touch, healthy living, and fun things to do with grandchildren.

For an example of one of Nana's posts click READ MORE below:

2010/09/04

Grandparents, Not To Be Forgotten

Filed under: Genealogy,Grandparents Day — nana @ 11:48 pm

We are here because of our grandparents, and their grandparents, and those in between and who came before. They are an integral part of our personal history, why we are where we are and came to be…

A Grandchild’s Curiosity

Recently, our four-year-old granddaughter asked to plant flowers for herMomMom. Together, we chose a perennial plant, planted it, and watered it at her great-grandmother’s grave. The next time, both granddaughters visited we took them to the grave where they shared in watering the plant. Kaitlin had questions about her grandfathers and the others who were also there. She was very interested in the old stones with the very old dates on them. Our church and its surrounding cemetery dates back to the 1600′s.

Researching the Family Tree

I have been researching our family’s trees for over 20 years now, ever since my Aunt gave me a family bible dated 1777 . The names, births, marriages, and deaths gave me a starting point to search my family’s lineage. With the loss of my mother when I was just 18 and my father just one week before my youngest child was born – the only grandson – I wanted to learn more about their families. I wanted to desperately to hold onto their memory, I wanted my children to know who their grandparents were. Perhaps this really stems from my strong desire to not be forgotten after I have passed.

My mother is buried in a cemetery almost 2 hours away in a plot with her parents and next to her paternal grandparents. So far away…but that is where my father had told me she would have wanted to be. I was too young and emotional at the time to think about the difficulty of being able to visit her grave in the years to come.

Not to be forgotten…how many other descendants have forgotten those that have passed, neglected to visit those that came before…or even interested in who they were. They are a part of us, they should not be forgotten.

As the family tree grows, so does our history. This is an interesting activity to involve grandchildren in once they reach the age where their curiosity is tweaked. Kaitlin is nine now and is fascinated by the dates on the cemetery headstones. I’ve taken her with me when I go exploring old cemeteries.

Free Genealogy Databases

There are free databases online that have helped me find where ancestors were laid to rest. It is a small world. My son lives just minutes from where his 4th gr-grandparents and 3rd gr-grandparents (father’s side) are buried in a small colonial family cemetery. My oldest daughter lives just minutes from three cemeteries where other ancestors of my husband’s were laid to rest. This summer, we also found a 3rd-gr-grandfather of my husband’s in a cemetery that is well known because of the church stood there during the Battle of Monmouth during the Revolutionary War. The next cemetery is one located in the same town as my grandchildren…again my husband’s…but it is exciting because it is the farthest back I can trace the his family’s surname. We never knew we were so close…we’ve driven by the cemetery many times.

The findings are very interesting and sometimes surprising…Salem Witch Trial participants, founders of a Connecticut town, sea captains, English royalty, poet, descended from a woman who is part of our county’s history…. It has become my personal project to record the resting locations of our ancestors so they will never be forgotten…we must not forget for we carry a part of them within us…a tradition that should be carried down through the generations…so we shall not be forgotten.

Note:

Talk about your family tree with your grandchildren. Starting with the young ones when they ask questions, giving them bits and pieces for their attention won’t last. As they become older with more understanding and a longer attention span, connect your family’s history with the history they are learning in school. Research the times, life style, clothing, games, hardships, etc., of the period so you can connect it to what they know when you discuss with them. Visit places where your ancestors have lived…and the cemeteries, too. Call the cemetery office ahead of time to find the grave locations; ask if they have a map. You may find some graves online using FindAGrave.com andDistantCousin.com. You could also search for the names online and they might appear in a cemetery database or genealogy website of someone else who has researched that family line. FamilySearch.org has free databases including the US 1880 census. Ancestry.com has a free two-week trial. (I’ve used it several times.) There are also forums where you can post queries for free. If you have any questions on getting started researching your family tree, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Interview Friday: Herbalist Catherine Browne

2010-09-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Interview:

Q. Please tell us about yourself and what people, influences, events or desires led you to your profession.

There were not many herbalists in the US in the early 1980’s, so being an herbalist was not something that one aspired to be. It was actually more of an entrepreneurial spirit that guided me to herbs. My parents had bought a property with an old glass greenhouse on it, and someone said I should grow herbs. I began researching it by ordering catalogs (as the internet was not yet developed) and was completely intrigued; there was basil that smelled like cinnamon, thyme that smelled like lavender, and scented geraniums that smelled like coconut. I started growing and selling plants, just at the time when the garden center industry was taking off. The scents and flavors of herbs make for a fun and fascinating adventure, but when I started learning the medicinal benefits of plants, I was on the journey of a lifetime.

Q. How would you describe the job of an herbalist? Can you tell us what a typical day or week is like?

The great thing about being an herbalist is that there is nothing typical one day to the next. You may be planting seeds, working in the garden, foraging for herbs through the forest, making salves and remedies, or formulating remedies for patients in clinic; being an herbalist can describe a great many different tasks, and I have done them all.

To continue reading Catherine's interview click on READ MORE below...

Q. What are the most enjoyable and least enjoyable aspects of your work? Why?

My favorite part of being an herbalist is playing with the plants. As it often happens however, herbalists can find themselves in need of an income, and this often leads to the production of products made from these plants. At this junction, I find myself running a busy supplements company, writing articles, overseeing production, and filling out a lot of paperwork to fulfill FDA Good Manufacturing Practices laws. I have experienced this pattern often as an herbalist; you want to express your passion through a successful enterprise and when it takes off you do not have time to enjoy the aspects of herbs that first captured your attention. Eventually, the business will be sold and I will go back to growing herbs in a greenhouse in to my old age, completing the circle.

Q. What is the most common misconception that people have about your line of work?

We used to sponsor weekend seminars through an herb school that I once had, and participants would think that they would possess enough knowledge at the end of the weekend to be a practicing clinical herbalist. After 27 years as a working herbalist, exhaustive years of college study of herbalism, and a decade of clinical practice as an herbalist/acupuncturist, I still feel that my knowledge of herbal medicine is lacking and I know that at the end of my life I will not know everything about herbalism. I think that people think that herbs are a quick study, and they are not.

Q. How would a young person with aspirations to become an herbalist best prepare himself/herself?

First, you must ask yourself if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, because there are not going to be many job listings for herbalists; you must make your own job or run your own medical practice. If you want to be a clinical herbalist, an acupuncture license is one of the few recognized professional degrees that actually covers this and is widely recognized in the states at this time. This would require a college degree and then 4 years more at Oriental medical school. ND’s are also licensed in some states and are well respected if they have attended an actual Naturopathic college. Avoid online degrees, as you will never have the respect of your pears or other professionals.

Q. What is the most important or significant thing that you have accomplished in your work to date? What do you hope to accomplish?

I would like to think that I have made information available through articles on my website and blog that makes Chinese medical theory more approachable for individuals. It seems that there is a resistance to describing imbalances and solutions to health problems in lay terms as those trained in Chinese medicine feel that only scholarly texts are respectable. Chinese medicine is very complex, and it takes a certain talent to offering correct information without too many perplexing details.

Q. Do you have any additional thoughts that you would like to share with young people trying to decide on a career choice?

I am at that fortunate age where you can look back at the crooked road of life and delineate patterns of cause and effect that make perfect sense of the chaos. I would not change a thing. I would only suggest that people of any age follow their heart, or intuition, and work at something they love; it is never too late to be passionate about your work!

Learn more about Catherine and what she does at www.AgelessHerbs.com and follow her on Twitter @Ageless_Herbs

Press Release - Great Cause - Please Help and Vote - Great Organization

2010-09-08T13:46:00.003-04:00

Founder of Kids Are Heroes a Finalist in Role Model Competition

Local philanthropist being featured by Discovery Girls Magazine.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 07, 2010 – MaryMargaret O’Neill, an eleven-year-old from Ijamsville, is a finalist in the Discovery Girls Magazine Role Model contest. She was chosen as one of 30 from thousands of entries from all over the US and Canada. Voting began September 1 on the Discovery Girls web site so that the top 10 will be selected to go to California and be featured in an upcoming issue of their magazine. Supporters of MaryMargaret can vote once a day through the entire month of September to help put her in the top 10. The link to the contest is: http://discoverygirls.com/fun-stuff/contests/role-model. Registration is required to vote. Once that has been completed people can simply find her picture and click the “Vote for MaryMargaret” link underneath it once every 24 hours. MaryMargaret’s dad even set up an email subscription site so that people could be reminded each day to vote. That link is http://marymargaret.kidsareheroes.org. “This would mean so much for our charity.” MaryMargaret said.

In March of 2008, MaryMargaret, then just nine years old, founded a non-profit organization called Kids Are Heroes (see www.kidsareheroes.org). This web site inspires children to get involved in their communities at a very young age by showcasing those that are already making great strides to change the world. In just two years the organization has grown substantially. They had their video featured on Virgin Atlantic planes for a month, partnered with an ex-NFL player who travels the country speaking about the kids’ stories, have featured over 100 children from all over the US, Canada, Europe and recently Africa and established a collaboration with a company called MAGPI, which plans to broadcast live presentations of heroes from around the country to schools in the US and Canada during live video conferencing events. (The first one is scheduled for December 8.) They have even been approached by an Emmy award winning filmmaker to produce a documentary.

Besides featuring other children, MaryMargaret is quite the young philanthropist herself. It began on her ninth birthday when she gave up her birthday gifts in lieu of donations to the Defenders of Wildlife. The following year she hosted a lemonade stand with two of her friends which raised $600. They used that money to buy Webkinz and donated them to a local cancer camp for children. She instigated a cell phone drive at her school which yielded 150 used cell phones. These phones were turned into prepaid phone cards to be used by our troops stationed around the world. For her 10th birthday she had a sleepover party. Attendants were asked to bring bathrobes, pajamas and slippers so they could be given to her local shelter. In 2009-2010 MaryMargaret’s most ambitious task was to raise enough money to buy 150 MP3 players to benefit sick children in hospitals. Having spent 10 harrowing days in the hospital when she was just six years old, she knew how scary things could be for kids. She hosted dozens of fund raisers over the course of a year and surpassed her goal. In the spring of 2010 she donated 125 pre-loaded MP3 players to Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore and another 125 to Children’s Medical Center in Washington D.C. In the summer of 2010 she won the Nestlé Drumstick Hero Award given for her philanthropic achievements. This award consisted of 56 ice cream cones, shirts, hats, games and other items to host a party for her friends. Instead of using those items for herself, she donated all the proceeds to needy families through the Community Action Agency of Frederick. MaryMargaret’s current project is called “Black to Blue” which is an effort to raise $5000 to help clean up the animals devastated by the disastrous Gulf oil spill. If you would like to donate to this effort please visit http://blacktoblue.kidsareheroes.org.

# # #

About Kids Are Heroes: We are a non-profit that showcases children who do amazing things for others with no consideration of their own benefit. We encourage this activity in all kids as it boosts self-confidence and builds leadership skills.

ADVICE WEDNESDAY: How to Make the Most of Redundancy

2010-09-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

By Martin Haworth

For many people, the fear and worry of losing their job is a huge blow to them. Yet more and more people are seeing such a challenge more as the kick in the butt they needed, to enable them to achieve much more from their life than they ever thought possible.

Even better...they not only grasp the opportunity, but they enjoy life much, much more.

Being let go; suffering redundancy; experiencing downsizing are all very different ways of saying the same thing.

Your employer doesn't want you any more.

Suddenly, that place; those people you've been bitching about for years, seems so much more attractive than it did yesterday - and you are going to fight tooth and nail to hang in there.

But wait, maybe there's something in you that relishes the chance to move on and do something different.

Maybe it's time to revisit your values and see what is missing from your life - and not blindly rush into the nearest 'clone' job to the one you've been doing.

For all those years when you didn't quite fit. Where the role you had caused you some unease, there is something to learn.

Is it not possible that you were something of a square peg, who over the years had done your best to fit into the round hole of your career?

So, think about the things you truly love. The types of way you want to spend your time and take the opportunity to move on as a sign. Time to look for an alternative future that better suits the person you really are.

This can be a challenging time, yet if you see the possibilities and seize the moment, it can be one of the most stimulating phases of your life.

Martin Haworth is a personal development coach, with an expertise in career development. Checkout the free six-part e-course at Martin Haworth's website,http://www.HowToLandYourDreamjob.com.

