Effectively Initiating a Networking Conversation

According to the Atlantic, cover letters became a standard tool for job seekers in the 1960s. Since then, countless articles have been published on how to write a set of compelling paragraphs that help a candidate stand out amongst the masses. With the rise of AI tools screening candidates for potential roles and, society’s limited attention span for consuming dense content in one sitting, it’s hard to say how many cover letters actually get read in their entirety. This is especially challenging for college graduates when experience is limited, and cover letters can get brushed over.

Does this mean we should scrap cover letters all together? Not necessarily as there are benefits to both the prospective employee and employer to have another tool when it comes to the interview process. However, relying solely on cover letters to introduce yourself to prospective employers can result in some lackluster outcomes. What is more impactful than sending out hundreds of cover letters and resumes happens away from the laptop. Serious job seekers should be spending 80-90% of their job search time networking-  asking industry veterans for advice on how to enter the market, identifying people in their academic or social circles to make warm referrals or attending professional events or career fairs. Regardless of which avenue an aspiring young professional takes to build relationships, the cover letter is not the right lever to initiate a networking conversation.  On the other hand, a concise personal narrative is a crucial first step in starting a meaningful dialogue about career planning.  

The Outreach Narrative

Months before you are about to graduate with a BA in Marketing, your mom reminds you that the next-door neighbor you have had your entire life is in Advertising. It’s not clear if she or anyone she knows is hiring but she is a senior executive and at a minimum, she may have some industry insight or advice on how to prepare for interviews. Either way, she is a good networking connection, and it makes sense to ask her to meet for coffee.  You have one attempt to set the tone for this meeting and while you can borrow a phrase or two from your cover letter, your outreach calls for something more personal and specific.  Whether you send an email or make a personal call to ask for the meeting, a general framework to leverage in your outreach includes three components:

1.     Assess the Formality: When networking with friends and personal connections, be congenial and authentic in your greeting. You don’t want to fabricate a layer of formality just because the nature of your email or call is professional. For all other contacts, begin with a brief yet polite salutation and a one liner that makes it clear you are reaching out in hopes of getting together.

2.     Manage Background Information: This is not the time to give a play by play of what you have been up to for the last 4 years. Instead, you want to anchor your message with 2-3 factual statement about yourself, so the recipient gets a high-level view into your current situation and areas of interest. For example, you may want to share your major, the work or campus experience that solidified your career aspirations and a general statement about the industry and/or types of jobs you want to pursue.  You should also reference and attach your resume.

3.     Set up the meeting: Before jumping back in with a request to meet, share why you think their perspective is unique and/or how their experience is tied to what you want to do. Also, let them know your goal for the meeting. Don’t make the recipient assume the purpose of your meeting.  Instead, be honest and open minded. For example, let the contact know that while you would love introductions to prospective employers, you would be just as grateful for feedback on your resume or general advice for someone entering this industry.  

While not everyone will have the time to meet or even respond, many people will be happy to connect and share their perspective or lend their support. The more networking requests you make, the more networking meetings you will set up so keep the momentum going throughout the process. Also, be prepared that the outcome of the meeting can range from learning about an immediate job opportunity to a simple handshake and good luck wishes. Either way, there is a good chance you will gain some helpful perspective. Lastly, make a mental note about the way you approached these networking meetings so one day (in the not-so-distant future), when you get the call asking for advice from a soon to be college graduate, you say yes to the meeting.

Pivoting With Intention

Students pick majors for all sorts of reasons including employability, earning potential, alignment to interests and/or simply because it’s a subject matter they find easy to grasp. In a perfect world, a student’s intentions and expectations do not change and they spend four years preparing for a career in their chosen field. But according to the National Center for Education Statistics, 80% of college students change their major at least once. Fortunately, most universities are well equipped at supporting students in finding new areas of study and have processes in place to ensure the transition to a new major is a success. 

But what happens when a student is close to completing a four year degree and they become interested in a path that seems unrelated to their field of study? For many upperclassmen, it’s no longer practical to change majors and more importantly, it may not be necessary. First, the undergraduate experience sets students up to build a wide range of soft skills that may have nothing to do with their major. Second, there is a strong likelihood that many of the technical skills they developed in one area can be repurposed for another area. Third, with the number of courses available online, there are tremendous opportunities to fill knowledge gaps with self-paced learning.  For most students, the challenge is not in making the call to pivot but in knowing what actions to take while also marketing themselves in an authentic way. Below are a few tips on how these individuals can build and tell their story: 

Accentuating Soft Skills: The executive functioning skills and interpersonal lessons learned during college are integral to employability. Employers are eager to evaluate a candidate’s ability to organize and manage complex projects, to pay attention to detail and to maintain focus despite unforeseen challenges or competing priorities. Similarly, when a candidate communicates effectively and demonstrates a history of collaboration, there is an appreciation for the impact they can have on a team. None of these situations are specific to a major or concentration. However, accentuating these qualities is particularly important when showcasing one’s fit for a job that typically goes to someone with a different degree. Taking the time to develop a resume that accurately reflects these qualities and having corresponding examples to discuss in an interview will go a long way in demonstrating suitability across industries. 

