I have a confession to make to you guys. Are you ready?

I failed the Virginia Bar Exam twice. Yep. Twice. Both times by 4 points. The first time I went to live Barbri courses but honestly, I've never had to study like that before so I didn't know what I was doing once it came time to study at home. The second time I still didn't know what I was doing but only that time life threw a curveball at me with a sudden layoff and a break-up weeks before the exam so yeah... things didn't turn out well. 

If there is one thing that’s true about me, it’s that I’m one determined woman. I’ll be honest. I was embarrassed about failing the bar exam twice but I’d be damned if I was going to let that embarrassment keep me from trying again. One of my favorite sayings is:

What I had done before hadn’t worked so it was time to change my game plan. 

My new plan was to find out what I did wrong, how to correct those things and create and...

So you were an expert in your old field. But now you’ve quit. Finished the race. Tied the bow on the dapper ribbon. You’re starting out as the new kid on the block again because you got the right stuff (Get it? No, just me. Ok. Moving on….) and you’ve sorta forgotten how to be the new kid.

You want to be seen as experienced (you are a professional, after all) but your experience has been in an entirely different industry. You want to be seen as driven, but you also don’t want to drive over people and don’t want to be driven over yourself.

You want to be respected. You want to learn.

And you want to be successful.

Put simply, you don’t want to be the newbie forever.

Here are 7 steps to being a successful newbie from Day 1:

Even if it’s a decision you were excited to make, it can be hard to remove yourself from a job you felt successful in and throw yourself completely into...

We hear all the time that networking is important. And it is! But there is a part of networking hardly anyone does—and you must start doing it now. 

*Drumroll please*..............

Informational Interviews.

I know, I know, but that sounds wayyy more boring and stiff-collared than it is (well, depending on your industry, that is…. (Just kidding.))

So what is an informational interview?

An informational interview is a short, casual conversation between two people with similar professional interests.

That’s it.

Or, to put it simply: it’s a conversation between someone who has the job and someone who wants the job. And they can teach you how to get it.

I’m not talking about mentorship or an interrogation, (it is called an interview for a reason), but if you find the right person to interview they can provide invaluable information for you in your career transition process.

...

Self-care has become a buzzword in the last few years and for a very good reason. It’s being floated around so much, a lot of people are wondering what it’s all about.

The fact is, the concept – of making time to care for yourself – is so basic it’s a wonder why it even has to sound like advocacy to promote. But given the kind of environment and culture we have today, where almost everyone is talking about ‘success’, ‘hustle’, ‘financial freedom’, and ‘millionaire mindset’, it’s little wonder why something so basic as caring for oneself has been pushed down in the list of life’s priorities. It has also become lumped in the same category as self-indulgence or self-centered thinking.

Some may even argue that self-care is juvenile, lazy, and downright selfish. Life doesn’t wait on anyone and time spent on ‘unproductive’ things such as setting aside time for yourself means lost...

You’ve studied hard, worked even harder, and burnt the midnight oil more often than you’d care to remember in order to reach your career goals.

You aced the interview, snagged that dream job, and worked your way up the ladder. You’ve got the house with the picket fence (or a snazzy apartment), a car or two in the garage, a couple of kids, and maybe even a pet or two too. Life’s looking rosy and going uphill.

So, why then does it feel like something is missing from your life? Why do you feel like you’re stuck and don’t know how to go forward? 

You thought it would be a passing phase but it’s been stuck there in the back of your mind- the constant feeling that doesn’t seem to go away. Often people experience the feeling of being stuck if they’ve been working towards goals that don't align with who they are or what they truly desire. 

You may be at a dead-end in your job or maybe you recognize that you could maximize...

“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection” -Mark Twain

I've been there. I've spent many a day dreaming about the perfect life that I wanted to have. I dreamed of the perfect jobs I'd have and the amazing businesses that I'd start. Then I'd go about my daily business of working my 9-5 and doing nothing to bring those dreams to fruition. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Lauren and I was (and still am, le sigh) a closet perfectionist.

How many times have you avoided working toward a goal because you were waiting for the perfect moment to start? Or maybe it was waiting until you had the perfect mentor. Or maybe it was waiting until you had the perfect website. Or maybe it was waiting until you knew “enough” to be considered an expert in your field. Knock it off! The only perfect time to start working on making your dream a reality is NOW! 

Here are a couple of tips to get you started if starting a new career is one of your goals:

• Think...

I was recently speaking with someone about her salary raise negotiations. She'd ask me for some tips and I was all prepared to give her advice and a step-by-step plan. I asked her about her current negotiation strategy so I'd know where to start and how to best help her.

Turns out that she'd already done most of the things I was going to suggest. I gave her a couple of other suggestions but felt like she needed something else. As she described her situation to me, it became clear that her real issue wasn't with the content of her negotiation strategy but rather, her lack of self-confidence. When I asked her about it, she was shocked and practically yelled “YES! That's exactly the problem!” That's when I told her my Paloma Power secret. Lean in closer because I'm about to tell you too! 

I first started hearing about power posing a couple years ago but didn't really pay attention to it. It sounded silly and who has time for foolishness? Not me! Then I read Shonda...

I recently posted an updated version of my “Who Has Time To Change Careers? You Do!” but I have a couple of confessions to make about it.

Confession #1: I wrote the first version of that post when I was single, childless, and living alone. Don’t get me wrong. I was still incredibly busy with work, volunteering, working on my business, and having a social life but it was easier for me to find larger blocks of time to work on things. 

Confession #2: I’m writing this blog at 2:15 am. Why? Because my life is now a 180 from the one I lived in Confession #1. I’m now married, have infant twin boys, a mother who lives with us, 2 dogs, and a household to manage. Oh yeah. I also have a full-time job and am actively building my business while struggling to find some Me Time. Right now, I just finished feeding the boys and am able to spend some time writing this post. In all likelihood, I won’t finish it in one swoop because it’s 2 freaking 15 in...

Changing careers is a big deal.

It is scary and risky, but it can also be a rewarding experience. A significant reason why many people hold back from making that leap is that they worry about how making such a change will affect their finances. A career change may entail some difficult compromises when it comes to your finances, and most often prefer to play it safe. Let's be real. There’s that rent or mortgage to think of. Not to forget the electric, water, cable bills, childcare... The list goes on and on. 

Yes, the spark is losing its shine when it comes to your current job but it pays the bills, right? It is stable and reliable, so even if you want to get out of it, you think “It’s that not bad. I’ll give it a few more months before looking elsewhere”  but for how long do the few more months really last?

There are proven ways to help you take that leap of faith with confidence and pursue a career that will provide you with the...

The prospect of re-entering a job market can be quite intimidating. There is the issue of the ever-changing job market that continuously makes it difficult for even the most skilled people to stay up-to-date on trends. There’s always something to learn and improve upon. And when you’ve been on a break from work, your resume can suffer in the process.

However, there are a few things that you can do to make the transition easier for yourself and ultimately increase your chances of being hired.

This is a topic that I have quite a bit of experience with because I've been laid off 3 times. Each time was emotionally difficult but I developed a system to help me get back in the saddle and I quickly found another job. 

After losing a job, you may find yourself experiencing a wide range of emotions from panic to frustration to the fear of an uncertain future.

Remember, that this is completely normal and part of the process. Give yourself time to acknowledge your emotions...