HIGHLIGHT MONDAY: Career Online Blog

2010-09-06T08:00:00.002-04:00

It's always nice to find other people with the same goals. When I stumbled upon Career Online Blog I was happy to find some more great career resources in addition to our own.

For people who are job searching, this blog gives job-seekers the most current news, trends, and inside information about the employment scene.

Visit the site:

http://www.careeronlineblog.com/

RSS Feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/feedburner/NiiF

INTERVIEW FRIDAY: Independent Recording Artist MINDY GLEDHILL

2010-09-03T08:36:00.000-04:00

Interview Friday has been quite a hit! We are so excited to be able to share with you all an interview with Mindy Gledhill about being an independent recording artist. Our family owns all of the lullaby CD's that she was a part of and we absolutely LOVE her new album. What a gorgeous voice!

A big thank you to Mindy for taking the time to give us all her experience and advice! Enjoy! (PS- Be sure to check out how to connect with Mindy at the end of the post and her LATEST MUSIC VIDEO POSTED AFTER THIS ONE!)

Interview Questions:

Q. Please tell us about yourself and what people, influences, events or desires led you to your profession.

As a child, I noticed that music came naturally to me. I loved lying on the ground under the piano when my sisters would practice Debussy and Rachmoninoff. Soon, I began to hear harmonies in all things with an audible frequency, such as the microwave or the honking horn of the family van. It wasn’t until I was 16 that I began any formal training with voice lessons. But even then, I didn’t make auditions for the high school Chamber Choir or the school musical. I sought for experience that would make me better. I found an internship at a recording studio and went to every class I could find on improving myself musically. After failing the written test three times to attend the school of music in college, I finally passed by the skin of my teeth. Not long after that I signed a record deal with a faith centered record label in Salt Lake City. Since that time, I released one record with them and two on my own.

To read more of Mindy's interview and view her videos click on READ MORE...

Q. How would you describe the job of an independent recording artist? Can you tell us what a typical day or week is like?

Although I do have help from some very important people that I choose to work with, I feel like I’m working a fulltime job. I work on all aspects of my career from actually writing and recording the music for an album, to booking my own shows, orchestrating my online presence, pitching music to different projects or films, answering emails, writing blog posts and much more.

Q. What are the most enjoyable and least enjoyable aspects of your work? Why?

The most enjoyable for me is the actual recording process in the studio. I love witnessing the project that I’ve envisioned in my mind, come to life. The same goes for making music videos (very fun stuff!). The least enjoyable part for me is probably the groundwork that has to be done to put on and promote a show. I’m not super keen on organizing the schedules of 5 band members for rehearsals and then all the components like venue, sound, lighting, posters, tickets, etc., that go into a show.

Q. What is the most common misconception that people have about your line of work?

That it’s not a real job and that you can’t make a living in music.

Q. How would a young person with aspirations to become a recording artist best prepare himself/herself?

I think that the courses that have prepared me the most are these: songwriting, music theory, sight singing, dictation, and recording studio basics. But the best experience is always the “hands-on” kind.

Q. What do you believe are the keys to enjoying work?

I think the key to enjoying anything is “flexibility.” Things don’t always go as planned and we can’t always control the actions and attitudes of others whom we work with. When I’m flexible with whatever comes my way, I’m able to enjoy things more.

Q. What is the most important or significant thing that you have accomplished in your work to date? What do you hope to accomplish?

The most significant thing that I’ve accomplished to date was when I made the personal decision to leave a record contract and forge my way through the business as an independent artist. That was a very frightening experience at first and I knew I risked disappointing a lot of people who had put time and work into helping me build my career. At the same time, facing that fear was an incredibly liberating experience for me.

Q. Do you have any additional thoughts that you would like to share with young people trying to decide on a career choice?

Choose a career path because you love it. You will never regret choosing something that you love, but you may very well regret choosing something because it seemed secure or practical. There is no guarantee of job security in any career so you may as well pick something that fulfills you.

Watch the Video for Anchor off of Mindy's New Album

Buy the Album on Itunes!

Connect with Mindy:
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Blog
Music Videos

Mindy Gledhill - Anchor Video

2010-09-03T08:35:00.000-04:00

ADVICE WEDNESDAY: with a little laugh!

2010-09-01T08:00:00.005-04:00

Watch this commercial - if you answer yes to any of the questions... consider buying our Ultimate Career Resource Book to find the job that's RIGHT FOR YOU... and will make you happy!

Our book will help you figure out your priorities, likes, dislikes, goals and talents to help you make an informed decision. Along with all of these great helps are 150+ interviews with working professionals about their jobs to help you get a real feel for the careers you may be interested in pursuing!

Good Luck!

HIGHLIGHT MONDAY: Educationtipster Blog

2010-08-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Kathy Stemke is the author and educator behind Educationtipster, a great blog aimed to help parents and teachers through book reviews, movement activities and great tips!

Kathy has a passion for all things creative, including writing and the arts. She has a B.S. from Southern Connecticut State University and Covenant Life Seminary, as well as graduate coursework from New York Institute of Technology and Columbia University.

As a freelance writer, Kathy has published several articles. She is a contributing editor for The National Writing for Children's Center. Kathy's first children's book, "Moving through All Seven Days," came out in 2009. She has many more books coming out this year!

Kathy uses her talents in her blog to help her readers. One great example of how she give great advice can be found below. Click on Read More below for an example of Kathy's blog posts...

HELP YOUR CHILD WITH MATH AT HOME!
by Kathy Stemke

Begin each math homework session by asking your child to explain what he's supposed to do. By his response, you'll know if he can do the assignment alone or if you need to help him get started.

When helping your child, ask questions to guide him through the process, such as, "Where do you begin?" "What do you need to find out?" " Can you show me in a drawing how you got the answer?"

It's okay to say that you don't understand a problem. It gives you an opportunity to review the lesson together to see if you've missed some important piece of information.

Establish a clear understanding with your child's teacher(s) about the frequency and amount of homework he'll receive. Modification of homework may increase his motivation and how much work he does. With his teacher, decide if he needs to do fewer problems, or if he can say the answers out loud and you can write them for him, or if he can check his work with a calculator.

If you're not around when your child completes his homework, let him know that you'll look it over when you get home. Be sure to follow through. Tell him you're doing this to help him, not judge him.

When kids realize that math is all around them, they begin to relax and see its meaning in their lives. So use math in everyday life-count out forks to set the table, pour out a measured amount of milk, or practice telling time.

Show how math is more than learning addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Math also teaches us to analyze, reason, and plan. These are all useful skills that transfer over to reading and writing as well.

Model analytical and mathematical thinking. Be a problem solver, explore questions, and find solutions. Talk about likenesses and differences, and explain your reasoning.

Encourage your child to express his problem solving out loud so you can understand his reasoning.

When driving in the car, talk about how numbers help us determine how fast we drive, the distance traveled, mileage the car gets per gallon of gas, and how long it will takes to get home.

Expose your child to money in his early school years. Have him keep coins in a piggy bank and count them out regularly. If he receives an allowance, have him keep track of the amount or start a bank account.

Have your child use an analog and digital watch or clock to learn both methods of telling time.

Post a chart of math facts on the wall in his room. Some activities and games can help kids memorize math facts.

Computer learning games can also be used to reinforce skills. Most kids enjoy working on the computer. There are software programs to fit many skill levels. Older students may want to use calendars or spreadsheets in their daily or weekly schedule. Doing this will reinforce the many uses of math.

Incorporate games involving numbers and math into play. There are many types of games — from flash cards for learning basic math facts to games involving money, time, and logic.

HERE ARE SOME MATH ARTICLES I WROTE FOR HELIUM WITH SPECIFIC GAMES TO PLAY WITH YOUR CHILDREN.http://www.helium.com/items/1183735
-young-children-money-recognition-teaching-count-spend-save-activities-songs-needs-
wants
http://www.helium.com/items/1166822-math-
manipulatives-unifix-cubes-value-of-learning-educational-resources-geometric
http://www.helium.com/items/1160113-
number-fun-skip-count-writing-recognition-activities-digits-poem-add-subtract-
multiply
http://www.helium.com/items/1117913-how-to-help-your-young
-child-develop-math-skills-at-home
http://www.helium.com/items/960547-math-games-for-the-elementary-school
-classroom

INTERVIEW FRIDAY: Photographer Kristen Duke

2010-08-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

We're excited to have Kristen Duke (pictured above) from Kristen Duke Photography as our interviewee today. Her photographs are beautiful and impressive and the insight that she gives below is a must read for anyone interested in pursuing photography. Enjoy examples of her photography throughout the interview! Thank you Kristen!

Interview Questions:

Q. Please tell us about yourself and what people, influences, events or desires led you to your profession.

Photography has always been a passion of mine. I love people and I love capturing pure emotion. In high school, I learned how to develop film in the darkroom, and I'm grateful I have that history with film/print as it helps me in my digital darkroom. My husband and I have 4 children, and we’ve been in North Austin for nearly 8 years.

Early on, I tried the backdrop/studio setup and it just wasn’t my thing. It felt too stiff, too constricting. I love the versatility of outdoor or in-home portraits. Plus, I think the natural sunlight is the most beautiful light. You will very rarely see me using a flash.

To read more of Kristen's interview and more examples of her beautiful photography click on READ MORE below...

Q. How would you describe the job of a photographer? Can you tell us what a typical day or week is like?

I am not a full time photographer. I photograph 2-4 sessions a month. With each session, I am gone from home 1-2 hours. I usually schedule that time when my husband is home to be with our children Saturday mornings or a weeknight. I don't work on Sundays. Sometimes a friend will watch them on the rare event that I shoot during a weekday.

After shooting each session, I have 2-3 hours of editing work to do on the computer and narrowing down the best images, and popping the color to make them stand out. I often give a sneak peak on my website a few days after and once a week has passed, the clients will be able to view the full gallery and select images they want to print. I then re-edit images to perfection and organize them for printing. This takes 1-2 hours. Once they arrive, I package and deliver and this takes about an hour total.

Q. What are the most enjoyable and least enjoyable aspects of your work? Why?

Most enjoyable aspect of being a photographer is meeting new people. I LOVE to hear new stories or watch families interact with each other. One can never have too many friends.

Least enjoyable is when people can't afford all the images they want. It makes me sad to not accommodate, as I do understand budget constraints. My hubby has to constantly remind me to be business minded or I'll not make any money. I don't leave my family time to not make money, so it makes sense to me:)

Q. What is the most common misconception that people have about your line of work?

People don't understand why a custom photographer charges so much when Sally down the street "shoots and burns" for a lot less. When I started out, I was the same way. I was learning (not good) and didn't charge a lot. Now that I've spent thousands on equipment, seminars, software, and hours and hours learning my craft, I recognize that I am charging for my expertise and my time.

Q. How would a young person with aspirations to become a photographer best prepare himself/herself?

I do not have a degree in photography, though I considered it. I don't regret that, and I do recommend a degree (mine is in child development, perfect for my 2 jobs as mother and photographer). My education has come from seminars, online tutorials, meeting with other photographers, and an online photography forum. Each photography session is also a workout, not for the faint. You need to always be on your toes with suggestions and ideas for clients because they come ready for you to take lead.

I used to photograph weddings, and often they didn't have a wedding coordinator, I quickly found that everyone turned to me for the flow of the day. You must be prepared with a bag full of tricks. I often carry noisy toys, rubber bands (pull hair back), candy for kids, first aid kit, safety pins, I could go on. Also, you are expected to pose, so come with plans and ideas on how to do that according to the size of the group. People skills are very important, you want to make a good impression.

Q. What is the most important or significant thing that you have accomplished in your work to date? What do you hope to accomplish?

I have loved photographing the weddings of family and friends. I consider it my gift to them, and I feel so grateful to offer such a treasure. I was also blessed to photograph a sweet newborn and be in her presence for her very short life--1 hour. To be there with her loved ones in that most sacred and emotional time is a blessing I will always carry with me.

Q. Do you have any additional thoughts that you would like to share with young people trying to decide on a career choice?

If I were to do this photography journey all over, I would have perfected my skill before I started charging (even if it was just a little). But, I think I may not have pushed myself hard to learn if I didn't have a reason (people continuing to ask). I am grateful for my journey and where it has brought me today.

Visit Kristen's Website (Kristendukephotography.com) and see her Latest Work!

