As I write this there are 3,092 emails in my work email inbox and 349 of them are unread. This is intentional and I'm not stressed about it in the least. The number of emails I respond to or file and delete has no correlation with my goals and achievements. Inbox zero is a vanity metric that produces a great rush of personal satisfaction, but no real business results.

In this episode Danielle & Kristy talk with Lesley Everett, a personal branding expert, on why having a personal brand is important and how to improve your visibility.

It's time to check in on those new years resolutions. How is it going? If you're already petering out, you may need some external accountability. One of my favorite authors, Gretchen Rubin, established a personality framework to better understand what motivates people to take action.

Let me be on the record to say that small talk is important. It's part of building familiarity with people. It's also the level of conversation that is appropriate for festive occasions and it can be fun! A holiday gathering is not the time to debate politics or delve into negative personal drama, no matter how familiar you are with the guests.

The term 'work-life balance' is a triggering term for me. I don't often curse, but when this topic comes up I immediately and loudly declare "balance is bull $#%T!". Partly because I love alliteration, but also because I'm passionate about this topic and cursing is a great way to emphasize passion. The problem is the word balance.

Mondays get a bad wrap, but Mondays are by far my most productive day of the week and that makes me so happy. Shawn Achor describes happiness as "The joy you feel when moving toward your potential." This definition resonates so much and Mondays are the day I'm making the most progress toward my potential and therefore experiencing a happiness high.

Sometimes we hear a phrase that gives perfect words to a truth you've known for a long time but didn't know how to explain. "Give yourself grace". This is part of my nature, I just never had the right words for it.

It's where something shifts our perspective and as a result we change a habit instantly and effortlessly. Ironically the strategy of the lightning bolt is not a strategy at all because you cannot employ it, it's something that happens to you. In my experience it was very effective.

Even the most innovative ideas are worthless until you communicate them in a way that inspires others into action. There are many ways to inspire others. Let's start with the very basics.

Work email and presentation documents aren't literary fiction. There are no bonus points for using interesting adjectives or SAT words. The average office worker gets 121 emails a day according to a study by DMR. You need to get to the point… nobody has time for allegory.

‘Love is a Verb’ is something that I try to live by.