Didn't get the promotion you wanted? Here is a list of possible reasons why:

1. You made the mistake of thinking you were the only one being considered for the promotion.

2. You decided to show up and wing it. "Winging it" is never a strategy.

3. You didn't make enough eye contact. Or worse, you made too much eye contact and creeped the interviewer out.

4. Your answers to their interview questions were boring and unremarkable.

5. You talked about your past accomplishments, but didn't speak to the value you could provide in this new position.

6. Your body language gave away the nervousness and anxiety you were trying to hide.

7. Your handshake was weak or it was wet from holding the chilled glass of water they offered you.

8. You weren't dressed for the position you want to hold.

I have an excellent track record helping people land their dream jobs because they learn how to walk in prepared, confident, and ready for their interviews. Let's work together! 

You have to make...

Oh my heavens, I love this photo :)

You gotta love the kilt! Well, at least I do. The point here is that your first impression isn’t made at an introduction, it's actually made the moment you become a blip on someone else’s radar.

See the young man to the left eyeing the guy in the kilt? He’s internalizing what he’s seeing and it’s forming an impression on him (good or bad) of the kilt-wearing gentleman.
Without you even saying single a word, people are making assumptions about you when you enter a room.

Can you see how important it is to be intentional with what you project? 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this (and no shaming the guy in the kilt – cuz he’s frickin’ awesome.) Email me at [email protected] Better yet, join my email list!

Today, this article is all about making confident and charismatic impressions.

Why is this so important? Because if you make a positive impression when first meeting someone, the rest of your relationship will be influenced by it, thereby tipping the scales in your favor.

On the other hand, a lousy first impression can prove almost impossible to overcome, often deciding the outcome of a meeting, job interview, or first date even if the rest of the interaction went pretty well.

So how can we make a charismatic and confident first impression?

As we covered in the previous articles, we know that people will jump to conclusions about others with very little information to support their gut feelings, and that we tend to trust the nonverbal over the verbal. So, if your body language is anti-charismatic, it doesn’t matter how great your message is. 

Make sense? 

If you display high confidence through your body language, people will tend to assume that you have...

Hey, it happens to the best of us. Sure, we want to make a good impression, but we hate small talk so it gets awkward fast. Alas, here are 10 Killer Conversation Icebreakers to get - and keep - the conversation going.

1. What are you working on that you're passionate about?
2. I'm looking for a good non-fiction to read. What do you recommend?
3. Where would you like to retire? Why this place?
4. What is the most exciting thing you've ever done?
5. What is something you would like to learn to do?
6. What is the most unpleasant job you ever had to do?
7. If you could invite 3 people (living or dead) to your home for dinner, who would they be, and why?
8. What lesson did you have to learn the hard way?
9. Who has been the greatest influence in your life?
10. If your closest friend wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

I love these questions, because small talk turns into BIG talk, fast! What are your favorite conversation icebreakers? I'd LOVE to add them to my list! 

Want...

Does your avatar capture the interest of potential clients?

I'm working with a client to develop her digital brand into something that will capture the interest of her potential clients. One of the elements we worked on today was her Avatar, the photo(s) she uses on social media and on her coaching website.

Your avatar is your visual representation of your professional persona and your BEST authentic self. Your avatar should be interesting and not bland. It should represent your personality, but also demonstrate strength and warmth. Because strength demonstrates certainty, and people pay for certainty. And warmth gets people to like and trust you. So both need to be considered.

Rather than just posting a photo, put some thought into how you want others to perceive you. Because your avatar is often the first impression we have of you, and that first impression carries a lot of weight.

What images and colors come to mind when you think of quirky, confident, creative, smart,...