ADVICE WEDNESDAY: Are You a Personal Transformation Tortoise or Hare?

2010-08-25T08:00:00.002-04:00

by JONATHAN
(Repost from http://advancedlifeskills.com/blog/ )

When it comes to making transformations in your life, what approach do you favor? Do you like to rush right in and shake things up, or do you prefer to ease into it at a slower pace?

Both of these approaches to personal transformation can produce good results. However, understanding and using the one that actually works for you can greatly increase those results. Let’s take a closer look at these two techniques.

To continue reading click on READ MORE below...

The Personal Transformation Tortoise

This is usually the choice of those who are uncomfortable with change. They like the sense of security that comes from making small, calculated adjustments in a measured way. Rather than disrupting the orderliness of their world, they change one thing at a time and then evaluate.

If you reflect on the story of the tortoise and the hare, you will recall that this approach won the race. There are definite advantages to “slow and steady,” and in some situations this is the most reasonable approach for everyone.

For example, if you are out of shape and you want to take up running, it wouldn’t be very wise to run ten miles your first day. Slow and steady is obviously the better choice. And this same principal applies to many areas of life. So we should never underestimate the power of “slow and steady” when it comes to transforming your life.

The Personal Transformation Hare

For those who are more comfortable with radical change, this will often be the preferred approach. It’s a way of really shaking things up that basically amounts to a giant pattern interrupt. Instead of trying to maintain orderliness, this method approaches personal transformation with a more adventurous spirit.

Changing our established response patterns often requires this type of planned disruption. When attempting to break out of familiar or customary behavior, we may need to introduce a number of new elements into the picture to avoid responding “as usual.”

Don’t automatically assume that this approach is more haphazard or reckless. In reality, both approaches require preparation and forethought to be successful. It is always in our best interest to be adaptable enough to use whichever approach is likely be most effective in any given set of circumstances.

What works best for me!

As you can tell by the title of my book, I’m into Simple Steps to Quickly Transform Your Life. I like fast results where possible, but I am also after those long term benefits that come only with time. In other words, I use a combined approach whenever I can.

We have already established that both approaches have their strong points. Where possible, I use a system that allows me to enjoy the best of both worlds. Using this approach has allowed me to successfully transform many areas of my life in the shortest possible time, without sacrificing long term results. Here’s how I do it.

The interval approach to personal transformation

If you have ever used interval fitness training, then you know that it involves moving from one thing to another. That’s the approach I like to use when transforming any aspect of my life. If the situation allows for it, I will use some kind of disruptive approach to produce rapid change. Then I will adopt a more “steady as she goes” approach while I get my bearings.

Once I have adapted to my new level of change, I look for my next opportunity to make another quantum leap. To illustrate, if I were traveling on foot toward a predetermined destination, this is what I would do. I would run for awhile, then I would switch to walking just long enough to catch my breath and asses my progress. When I was ready, I would go back to running, followed by more walking.

The beauty of this approach is that my forward momentum never stops. I simply go from rapid progress to steady progress, and repeat.

The benefits of rapid transformation

Anytime you can experience fast results, it will encourage you to keep moving forward. I don’t care whether you are starting a new business, trying to lose weight, or mastering some new skill. The faster you see a reward for you efforts, the more likely you are to keep going.

Meaningful results are usually cumulative and require consistent effort. Anything that helps you hang in there for the long haul is going to raise your chances of success. Seeing positive results after a short period of focused effort can provide all the motivation you need to make it to the next milestone. This process is progressive, and is fueled by positive feedback in the form of continued results.

Personal transformation by design

Whatever your approach to creating a personal transformation, your preparation and forethought will have a direct influence on your results. So, before you take any action at all, I encourage you to design a tentative plan of action. I say tentative because you will need the flexibility to make adjustments as you progress.

Here are a five questions to consider when designing your personal transformation:

1) What exactly do you want to transform? You may have a good idea of what you want to change, but what will that change look like? If you want to get in better shape physically, for example, you need to specify what that means. If it means losing weight, then how much? If it means increasing your skill level in some activity, then how will you measure it?

2) How long will this transformation take? Time frames motivate us to take action. You need to assign a time limit to the transformational process. The only transformation that takes place without your input is aging, everything else happens by design. Give yourself the advantage that comes from creating a time frame and your results will increase exponentially.

3) How important is this transformation to you personally? We all have a variety of things demanding our attention. As a consequence, most of us operate on a priority system. In other words, we do whatever is most important at the time. To make a meaningful transformation in some important area of your life, you will need to assign it a high priority.

4) Why are you doing it? I always say that a person can do anything if they have a good enough reason. So, what’s your reason? Make sure youunderstand why making this transformation is important to you. Without a good reason you might give up when you encounter obstacles. Get clear on your reasons “why” before you start.

5) What approach are you going to use? Are you going to be a tortoise, a hare, or some combination of the two? If you are looking for rapid change then how will you accomplish that? Even if you are using the “slow and steady” approach, you will still need a way to measure progress against your time frame. If you choose intervals, what are they going to be.

Get some help if you need it

One of the main reasons why people are unable to transform different areas of their lives, is they simply don’t understand the process. Positive transformations do not happen by accident, they happen by design. Skills are involved, and these are not the kind of skills we were taught in school.

Transformational skills are not difficult, but they are highly specialized. If you don’t know these skills, then it can seem almost impossible to change the things you want to change. That’s why I wrote 7 Simple Steps, it is a step by step life transformation guide. It’s easy to follow and produces remarkable results.

The important point here is this; if you need to learn these skills so you can transform various areas of your life, then take the time to do so. Find a reputable source of reliable information and learn the skills you need to create the life you want. Please don’t settle for ordinary, because you really can have extraordinary.

What’s your favorite transformation technique?
How successful are you in this area of life?
The lines are open!

*Please visit Jonathan's website for even more great advice: http://advancedlifeskills.com/blog/

HIGHLIGHT MONDAY: Successful Teaching Blog

2010-08-23T08:00:00.006-04:00

I came across Pat Hensley's blog Successful Teaching when looking for quality sites by and for teachers. This blog is full of great information, strategies and ideas for all grades and all types of teaching. Pat taught special education for 30 years and now teaches graduate courses at Furman University. In 2006 she was chosen as Teacher of the Year- which is quite the accomplishment!

Check out her great insights and if you have any any desire to be a teacher or are a teacher and needs some ideas- be sure to check out her blog.

Click on READ MORE below for an example of a blog post on Successful Teaching:

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 8/13/10

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Video ANT – online tool that takes web-based videos and lets you annotate it. I think this would be great for students to use as the class watches the video.

My Wonderful World – great resources to help teachers teach geography in the classroom

BJ Pinchbeck’s Homework Helper – great resources to help with many different subjects

Whyville – “Welcome! Whyville is a virtual world geared for teen and pre-teen girls and boys. Whyville's millions of registered "citizens" come from all over to learn, create, and have fun together. Whyville is their world. Whyville has places to go, things to do, and of course, people to see. Whyville has its own newspaper, its own Senators, its own beach, museum, City Hall and town square, its own suburbia, and even its own economy - citizens earn "clams" by playing educational games. And much, much, much more!”

Book Adventure – “Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 7,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they've read, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes. Book Adventure was created by and is maintained by Sylvan Learning.”

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: Tools by Pat Hensley

INTERVIEW FRIDAY: Portrait Artist Mike Theuer

2010-08-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

The best way to introduce our Artist is by letting you see this video of him in action!

Interview Questions:

Q. Please tell us about yourself and what people, influences, events or desires led you to your profession.

A couple of things propelled me into being a portrait artist online. The first was ability. Although I never majored in art, I've always had a strong ability. Not the greatest though. When I started this business in 2007 my portraits were a little sloppy. Luckily I have improved with practice since then! Second thing that got me into an online art job was time. I'm the stay-at-home parent for our three boys. Now all three are in school, the oldest in middle school. So I had time during the day. I didn't want to go out of the home to work. So, I found something I could do at home!

Read the rest of Mike's interview by clicking READ MORE below...

Q. How would you describe the job of an artist?

Typical day goes like this. Morning, answer emails from people inquiring about portraits. This means reviewing photos emailed to me, arranging photos into rough layouts so inquirers can see how a potential portrait might look, quoting prices and sending invoices to people ready to buy. Late morning, start drawing! Could be one to three drawings per day, 5 days a week. I finish what I can around other household-work and child care-work. Late at night I work on my website, SEO and other internet junk needed to make my online presence strong. How would I describe this job of an online portrait artist? Creative!

Q. What are the most enjoyable and least enjoyable aspects of your work? Why?

Most enjoyable aspect is the drawing. I like it when the drawing begins to look like a real person and I smile at the portrait as though the person were actually in front of me. Least enjoyable is the record keeping. I actually keep records of what it is I am to draw, for whom, of what in triplicate. Otherwise I would forget!!

Q. What is the most common misconception that people have about your line of work?

I don't get misconceptions from my customers about the art. They all think that art is pretty hard to do for them. I guess that’s why all of them want and appreciate a portrait! I do however get misconceptions from budding artists about the business. Budding artists who contact me for advice, or who ask to start a partnership, or who start "Google" ads for their own start-up business online think that the job of being an online artist should be pretty easy. But the "Google" ads soon disappear and the emails start coming, "is my business slow like theirs", or "should I get another job?" They don't realize that they are in business online just like they would be in a brick-and-mortar store on the street. They have to create a great online presence (SEO and web design). They have to find the right location (audience). They have to find the right niche (fit between their competition). And they have to be able to make a profit (balance what it takes for them to create against their selling price). Then, they have a chance to succeed . . . if their art is appealing. I speak from experience having founded and sold a couple businesses of my own, http://miketheuer.com/Grow%20Joe--LA%20Times%20article.htm

Q. How would a young person with aspirations to become an artist best prepare himself/herself?

Probably like anything from sports to singing, I say you have to have the ability. You have to practice. And you have to learn about the basics. Art basics are shading, composition and perspective. These concepts improve your drawing a lot when you can apply them or "bend" them in your artwork. I know this for a fact from teaching art for the last 16 years. I teach at the Center for Arts and Crafts in the evening at the Pennsylvania State University, University Park. Finally when a young artist has enough ability so that their family and friends say, "Your artwork is so good you should try to sell it!" then that artist has to know about business. My business advice? See my answer above.

Q. What is the most important or significant thing that you have accomplished in your work to date? What do you hope to accomplish?

My most important accomplishment in business is that from reading customer feedback, 100% of my customers are happy with their portraits. My most important accomplishment in art is having moved beyond capturing a likeness to capturing a personality. An example of this is the pencil drawing of a girl in braids in my "people" gallery. What I hope to accomplish is a bigger business!

See Mike's incredible

Pencil Portraits

and Watercolor Portraits!

ADVICE WEDNESDAY: How to Manage Workplace Stress During Tough Economic Times

2010-08-18T08:00:00.004-04:00

By Erin Suess

During tough economic times many of us experience some level of stress. For some, the level of stress can be mild and for others it can be much more severe. The economic turmoil that we face such as increased unemployment, foreclosures, lose of financial investments and retirement savings, bankruptcies, etc. can force many of us to experience tremendous stress. According to cnnmoney.com, Yahoo just announced that it is cutting 5% of its workforce leaving many workers looking for new jobs. For those employees who do survive these cuts, many will experience feelings of uncertainty which can produce stressful workplace settings.

Although research shows that some stress can be positive and help us perform better, excessive or prolonged stress can lead to a multitude of problems such as: depression, anxiety, insomnia, medical problems such as high blood pressure, headaches, heart problems, ulcers and even death in some instances.

The key to managing your stress is to recognize and learn how to deal with stressful situations. It is important to pay attention to your how you feel and the physical changes that can occur when faced with stressful situations. Failing to understand your tolerance for stressful situations and managing this pressure can lead to many problems in the workplace and even possibly losing your job. Below are some tips that can help you manage your stress in the workplace.

Read Erin's Tips by clicking on READ MORE below...

Start Your Day off Right
Starting your day off in the right frame of mind can make a huge impact on how the rest of your day will carry on. For example, you may want to start your morning off with some relaxing or soothing music. Listening to music can be done at home before you leave for work or in your car or train on your way to work. The point is to pick music that is calming and puts you in a more relaxed state.

