It's one minute before our department meeting. Everyone is in the conference room. I've been preparing for days, excited to share new ideas that can ramp up our productivity. I'd like nothing more than to join them, but there is a firm pressure in my lower abdomen that tells me I need to head to the facilities instead. Chalk it up to a case of bad timing/poor planning? Not so fast, there's more to it than that. The real answer is: my pregnant body doesn't abide by meeting times, it has a schedule all of its own. Ladies, you may know that scenario all too well. Gentlemen, hear me out. Yes, I know, pregnancy is a quandary. It’s a nine-month rollercoaster with joyous highs and distressing lows. Inserting it into our work life, though? That’s a whole different story. And one we likely go through alone. Think of your own workplace. How many pregnant professionals are there? Not many, I assume. We already know women face an imbalance of power in the workforce. Break that ...
When a door closes, a window opens. The best career advice I ever got was simple: You can do it . That's it. No embellishments. No clever analogies. No long winded message. You can do it, people have told me. With each time someone said it, I tried something new. I've succeeded. I've failed. And I've succeeded again. But this story isn't unique to me. You have likely experienced the same thing. That's how we all manage to work together in one of our nation's top thriving business hubs, progressing this company forward every day. If someone hasn't said it to you lately, I'd be glad to do the honors: You. Can. Do. It. So you can stop reading here if that was enough to rediscover your drive. But if you are looking for further inspiration, take a look at the top career rules I follow. They give me motivation to do my best, and hopefully, they'll do the same for you. Play to your strengths Think about what drew you to your career in the f...