ambition
Life | Work

The Key to Success: Ambition or Competition

What’s the difference between being ambitious or competitive? Some people are competitive by nature. They grew up playing sports, knew they had to study hard and be the top of their class, and now put that same mindset into their jobs. This makes me wonder, is being “competitive” a good thing or a bad thing? […]

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happy
Life | Work

Successful: Rich or Happy?

What defines success? Merriam-Webster describes it as a “favorable or desired outcome; the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.” Just as every word that conjures emotion, a dictionary definition doesn’t do it justice. So what does it mean to you? Is success having 2 cars, 2 kids, and a suburban home, or what about breaking […]

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negotiation
Life | Work

What’s Your Negotiation Style?

Good negotiating involves give and take. It applies to work and home, friends and family and is an important part of relationship starting and building. Being good at it takes practice and patience, both of which many people do not have. In the business world, negotiating is the key to getting what you want, if […]

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consulting
Life | Work

The Story of Promise Consulting Group

6 years ago in July 2010, Vistaprint (my employer at the time) offered a free website for life to employees. I loved testing the new products, so quickly signed on and claimed www.promiseconsultinggroup.com. Did I do any consulting at that time? No. Did I give any thought to what I may someday do with this […]

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online marketing
Work

Essentials of Online Marketing

With total advertising spend at a decline, online advertising is the only medium with projected growth in 2010 – to a whopping $60 billion in revenue. So what does this mean for you? Whether you’re a small business or work for a large corporation, you will likely need to know the basics of online marketing […]

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marketing
Work

Marketing with Meaning

“Marketing with meaning”, coined in The Next Evolution of Marketing, can be defined as bringing value to clients (potential and existing) through your marketing tactics. What does this mean for a business? Is offering a product or service enough of a value in itself? Merriam-Webster provides several definitions of the word value: “a fair return […]

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negotiate
Work

Negotiate Your Pay

This is one of my favorite work topics, as friends have come to me for years asking about this. I know everyone approaches this topic differently, and my viewpoint is not the only one. I am a firm advocate of NEVER telling how much you make in your current role. 1) it’s no one’s business […]

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consultant
Work

How to Become a Consultant

Before making the leap to be a consultant, it’s important to consider every stage of the process. My tips below don’t include the pre-work…the dreaming, the planning and the decision. Instead, these are things to keep in mind once you’ve decided to give it a go: Get everything in writing. Have an agreement and make […]

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change
Work

The Surprises & Challenges of Change

July 23, 2010 I wrote my first post on my Facebook page for Promise Consulting Group. I had been at Vistaprint for about a year, and had gotten my “free website for life”, which I proudly secured with www.promiseconsultinggroup.com. June 10 of this year was my last day at a “full-time job”. 6 years ago, […]

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balance
Work

3 Weeks In…

It’s been about 3 weeks since I last posted, and a busy 3 weeks it’s been. I’ve added clients and I’ve added team members; I’ve added hours and I’ve added projects. I’ve traveled on a whim and I’ve saved 2 hours of daily commuting; I’ve taken walks and bike rides over lunch and I’ve watched […]

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