Another way to start your morning off in the right direction is to get focused. Focus on what your grateful for and what you want out of your life. Keeping a list of all the things you are grateful for in your life and/or things you would like to get out of life can help clear your mind of any negative messages and start your day on a positive note. For some, a vision board which illustrates the things we want out of life by using pictures can be posted so you can view it every morning. The point of this exercise is to place these lists, boards or even phrases (on post-it notes) in areas where you will see them in the morning to help get you focused for the day.
Going for a walk or meditating in the morning can also help manage your stress. Getting connected with nature can help clear your head and be a great stress reliever before starting your workday. For those who like to meditate, the power of meditation can make a tremendous impact on creating a more stable, calmer mind.

Learn to Say No
Often times, many of us tend to over commit to projects or other work related tasks. Particularly during turbulent economic times we may feel a bit apprehensive to say no fearful of looking bad or losing our jobs. However, for long term success and managing our stress it is vital that we keep a realistic frame of mind and only accept tasks that fit in with our schedules. Saying no and keeping an accurate picture of our workload allows us to dedicate the time needed to complete the projects we already have on hand. Taking on too much will create a demanding time crunch and a feeling of failure as we fall short on completing these tasks. Saying "no" will not only provide us with a realistic work load but it will grant us a sense of empowerment or control over our lives. This feeling of control can drastically reduce stress that we are experiencing.

Delegate
When we currently have too much on our plates and realize more work is going to be added, feelings of anxiousness and tension can develop leaving us with constant worry and more stress. It is vital to understand your work load and delegate what you can to others in order to get the job done. For some of us, we have this feeling that we have to do it all or we may look incompetent or simply we do not want to give up control of completing our work. However, allowing other competent people work on tasks can free up this sense of having to do it all on our own creating more control over our work environment.

Effective Communication
Learning how to effectively communicate with colleagues and managers can make a big difference in managing your stress. For example, when we fail to communicate our feelings or a specific message it tends to manifest in us creating pressure or tension. If we let these feelings sit for a long period of time we may start functioning at a very high stress level causing us to act or behave in a way that is uncharacteristic. It is necessary to focus on our thoughts and feelings and be sure to appropriately communicate these messages to the right people.

Breaks and Time Off
Although taking vacation or other days off may not feel "right" during tough economic times, it is important to take all the breaks and holidays that we are entitled to when managing our stress. Many of us need "mental health" days and by continuing to work every day without taking breaks we become overworked and exhausted. Remember to take a lunch spend time during this hour in a different environment outside of work. For some exercising or playing sports during lunch can help many of us to recharge.

Shut off Distractions
Be sure to stay focused at work and tune out any unnecessary distractions. Emails, internet, radio, and sources of news can be unconstructive. Messages conveyed through these types of media during economic times like ours can constantly be negative creating a pessimistic attitude. Staying focused on the task at hand and eliminating any unnecessary distractions can greatly reduce your stress level.

Leave Work at Work
Leaving "work at work" will help create a smooth transition when from work to home. It is so easy for many of us to bring work home with us especially in today's day and age with email, blackberry's, cell phones etc. but it is important to be in a different role at home in order to reduce stress. For some, simply changing your clothes when you first walk through the door will help make this transition smoother. For others, being more aware that your work day is done and consciously making your transition from work to home will allow you to enjoy your evening hopefully stress free!

All in all, the key to managing your stress in the workplace is to become more aware of how you are thinking and feeling when faced with stressful or unpleasant situations. Utilizing these tips will allow you control your stress more appropriately and create a more positive working environment.

Erin Suess is a life and career coach and creator of http://www.lifecoachingdesigns.com She works with individuals who are seeking to enhance their personal and professional lives through gaining clarity and achieving goals. She also offers MBTI and Strong Interest Inventory testing on her site. If you are ready to live your best life then contact Erin. You can go to her website at: http://www.lifecoachingdesigns.com

HIGHLIGHT MONDAY: Grandad Science

2010-08-16T09:20:00.002-04:00

I came across GrandadScience.com months ago and have wanted to highlight it for all of you. It is a website, run by a Grandfather, who posts about interesting activities for kids that their grandparents or parents can do with them.

GrandadScience is a mathematics and science educator himself who is not happy with what is happening with kids in their homes and schools today. He dedicates himself to posting about things that will maintain kids interest in learning as opposed to mastering content. He not only tells you how to do it with photos, instructions, and sometimes even videos- but he also does these activities with his own grandchildren and highlights his family in this quality website.

It's so refreshing to find resources like GrandadScience that have such great and simple activities that we can use with our children to encourage and promote real learning! GrandadScience's way of thinking is just what we need today!

Click on READ MORE below for examples of activities on GrandadScience.com...

Here's just a taste of some of the great activities and the non-violent video games that he recommends:

After a trip to Holland and a visit to the beautiful gardens there, Grandadscience never misses a teachable moment as he helps his grandson learn about the roots of a flower.

Quality craft kid- daVinci's Self Supporting Arch Bridge Activity

Review of Educational Computer Games like Machinarium

So get your kids and grandkids off of the TV or Playstation and help them experience real learning on GrandadScience.com!

INTERVIEW FRIDAY: Yoga/Pilates Teacher Kristin McGee

2010-08-13T08:00:00.005-04:00

I am extremely excited for our interview today. Kristin McGee graciously accepted the offer to do an interview for us. She was so sweet to work with and I'm excited for you all to read about what she does. She has been on countless television shows, magazine covers, and trains numerous celebrities, models and athletes. Her interview today gives us insight into her career as a yoga/pilates instructor. Enjoy!

Interview Questions:

Q. Please tell us about yourself and what people, influences, events or desires led you to your profession.

I grew up in Idaho and my family always played an important role on encouraging me to go for my dreams. They let me move to New York for NYU Acting School Tisch and it was there I discovered my first yoga class. I fell in love with it and I started going to studios and teachers that resonated with me. In 1997 I certified to teach yoga to support my acting career. In 2002, I was discovered by and MTV producer to do a series of yoga and Pilates DVDs. I then continued on the path of becoming a leading Fitness professional and celebrity yoga instructor. I love sharing fitness and yoga and Pilates with as many people as I can.

Read the rest of Kristin's interview by clicking READ MORE below...

Q. How would you describe the job of a Yoga/Pilates teacher?

Can you tell us what a typical day or week is like? I typically wake up at 5 or 5:30 am and see early morning private clients or teach an early morning class. I've been trying to reserve the first 20 minutes for meditation then I make myself a substantial breakfast and pack my bag and an extra little cooler full of snacks and hit the road. I walk to a lot or take the subway to and from client's homes and gyms and yoga studios. I sometimes have some nice breaks in my day but my schedule can also be back to back. I teach a few late nights until 8:00 or 8:30pm and then get home and check emails and write. I am a contributing editor for Health Magazine and I blog.

Q. What are the most enjoyable and least enjoyable aspects of your work? Why?

I love seeing people improve and feel good about themselves. I love it when someone tells me thank you after class or that I've influenced them in a positive way. I love the creativity, the comfortable yoga clothes I can wear all day, the fact that I am not stuck at a desk all day and that I get to move all the time. I'm not crazy about the early mornings and late nights and I also wish I had more time to work on the business side of my job. I also sometimes get physically exhausted and there are a few days I actually wish I didn't have to wear yoga clothes and that I could dress up!

Q. What is the most common misconception that people have about your line of work?

That I should be stress free since I teach yoga and yoga is a great stress reliever....I have the same stresses that everyone else has in life! I just try and use my practice to stay more balanced and stay positive. But it always cracks me up when someone says, "well you're never stressed you are a yoga teacher!"

Q. How would a young person with aspirations to become a yoga teacher best prepare himself/herself?

First of all practice for yourself...if you really love yoga or Pilates or are super interested in Fitness then you should definitely go for it; but if you are a newbie to it and just think it sounds cool, then it's not a good idea. You have to really be passionate about it. Then if you have the passion, ask the teachers you are fond of where they studied. Do some research on reputable studios and training programs in your area or look in to universities that offer programs and training in fitness careers and yoga. Light on Yoga, BKS Iyengar, The Yoga Sutras are all good books. If there are instructors you admire on DVDs don't be afraid to reach out to them and email them. Look into their career path and see how they got there. With yoga's rise in popularity, there are many great training programs now. But make sure you have done at least a few years of your own practice and once you are certified then go to gyms and yoga studios and tell them how long you've been practicing and show them your certification and see if you can start on their schedule or assist teachers in class or or at least start subbing. Once you can sub a class and get feedback from the students, the gym or studio will likely want to hire you.

Q. What is the most important or significant thing that you have accomplished in your work to date? What do you hope to accomplish?

I created Bendigirl yoga for young girls. I think building self esteem one breath at a time through yoga is so important. I am proud I created a DVD all by myself and I hope to keep building upon Bendigirl and influencing more and more young ones so they can experience yoga sooner rather than later and live a healthy, happy life.

Q. Do you have any additional thoughts that you would like to share with young people trying to decide on a career choice?

I am here for anyone who wants to ask me personal questions....kristin@kristinmcgee.com. I say always believe in yourself and follow your instincts. If you are in a program that doesn't resonate with you, find something else. I've always stayed true to myself and I've always loved what I do and I think the combination of those two things is what has helped me build my own luck. There is no such thing as just getting lucky...you have to have "proper, prior, preparation to prevent piss poor performance" (to quote my father). If you are prepared and doing what you love then you will most definitely at some point end up in the right place at the right time and your career will blossom.

Learn more about Kristin and check out a few of her DVD's :

Her Latest DVD: Body By Bethenny - Bethenny Frankel with Kristin McGee:

Advice Wednesday: Top 7 Ways to Prepare for a Successful Job Interview By Erin Suess

2010-08-11T07:00:00.003-04:00

Interviewing for a new job regardless of whether it is with a different company, within the same company or in a completely different industry can be quite overwhelming and stressful. The majority of us will participate in several interviews in our lifetime and for some of us interviewing will become a big part of our lives. This is especially true during economic turbulent times like today. Companies are being forced to layoff, downsize and even job shift. Many major corporations have been shifting jobs (outsourcing jobs offshore) therefore leaving many people out of work. According to Business Week, "IBM has indeed been shifting jobs. The magazine reported that the company's workforce went up from 386,558 at the end of 2007 to 398,000 at the end of 2008. But U.S. employment fell from 121,000 to 115,000 during the same time." Through various diverse means jobs are being cut and many people are looking for new opportunities. Below are several tips that may be helpful when preparing for a job interview.

Click on READ MORE to read Erin's top 7 ways...

Research
The number one most important piece in preparing for a successful interview is to do your homework. In today's day and age with access to the internet and other valuable career resources at our fingertips there is no reason to show up to an interview unfamiliar with the company. Researching the company, position and process (who and how) will not only demonstrate your sincere interest and increase your confidence, but it is an opportunity to learn what you have to offer and to impress the interviewers. So what type of information should you research? Some examples include: size of the firm, organizational structure and career paths, percentage of annual sales growth in the last five years, locations/home office, competition, organizational goals and of course their products and services. Demonstrating your knowledge of the company and their products and services can help you stand out from the crowd.

Know yourself
Although doing your homework is absolutely necessary knowing yourself is just as essential. In my opinion, the two go hand in hand. You can spew out as many tidbits about the company as you want but if you cannot demonstrate how your skills and experiences tie into the company's objectives there is no point in participating in the interview. For example, understanding how your values, interests and skills fit into the company's mission and overall goals is going to allow you to showcase your value to the company. Discussing your career objectives will give the interviewers an idea of where and how you fit within their organization. Without this knowledge you fail to paint a picture of your potential role within the company.

Mock interviews
Another important task in preparing for a successful interview is practicing. Participating in mock interviews with family, friends or other people within your industry will give you an opportunity to practice "selling" yourself as well as receive feedback. Practicing will build up your interviewing skills in addition to building your self-confidence. The feedback you receive may shed some new light on points you never consider before and provide tips on your communication style. Nonverbal communication such as facial expressions, eye contact and posture are just as important as verbal communications such as tone of voice, positive words/phrases and sense of humor. Both forms of communication can make or break the interview.

