January 2, 2022
Written by Madeline O. Cranston I Think You’re Muted Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our ability to communicate, especially in the Lovecraftian horror of a zoom meeting, […]
January 1, 2022
Written by Dr. Anneke Olthof Mid-Winter Stress Mid-Winter can be a particularly stressful time – the holiday spending and eating has finally caught up with us, […]
December 13, 2021
This is a time of year that can be particularly taxing both emotionally and physically. December marks the end of a 12-month marathon dealing with the […]
December 13, 2021
Friendly Neighbourhood Nostalgia Written by: Madeline O. Cranston December is a stressful, glorious month filled with holiday dinners, school finals and of course, the overwhelming amount […]
November 13, 2021
This year I have made important strides to step outside of my comfort zone. For me this includes learning all I can about unconscious bias, privilege, […]
November 8, 2021
Lately, I’ve been coaching leaders on developing their presentation skills. In particular, the focus involves role playing using behaviour-based interview questions. In a typical coaching session […]
October 14, 2021
How do you know if you have blind spots? It never fails. At some point in a coaching engagement, the topic of self-awareness will come up […]
October 13, 2021
Our Choices Each day we are faced with choices. Some decisions are easy and require little, if any, contemplation. Other situations require more conscious and intentional […]
August 6, 2021
The Bubble During the pandemic, the size of our community became quite small as we were tasked with keeping one another safe from contagion. We had […]
August 6, 2021
Post-pandemic phase of work For the last 17 months, many employees were required to work remotely. Now that we are rounding the corner into a post-pandemic […]
July 25, 2021
In the post called Building Resilience One Mental Muscle at a Time, I covered two options for building resiliency. Read: Building Resilience One Mental Muscle at […]
July 25, 2021
People who do strength training know that micro-tears occur during a weighty workout. A few hours later, you feel the soreness as the amount of blood […]
July 14, 2021
It has been a mystery to me how some people know at an early age exactly what they want to do as a profession and then […]
May 30, 2021
I've wanted to write on this topic for some time now, but waited until I completed more research on the topic. Every day we have thousands […]
May 29, 2021
The long-range effects of the COVID-19 pandemic remain far from being fully realized. Although, it isn’t difficult to conceptualize the potential increased demand for professional support […]
May 23, 2021
I originally wrote this post for Coaching out of the Box®'s blog and you can find it there as well as here on mine. Almost ten […]
May 14, 2021
We think 6,200 thoughts a day We all have that little voice inside our head. Sometimes the messages are strong and clear and other times they […]
April 20, 2021
Of all the workshops I facilitate, perhaps the one I'm doing most recently is the most relevant and necessary. It is called Communicating Well with Technology. […]
April 13, 2021
I've been reflecting a great deal on how the pandemic is impacting society. When I'm out for a walk with Olive, I've noticed that people don't […]
January 31, 2021
Have you ever been in the situation where a colleague, a friend or a family member asks you for feedback and you break out in a […]
January 31, 2021
I’m not really sure exactly how I feel about February. It is sort of an in-between month. The shortest one nestled deep in winter, and also […]
January 3, 2021
Wow. What kind of message is this to give better than nothing behaviour a try? I hope I've engaged your interest with this call to -- […]
January 2, 2021
With January here and the holiday season tucked behind us, we face a month known for broken resolutions, ghastly credit card bills, homes stripped of holiday […]
January 1, 2021
Working Remotely Since COVID-19 touched down with a significant impact in March 2020, many Canadian workers found themselves relocating to home-based work and using virtual meeting […]
December 12, 2020
It is no secret that I'm a Regency and Victorian-era fan. I have at least one Regency-period book on the go at all times and subscribe […]
December 12, 2020
I'm all for books that are short, to the point, and provide key takeaways at the end of each chapter. The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus: […]
December 10, 2020
Madonna sang that we are living in a material world, but I say that we're living in a VUCA world. What does it mean to live […]
December 7, 2020
In a previous post, I shared a recording of a presentation on how to sign up for a LinkedIn account and make the most of your […]
November 14, 2020
This month's book was a challenge. Not that there weren't enough books on the topic, but rather landing on just the right one. After much deliberation, […]
November 12, 2020
Can't live with it, can't live without it. Heard this saying before? I imagine you have and wonder if you share my views on social […]
November 10, 2020
The online social platform known as LinkedIn has been around since 2003. Even though over 690 million people are connected LinkedIn users, there are many who […]
October 11, 2020
As we face the second wave of the pandemic, many of us are feeling burnt out, mentally fatigued, and uncertain of what it means for business, […]
