Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Thankful for What You Have A HR Comparison Between US and UK

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Thankful for What You Have â€" A HR Comparison Between US and UK While in the U.K., I made some interesting observations with the help of the brilliant Lieven Lambrecht, a European HR veteran at First Data Corporation: European workers are jealous of American workers because the U.S. has so many more job opportunities, and they are attainable if people have the right skills and interview well. What may appear to be a dead-end job can actually lead somewhere. American workers don’t have to fork over half their income in taxes, and employers actually care about developing their people. European HR professionals are jealous of American HR professionals because we have to deal with so much less legal red tape, and our jobs are more scalable. Recruiting someone from Texas to work in New York is nowhere near the headache of recruiting someone from Hungary to work in Sweden. American HR professionals can afford to specialize because companies are so large that the HR function is as well. But Who Is Jealous of Who? I compare these sentiments with how we Americans feel about work conditions and the HR function in Europe. American workers bemoan the state of the U.S. job market and think moving overseas would make things a heck of a lot easier. We envy the opportunities Europeans have to travel and experience different cultures during their work lives. We love the fact that they can actually have personal lives because they aren’t working 70 hours a week. Their benefits are such that they don’t have to worry about going broke from healthcare costs and are guaranteed a safety net at retirement age. On the HR side of things, American professionals think that it’s far simpler for European companies to recruit and retain diverse talent â€" a problem that sticks in the craw of most U.S. and global organizations. And they are jealous of the sexiness of the jobs European companies can provide to restless Millennials who want to go everywhere and see everything before they’re 30. For more where this came from, head over to the full post at Intuits Fast Track blog.

Help Writing a Resume For Free - You Can Get Help With Resumes

Help Writing a Resume For Free - You Can Get Help With ResumesIf you need help writing a resume for free, you may have been thinking about doing it on your own. After all, there are many sites that say they can help you write a resume for free. Most of these sites are nothing more than phony scams. You have to be careful if you think you can write a resume on your own.When you need help writing a resume for free, you should know that you can get it from reputable sources. The first place you should look is in your local paper. Find out who is selling the job positions in your area and see if they are advertising for writers.You will also find that the media in your area, like the newspapers, will tell you if they are offering help writing a resume for free or not. This information is usually listed in the ads they put up for this purpose.Also, check your local listings in your telephone directory. In addition, use the internet to locate potential websites that offer these services. O f course, you will need to make sure that the website does not charge a fee for any help that they offer.I would recommend that you do some preliminary research on the website before you sign up for the free service. You may want to look at the testimonials given by previous customers. You will also want to find out about the type of writing jobs that the website offers.Some sites will offer help writing a resume for free. Others may be scam sites that are only offering a free listing but if you look in the back pages of the newspaper, or on the internet, you will probably find some companies that will offer free help with resumes.It will be nice if you get a guarantee that you don't pay anything for the service. Most of the time, once you get started with the service, you will find that you will end up paying anyway. The key is to find a company that offers samples of their work so that you can compare them.You can save yourself a lot of money by finding help writing a resume for f ree. Once you have that information, you will be able to create the best resume possible.