Repurposing Skills and Story: In reality, certain majors (e.g. engineering, computer science, accounting, finance) are focused on developing very specialized skills for the industries they support. Interestingly, most of my coaching students who want to work in a different area of study are drawn to jobs where their learned skills are still relevant. I have worked with a handful of Engineering majors who want to pivot from R&D to sales or marketing. These individuals are ideal candidates for Sales Engineering roles at software/product companies as the combination of their technical background and analytical skills allow them to effectively work between customers and technical teams. There are also many parallels between Computer Science and Finance. For instance, individuals who do not want a career in software development can apply their knowledge of algorithms or programming languages to financial analysis roles at investment banks or private equity firms. Regardless of how closely aligned professions are to one another, those interested in repurposing their skills need to properly assess their capabilities and learn to describe the connection in a meaningful way. 

Filling Knowledge Gaps: External factors often play into why someone decides to pursue an alternative career path. In some cases, an internship showed the reality of working in a particular industry and it no longer seems very appealing. In other cases, a student learned about a more interesting career through networking or a job fair.  Regardless of how someone arrives at the fork in the road, doing an assessment of the skills required to be a formative competitor for an entry level position in a new field is a productive exercise. For example, if a position is aimed toward business majors who have all taken Accounting classes, it may be a good idea for a student to add a foundational Accounting class to their last semester course load. Alternatively, online platforms offer self-paced courses that can fill some knowledge gaps in areas such as programming, web development or social media marketing. While 1-2 extra classes may be far from filling a content gap, it demonstrates commitment to the alternative career path and contributes to overall knowledge capital. 

Ultimately, most students who are willing to do an honest evaluation of their predicament and have the drive and determination to take action can successfully pivot to an entry level position outside of their area of study. Options tend to open up even more if the candidate is flexible when it comes to geography, travel requirements or other lifestyle matters. It’s not uncommon to find a professional working in an industry that is totally unrelated to what they studied in college. While the transition is gradual for most people, there is no reason someone should not consider it earlier.

Your Whole Story Matters

Individuals entering the workforce for the first time after college often spend hours summarizing their internship experiences, leadership roles and academic achievements into bite-sized bullet points. The competitive market for entry level positions drives students to the online thesaurus to find unique words to differentiate themselves. In reality, most high performing college students have such a long list of credentials that it can take more than a buttoned-up resume to stand out. Fortunately, those same high performing students are acutely aware that their resume will only take them so far and prepare rigorously for the interview process. Unfortunately, what is less obvious to these aspiring consultants, bankers and engineers (to name a few) is that their whole story matters when it comes to marketing themselves to a potential employer. 

In the last 2 years, I have guided many talented, multi-dimensional students in planning their transition into the workforce. In addition to doing self-assessments and goal setting exercises, we dedicate time to fine tuning their personal narrative. What has continued to surprise me is how often students want to downplay the experiences that they did for no other reason than personal satisfaction.  The fear of appearing frivolous or distracted prevents them from seeing how their outside interests can indeed be net positive.   Between the Computer Science student who deferred college by a year to be a professional ballet dancer to the Mechanical Engineer who parlayed a video game hobby into their own mini-esports empire, budding professionals often have unique stories they could and should share.  

A friend conducting an interview for an entry level job asked a candidate to share something about themselves that was not on their resume. The candidate told him about a Black Jack club that he started as an undergraduate.  He went into great detail about the process of recruiting and organizing the members, administering the rules, etc. His summary showed great attention to detail, passion for building fellowship and a drive to see something to completion. The interviewee felt it was irrelevant to his qualifications for the job. To the contrary, his story made an impression. More importantly, it demonstrated for the candidate that his true self was being valued by this potential employer and there could be a good cultural fit.

Of course, there is a right and a wrong way to elaborate on these unique experiences and those in the throws of interviewing may benefit from the following tips:

First and foremost, there is a time and place to share. In other words, don’t lead with being the number one ax-thrower in the country when interviewing for an accounting job-  especially if you spent last summer interning with an Accounting firm. However, it should certainly come up if you are describing the ways you prioritize your time and have managed your different responsibilities throughout college. 

