In 1500 words or less, each post will give you something you can use TODAY to build yourself, your people and your organization whether your organization is a "for-profit" or a "not-for-profit."
Children’s and youth sports start and finish all the time, whether at the beginning, middle, or end of a season. What matters is not the scoreboard or the record, but the experiences they carry with them during the season, and especially when it ends.
Coaching minor sports is not about winning games. It’s about building confidence, creating belonging, and giving kids a reason to come back. If they come back, you got it right.
Most people think hiring decisions are about choosing the best candidate.
They’re not.
Hiring is about removing enough doubt to say yes.
And once you understand that interviews start to make a lot more sense.
Most hiring mistakes happen before the interview begins.
Resumes can be polished, charm can be rehearsed, and yet the person you hire may not be the one your organization truly needs. A simple pre-interview questionnaire reveals how candidates think, respond under pressure, and treat people they believe won’t influence their outcome.
Hiring isn’t about perfection—it’s about understanding real thinking before it costs you.
Most managers hate admitting when a hire isn’t working out.
So they delay the conversation.
They hope the problem fixes itself.
Or they quietly tolerate issues that affect the whole team.
But ignoring a bad fit rarely solves anything. Sooner or later every leader faces the same reality: not every hire works out.
In the latest article in my Inside the Interview series, I talk about what good managers actually do when hiring goes wrong, and how to handle the situation professionally, fairly, and responsibly.
Six years ago, I left the “for-profit” world for a short-term non-profit contract. I didn’t know what to expect, nor if I’d even be accepted or be useful.
What I found was a world full of steep learning curves, invisible heroes, and challenges I’d never imagined. In six years, I’ve learned more about my community, the struggles with poverty, addiction, housing, and systemic barriers, than decades in retail ever taught me.
I’ve seen incredible people pour heart and soul into work with no guarantees, no recognition, just a relentless drive to make a difference. Their dedication reshaped how I approach leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving.
Next month, I step into a new volunteer role as the Chairperson of our United Way, inspired to encourage others to act: support charities, lift wages, donate time, and focus on long-term impact. Real change isn’t about us, it’s about the people and communities we live in.
Every summer, organizations hire students to fill short-term roles. Few stop to consider that they are shaping long-term futures.
For many students, a summer job is their first real encounter with responsibility, accountability, and workplace culture. It is where reputations begin. It is where habits are formed. It is where confidence is either strengthened or quietly eroded.
For employers, hiring students is not simply a staffing decision. It is a leadership decision. It is a choice about whether to treat young people as temporary labour, or as emerging professionals.
When approached intentionally, summer employment becomes more than seasonal work. It becomes mentorship, community investment, and the foundation of someone’s career.
We move through and interact with dozens of organizations and people every day, healthcare, government, work, housing, commerce, and community spaces. Most interactions are brief, yet over time they quietly shape our sense of dignity, trust, and belonging.
This post explores a simple idea: a reasonable expectation of humanity in those interactions. Not perfection or special treatment, but clarity, respect for time, basic human regard, competence with humility, fairness, and accountability when things go wrong.
As you read, notice where these standards are present in your own interactions, and where they quietly fall away. And if you work inside an organization that holds power over others, consider how humanity is supported by design, not just individual effort.
As with most of my posts, this is a little longer than most, thank you for taking the time to read.
Homes speak quietly. This is a longer post, I know, but it’s worth five unhurried minutes. Drawing on witchcraft philosophy and generations of folk wisdom, “Burping Your House” explores how paying attention through the seasons can prevent bigger problems later. Blending practical Canadian home care with mindful observation, it’s a reminder that care, timing, and gratitude are a kind of everyday magic.
You can find a job on your own, but it’s easier with the right tools.
As a career advisor in a non-profit organization, I know that one weekly meeting isn’t enough. Job searching is an acquired skill, built through practice, reflection, and momentum, not perfection.
With direct input from job seekers, we created The Job Seeker’s Playbook, a practical, strength-based tool designed to reduce feelings of being overwhelmed, protect confidence, and turn job searching into small, winnable weekly actions.
Built from lived experience, not theory, it helps job seekers build skills, stand out, and take ownership of their search, at their own pace.
Retail has a way of shaping you for what comes next. It builds judgment under pressure, people skills that actually work, and leadership grounded in reality, not theory.
In my latest blog, I explore how experience in retail prepares you for future growth: which skills travel well beyond the sales floor, how to keep evolving without burning out, and what it takes to build a career rooted in integrity and purpose.
If you’re in retail now, transitioning out, or rethinking your next chapter, this piece is written with you in mind.