Stack your pack
To prepare for a successful interview means showing up to the interview with the right tools and enough copies to display your work for everyone. First, be sure to always have a copy of the directions and phone number to the company. A career portfolio may be a good idea to showcase your successes and leave a lasting impression. Always have more than enough resume copies on hand because you never know how many people will be interviewing you or stopping by during the interview. Bring extra copies of references and business cards. Lastly, make sure you have a pen and pad of paper to take notes during the interview. Start by writing down your interviewer's name and important key points that are discussed regarding the position and your responsibilities and expectations. Be sure to star anything that may seem unclear and go back to ask for clarification.

Questions
Writing out a list of questions prior to the interview is crucial. Many questions will stem from the research you conducted earlier and other questions may come from your own interests or what you would like more clarification on. For examples, questions about the positions responsibilities, reason for the opening, more about company's goals and missions, career paths, training opportunities etc. will give you more insight into what your role will be and if this position aligns with who you are and what you are seeking in a position.

Dress Appropriately
Dressing for success requires advance planning. It is important to note that although the company's dress code may be relaxed your attire should remain conservative, neat and professional. Be sure to lie out and iron your clothes the night before so it is ready to go the day of the interview. For men, appropriate attire may include a solid color dark suit with tailored slacks and a conservative tie. Women's attire may include a navy, black, brown, gray or beige suit color avoiding bright colors and patterns. Remember to keep jewelry, make-up and perfume to a minimum. Lastly, don't forget to wear a smile!

What not to bring
In preparing for a successful interview remember to keep in mind some items you should not bring to an interview: gum, candy, cigarettes, cell phone and blackberry (leave in car), IPods, coffee or soda, and any visible tattoo's (cover them up).

Overall, there are several steps you can take in preparing for a successful job interview but an important tip to keep in mind is to have a positive mental attitude that can shine through during the interview. Many times people go in to an interview prepared for all the "right" things to say and forget to let their upbeat personality or enthusiasm come through. Employers do not only hire qualified people but also those individuals who they can connect with and who will "fit" in well with their organization are often employed.

Erin Suess is a life and career coach and creator of http://www.lifecoachingdesigns.com She works with individuals who are seeking to enhance their personal and professional lives through gaining clarity and achieving goals. She also offers MBTI and Strong Interest Inventory testing on her site. If you are ready to live your best life then contact Erin. You can go to her website at: http://www.lifecoachingdesigns.com

INTERVIEW FRIDAY: Lyndsay Johnson - Graphic Designer

2010-08-06T08:00:00.008-04:00

For today's interview we have the pleasure of hearing from Lyndsay Johnson, a Graphic Designer. I first took note of Lyndsay's work on a blog that she designed called Nie Nie Dialogues. After reading her interview and checking some of her other wonderful creations- I can assure you that you will enjoy this sincere interview that holds great advice. Be sure to also check out her links- they're all wonderful. Thank you Lyndsay!

Interview Questions:

Q. Please tell us about yourself and what people, influences, events or desires led you to your profession.

I’ve been a graphic designer for ten years. I am a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom. I have two small children, and I am a freelance designer and illustrator. I have always been artistic, and especially love the graphic arts. I went to both undergraduate and graduate school for graphic design. Before I had children I worked for a publishing company mainly designing layout design for publications. Once my son came along, I decided to stay at home and do the most important job of all, being a mommy! I worked for a scrapbook company for a while designing scrapbook paper and accessories. A few years ago I started my blog design business, Beautify My Blog (http://www.beautifymyblog.com), with my business partner, Sarah Bradford. We have also branched off into another venture, The Blog Guidebook (http://www.blogguidebook.com), which offers free blog listings and other blogging resources.

I also enjoy digital illustration, and you can find some of my personal work in my Etsy shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/LyndsayJohnson).

Click Below to READ MORE of Lyndsay's Interview:

Q. How would you describe the job of a graphic designer? Can you tell us what a typical day or week is like?

Since I work from home, I typically set my own schedule. I generally plant myself on the couch with my laptop for a couple of hours while the kids play around me (my son is playing pirate ship next to me as I type this, in fact). I often squeeze work in during my children’s nap times, and sometimes in the evenings. I work on personal illustration projects, and also on blog design and logo/identity design for clients. But my first priority is my family. So during the week we attend my kids’ activities, and then I respond to client e-mails and work on blog designs when I have spare time. I don’t do design work for clients every single day, but I do find myself working on some design project daily. I am always thinking of new projects, and can’t ever seem to get too far from my laptop before I am opening it up to create something new.

Q. What are the most enjoyable and least enjoyable aspects of your work? Why?

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my work is the satisfaction I find in a finished project. I love seeing a printed poster design, a completed blog design up and running, the feeling that I just created something out of the blue and watched it go out into the world in its own small way. I especially enjoy whimsical projects, designs for children, and illustration. And when I am able to help people through my work, I get the greatest satisfaction!

The least enjoyable aspect of my work is dealing with difficult clients. I work on my people skills a lot. The time work sometimes takes away from my family is also a big concern for me. I am constantly trying to adjust the time I spend working to make sure it’s not “too much.”

Q. What is the most common misconception that people have about your line of work?

There are actually two:
-The first is that anyone who has design software can be a designer. The truth is that it takes time and study! It can be through education in school, or by studying on your own. But you need to have an elemental and dedicated understanding of the principles of design. And then you have to constantly be updating your skills and style to keep up with the industry.

-The second is that some people think they should be able to pay very little for high quality design. This is actually a problem perpetuated by the previous statement. And it’s also present in other areas of art and design (like photography, for example). If you pay for quality, you will never be disappointed!

Q. How open is your field? Are there good opportunities for determined newcomers?

Since I have been a freelancer now for a few years, I am not very in touch with how things are going in terms of professional hiring out in the field. I do know that if you have the determination and talent, you will do just fine. There are always opportunities for talented freelancers who have great self-promotion skills. And my best advice for anyone trying to become a graphic designer or break into the field, is to go to school (get a degree or certificate). It will give you a leg up in this economy, and you will have the added benefit of potential internships as well as career placement services through many schools and universities.

Q. How would a young person with aspirations to become a graphic designer best prepare himself/herself? (School subjects to master, physical skills, social skills, attitudes, character traits, suggested reading, grooming, etc.)

I absolutely recommend a 4-year university if you can do it. If you cannot afford to attend a 4-year university (because of time or money), the Art Institutes (http://www.artinstitutes.edu) are a great alternative. Taking courses at your local community college, or even online in some circumstances can also round out your résumé and experience. Look for internships, design contests, and opportunities to work with other designers (workshops, for example). As a designer your basic skills will involve being able to work with the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator). And then there will be additional programs to learn for interactive and web design. If you want a very basic intro to these design programs, I recommend the Classroom in a Book series from Adobe to get started.

Q. What do you believe are the keys to enjoying work?

Absolutely do what you love. Don’t compromise because you think you won’t be successful or make a good living. If you are doing what you are passionate about, it will work out!

Q. What is the most important or significant thing that you have accomplished in your work to date? What do you hope to accomplish?

I don’t think I can name one thing. I am happy with every stage I have gone through as a designer. I am excited to see where my work goes and how it evolves.

Q. This is the last question: Do you have any additional thoughts that you would like to share with young people trying to decide on a career choice?

Like I said before, do what you love. And don’t be afraid to do it! Don’t compromise, because someone tells you to become something else, or because you feel pressured to fulfill expectations, or follow in someone’s footsteps. It’s the rest of your life, so you should truly enjoy your career. My husband, a photographer and cinematographer, can truly attest to this. He has made a career out of something he is talented in and greatly passionate about. A career is what makes you look forward to the rest of your life. A job is what makes you look forward to the weekends.

Also, in my case, I get asked a lot about the decision I made to become a stay-at-home mom, after completing all of my schooling and starting a career. “Isn’t it a waste?” I adamantly support any level of education, especially if a woman is planning to be a wife and a mother one day (and even if she is currently a wife and mom). Every bit of education you pursue benefits your future (and current) family. If it is something you are able and desire to do, don’t hesitate just because you think you might be leaving your profession at some point to stay at home with your children. Knowing that you took that opportunity to do something for yourself will always feed your spirit. And there will possibly be future opportunities to work from home or part time if you ever want to do that. Having a skill to turn to will always be beneficial.

**Enjoy this interview? There's 150+ in our BOOK!**

Advice Wednesday: 3 Steps to Landing a Job in 2010

2010-08-04T10:18:00.003-04:00

Along with our Interview Friday Series we are debuting our Advice Wednesday Series today. I thought that a good place to start would be with 3 Steps to Landing a Job in 2010 by Suze Orman that was featured on Oprah.com.

Here's some priceless advice for those of you who need a few steps in the right direction!

INTERVIEW FRIDAY: Singer/Songwriter Marcome

2010-07-30T18:47:00.008-04:00

We are extremely excited to debut our INTERVIEW FRIDAY series. These are interviews by people of different profession about how they got into their career and priceless advice on how to prepare and be successful. These interviews are slightly shortened versions of the the 150+ interviews found in Conversations: Find Your Niche!

Our first interview is with a wonderful artist and individual, Marcome. We're very grateful for her time and thought that is put into the priceless information found below!

Enjoy the pearls of wisdom as well as a sample of her music below!

Interview Questions:

Q. Please tell us about yourself and what people, influences, events or desires led you to your profession.
I'm a singer songwriter and sound engineer by trade. I've been singing all my life, be it with my family or with the music I listen to! I grew up in a musical family. Every weekend my uncles would grab their guitars & violin and do music. This led me to like music and start singing.

Click below to READ MORE of Marcome's Interview...

Q. How would you describe the job of a singer/songwriter? Can you tell us what a typical day or week is like?
As a singer songwriter, I have to feed myself with my surroundings to inspire new song ideas. I like to spend time in nature to contemplate, it's a very inspiring moment for me. As an indie artist, I have to follow every aspect of my work, the promotion and marketing. My career is like another child in some ways for I'm always involved, it's all about...me!

Q. What are the most enjoyable and least enjoyable aspects of your work? Why?
I would say that at some points when I'm into the marketing and promotion of my music, sometimes I wish I would only do music. But then, I know that all this direct feedback is also generating great energy in my Soul! I try to like my days wether I do things I like or not so that my mood does not depend on external condition but on one decision: I don't control all of what life brings me but I have control over my thoughts and the way I go about it in life!

Q. What is the most common misconception that people have about your line of work?
I haven't heard lot's of negative words over the years. I would say that one thing I heard more often would be that artist have no discipline. It's actually sometimes quite the contrary for some of us!

Q. How open is your field? Are there good opportunities for determined newcomers?
There's always room for talent and for persevering people. Perseverance is a must for everbody will say no! You have to be a determined individual to be in the music biz.

Q. How would a young person with aspirations to become a singer/songwriter best prepare himself/herself? (School subjects to master, physical skills, social skills, attitudes, character traits, suggested reading, grooming, etc.)
To become a good singer songwriter I would say that you need to listen to all sorts of music for years. I personally did not attend shchools in music. I'm a sound engineer by trade. I got to work with trained musicians for years and I learned most of what I know today. Of course, if your work requires you to read music, you need a training. I learn by ear!

Q. What do you believe are the keys to enjoying work?
To enjoy any work I think I have to be responsible for my inner happiness first. Even if I give you your dream job, there will be some days where you'll wish doing nothing. This is normal! One day at a time. My work is not my life, it's a part of it, the doing. We're human 'Beings' so we need to feed ourselves in many areas. Younger I had to do workd that were repetitive and in which I was alone in a room all day. I asked the boss to have permission to have my walkman and listen to music at the time! I would meditate.

Q. What is the most important or significant thing that you have accomplished in your work to date? What do you hope to accomplish?
Keep doing it despite the dishonesty of record labels which get you to sign down the page and don't pay you! That was hard! This really can be taken as a death sentence!

Q. This is the last question: Do you have any additional thoughts that you would like to share with young people trying to decide on a career choice? For example, if you could turn the clock back, is there anything that you would do differently or any skills that you would have worked on harder? Are there any “Lessons Learned” that you would like to share with young people preparing themselves for a profession?
I think everything is for a reason therefore I did what I could and still do today! The trick is to keep a constructive, supportive loving attitude toward what life brings us day after day!

WE'RE BACK!!

2010-07-28T11:43:00.003-04:00

It's been quite a while and we've been on a bit of a hiatus but WE ARE BACK!

And what's better? We are so excited to debut an interview by an amazing artist at the end of the week:

MARCOME

Take a look and listen at her gorgeous site!