Second, you need to be able to talk about how your unique experience affected you personally. It’s nice to know it made you happy but it’s more interesting to know what it meant to you. For example, if you are getting your pilot’s license while interviewing for management consulting positions, talk about what motivated you to complete 30 hours of flight training or share a story about a flight that reinforced your love of flying airplanes. By delving into your “why”, you bring your soft skills to life. 

Lastly, keep it simple. The more eccentric the hobby, the higher chance the interviewer will have no context when it comes up in your interview. In a few sentences, you want to provide background, highlight your role and share what it means to you. It’s best to avoid jargon that requires elaborate explanations. Write down your narrative ahead of time and practice what you want to share. You want the words to come to you quickly and, when you know so much about one thing it can be hard to naturally boil it down. Also, on your resume, use language that does not force the reader to use google. If you are not sure if what you wrote is straightforward, give it to someone else to read.   

I wholeheartedly believe there is value in everyone’s whole story. However, like most things worth sharing, the challenge is in telling the story in the right way and at the right time. Hopefully, a few of these tips will encourage our next generation of leaders to meet the challenge. 

Unpacking the Desire for Flexibility

There have been tremendous strides made over the last few years to support women who want to return to work. Many large companies have created internship programs to help women re-start their careers and there are a ton of organizations dedicated to teaching women relevant skills for re-entering the workforce. LinkedIn has even developed functionality to help individuals describe any pauses in their professional journey. As women have begun to feel more supported in their desire to return to work, one common theme that continues to impede progress is the real or perceived fear of losing flexibility. After stepping away from a traditional office setting and focusing on activities outside the “8-5” time frame, it’s natural to feel intimidated by a rigid structure. Even if the work is interesting, the compensation is fair and the culture is supportive, the idea of losing control over their schedule can keep a woman from taking her dream job. 

An obvious response to alleviate the concerns about flexibility would be to point out the thousands of flexible work programs that have spawned in the last decade (and were only multiplied due to the Pandemic). In some cases, knowledge of these arrangements can help someone focus on specific jobs or companies to explore. However, mentally detaching from being the controller of your own schedule requires more mental energy than just learning about new programs. In every introductory conversation I have with women who are returning to work, they share a strong desire to maintain their flexibility. This one word, albeit a large driver of workplace satisfaction, can derail a job search before it has even started. Unpacking the desire for flexibility can oftentimes lead to a more fruitful career planning journey and it starts with a few key questions:

1. What are you scared of missing?  As a primary caretaker, the focus is oftentimes on meeting the immediate needs of others. A more rigid schedule can create a fear that something may happen and you won’t be able to respond. In reality, emergencies and significant events outside of work happen to everyone at some point and, there is almost always a way to manage through the situation. Pursue a work environment that emphasizes collaboration and try to replace your “what if” concerns with the comfort of being on a strong team that supports one another. 

2. What is non-negotiable to you? “I want flexibility” can have many meanings and using a generic phrase to describe your preferences can prematurely push you out of consideration for an opportunity. Before you fully launch into your return to work effort, reflect on what employment conditions are truly non-negotiable to you. Consider specific categories such as travel requirements, geographic location, hours and work location. There is a strong likelihood that your criteria will align to many open positions and being intentional with what really matters will allow you to cast a wider net. 

3. Are you seeking flexibility or independence? For some women, the desire for flexibility is really a desire to make their own choices on when and where to work. They are confident in their ability to perform and subscribing to a set schedule or location may have a negative impact on their productivity or engagement. Certain jobs and companies are more conducive to someone seeking this level of independence. If you are seeking autonomy, you may need to narrow your search to positions that align with your preferences. However, it is also important to remember independence often happens after building a trusted relationship with your manager and colleagues. Your expectations may be better met if you explore opportunities where autonomy is cultivated and there are people and policies in place that will help you achieve it - even if it does not happen on day one. 

Working on ways to eliminate the fear of losing control over your schedule will not just lead to a more fruitful career search but it will also contribute to a deeper sense of inner peace. In other words, all of the formal work arrangements in the world will not matter if we don’t first accept that the desire for flexibility is layered and worthy of reflection.

Remember When We Used To Set Goals?

Making the decision to write content about goal setting in the month of January may seem a bit predictable. Almost every mainstream media source typically uses the new year to highlight the annual tradition of making resolutions. However, the last two years taught us not to get too connected to our plans since there is a good chance they will get canceled- again. For many of us, setting annual goals had to take a back seat to establishing daily routines to protect our mental and physical health. With hope, 2022 is the year we bring back goals. We will reaffirm our faith in the myriad of systems that not just uphold our society but also give our goals a place to exist. 

