Reflections A team of experts A lot of professionals contribute to the sale of a home. The real estate agent is that hard-working primary point of contact. Her team includes a staging expert, marketing professionals, web designers and social media pros. The handyman helps with last-minute punch list work and touch-ups. There’s also the inspector, […]
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Laughing My Way Through Fire
Reflections They say moving is a top life stressor. They were right. We are preparing our home of 20 years for a quick sale so that Briarhopper Ranch can trade Colorado’s peaks for Kentucky’s green. One exceptionally hot day in August brought me almost to my breaking point. Attempting to work through the chaos, I […]
Let’s Sell the Diamond Ring
So baby let’s sell your diamond ring Buy some boots and faded jeans and go away This coat and tie is choking me In your high society you cry all day – Chips Moman, Bobby Emmons, as performed by Waylon Jennings Reflections It’s not a diamond ring we’re selling, but a 5 acre, forested property […]
Breaking Up With My Professional Doppelgänger
Reflections LinkedIn Identity Crisis I took a look at my LinkedIn profile today. It made me laugh a bit, because I barely recognize that person. The photo, the accomplishments, the network, the work history, it all seems like it belongs to another person. And I guess, in a way, that’s the case. Because even as […]
Four Memorable Corporate Personalities
Reflections Twenty-seven years is business has given me plenty of exposure to a wide variety of corporate personalities. I’m going to outline here four of my most memorable. I can’t really call them favorites. Note: This post is meant for a cynical laugh for experienced business folks who have a sense of humor. If you […]
You’re Doing What? Trading Colorado’s Peaks for Kentucky’s Green
Reflection I’ve had plenty of practice the past several weeks saying it: I’m moving from Colorado to East Kentucky. You’re doing what? Why are you doing that? Are you crazy? What’s in Kentucky? Not one person initially utters supportive words. Most people are incredulous. “Why are you leaving? That’s where I dream of retiring!” one […]
A Talk With Kate: Letting Wisdom Take a Backseat to Wonder
Reflections A Chance Encounter in the Outdoors On a recent summer camping trip with my husband and friends, I had the pleasure of meeting Kate, a vibrant young woman in her early twenties who worked at the ranch where we were staying. She radiated the kind of boundless energy, enthusiasm, and wide-eyed optimism about life […]
Riding the Big Wave and Navigating Reality When It Crashes
Reflections The Peak of Prosperity During the peak of my career, I had a gut feeling that I was working in a market bubble. My colleagues, and frankly, everyone in my professional network, were living high on the hog. Lavish corporate parties were the norm, expense accounts were practically unlimited when working with major accounts, […]
Breaking the Emotional Bond to Place
Reflections When I moved up to Colorado from Texas as a young 20-something, I initially assumed that the Pikes Peak Region would be a temporary stopping point on my journey onward. Perhaps my next stop would be the inland Pacific Northwest (i.e. Idaho panhandle or Montana). As beautiful as Colorado was, my heart was on […]
Corporate Stockholm Syndrome
Reflections In this final segment of my career, I’ve worked for “Mega Corp”, Fortune 100 behemoths. Prior to this stage, I worked for much smaller companies, mostly software firms with fewer than 1,000 employees. I had a very scary realization shortly after onboarding at Mega Corp 1 (which has been confirmed at Mega Corp 2): […]