Downtown Dharma: Zen in the City

2010-03-16T15:15:00.001-04:00

A recent post on the Downtown Dharma blog talks about some tips on how to turn your passion into a paycheck! This is exactly what we all would like to do.

Check out her tips here and a wide array of other information!

Do you feel like you're lost and unsure of your next step because...

2010-03-14T12:51:00.004-04:00

the life you built no longer fulfills you? You’re ready to forge your own path, but are having difficulty with the decisions? Are you still not doing what you feel you're here to do? Are you blaming yourself for the unexpected, and having difficulty recognizing the opportunity? Are you nearing retirement, and unsure how you’ll create a new way of life?

If any of these are true, you're among a growing number of (wo)men who feel called to live in new ways during these times, and yet just don't know how to begin. In support, I have developed several programs that may be just what you are looking for.

“My work with Georgia has been such a blessing to my life. I was looking for balance between all the directions that life was pulling me and with Georgia’s help and guidance I was able to find a direction and peace of mind in my life that has actually given me more energy and excitement about the future than I had ever thought I would have. With her support and encouragement I was able to work through everything that was taking my time and zapping my energy so that I could focus on what is really important to me. I am more focused and determined than ever to meet my life goals both professionally and personally.” D.M.

During your individually-designed program, you will dissolve the barriers to fulfilling your goals and dreams. As you transform your limiting patterns, you cultivate your uniqueness, power, and your ability to flourish.

Click READ MORE to continue...

Imagine... in just 12 hours of telephone sessions, transforming your feelings of:

• Low self-confidence into self-assurance and strength

• Unworthiness into significance and value

• Stress and overwhelm into a balanced life

• Self-doubt and worry into trust

• Resistance and struggle into ease and grace

• Uncertainty with decision-making into clarity and wise action

• Procrastination into timely follow-through

• Relationship conflict into collaboration and flow

• And much more...

Sound too good to be true? It's not! Meet me half way, and there's nothing you can't accomplish! With the right tools, your intention, commitment, and steady follow-through, expect substantial change.

"I recently spent some time with Georgia, as my life coach, and found great success in just a few sessions. Not only is she an educated coach but also an experienced business woman, wife, mother, and friend; all of which augments her ability to relate to others. I was at a point in my life where I was feeling overwhelmed by the demands to perform as a domestic partner, mother, employee, and student. Georgia helped me to realize that most of the pressure I was feeling was self-induced. She helped me to reevaluate my own perception of success, to reframe my thoughts so that I could see all that I have accomplished rather than focusing on perceived failures. By doing so, she has literally helped me to put my life back into my own hands. This is not the only issue that we addressed with our sessions, but so many things started to fall into place once I was able to resolve this one issue. My life coaching experience has provided a balance in day-to-day life, and Georgia’s unfailing support, encouragement, and gentle guidance has been an invaluable experience. I would recommend Collaborative Transitions Coaching to anyone who is going through any type of life change or to those that need to find the change in themselves necessary to live a more fulfilling life!" ~ J.L.

So, are you ready to flourish? Invest in yourself. To make it affordable, the fee ranges for your income level and, if needed, you can send monthly payments.

Take that next step! Contact me now. And set up a free conversation to see if I’m the right coach for you now. I'll be watching for you!

Blessings,
Georgia Feiste

http://www.collaborativetransitions.com

Georgia Feiste

Owner, Collaborative Transitions Coaching

You Can Live a Life of Purpose and Passion!

Working together to achieve success, prosperity and happiness.

Website - http://www.collaborativetransitions.com

Blog - http://www.rainbowbridgecoach.com

eMail: Georgia@CollaborativeTransitions.com

Telephone: (402) 484-8098

Mobile: (402) 304-1902

Create the Job that Matches Your Values

2010-03-09T08:34:00.004-05:00

By Guest Author Nancy Anderson

Values undergo a seismic shift in midlife and beyond. Making money is important, but monetary goals take second place to emotional and spiritual fulfillment; not only for yourself, but also for those you serve in your work. Ironically, putting love of what you do before money brings all the money you need.

By contrast, in your twenties and thirties you needed to go for the personal gold, experiment with many options, choose sexual and marriage partners, and compete with peers for recognition from authority figures. But once you reach the early forties it is time to let go of these youthful pursuits so that you can move into the authority role, as was the case for my client, Charles.

When I met Charles he spent most of his time going to networking meetings, and surfing job sites on the Internet. He would get excited about a referral or posting and send in his resume, and then get disappointed when there was no response. It did not occur to him that what he wanted to do for a living was not advertised, and that he would have to create the job that matched his values.

“What do you mean, create the job? “ Charles asked worriedly.

Click READ MORE to continue...

“If you try to fit yourself into a job that’s already defined you will only repeat the past and fail,” I said. “You need to think about what is important to you at this stage of life, the problems you can and like to solve. Then connect with the people who have those problems. In other words, think like an entrepreneur, not a job hunter.”

It takes about a year to shift from an employee to an entrepreneurial mentality, meaning that your focus is on pleasing your customer or client, not how much money you make, your job title, health and retirement benefits, and impressing upper management.

Changing the way he thought about work was not easy for Charles, since he had always held staff positions in corporations, reporting to bosses who failed to live up to his expectations. To help Charles make the transition, I asked him to talk with two of my clients who were in sales to learn what it was like to be in a line position.

“Sales? No way. That’s not for me,” Charles said adamantly.

To his surprise, Charles felt at home with salespeople.

“One of your clients said he thought I was a natural at sales because I was a good listener,” Charles said. “My subordinates have always complimented me on how well I listen, but I didn’t see how that applied to sales. Your other client suggested I find a small company whose product or service I would buy and recommend to others, as he had done. He also said to talk with someone I knew who owned a small business, just to practice that approach.”

After his meetings, Charles thought of a friend who had a home remodeling business. He told me they were planning to meet the following week to discuss the business, and future trends.

“I’ve always been envious of the passion Brad has for his work,” Charles said about his friend. “I’m not an expert carpenter like he is, but I am interested in fixing up houses. I’m eager to learn more about his business, and if I can be of help to him.”

Two months later, Charles went to work part-time in Brad’s business, using his marketing background to create an appealing website, and a survey of Brad’s former and existing customers that revealed needs Brad did not know they had. In another month, Charles was meeting with prospects and bringing in new business.

Had Charles taken the conventional route (sending resumes to strangers in fields that interested him), he would have been rejected because he didn’t have experience as an entrepreneur, or in the remodeling business. This is an example of how taking small steps leads to passion.

“I like showing Brad how to increase business,” Charles said when we met for an update in my home office. “It’s easy for me, just like you said it would be. Brad’s so busy now he’s hired a couple of subcontractors to handle the workload. What’s strange is that I’ve always loved marketing strategy. I just didn’t know I could apply it to a small business, much less to something I found personally satisfying.”

Every day was an opportunity to learn, Charles said and, because Brad trusted his judgment, he could be creative.

“Learning and creativity were missing in my previous jobs, so no wonder I felt stagnated.”

Charles’s story shows that opportunities are not where you expect them to be, particularly when you reach midlife and beyond. Had he gone back to what was familiar, working in a staff job in a large company, he would have made money, but his life would have had no meaning.

To create the job that makes the best use of the strengths you have honed over a lifetime of experience, talk with people whose service or product you already buy and recommend, including people you know. Ask what it took for them to succeed, what they’d like to do next, and what prevents them from reaching these goals.

Be assured, when you connect with the people who have your values, and your strengths can help them reach their goals, they will ask you to work with them. And because you are always looking for ways to improve, you get better and better as you age, expertise that makes you virtually recession-proof.

Nancy Anderson is a career and life consultant based in the San Francisco Bay Area and the author of the pioneering career guide, Work with Passion, How To Do What You Love For a Living (New World Library, 1984, 20th anniversary edition, 2004). Her new book, Work with Passion in Midlife and Beyond is available in online and retail bookstores. Her website is www.workwithpassion.com.

Guest Blog Author Introduction: Nancy Anderson

2010-03-07T18:40:00.006-05:00

This week we are going to have the privileged of hearing from author Nancy Anderson. Please visit her website and learn more about her below!

Nancy Anderson is a nationally acclaimed career and life consultant and the author of the best selling career guide, Work with Passion, How To Do What You Love For a Living (New World Library, 1984, 20th anniversary edition, 2004). She was a Regents Scholar at the University of California, Riverside where she graduated magna cum laude with an interdisciplinary degree in English and Political Science.

Following graduation in 1976, Nancy started a career consulting firm in San Francisco with two partners. Five years later (1981) she started her own career consulting business, at which time she wrote Work with Passion, based on her own and her clients’ experiences.

Kids Are Heroes!

2010-02-18T14:47:00.005-05:00

I love when I stumble upon a great site that is promoting great things! I came upon Kids Are Heroes and right away loved what I saw.

The site was developed by an 11 year old girl named MaryMargaret and her Dad Gabe. Together, they believe that kids have the potential and power to change the world! The site is dedicated to the kid heroes in the world. It is also serving to inspire children to get involved and give to others. There are some really great stories, amazing acts of service and simply wonderful kids featured on this site.

Meet some of the heroes!

Take the time to visit and learn more... maybe even get involved yourself or with your own kid hero!

.

Parenting Teens: Choosing a Career - Video Post by Anthony Kane MD

2010-02-16T18:25:00.004-05:00

Dr. Anthony Kane is a physician, author and international lecturer who has spent years dealing with children and their behavioral problems. His web sites are located at:
http://addadhdadvances.com and http://ccparenting/com/parenting. You can get a free Cd on using discipline effectively at: http://ccparenting.com/discipline.html

Susan Heim Reviews Our Book!

2010-01-31T20:45:00.003-05:00

Susan Heim, parenting author and "Chicken Soup for the Soul" editor, has just posted a review AND giveaway of our book on her blog! Be sure to enter her giveaway and read the great review that she did of "Conversations: Find Your Niche!"

Click on the link below!!
http://susanheim.blogspot.com/2010/01/find-your-dream-job-with-conversations.html

.

Review of Conversations: Find Your Niche! from a Career Coach's Perspective

2010-01-27T08:39:00.003-05:00

Georgia Fieste, a Career Coach who recently did a guest post for us, has reviewed Conversations: Find Your Niche! on her blog.

Read her review of our book here!

.

Successfully Preparing For an Interview

2010-01-26T07:55:00.003-05:00

By Erin Suess

No matter what school you attended, how much experience you have or what your GPA is, if you do not take the time to successfully prepare for an interview your chances of landing a job are slim. Interviewing is not easy and although there are many resources available, the bottom line is how you come across in an interview. First impressions are everything. For many employers it is not just about how experienced you are but rather if you would be a good fit for the company. Even though YOU know you would be a good fit you must be able to demonstrate how you will blend in with the rest of the team.

So how do you show the employer that you would be a good fit? First and foremost, you will need to highlight your skills and strengths and be able to match your assets to the employer goals. Researching the company and the job is the first step. Once you have gathered the necessary information now it is time to present your abilities to fill the employer’s needs. The best way to display your skills is to create a “JAR” story.

Click READ MORE below to continue...

When communicating your assets and skills, you can demonstrate these qualities through Job, Action and Results or “JAR”. This is an effective way to write your “WOW” accomplishments and also formulate an answer to behavior based questions. By developing a brief description of an accomplishment-oriented experience supporting your skills or assets, you will have strong ammunition for your interview.
Your description should paint a clear picture for the reader. Starting with the Job itself (task, situation or background), then describe the Action taken, and then the Results obtained. Below are a few tips that can help prepare you for creating a JAR story.

• Think about a recent situation either through work experience, volunteering, course work, internship, team work, customer service, etc. that highlights favorable behaviors or actions.
• Prepare short descriptions for each situation, be specific and write it out.
• Make sure each story has a beginning, middle and end. (When writing your JAR story the Job is the beginning, action is middle and the results are the end).
• Make sure the result reflects POSITIVELY on you. The result itself does not necessarily have to be positive.
• Be honest. Do not embellish the story or leave out parts of the story. The employer will know when you are not being honest and/or could even find out the truth behind the story.