7 Ways to Deal With Failure in Your Career - Classy Career Girl

7 Ways to Deal With Failure in Your Career As much as we strive to steer clear of failure, sometimes we run right into it. Even the most successful people in the world weren’t exempt from difficulties and setbacks. The fact is no one likes to fail but failure, however, is inevitable. It’s important to bear in mind is that what matters more than the failure is how you handle it and move on.     Chances are that if you live long enough, you will come across misfortunes and failures. According to research, if you are below 30 years of age, there is a 90% probability of getting sacked sometime in the next 20 years. So, it’s imperative to remember that failure is a standard part of life. Just think about it as an opportunity to learn something new and the initial step on the road to success. Whether you’re an entrepreneur up against the closure of your business or youre an employee faced with shortcomings in your career, here’s how to save your career from the verge of failure. 7 Ways to Deal With Failure in Your Career 1. Recognize When There is Little Chance of Success It sounds gloomy, but its an inevitable reality. It is essential to know when to give in. Allocate a time frame to either make things better or accept defeat. When you’re failing at something, it’s better not to keep chucking in your strength and finances into it for the sake of tenacity or dedication. You need to know when to bring it to an end. 2. Take Control and Own Up to Mistakes You Made Take control of your situation by owning up to it so it doesn’t control you. Acknowledge that it happened and it felt bad but you can’t change the past. Instead of blaming external factors like bad management and poor timings, own up to the part you played in it. Admit that you need to change yourself to progress in your career and move on. 3. Learn From Those Who Endured A lot of successful businesspeople have overcome a setback of some sort in their career and they know the significance of moving on after failure. Sony began by manufacturing electric rice cookers that burned the rice. Evan Williams established Twitter after his podcast directory Odeo was rendered obsolete by the launch of iTunes. The first two car companies founded by Henry Ford failed,  leaving him penniless. [RELATED: 27 Incredible Life Lessons For Happiness and Success] 4. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone and Try New Things Try to reframe your setbacks and see them as turning points in your career. If frequently doing things in the same fashion has not gotten you anywhere then it might be time to try something new and daring. Identify new paths and see where they lead you. 5. Think About Pursuing Further Education At times, we stop growing as professionals and in all honesty might even regress a bit. But as you try new paths, you may realize that you need additional expertise and knowledge to progress in your career. Moreover, an outside source may help inspire you to develop new skills. Remember that you don’t have to get a formal degree from an institute. Instead, you can always go for short-term courses, certificate programs, seminars, or online programs. 6. Consider Becoming an Entrepreneur If you feel like you are stuck in a role where your skills are not being properly availed then consider starting a side business like a social media or blogging network. You can gain a more fulfilling position and you never know â€" it might lead to a successful startup that eventually replaces your company employment. 7. Invest in Social Media Growing your online community can result in clients coming to you instead of you searching for clients. People can begin to seek you out to talk about latest opportunities. Your online activities can result in growing business for your company. Once you stop blaming external elements for downfalls in your career and take control of it, only then will you feel appreciated and accomplished.   Remember than when it comes to your career, the grass is as green as you make it.

Basic Rules for Building Business Relationships

Basic Rules for Building Business Relationships Whether you just started a job search, or have a job, it is a good idea to start building business relationships from the moment you say hello to a hiring manager. Business relationship management becomes easier when the foundation of it is strong from day one. These 3 basic rules will help you build business relationships that make you feel successful.Focus on Quality and Not QuantityDid you ever notice successful people seem to have a small inner circle of people they trust? There is a reason for it. Having a high number of relationships is not as helpful as having a few “quality” business relationships.Building business relationships that lead to success starts more with having a few close people to trust. Simply knowing lots of peopleis not as helpful as knowing the right people for you.In today’s connected world, we can all say we know people. But it does not always make for a quality business relationship. Treat Others the Way You Wish to Be TreatedBuilding business relat ionships often start with finding those who enjoy being treated the way you like. The only way you find these people is by treating others how you expect to be treated. This takes time and effort.Not everyone is meant to get along because we come from different backgrounds, morals, and ethics. Treat others the way you want to be treated and you will surround yourself with people who understand you.Practice Generosity in Many WaysA great way to start building business relationships is to be generous with your eyes, ears, mind, and heart.What does this mean?When you see the person, show excitement on your face. Be a listener and do not interrupt people while they explain themselves. Celebrate their accomplishments with your heart. Show how proud you are of them. Be generous with your mind. Show people you think about what they tell you.The above helps you with business relationship management because being generous builds trust and support.

