14Jul 2021 by CJ
Down in the dumps? Next time try doing this to feel better

Down in the dumps? Next time try doing this to feel better

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
"It's OK to be down in the dumps - just don't stay there too long." - Catherine DeVrye, Author. From time to time, we all find ourselves down in the dumps, or put another way, discouraged, depressed, or just plain sad. Some of us are more prone to such occurrences (you can't see me, but I'm raising my hand), which makes every-day day life challenging and difficult to navigate our way through. Sometimes, there are pre-indicators and warning signs that we may soon feel down in the dumps, such as holidays and birthdays or after having difficult and confrontational conversations with co-workers or loved ones.   But other times, such feelings emerge out of nowhere – catching us off guard and forcing us to try and deal with the circumstances when…
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17Jun 2021 by CJ
Make every interaction count to help build your overall customer experience

Make every interaction count to help build your overall customer experience

Generosity & Kindness, Information & Education
“Make every interaction count, even the small ones. They are all relevant.” - Shep Hyken The pandemic has forced some industries to the brink of extinction while allowing others to flourish at unprecedented levels. One of those industries is home improvement. As people found themselves at home more than they’d ever been before over the last year, they started to notice the “imperfections” of their environment and suddenly the industry exploded. Halfway through 2020, searches for home improvement companies were up almost 50% and according to Porch.com, 3 out of 4 homeowners surveyed completed a major renovation project since the start of Covid-19, and roughly the same percentage already have one scheduled. With this flurry of new business, one might hope that home improvement companies have not lost a critical…
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04May 2021 by CJ
“Too busy” is not an appropriate excuse to ignore someone

“Too busy” is not an appropriate excuse to ignore someone

Generosity & Kindness
I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard friends, family members, and especially co-workers say to me “I’m just too busy right now” as though it’s an appropriate excuse for what boils down to people undeniably ignoring you. I’d be able to retire comfortably before I turn 50! Yes, there are times in everyone’s life when we’re all too busy with our careers, our families, even projects around the house. But I turn to this quote from blogger and writer Mandy Hale who writes, “A person being “too busy” is a myth. People make time for the things that are really important to them!” Why if I didn’t know better, I’d say that Mandy is insinuating that people who often say “they’re too busy” are politely trying to say…
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15Apr 2021 by CJ
Imposter syndrome is more common than you might think

Imposter syndrome is more common than you might think

Generosity & Kindness
I recently completed a course on LinkedIn Learning called Understanding Imposter Syndrome. Sounds like something you’d hear on a television crime drama, doesn’t it? But in reality, it’s a disorder felt by millions of people around the globe. According to the Harvard Business Review, “imposter syndrome is loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. It disproportionately affects high-achieving people, who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments. Many question whether they’re deserving of accolades.” According to a review article published in the International Journal of Behavioral Science, an estimated 70% of individuals experience imposter syndrome at some point in their lives.  If you think you’re alone in these feelings, well, you’re in good company. Maya Angelou, Tom Hanks, Sheryl Sandberg, are just a few. Oh, and…
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23Feb 2021 by CJ
People don’t ever plan to offend us – but a lack of empathy makes it feel like they do

People don’t ever plan to offend us – but a lack of empathy makes it feel like they do

Generosity & Kindness
I’ve come to what I believe is a very significant and oftentimes overlooked conclusion about relationships – both personal and professional. People don’t ever PLAN to offend us – though there are certainly some manipulative and calculating individuals out there. The conclusion I’ve finally discovered is that so many people (and I mean A LOT!) simply do not possess any kind of genuine empathy. I truly appreciate this Anonymous definition of what empathy is. “Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.” While that might sound easy to do, few I’ve encountered have truly mastered what I consider a social art. Where we get stuck so often is in the listening. Yes, we’re all hearing what other…
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