The best way to be successful in telling your “JAR” story is to practice. Take a piece of paper and write the letter J on top of the page. Six lines down write the letter A and then another six or so lines down write the letter R. When thinking about a possible story to write keep in mind some of these questions to help create your story:

1) Give me an example of any major problem you faced and how you solved it.
2) Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult person. What was the situation and what did you do?
3) Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it.
4) Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.
5) Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.
Keep in mind the better you can talk about your skills and quantify your abilities the better off you will be. As mentioned earlier, you do not necessarily need a ton of work experience to land an entry level job however; you must make yourself stand out against the rest of the competition. Preparing a “JAR” story will not only provide you with examples demonstrating your skills but it will also show the employer that you are prepared and have a lot to offer the company. Good luck in your interviews!

Erin Suess is a life and career coach and creator of http://www.lifecoachingdesigns.com. Her passion is to help guide individuals through a process of self-discovery that will un-lock their full potential and provide an environment for personal and professional development. She works with individuals to improve their lives through gaining clarity and setting and achieving their goals! Erin also offers career testing on her site to help explore career direction. You can also read her blog at: www.lifecoachingdesigns.com/blog. Contact Erin at: erin@lifecoachingdesigns.com

Guest Blogger Introduction

2010-01-25T09:04:00.004-05:00

We will be posting an article written by career coach Erin Suess this week! Here's a little bit about her and feel free to get to know her even more HERE!

Erin Suess is a life and career coach and creator of http://www.lifecoachingdesigns.com. Her passion is to help guide individuals through a process of self-discovery that will un-lock their full potential and provide an environment for personal and professional development. She works with individuals to improve their lives through gaining clarity and setting and achieving their goals! Erin also offers career testing on her site to help explore career direction.

Website Highlight : GrampaSaidSo.com

2010-01-23T18:34:00.005-05:00

Right off the bat, this site caught my attention with the name “Grampa Said So.” I think it is safe to say that we can all remember someone answering our question of “why” with “because I said so.” It brings back those memories of whomever cared for you when you were young. This is a main aim of the website, to deliver resources to audiences of parents, grandparents, children’s guardians and senior citizens.

Many of you, our readers, are trying to find solutions to problems with your children or grandchildren or are looking for advice in helping your loved ones. This site provides quality articles, tips and advice centered around important themes such as child development, child welfare, parenting, pregnancy, senior citizen related issues, and an array of other great subjects.

Click READ MORE below to continue...

One of my favorite examples of this is an article entitled “Children Can Save Money - Teach With These 6 Tips.” It contains some great tips and information to help children learn how to make good choices now that will help them in the future. Something I’m sure many of us wish we had learned in our youth. The site is full of these types of nuggets of knowledge.

The author of GrampaSaidSo.com is Paul Shipgood, also known as Grampa Starling. He is 58 years old and has been married to his wife, Sue, for over thirty years- an admirable feat in itself these days. They have three grown up children and two grandsons. He has had the experience of joy, tears and heartache that gives him the wisdom in producing this site.

Take the time to visit (and re-visit) this website, join the conversation on his blog and add to your own growing knowledge.

Get Unstuck! : Career Coaches Share Their Wisdom

2010-01-14T12:20:00.004-05:00

By Dale Sokoloff, Psy.D., Sharon O’Connor, Ed.D., and Karen Hoffman, JD.

As career coaches who work with new college graduates, we see the same story over again.

You have been looking for a job with little success. It's incredibly frustrating, and even worse, your self-esteem has taken a hit and you begin to think, "Do I really have anything valuable to offer?"

We think you do. You have more skills and marketable experiences than you realize.

The reality is that it is very hard to maintain a high level of energy, enthusiasm and optimism during a lengthy job search. You feel stuck and don't know what to do to move forward. At this point, job seekers turn to us to help them jumpstart their motivation and learn new ways to approach the job search.

When we coach a client, the first step is to "Start With Your Strengths" - the process of identifying a list of all your strengths, experiences, and skills that you have developed over the course of your life (paid or unpaid) that can then be crafted into a compelling resume.

Click READ MORE below to continue...

When individuals get "stuck" in their job search, they tend to focus on the negative - skills they don’t have, work experience they don’t possess, and even personality traits they were not born with. Their thoughts are peppered with "If only" statements. "If only I had learned a second language. . . then I would have a job." "If only I had five years experience in marketing . . . then I would have a job." "If only I was more outgoing . . . then I would have a job." Focusing on the negative keeps you stuck. Focusing on all the skills, strengths and experiences that you DO have accomplishes two things: 1) it creates forward momentum in a positive direction towards your goal; and 2) it provides a wealth of new content for your resume. When you "Start With Your Strengths", you feel re-energized AND your resume becomes stronger.

So, How do you begin to examine your strengths?

First, and this is very important, enlist the aid of an empowering partner to help you with this step. An empowering partner is someone in your corner, who will enthusiastically help you achieve your goal. It can be good friend, a trusted mentor, or a career coach like us. An empowering partner will make sure that you uncover ALL the skills, strengths and experiences that you possess. Let us illustrate the importance of working with an empowering partner with an example from one of our coaching sessions:

Karen (Career Coach) Tell me four things that you've done in the last four years that you've found really rewarding.

Lila (new grad job seeker) One thing I did that I really loved was my summer job as a camp counselor at a science camp.

Karen: Great! What skills did you learn or use as a camp counselor?

Lila: I really can't think of too many that apply to the job market - I basically organized the kids and made sure they got to their different activities.

Karen: Really? That’s all? So, when you took the kids to their activities, you didn't participate at all?

Lila: Well, actually, I designed some of the activities and helped the kids during the activities.

Karen: Can you give me a specific example?

Lila: We had a lot of thunderstorms that summer and the kids got really fascinated with weather. So, I got some money from the camp director and we built this weather station. It was so cool. We could track wind speed, wind direction, air pressure, rainfall, and temperature. I made up these weather games that compared our data with other science camps around the state and the kids really got into it. By the end of the summer, I showed all the counselors how to use it with their kids.

Karen: Ok - so not only did you get funding for an operational weather lab, you cooperatively designed and built the lab with your students, you designed science curriculum, you taught the curriculum to your students, AND you trained other educators in the curriculum you designed. All of those skills are important to put on your resume. And, as you can see, those are a lot more skills than simply making sure kids got to their different activities!

An empowering partner will challenge you to think deeper and clearer about the skills and experiences that you have. It is just the beginning to thinking about your job search is new positive way. It will jumpstart your energy and motivation and help you get “unstuck”!

Authors Bios:

Dale Sokoloff, Psy.D., Sharon O’Connor, Ed.D., and Karen Hoffman, JD., are the founders of DKS Consulting Group, based in Wellesley, MA. DKS, www.dksconsultingroup.com grew out of a shared passion for empowering women. Each of the founders has more than twenty years’ experience in her respective field and is dedicated to helping women achieve their career potential. Sharon O’Connor, management consultant, Karen Hoffman attorney, and Dale Sokoloff, psychologist, have combined their extensive expertise to offer the strongest coaching and consulting strategies available today. You can read their blog at www.hersuccess.blogspot.com or email them at karenhoffman@rcn.com

A Problem Far Too Common

2010-01-13T13:31:00.004-05:00

(Re-post of one of our Articles found HERE!)

A Problem Far Too Common
by Joseph Twelves

In middle school, you’re asked what do you want “to be when you grow up”. In high school, you meet with guidance counselors and take aptitude tests to try to figure out the “right fit” for you. In college, you are switching majors left and right trying to figure out what to get your degree in. And too often, you will find yourself stuck in a job that you hate just to pay the bills… purely a means to an end.

These are the scenarios that are far too common when, believe it or not, it IS possible to decide on a career and have it be the right match. The odds of ever working in your dream job are truly slim if you simply drift into whatever comes along. On the other hand, the odds of winding up doing exactly what you want approaches 100% if you combine a proven career decision method with the simple steps needed to find your passion.

Here are the three key tools found in Conversations: Find Your Niche! that can help:

Click on READ MORE below to continue...

1) A demonstrated research and decision-making procedure called the Find Your Niche Roadmap
2) Focused, in-depth interviews with 150 working professionals from the full spectrum of career fields about the nature of their jobs all in a fun, conversational format
3) Six special appendices offering you an invaluable collection of critical career information and hard to find resources that will save you months of research
This is the key information you need to understand the career landscape and make an informed decision. The vicious cycle of being unhappy in your job, not knowing what to do, but having to provide for yourself and your family is not a pleasant one. The key is to either prevent this from happening, or if you are already in this position, stop it now!

Join the conversation, find even more resources to help you on your journey, and make this problem far less common.

What steps have you taken to decide on a career?

Know the Truth of Who You Are

2010-01-11T08:33:00.006-05:00

By Guest Author Georgia Feiste

Sue met me for coffee the other day to talk about how she was feeling about her career, and the “niggle” inside that told her she needed to do something different. She just wasn’t happy at her current job. But, she wasn’t sure what it was she wanted.

Because I don’t believe in poking around at an aching tooth, I asked her what about her current job excited and energized her. We spent quite a bit of time talking about the aspects of her job that fulfilled her inner passions and took advantage of her skills, strengths and gifts. Over time, she easily slipped into why she was unhappy at her current position – and began to identify how the values of the corporation did not mesh with her own personal values, and the extent to which it was beginning to drain her of the energy she needed to perform well in her vice-presidential position.

Click on READ MORE below to continue...

I told Sue what I tell all my clients as we begin to work together: it is possible to love your work and make the money you need. You can do anything you want – your opportunities and choices are limitless. But first, you must know the truth of who you are.

Most people will tell me that they already know themselves. They just want to move into creating a dynamite resume and begin networking with the right people. My experience has been that few people, even top executives, really know the truth of who they are. Most people are so very busy they haven’t taken the time to identify what they feel, much less what their vision of their future is.

Getting in touch with your feelings is one of the most important things you can do for yourself, and something most of us resist. It can be overwhelming, but it creates fertile ground for insight and discernment. Coupling your feelings with focused thinking about what it is you would like to do for work, will help you find the right field and the right job.

You will discover what it is you value, and what your priorities in life are, as you begin to pay attention to your feelings. You will discover how you are unique by looking at your strengths and your weaknesses. You begin to notice what aggravates you and what motivates you, what you have always been good at, and where you have seen the most successes throughout your life. In her book, Work With Passion, Nancy Anderson says “You will know you are in the right job if you sense you are becoming a better, wiser person.”

You will find you may need to improve your technical skills, but you will not find that you need to drastically transform who you are, quit or get fired to create the results you desire. I coach my clients to first take a serious look at their current environment, and work out any problems they might have exactly where they are, before they decide to leap to another career. If you don’t take the time to look closely to determine the truth of the situation, you may create a repetition of your dissatisfaction.

You can do the work you love, living with purpose and passion in all areas of your life. When that happens your self-esteem is strong, and you are able to acknowledge the importance of the people in your life. []

To find out more about how you can find your purpose and passion in your professional and personal life, contact Georgia Feiste to set up an appointment. Visit her website at http://CollaborativeTransitions.com. You may also contact her via eMail or by telephone at (402) 484-8098.

© 2010 Collaborative Transitions Coaching - All Rights Reserved

Guest Blogger Introduction

2010-01-09T18:22:00.004-05:00

We are so excited to have Georgia Feiste as a guest blogger for us on Monday! The article that she has prepared for you, the readers, is one that can't be missed. Tune in on Monday and in the meantime, here's a little bit about her:

Georgia Feiste, owner of Collaborative Transitions, located in Lincoln, NE, is a business, career and personal life coach, writer, and workshop facilitator. Her passion is success grounded in purpose and passion, standards of integrity and priorities in life. She provides support and encouragement as her clients set intentional goals to attain their desires, holding open the space they need to stretch and grow.

You can also follow her on Twitter @feistycoach

Guest Blog Post

2010-01-08T14:37:00.005-05:00

We had the privilege to do a guest blog post all about how to help your teen through the vital decision of choosing a career.

Read it here!

Be sure to let us know what you think and continue the conversation!

Special thanks to Jennifer of Connect with your Teens through Pop Culture and Technology. This is an excellent blog with great resources for parents!

WIN CONVERSATIONS: FIND YOUR NICHE!

2010-01-06T14:30:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE TO ENTER and for more information!

2010

2009-12-28T10:22:00.000-05:00

With the new year upon us, I wanted to let you all know what is in store for Career Decisions Made Easy. Here are some of the things you can look forward to:

*Tons of guest blog posts in the works from a wide array of qualified and experienced parents, college students, and professionals all with the aim to help you, our readers!