A Guide to Performance Based Advertising for Jobs

A Guide to Performance Based Advertising for Jobs Ever wanted a form of advertising where you dont have to pay upfront? What if you are not guaranteed certain results and end up paying way too much? FEAR NOT. Introducing performance based advertising, where you end up paying based on the results you achieve. This is more effective because you know if what you are putting out is attracting job seekers or not. What exactly is performance based advertising, how does it work and what are the statistics? Recruiters give us the answers: How does it work? You ONLY pay a fee when a job seeker has actually viewed or applied to your job. There are 2 performance based pricing models. One being Pay Per Click = charged for each click your job receives. The other being Pay Per Apply = charged for each applicant your job receives. Key Players Indeed Zip Alerts Jobs 2 Careers Simply Hired Diversity Jobs Career Jet Key Metrics It is important to understand the metrics and language used in performance based advertising: Bid: The amount you agree to pay for each click to a given job post. Clicks/Views: The number of people who click on  a link to your job. Spend: The amount of money you  pay based on the number of clicks or applies your job receives. Applications: The number of people who apply to a given job (submit the required information). Cost Per Click (CPC): The cost of getting one person to click on one of your jobs. [Calculation: (Spend on a given job) / Clicks = CPC] Conversion Rate:  The percentage of people who click on your jobs that complete an application. [Calculation: Applications/ Clicks = CR%] Cost Per Hire: The cost of hiring one person for your job opening [Calculation: Spend (on a given job) / Hires = CPH] Read more about metrics and how performance based advertising works below by Recruitics:

