This past summer, my family and I spent a long weekend at Seeley Lake: perfect weather, calm lake, and a great wooded area for long walks. On one morning walk, I stumbled upon a deer and her fawn, just off the path. The fawn immediately retreated behind her mother, and the mother stepped closer toward me with one firm stomp.

Growing up in an alcoholic family, I had always wished I had a mother to stand between me and danger, an advocate who would tell me not to give up myself to please others. Of course, as a young adult, I understood that people-pleasing was a safety mechanism. Keep the [...]

For years, we’ve been told to “manage” our stress. We treat it like an unruly child or employee to be disciplined, or like an enemy we engage in battle. We tell ourselves to push through, keep going, just buck up. But what if we’ve been duped?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

After decades of working with families as a parent educator and emotional intelligence specialist, I've witnessed a painful pattern: the estrangement of adult children. And these cutoffs seem to be a growing trend.

Parenting is difficult and complex. Growing up in our modern culture is also challenging. Yet, estrangements between parents and adult children aren't inevitable; many are avoidable. 

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

As you read this, take a moment: Wiggle your toes. Feel the way they press against the inside of your shoes, the texture of your socks. Notice the solid weight of your feet on the floor. Think about what your feet feel like, right now—their ache or heaviness, their temperature, their connection to the ground beneath you.

Congratulations. You’ve just practiced mindfulness.

We all have a deep, primal need to belong, be accepted and liked. But when does this healthy human desire curdle into an addiction?

It happens when the need for approval becomes a craving we will do anything to satisfy—even if it means silencing our own voice through an addiction to people-pleasing. And for the first time, we have a perfect, unbiased mirror that reveals the true nature of this dependency: AI at our fingertips!

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Picture this: two people, deeply in love, sitting next to each other on an upholstered couch, the soft glow of their phone screens illuminating their faces. They’re connected—to the internet, to their friends, to the endless scroll of news, social media, and notifications.

But are they connected to each other? 

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Have you conducted a meeting to share a new company initiative you’re excited about, only to be met with resistance and negativity? Perhaps, you’ve felt your blood pressure rise as a team member adamantly pokes holes in ideas, digging in their heels for what appears to be irrational.

Every team and company leader has experienced “difficult” employees. We like to label them as just that: “difficult," "negative,” or “stubborn.”  And every company has employee conflicts.

But what if these frustrating workplace dynamics aren’t about personality flaws? Or a lack of communication skills? Or even low [...]

Have you ever felt a surge of anger and wished you could simply turn it off? For some of us, anger feels like a destructive force—a volatile emotion to be suppressed, controlled, or avoided. We fear its power when unleashed, especially how damaging it can be to relationships when our judgment is clouded.

But what if we’ve been looking at anger all wrong? What if, instead of a menace, anger was a gift? 

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes 

Have you ever had a work presentation tank while others effortlessly command a room, turning skeptics into allies with a few well-chosen words? You wondered, “How do they do that?” Or maybe you’ve recently been at a holiday party and felt out of place. The whole time, you wished you were at home catching the new episode of Landman instead.

Social intelligence is the science of human connection, and whenever an interaction builds resonance, the person has figured it out. They understand how to read a room, pay attention to body language, create understanding, connect, and build rapport with [...]

Some mompreneurs view being a mom as a disadvantage to building a business and professional success. Pangs of inadequacy and imposter syndrome hit hard. You wonder, “Am I a real entrepreneur, or am I just a mom playing business?”

But what if that’s the wrong question? What if the real question is: What if motherhood is your greatest competitive advantage? Find out how you can equip yourself and leverage your mom skills.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes