Individuals

What Getting Fired Taught me About Work Just after my 30th birthday, I got fired from my job. I still remember the room spinning when I got the news. It wasn’t something I ever expected to happen, and yet it was an enormous gift. Here’s what I learned: The company is not your parents. I guess […]

Summer Self-Care This summer things haven’t slowed down. I’m happy about it, but I can smell the suntan lotion and hear the seagulls, taste a cool cocktail as the sun gets low in the sky. Being busy is more draining when you feel the pull of summer. In the first few years of my business, […]

Executive Presence Gone Wrong Last week I reported to Grand Jury duty. Towards the of the selection process, the jury warden asked people to make a line if they 1) Had a “must serve” on their summons, for having postponed too many times and 2) Could still not serve. He repeated the instructions several times. […]

                Beginning July 8th I am offering my Career Confidence course in a condensed, 4-week summer class to give you an easy, doable way to get started.  You can get rid of that gnawing procrastination feeling, relax, and enjoy your summer. If you’ve wanted to work with me and you know […]

Recently I did some 360 interviews for a client named Heather. She was experiencing high turnover in her team and knew she was too harsh and demanding. What I discovered in the interviews is that her team loved her! They consistently said things like, “Oh yeah. When we are at off-sites and Heather is relaxed, she […]

Again and again, managers tell me that they want their teams to work more independently. They want to stop herding cats and micro-managing. They want to actually leave at 5:00!  Or reasonably close to it. We all know when members are enthusiastic, take initiative and get it done…and when they don’t. They drag their feet. […]

The Happiness Advantage Last Monday I got to see Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, speak live. He is so funny, so smart and his work is fascinating. Here’s a study his team did that I love. When an individual looks at a mountain peak, they will report that the peak has a steeper pitch and […]

In my mid-20’s, after spending a few years in the fragrance business, I decided to write a book. I would travel the world, visiting the beautiful and exotic places fragrance ingredients come from: Madagascar, the South of France, the Spice Islands, Italy. The book would have Pulitzer-prize level research and Vogue-worthy photo shoots. It would […]

“Let’s face it, work-life balance is a myth,”  is something you hear a lot today. And yet the more I work with people, the more I see that they are exhausted and need a little peace.  Meditation, yoga, vacation are great remedies for staying in a positive, creative mindset.  And, I believe that balance also […]

It feels like every day I speak to someone who says, “Claire, my job search isn’t going well.”  To which I say, “OK, what actions are you taking?” “I’m applying to jobs online and I never get a response.” Radio Silence  – on the outside.  On the inside, I’m going, “Argh!”  (bang head against the table) […]