*More sample interviews from working professionals- no hold bar insight into their likes, dislikes, and other details of their jobs.

*Giveaways! Books and products to help you!

*More and more resources and articles.

*More blog highlights and reviews.

We want to thank all of our readers for your support! Let's all gear up for the new year!

Finding the Cheapest Text Books... could it possibly be easy?

2009-12-17T10:48:00.000-05:00

Attending college can be quite the expense but often a necessary means to your career goal. The tuition itself can be such a struggle but thankfully we have student loans, grants and scholarships. Then once we get to college we have a huge list of textbooks to buy and suddenly you need even more money. Searching for the lowest prices can be time consuming but I recently stumbled upon a site that does all of the work for you!

It is easy to use and literally compares all of the prices out there to give you the lowest. Once you search for your book you’ll also find the store, price, condition, shipping price and total price. Everything you need is right there to click on. Such a smart site and no fees for using it!

So as you pursue your college studies and work towards your career, be sure to find cheap textbooks with one click… and spare yourself endless searching for the best deal!

Blog Highlight: Moments in Time

2009-12-15T13:16:00.000-05:00

Blog Highlight:

Moments in Time

www.DareToDreamThinkDo.blogspot.com

As we all search for the career that is best fit for us, many of us will pursue higher education and immerse ourselves in the college life. Among the millions of students trudging through the hard work and dedication that college requires, is an English major named Kelvin Oliver who is on his way to becoming a teacher.

In over 150 posts so far, Kelvin writes about his daily interactions with college life, his different ideas, and his view on the world from a student perspective.

In one of my favorite posts, Kelvin writes:

“We are here doing what we do for a reason. Maybe the dreams or goals that I aspire to achieve may be too big for me or often times maybe I may get the weird look or feedback of people thinking I may be crazy. I know not everyone wants to be a teacher and not everyone will feel the same way I do, but hey, that is just me. I know there are those who may not want think or dream the same things I do, but that is just me. Maybe I'm thinking about actually want to be person that wants change, but there are others who may not be on the same page. I am not the person I use to be, but I'm the person that is evolving to the person I want to be. Sometimes it is said to be the change you want to be and I don't know that not everything will change, but coming to the realization of true reality and the purpose is something to think about.

There is something I must remember is to stay positive, keep my faith and moral values at heart, and know the reason that I should not fall but keep on going. I didn't want to continue onto the University for nothing. I'm not wasting my time and money for nothing. There's a path I have decided to take and that's a path that is not taken.”

Read more of Kelvin’s eloquent, real, and inspiring posts on his blog:

Moments in Time

www.DareToDreamThinkDo.blogspot.com

Confidence in Finding Your Dream Job

2009-11-11T00:44:00.000-05:00

Fundamentally, there are two types of people in the world: those that have confidence and those that do not.

Is this an oversimplification? Most definitely. I make no claim to the contrary. Human beings are too complex to describe as being simply this or that. Science can play all they want at trying to quantify emotional and psychological responses, but let's be honest: people do not fit into nice little categories.

But for the sake of argument today, let's say that they do. While this is a little more behind the scenes principles rather than processes that we go through, it's important that we all understand the reasoning behind the success of some people and the failure (or lack of success, if you don't like the term) of others.

Simply put, principles will always trump processes. No contest. There's nothing on Earth that can make a person that doesn't believe in himself into a success. Certainly, you can hand them money through winning the lottery. Or get a nice inheritance. Or happen to cash out of a company at just the right time. But where does that get him? Every study done has shown that people that have money (re: success, though I would argue this) simply handed to them do not tend to hang on to it very long. There are plenty of horror stories of people who have won millions, only to lose it within a few short years and wind up back at their previous standard of living or lower.

As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Success or happiness cannot just be handed to you. Doesn't work that way. Anything worth doing has always required time, sacrifice, and dedication.

So what does all this have to do with choosing a career? Everything.

If you're going to find that dream job of yours, you're going to need to have confidence in the choice that you have made. Second guessing yourself is a surefire way to erode confidence and cause doubt. Thomas J Stanley, author of the enormously successful The Millionaire Next Door series that studies the wealthy, made a very interesting observation. He noted that millionaires were in the habit of making decisions and, having made that decision, stuck with it. They didn't let self doubt creep in and dissuade them from the path that they were on. Once they had make their choice, they never looked back.

Now, granted, many of us may never become millionaires. You may not want to. The drive for wealth is simply one of many paths that people can take in this life. It's not for everyone. You may find fulfillment in writing novels or expressing life through art or helping others overcome mental or emotional problems or designing bridges or working to make the community a better place. All of those are good and noble goals that have nothing to do with becoming millionaires, and each of them are capable of helping you have a fulfilling life, if that's what does it for you.

But you have to decide first for yourself if it does. And only you can make that choice.

In my experience, the only way to make a choice or decision in confidence is through knowledge. As corny as it sounds, the old catch phrase from the GI Joe cartoon series of "Knowing is half the battle" is pretty applicable here. Until you know what you want to do, it's impossible to decide exactly what to do with your life.

That's really the aim behind Conversations: Find Your Niche!: to provide you with inside knowledge of work force professionals and gain a greater understanding of what it really means to work in a particular field. Without that knowledge, you won't make it anywhere fast.

What Stands in Your Way of Finding Your Dream Job?

2009-10-30T21:47:00.000-04:00

Everybody wants to do something that they love. Who wouldn't?

Problem is, most people aren't living the dream. Surveys have shown that 84% of Americans wished they were in another job. You ask me, that's a pretty horrifying stat. That means that the odds of you, me, and most everyone we knew is likely to not find their dream job.

This, of course, begs the question just why so many people don't end up doing what they want to do. Ever hear that great line about preparation? "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

Simply put, people that seem to be the luckiest are the ones that have prepared themselves to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way. I'm a firm believer that whatever we prepare ourselves for will come (within reason, of course; I doubt I'll be sprouting wings any time soon). This applies to everything in life from education to job opportunities to our personal lives. If you want something bad enough, you'll do whatever it takes to get there.

So everybody wants to get into their dream job, right? On one level, yes, yes they do. They're more than happy to say it. To this I say, "actions speak louder than words."

If you really want to sit down and decide how you're going to find the job that fits your values, your talents, your personality, there's going to be some work involved. Believe it or not, it's that fear of work that's actually keeping so many from finding that dream job that makes them feel like they're doing something worthwhile.

To a great degree, finding that dream job means doing some self-discovery. After all, you can't know what job will fulfill you the best until you know what fulfills you personally.

So how do you do this? You start by sitting down and writing out a few things about yourself. Take a few minutes by yourself, free of distractions, and be completely honest. What do you like to do? What are you good at? What kind of personal goals do you have for yourself? What are your values? What do you wish you could do? What aren't you good at or dislike doing? (Identifying things that you don't want to do also helps in narrowing down possible job fields)

After you've made this list, get in touch with your parents or siblings or close friends (somebody who knows you really well) and ask them what your strengths are, what you're good at. By the same token, ask them what you're not good at. Again, knowing what you don't excel in is an essential part of narrowing things down.

Now compare this list with what you worked up. You may be surprised what they see in you that you didn't see in yourself. I know I certainly was.

For those of you still in high school or college, talk to your favorite teachers, the ones you connected with best. They've seen at least hundreds, if not thousands of students go through their classroom and know how to identify aptitudes in people.

Talk to a guidance counselor while you're at it. If you've gotten an idea of what you may be interested by this point, they have access to internships, job shadowing, or other chances to look into specific fields.

Even aptitude tests are useful as far as they go. Remember, these are not designed to tell you what job will work best for you; all they do is tell you what you're good at. You'll have to do the homework yourself to find how those skills or talents best line up with a career.

There are a lot of tools out there to help you find your dream job; it's your job to pick up those tools and put them to work for you.

Why We Work - Laying the Foundation for Your Career

2009-10-29T23:41:00.000-04:00

Let's talk for a minute hear about why we work. Not something that we stop and think about very often, is it? Oh, sure, there's the usual answers: pay the bills, pay the mortgage, pay tuition, pay for the car, pay for gas, pay for X/Y/Z. But that's all superficial when you really dig into it.

Truth is, there's something deeper to why we work. Everybody has the innate desire to do something more with their lives, to make a difference somehow. Nobody wakes up and decides that they want to be a below average human being. That's not in the nature of being alive. Given the opportunity, we all want to make our mark.

That is why we work. Nothing meaningful has ever been accomplished by sitting around doing nothing. Why would it be otherwise? It goes against the very laws of nature.

Sir Wilfred Grenfell once put it: "Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile."

For an Englishman that passed away nearly 70 years ago, he was definitely on to something there. Not to go all philosophical or anything like that, but any serious student of happiness understands that being happy requires that we do something. What that something is up to you--that's not something that a book or your parents or your spouse or your best friend/boyfriend/girlfriend/guidance counselor can tell you.

Beyond the obvious of getting off the couch and doing something, I think that Sir Grenfell had a great point at the end: when we do something, it should be worthwhile. Worth something. Something besides watching the latest episode of Lost or playing Halo or gossiping about the neighbors.

Now don't get me wrong--I'm not suggesting that we all become Mother Teresa copycats and do nothing but charity work. That's just not realistic, and nobody was Mother Teresa except Mother Teresa.

Each of us is unique in our talents and skills. What makes me happy may drive you crazy. And that's okay. There's no set definition of what is the perfect person. The fact that we're all different is what makes the world go round. Those differences mean that we all have a place where we belong and excel.

So what makes us waste our time doing something that we don't love or at the very least enjoy? I really want to hear what you think about this.

De-spelling Myths About Choosing Your Career

2009-10-19T10:23:00.000-04:00

Choosing a career is not an easy task. Unfortunately, not many people put much time or thought into what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Some just think that getting into a field for the money is more than enough. Granted, money is certainly one part of it, but that's hardly going to make you happy down the road.

Dawn Rosenberg McKay of About.com wrote an excellent article detailing the myths of choosing a career that is a great read. Basically, it all boils down to doing something that you love (or at least like).

CBSNews.com Article: Bleak Job Outlook For College Grads

2009-09-18T12:11:00.000-04:00

Great article by Erin Petrun which includes tips for finding a job!

Take the time to check it out!

More great information on http://www.smartmoney.com/

Welcome

2009-04-09T15:29:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Career Decisions Made Easy

We all know that a few lucky people seem to be born with a mission and know exactly what they want to do with their lives. The vast majority of us are not so fortunate.

Whether they are ready or not, young people everywhere need to make a commitment to a course of training that will lead to a profession by the time they graduate from high school. If the fact that 84% of Americans in the work place say that they are NOT working in their dream job (2007 Careerbuilder.com survey http://www...msnbc.msn.com/id/16795881/) is any indication, many people need to put more effort into the "What should I do?" question than just taking an aptitude test.

We live in a free country. Other than ourselves, no one is stopping us from finding a line of work we can truly enjoy.

What we're about:

This blog is about prevention as much as it is about fixing a problem. By openly sharing our work experiences and lessons learned, we can help each other not only find a good career match, we can help others avoid choosing something they won't be happy doing. That is a service that 84% of the workers and young people entering the work force will appreciate forever. There aren't many other ways we can make such a profound contribution.

If you have ever had a job you had no enthusiasm for, you know that helping both young and not-so-young people avoid the trap of simply drifting into or staying in a job they aren't suited for is a battle worth fighting.

What you will find and how to contribute:

We hope to publish posts on this blog that will be helpful to you as you decide on a career or research career fields. We welcome discussion and comments to the posts! We will also begin to archive resources that will help you on your journey. Feel free to suggest resources that you've found helpful as well.

*Also consider joining our blog as a "follower" (right side bar) to be updated on new and helpful posts as they are published!

Thank you for visiting- come back soon to see what's new on
Career Decisions Made Easy!

ABOUT THIS BLOG

2008-12-27T12:04:00.000-05:00

Simply put, too many people are stuck in jobs that they drifted into that they don't love. Too many people don't know what they want to do with their lives, from the junior in high school to the freshman in college to the mid level manager that wonders how he ended there in the first place.

To everyone that's looking for something more in their lives than a job that they tolerate, that's why we're here. This blog has ton of information, resources and opinions on the subjects of education, careers, parent help on the subject, and so much more.

We can't guarantee that it'll be easy--nothing worth doing ever is. But it's possible. Why not see what can happen?