October 11, 2020
Once the fall season arrives, many of us remember how much we love pumpkin spice, pumpkin pie, and decorating our home with orange-coloured gourds. Yes, just […]
September 14, 2020
Not everyone feels like a natural-born early riser. I get this. Some people say they are night owls who feel energized and productive late into the […]
September 1, 2020
As Authentika Academy prepares to launch its latest e-course, Habits of Great Leaders, I thought it fitting to share Maddie's 17-year old, unfiltered view of leadership. […]
August 11, 2020
I love to read and listen to self development Audiobooks. I usually have 3-4 on the go at a time. Full disclosure -- I love Audible.com. […]
August 11, 2020
This post has been graciously written by guest blogger, Maddie Cranston. Full disclosure, Maddie is my daughter and a far better writer than I am. […]
August 10, 2020
Have you ever thought about your life in months? It's a fascinating and perhaps even sobering way of looking at your life. Recently, I watched a […]
July 7, 2020
For years I worked in a job I was good at, but didn’t love. When I was with friends or colleagues or at the hair salon […]
June 26, 2020
This pandemic and the stress of the unknown and the uncertainty regarding what is to come can make anyone feel tired, confused, and uncertain. All […]
June 10, 2020
In the last decade, mindfulness and meditation have risen significantly in popularity. Those who were on the fence about giving it a try have heard first-hand […]
June 3, 2020
Probably now, more than any other time in recent history, we’ve had more time on our hands given the need for social distancing, closed businesses and […]
May 19, 2020
Virtual Travel Tours. Explore the World From Your Home Do you have a case of wanderlust and are looking for ways to keep the spark […]
April 29, 2020
Negative thoughts are automatic thoughts. They can be triggered by the slightest experience, comment or memory. Often, we are not aware of our negative […]
April 17, 2020
Whether you're working remotely, working at the office, or working at all, you can still fall prey to distractions. They come in a myriad of disguises […]
April 2, 2020
It’s difficult to stay motivated at the best of times. Working toward a goal or dream that you value and know instinctively would make a major […]
March 24, 2020
Does Time Seem to Fly and Work Still Isn’t Done? If you’ve ever struggled with feeling less than productive or wondered what happened to your best-laid […]
March 19, 2020
Uncertain times It’s true that we are living in a time of uncertainty and turbulence with the continued spread of covid-19, an epic rollercoaster downhill ride […]
March 5, 2020
Engage a Coach for Your Professional Development Working on your professional development isn’t something that you might easily decide to give yourself permission to pursue. It […]
February 17, 2020
Forget the Monopoly Mascot. When you think about being a director on a board, does the image of the Monopoly mascot, Rich Uncle Pennybags, come to […]
January 4, 2020
It doesn't feel good There are times in life when you might feel lost. Maybe that time is right now. Perhaps there are people in your […]
December 30, 2019
The Month of January - Friend or Foe? The start of a new year can bring a sense of renewal, hope and a promise. Maybe it […]
December 15, 2019
December Overload December, more than any month of the year, seems to give us 31 days of permission to overdo it. We overextend ourselves with events, […]
November 3, 2019
What is Emotional Intelligence? Emotional intelligence is a skill that can help change the way you view yourself and how well you communicate with others. Emotional […]
October 19, 2019
Who loves to network? Do you love or loathe networking? Perhaps it is something in between. There are some easy and helpful tips to improve your […]
September 17, 2019
Looking for a mentor? There are many reasons why having a mentor is a great idea and it's even more important when you work for yourself […]
September 2, 2019
A bouquet of newly sharpened pencils or new habits to keep September is officially here. Children are readying for back to school, a bit of a […]
August 6, 2019
Source: Magicalquote.com Recently I heard a quote that really stuck with me while watching a program on Netflix called, Mozart in the Jungle. The new maestro, […]
July 24, 2019
When I think about coming to the end of a good book, I feel a sense of loss. If I really loved the book, I don't […]
June 20, 2019
For years I've asked the question: What stops you from giving feedback? Not surprisingly, the response is consistently the same: 1) I don't know how the […]
May 24, 2019
]I recently learned some trivia about the 1976 neo-noir psychological thriller, Taxi Driver. In the movie, Robert De Niro, stars as Travis Bickle a mentally unstable […]
April 22, 2019
Recently I embarked on a complete rebranding exercise for my coaching and consulting business. The result? It made me fall more in love with the work […]
March 26, 2019
I can't imagine that anyone wakes up in the morning and says, "Hey, I think I'll be a victim in the story of my life today." […]
February 20, 2019
Olive and I have been through Beginner dog training. Note the graduation cap in the photo (no small feat to get this image!) I'd say that […]
January 21, 2019
I have a dog named Olive. She a sweet and loving little black Cockapoo. She literally is my constant companion and a joy in every way. […]