Your guide to getting around London like a true Londoner - Debut

Your guide to getting around London like a true Londoner - Debut This post is part of our ultimate guide to moving to London as a graduate.  Its one thing to have your London crib all sussed out. Its another to settle in and become a true Londoner. This is our guide to getting around London like youve lived here forever.   I remember my first trip to London vividly. A friend and I, both newcomers to the UK, were on our way to a pals spare room in Turnham Green. Armed with paper Tube maps (wed both run out of mobile data), we then got resoundingly lost on the London Underground. Damn millennials who cant read maps. When we finally escaped the turgid air of our Piccadilly line train, I remember thinking one thing. Surely there must be an easier way to get around. Since that fateful trip in 2011, much has changed. For one thing, weve got helpful apps like Uber and Citymapper to help us get around arguably the two biggest game-changers for the city of London. The Night Tube has launched. Crossrail is coming. Things will continue to change, we reckon. However, there are some hacks thatll assist you in getting around no matter how the Tube map changes. Lets start with the basics. London Zones We touched on this a little in our guide to picking a place to live in London. In a nutshell, the great Big Smoke is divided into areas called zones when it comes to transport. If you take a look at the map above, youll notice that the zones of London progress from inside out. So, Zone 1 is basically Central London, and the further out you get from Zone 1, the higher the zone number will be. Zones are important  if youre thinking of taking the Tube, the Docklands Light Railway, the London Overground and National Rail services. The reason why the zones system exists is because theyre Transport for Londons way of calculating a customers travel distance. Heres an example. If you live in Zone 3 (lets say Dollis Hill) and have to travel to Zone 1 (lets say Old Street), you pay a single fare of £2.80 during off-peak* hours. However, Willesden Green, just one stop away from Dollis Hill, will incur a charge of £2.40 to the same destination. Why? Because Willesden Green is in Zone 2. * A note about off-peak and peak hours Transport for London (TfL), like some other national transport providers, charge higher fares at busy times in the day. Peak fares in London are charged from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays), from 06:30 to 09:30 and 16:00 to 19:00. Public transport Yo, guys. There are so many ways to get around London-town. Here, were going to cover the most likely ways youll be getting around. This means, however, that were probably going to exclude the following: The  Emirates Air Line, Trams, River  and  Taxis minicabs.  Why? The first three only cover small, specific areas of London and arent as commonly used. As for minicabs, well discuss other, more economical alternatives later, as these can be super-expensive. Getting around London by the Tube and by rail Ah, the iconic London Tube. Everyones got their opinion about it, but love it or hate it, getting around on the Underground is, for most commuters, an absolute necessity. Look, were not going to break each Tube line down for you. Everyones level of London Underground usage is very different. However, here are our top tips on how to ride the Tube like a pro. Plan ahead.  On the Docklands Light Railway and London Overground, theres usually phone signal, but Underground you get nada. Some lucky people get WiFi depending on their phone networks, but only some. For your sanity, plot your route in advance. Understand your direction. Your route will be determined by the Lines terminal destinations, and cardinal directions (northbound/southbound etc.)  For example, in order to get from Colindale on the Northern Line to Elephant and Castle, youll take a Southbound train terminating at Morden. Remember your line changes.  Often, getting from one place to another  means youll change from one Tube line to another. Dont be alarmed, just make sure you remember which stop to get off at to switch lines. Therell be signage pointing to the other line, so keep an eye out. Walk on the left, stand on the right.  This is the absolute golden rule for London escalators. Breaking this rule will expose you as a newbie and slow everybody down. Dont be that guy. Getting around London by bus Controversial opinion: London buses are underrated. For one thing, they dont use the fare zones system, so each journey you take, no matter where youre going and how far youre travelling, will be a flat £1.50. Also, London Mayor Sadiq Khan introduced the Hopper fare a while back making bus travel even cheaper. Make two bus journeys in a row, and you can get the second one for free. Pretty sweet, and great if youre trying to budget on that tight graduate salary. Just bear these tips in mind: Just like the Tube, London buses are all cash-less.  Dont leave the house without your Oyster card or a contactless credit card. Unlike the Tube, sussing out your bus route isnt as simple.  Youd be wise to plan ahead using the TfL website to understand bus routes and your nearest bus stop. Many bus stops have multiple locations where buses stop, serving different routes.   Make sure youve identified the right bus stop, by taking a look at the letter of the stop. Most bus stops have destination finders and maps.  These can also be helpful for planning your journey. Some stops are request stops.  Buses wont stop at these unless someone wants to get off or if you flag them down. Take a look at the stop to see if it says request stop on it otherwise youll be wondering why no bus will stop for you. If you cant see the next stop display, listen out for it.  