Vanessa Notes

My thoughts are with those affected by Hurricane Helene.  These huge events leave evidence of the trauma for the rest of their lives.  I do not live near the area, but I've been through disasters of my own.  The best things we can do is donate a little money to charities with proven track records of getting the money to the disaster.  Collectively, our money does more pooled together than it does by itself. 

I have my favorite charity which I donate to.  I don't want to sway anyone's opinion, but I want to encourage you to run any charity through this website to get an idea of how much of the money they collect goes to "overhead" and how much makes it to its intended destination.  From there, you can donate directly through this webpage, or you can go directly to the charity's webpage which is conveniently right there. 

https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/132574963

Together we can make a big difference.

Are You Thriving or Just Surviving?

I want to share a quick story about how leadership can shape who you are as a worker. I recently watched a short clip from Simon Sinek, a brilliant speaker and author. In the video, Simon was at The Four Seasons Hotel and asked a barista if he enjoyed his job. Without hesitation, the barista said, "I love my job." Curious, Simon asked why, and the barista explained that at The Four Seasons, management is supportive and always checking in to see how they can help. He felt valued and happy there.

But then, the barista mentioned he also works at another hotel where the management is constantly looking for mistakes. He said, "When I'm there, I just keep my head down and hope they don't notice me."

The same person doing the same job in two places—but in one, he thrives, and in the other, he’s just trying to survive. What’s the difference? Leadership.

It’s a powerful reminder that sometimes it's not us; it’s the environment we’re in. Just like a plant that flourishes in good soil or struggles in poor conditions, we grow when our surroundings support us.  We are the plant, leadership is the gardener.

So, take a moment to reflect—are you thriving in your current environment, or just trying to make it through? Maybe all you need is a teaching position in a different environment.  Maybe it's time to consider a new career altogether. Whether you need a change of scenery or a whole new career, it’s important to be in a place where you can truly grow.

RECOMMENDATION: Tip to consider when Jobhunting: 

Make sure you have a current email address, ideally with Gmail. If you're still hanging onto an old AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail  or one from the Baby Bells like @swbell.net, it’s time for an upgrade! These older domains can unintentionally set the impression of being too old and out of touch before you even submit your resume. Switching to a Gmail address keeps things modern and  up-to-date.

When you create that new email, keep it simple and professional. We’ve all seen some pretty cringeworthy email addresses over the years (I’ll never forget having to send an email to someone at "noeffingway @something.com"—yikes!). Ideally, your email should be your name, but if that's already taken, try adding dots, initials, or a ZIP code to make it unique. For example: firstname.lastname @gmail.com or firstnamelastname210 @gmail.com. Just be cautious about using numbers that could imply your birth year.

A bonus to creating a new Gmail account is that you get a fresh start! No more inbox cluttered with 10-year-old spam or irrelevant emails. But remember—make sure to update your new address with us so you don’t miss out on my newsletters!

If you’re not sure how to set up a Gmail account, it’s super easy. Just head to this Google Support Page for instructions

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