IMPACT Group

A “safe” major doesn’t guarantee a safe career. A lot of people pick their major, thinking it’s the easiest path to a stable, high-paying job. I understand why, it feels like you’re supposed to get it right the first time. But real careers don’t work like that. I built my career at the company my mom founded, and I didn't even plan on joining in the first place. Life had other plans, though. I started in account management, moved into operations, then marketing, then global sales… and over time, grew into leading the business. There wasn’t a straight path. It was learning, adjusting, and figuring things out along the way. And that’s why I don’t fully believe in the idea that picking the “right” major guarantees anything. Even the “safe” majors come with uncertainty. And people from less obvious paths still end up doing incredibly well. Because stats are just averages. They don’t account for how you grow. At 20, you’re just getting started. You don’t need to have everything figured out yet. What matters more is choosing something you can commit to and invest in getting better over time, and leave options open to changing course over time. Because two people can take the exact same path initially and end up in completely different places. So don’t just chase what looks safe. Choose something you’re willing to build with.

I just published a new article for Training Industry, Inc. on something I’m passionate about: supporting first-time managers. It’s one of the hardest transitions in a career—and one of the most under-supported. In the piece, I share why leadership coaching (not just training) makes such a difference in helping new managers succeed—and why that impact shows up quickly in business performance. https://lnkd.in/gqAXdg2a Curious to hear—what support did you get (or wish you had) as a new manager? #Leadership #Coaching #CareerGrowth

I tried something new last weekend with family. I designed a Turkish mosaic lamp. I went in expecting it to look average at best. I don’t consider myself particularly creative when it comes to this type of thing. It turned out better than expected and made me think about how we may not be allowing ourselves that same space at work. We may assume: “I’m not sure if I can do that.” “This isn’t my lane.” “There’s no time to experiment.” So we don’t start. But the gap between “not good” and “surprisingly capable” is usually just reps. At work, experimentation doesn’t require a full innovation lab. It can look like: • Trying a new approach in a meeting • Testing a different way to coach someone • Solving a problem outside your usual playbook The risk is low. The upside is learning. Find the time and get re-energized by what results you see!

Last year, we said employees don’t choose a company based on compensation alone. That still holds true, but expectations are sharper now. The latest “Best Places to Work” rankings show a clear pattern: employees recommend companies where they can grow, feel supported, and have flexibility in how they work. Employees today are prioritizing: * Career development and clear advancement paths * Managers who invest in their success * Flexibility that allows them to sustain performance over time * Work that feels meaningful Millennials and Gen Z are setting the tone. They are more intentional about where they work and quicker to leave environments that don’t meet these standards. The question employees are asking: What am I gaining by being here? The question leaders should be asking: Would our employees recommend us? That answer reflects the real employee experience. Compensation gets attention, but development and support drive retention. If your employees were asked today, would they recommend your company?

Women are still being pushed to “choose” between career and family, and I don’t think that tells the full story. As a working mom and a business leader, I’ve seen how often that “choice” is shaped long before a woman ever makes it herself. This is why the latest Glassdoor data hit me hard. Women’s earnings tend to level off around age 35, while men’s continue to grow. The pay gap starts at 12% at career entry, grows to 19% after 10 years, and reaches 25% after 30 years. What stood out even more is that this pattern shows up for women who never have children or leave the workforce. That tells me this is bigger than personal choice. This is about what gets assumed about women at work around that stage of life. Who is seen as fully committed? Who gets the stretch role? Who gets sponsored into leadership? Who gets evaluated for potential versus reliability? By the time many women are asked to “choose,” the workplace has already narrowed the path. That is why I struggle when this conversation gets reduced to flexibility or work-life balance alone. Those things matter, but they do not explain why women’s earnings stall even when motherhood is not part of the story. The data point to broader structural factors such as occupational sorting, bias, and the unequal expectations placed on women. So for me, the real question is not whether women are choosing family over career. It is how often systems, expectations, and stereotypes are chosen for them. And it shouldn’t be that way.

Many job searches fail because people try to do too much, for the wrong reason. I once met an executive who came to a networking conversation with everything prepared, spreadsheets, decks, documents, all perfectly organized. It should have been impressive, but it was overwhelming, and it made it difficult to understand who he actually was or how I could help him. And I understood why. It was fear. Fear can push you into overdrive. More applications, more outreach, more materials. It feels like you’re doing everything you can to increase your chances. But more is not the answer. When you’re driven by fear, more activity usually creates more noise. A better approach is to do less, but with focus. Instead of applying to 50 roles, focus on a handful you actually care about. Instead of sending one generic CV, tailor it to the role and company. Instead of broad networking, have focused and meaningful conversations. Fear is part of any job search, and that is completely normal. But what helps is making it specific. Ask yourself what the worst case actually looks like, whether you could handle it, and what you would put in place if it happened. When you take the time to do that, fear becomes more manageable and stops driving scattered action. That shift, from doing more to doing what matters, is a big part of what I focus on in Take Control of Your Job Search (you can check it out here: https://t2m.io/GZgYDK8 ) If you’re in it right now, it’s worth asking: Are you doing more because it’s effective, or because it feels safer? If it’s the second, it may not be helping. It may just be fear in disguise.