Most buses will announce each of their next stops as they progress along the route. Make sure you get off at the right stop. The Oyster Card and other payment methods Look at this card. The double-blue, the smoothness of the white curve. This card, my friends, is the Oyster card. Its literally your ticket to the city. Bus and rail travel in London is nearly 100% cash-less. You can top up your Oyster with cash credit and use it as a pay-as-you-go card. To use your Oyster card, therell be a yellow card reader you can tap to gain entry to a bus or to the Underground. (On trains, you need to tap in at the beginning of your journey, and tap out. On buses you dont need to tap out, just tap in.) If you want, you can also load up your Oyster card with a weekly, monthly, or yearly Travelcard. This means you wont need to top up as often, which is really convenient. The only other alternative to the Oyster card (bar paper season tickets), are contactless debit or credit cards. TfL introduced this system a couple of years ago, so, if you have a contactless card you can use that instead of the Oyster. The future, eh? You can buy Oyster cards from most Underground train stations. They cost (a refundable) £5, and then you top it up with whatever money you need. Tickets and pricing Guys this is where it gets a little complicated. Remember our little talk about Zones earlier? Thats just the beginning of the various ways tickets and prices are calculated on London transport. Were not going to dive too deep into how much it costs to get from one zone to another. Instead, heres a few things to keep in mind. Check your Oyster card balance before you travel.  You can do this online, or at any Oyster top-up machine. Keep capping in mind.  Capping is a feature of pay-as-you-go. It allows you to travel as much as you like either in a single day, or in a week (Monday to Sunday). It limits the amount you pay for all you travel so, if for some reason you need to take a crazy number of journeys in a day, dont stress! The travel cost gets capped. Weigh up the cost of a Travelcard.  Occasionally, just getting a season ticket will be more cost effective and convenient that using pay-as-you-go. Check your budget and see if you need one. The only issue with this is, if youve purchased a Travelcard for certain zones, itll only be valid for those zones. Traveling outside of them will incur some extra charges. Check if you qualify for a discount.  Under 25? Have a 16-25 Railcard? You can actually add your Railcard to your Oyster account online and get 1/3 discount on off-peak fares. Every penny counts, yknow. Cycling in the city of London You can hire bicycles in London to get around, which is possibly the best idea ex-London Mayor Boris Johnson championed during his tenure. Santander Cycles docking stations can be found literally all over London, which makes it super easy to get around and get exercise at the same time. Its an initial £2 to get access to a Santander Cycle for 24 hours. The first 30 minutes of each journey is free after that it costs £2 per 30 minutes. Useful apps you wont be able to live without We all know about Uber and Google Maps. How we got around without those two apps, I cant even imagine. However, there are three more apps you should really clear some storage on your iPhone for: CityMapper Pals, my love for Citymapper knows no bounds. It is by far the best app for getting around London. Its journey planner is probably the best part about it allowing you to mix up bus and Tube journeys easily. Itll also estimate walking times, and provide you with rain-safe options. Sweet. Trainline Were mentioning Trainline  here because of their fantastic user experience. Its super easy to book train tickets if you need them (for when the city gets too much and you need an escape.) Its also great for checking live train departures, if, like me, you commute using National Rail trains rather than a TfL service. Gett London Black cabs are usually more expensive than grabbing an Uber. However, if youre pernickety about safety, you might feel more at ease in a licensed London Black cab. As a woman in a big city, Ive found Gett to be a great Uber alternative. Plus, the fares are completely fixed, which is nice no nasty fare surprises here. What is the cheapest way to travel around London? I asked Twitter about their top getting around hacks, and there was one common thread linking their responses. Their top tip?  Walk.   Mine is to do more walking instead of tube walk Leicester Square to Covent Garden etc see much more of London that way! â€" Louise Upchurch (@Loulou_Uberkirk) May 30, 2017 def walk, walk, walk! Never bother w tube for x3 z1 stops or less â€" Gail Emerson (@Gail_Em) May 30, 2017 @TfL do a great tube /walking map so you dont have to stick to the underground. â€" Stuart Thomson (@Redpolitics) May 31, 2017 Heck, even TfL got involved. Hi, if it helps at the map is available here https://t.co/HMvycP4A8D â€" Transport for London (@TfL) May 31, 2017 Using apps such as Citymapper or even the TfL map above will help you plan the most effective way to get around. Trust us if youre traveling from Covent Garden to Leicester Square, its actually way more faff to take the Tube. And there you have it! Check back next week for the final installment of our ultimate guide to moving to London as a graduate: Your guide to meeting new people and making friends in London Check out our available graduate jobs in London. Say hi to us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn! We’d love to hear from you.

A Commuters Pastime - My 4 Favorite Podcasts At the Moment - Cubicle Chic

A Commuter's Pastime - My 4 Favorite Podcasts At the Moment - Cubicle Chic A Commuter’s Pastime â€" My 4 Favorite Podcasts At the Moment Corporate Style, Uncategorized October 28, 2015 0 CommentsI spend 90 minutes driving to work each day, and I’ve done this for the last 4 years.From the initial dread four years ago to my current state of sometimes looking forward to it,  I’ve gone through various tactics to keep myself entertained, focused, or awake sometimes, while I drive. The things that I am finding myself gravitating toward the most over the 4 years though, are audiobooks and podcasts. These are the BEST TWO THINGS that have ever been created for commuter’s sanity. I can’t imagine what my drives would be like now without them.I want to create a series where every few weeks I will share my favorite podcasts at the moment.Radiolab  Radiolab is what started me on the journey into the Podcast world 4 years ago. I still remember bing-listening to the show for those few weeks.. like you binge-watch The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. This show has been around for over a decade, and is done by Jad Abumrad and Ro bert Krulwich, a very funny, witty, and harmonious duo. This show takes you on a magic carpet ride and examines overlooked and unconventional angles on scientific, cultural, medical, and biological events. Some of my most favorite episodes are as follow (you can listen online if you don’t have or don’t want to use the iPhone app)Why Isn’t the Sky BlueRodney Versus Death23 Weeks 6 DaysAlly’s Choice Note to SelfThis podcast designed specifically for Gen Y-ers (those of us born in early 1980’s to early 2000’s) and the very particular challenges we deal with everyday. For examples, dealing with digital devices EVERYWHERE, living in a text-based cultural, and the having the conflict of having no privacy yet extremely privacy sensitive… you get the deal, this is basically you. Well, it’s also me. Read some of these titles and just TELL ME you don’t find yourself at least a bit curious?Stop Going on Bad Dates. Here’s how to Fix Your Online ProfileWhy Google “Thought† This Black Woman was a GorillaWhy Texts From Your Ex Is a Thing It’s Time to Deal With Your Photo ClutterThe Lively ShowThis is what I call radio therapy. As career minded and professional women, many of us find it hard to find balance everyday in trying to stay focused and driven at work while living a fulfilling life and tending to your family, significant other, sometimes children. There are times when you are just lost in the middle of all of this “always trying”. Listening to Jess and her interviews always lifts me up, whether I am feeling stressed out, anxious, lost, or just frustrated. She’s interviewed very many that are considered “successful” â€" Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat Pray Love, and Tal Ben-Shahar, renowned scholar on positive psychology, Bea Johnson of Zero Waste Home, to name a few. Episode after episode, Jess manages to find what’s most relatable and inspiring from the vast pool of knowledge and experience each expert has to offer, and sha re that with us. My favorite episodes:TLS #89: HOW TO TAKE BIG + SMALL STEPS TOWARDS A ZERO WASTE LIFESTYLE WITH BEA JOHNSON (ZERO WASTE HOME)TLS #96: HOW TO DIVERSIFY SELF-WORTH WITH TAL BEN-SHAHAR (HAPPIER.TV)  TLS #100: ELIZABETH GILBERT ON CURIOSITY, EPIC SELF-COMPASSION, CREATIVITY (“BIG MAGIC”)This Won’t Hurt A BitI literally just discovered this Podcast today. The Podcast is very new, with only 4 episodes currently available. But if you liked the TV show House M.D., you will like this podcast. The hosts are all Medical Doctors, in the show they discuss historical cases or their own experiences, but more likely these are ones that have some yuck or gore factors. So far they have talked about maggot therapy, Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, medical use leeches, to name a few. If you need something to keep you awake and entertained, this one will do it for you!1. Voices and Wonderlands 2. Things That Go Bite

The 5 Biggest Things Stopping You From Launching Your Business - When I Grow Up

The 5 Biggest Things Stopping You From Launching Your Business - When I Grow Up Many of my clients follow my work for years before they hire me. Years! They often don’t remember how they found me, but they know they’ve been around these business coaching-parts for a while. Often, they’re lurkers. I don’t know them ’til they decide they want to be my client or have a consultation call. I think about when they found me, and what resonated with them at that point. They were probably unsatisfied in their jobs. Unfulfilled. Unsettled. But they hadn’t decided, yet, to do something about it.   There’s usually a breaking point story that causes them to pull the trigger, hit the “Commit” button, and go down the unknown road towards their dream business and away from what’s familiar. I think of those years in between, when they convince themselves that this is what adulting is â€" having a job you don’t like, but need to do anyway. When they feel guilty for wanting more, pushing their own career goals deeper into the closet. When they feel selfish for wanting to feel valued and helpful, and feel more and more resentful at what they’re forced to do during each work day. It made me think of what’s going through their heads in the years between “I’m unhappy” and “I’m ready to make a change.” Maybe not just “a” change… THE change.   If this sounds like you, I bet these are the 5 biggest things keeping you from launching your business: 1. Your mindset. It’s hippy-dippy but absolutely true: If you don’t believe you can make a grown-up living with a business you love, then you won’t. I honestly believe it’s the biggest roadblock keeping you from your dream business, and once you shift your mindset from “can’t/won’t” to “what if?”, the possibilities open up. I hope it’s comforting to know that I’ve yet to work with a client who found their dream business (their WHAT) and then couldn’t find a way to make it happen (their HOW). There is always a way. 2. Your finances (but not for the reason you think). It’s not that you don’t have enough money â€" it’s that you’ve been avoiding looking into it. I promise you that spending just a couple hours working with the numbers will be more empowering than you think. Even if you do some crunching and realize it’ll take you four years to save up the money you want in your emergency fund, you’re then able to work from a proactive place. What can you cut back on? How can you put more in savings? What can you do in those four years (which’ll probably go down when you commit to cutting back and saving up) to make your new business launch as comfortable for you as possible? In my experience, most of my clients realize they can make the transition earlier than they thought once they get familiar with their own numbers. 3. Your support system. It might not be that your loving family members and trusted friends don’t support you and want the best for you â€" they do! But, they probably don’t understand your choice. Why leave a “perfectly good” job to do something that’s not guaranteed? Why “waste” your experience and start all over? These aren’t safe choices, and those who love us want to see us safe and secure. While I feel it’s important to loop your family in to your goals, plans and challenges â€" it can only help if you can count on them for support! â€" it’s also important to be around people who are like-minded in their own goals, plans and challenges. Thankfully, there are both local and virtual places and people! for that (ahem ahem), so you can choose how you best receive support. 4. Your self-identity. I’ve been hearing statements from my clients recently that go something like: “I don’t really like this idea of me being   ABC, but I can’t get it out of my head because XYZ.” They’re uncomfortable with the label of the thing they wanna do, not wanting to be seen as a “self-improvement person” or a “flaky artist.” I know this uneasiness first hand, when I resisted becoming a coach because I did not want people to assume I’d read their crystals, tell their future, or give them the secret to life’s biggest questions. (For example, why spiders?) But! â€" once I realized that I could be the business coach for those who, um, also didn’t want their crystals read â€" and that being a   business coach fed into my grown-up passions, skill set, values and priorities â€" then I bit the bullet and signed up for my certification. 5. Your Vampire Voices. Vampire Voices are the voices in our heads that suck the good stuff right out of us.   Their “why-do-you-think-you’re-so-special?” questions and “you-could-never-make-it-work” quips are our fears articulated, and they keep us away from The Thing That Matters. That’s their whole purpose. But they also point us to what we need to specifically look at so that we can reach our goals. Does your Vampire Voice tell you that you don’t have enough experience for the new job you want to transition to? Then it might be worth looking at how you can build up your confidence in that arena. Does your Vampire Voice say that you’re not unique enough to stand out in a crowded marketplace? Then it might be worth talking to your loved ones about why they think you’re a special snowflake, write that shiz down, and start to see the common threads in the kudos you get. Here is the best news I am happy to deliver to my clients over and over again: You can handle all 5 of these things. There is a solution for each obstacle. There is a work around for each challenge. There is a dream business out there with your name on it, and these 5 things keeping you from launching your dream business can take a freaking hike.   In fact, in 90 days these 5 things will feel like distant fever dreams. 90 Day Business Launch applications close today(!!!), and this is the last chance you can sign up before rates go up *and* I’m booked through 2020. Jump over here to get your no-obligation application in and let’s do this thing, already. Time to change your business, time to change your life! ( Yup. I said it. Tony Robinson has nothing on me.)