Sitting down to write goals can be a daunting exercise. After hours of staring at an empty google doc, it is very tempting to toggle to a new tab on your computer and instead scroll aimlessly through a social media feed. Um, at least that’s what people tell me. For those interested in some tools to get the process underway, a few small steps can make it a manageable task with tangible outcomes. 

Narrow the Focus: Humans are complicated beings. Even those who excel at compartmentalization are motivated and fulfilled across multiple dimensions. Taking an integrated approach to goal setting allows your whole self to feel invested in your future. Before you start brainstorming on your goals, consider the five different areas that drive engagement for most people- professional growth, financial health, wellness, intellectual stimulation and social connections.  Naturally, there may be additional categories and modification is always appropriate. However, start with a framework that takes into account the major drivers of engagement in your life. 

Look at the Past: Those who are repulsed by anything that promotes creating from the past may be toggling back to their social media feed right now. However, there is tremendous value in reflecting on how to maintain or expand upon past achievements. New goals that stem from last year’s accomplishments are likely to be relevant to the overall direction you want for your future because you are building upon something that you know is fulfilling. Also, taking time to celebrate past accomplishments can be motivating and help maintain momentum going into the new year. This means taking a quick inventory of any promotions, PRs or family rituals and asking yourself if and how to elevate the game. 

Remember Your “Why”: As you consider all the possibilities of the next 12 months, start by remembering  WHY you ever said yes to the activities that consume your time and energy. Why did you take a job in this industry (i.e. What did you expect to accomplish or change)? Why did you agree to serve on this nonprofit board (i.e. What drove you to the mission)? Before embarking upon most professional and personal journeys, we have lofty ambitions. By reminding ourselves why we got into all the things that fill our calendar, we can reconnect to what we still hope to accomplish and revise our aspirations.

Seek Input:  While some people find goal setting to be a very personal exercise, there can be benefit in seeking input from those who wholeheartedly believe in your abilities. Having someone point out your gifts can bring light to qualities you may not have known existed and give you confidence to tackle audacious challenges. Consider 2-3 trusted resources in your professional and personal network and solicit advice on what they deem the art of the possible for your future. You can take or leave their input but either way, you have an additional data point that can help inform you during the goal setting process. 

While a ton more could be said about the proven tools and methods for setting goals, a few straightforward steps can jumpstart your goal setting process and position you for a fulfilling year.

Passion Starts with Process

Directives on the importance of integrating purpose into your work are plentiful in America. Walk into most gift shops and encouraging messages about pursuing your passion are printed on everything from scented candles to coffee mugs. Listen to an interview with a famous entrepreneur and he or she is likely to bring up how part of their success came from following a calling. Even our Instagram feeds are filling up with stories on the health benefits that exist when individuals have fulfilling work.

Unfortunately, most of us do not wake up one day acutely aware of our passion let alone how it translates into a way to earn a living.  For college graduates who have spent the last 17+ years measuring their success by rubrics and rankings, it’s not always obvious how to pursue a fulfilling career path. Even individuals with a long list of extracurricular activities can struggle figuring out if and how their hobbies relate to the job market. However, since most of us can name interests that bring us joy, subjects we want to master, problems we want to tackle and people who energize our mind and spirit, there is a way forward. With an intentional and action-oriented approach to self-reflection and goal setting, the possibility of finding an engaging career path is within reach - even for those of us who had to always make up an answer for the first-day of school poster that asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up”. 

Self-reflection may bring up an image of a person sitting in nature with their eyes closed allowing the answers to big philosophical questions to swarm throughout their mind. And to be clear, it absolutely can be just that. However, it can also take the form of a methodical process with a guide, a timeline and a set of defined actions. Done effectively, this exercise can yield work products that reflect your priorities, your strengths and the learnings that have impacted your life. Guided self-reflection does not only take shape in one on one meetings - it can involve writing prompts, free form journaling or one off conversations with trusted peers or mentors. And, like every sound process, it has a starting point, an ending point and a way to cycle back as life happens and your perspective evolves. Without structure, it is common to spend months searching for the perfect way to articulate your passion and to never feel satisfied. However, by approaching self-reflection like a complex assignment (i.e. breaking it apart so you can put it back together), you can gain clarity and confidence in your path. Ultimately, choosing to intentionally follow a structured process will yield the truths about yourself that are key to setting goals and determining your most relevant career possibilities.

Joon Solutions offers career readiness advice for college students and recent graduates. By participating in a guided, five step exploration program, participants complete a self-reflection exercise and gain a deeper understanding of career paths that are aligned to their interests, skills and passions. In addition, individuals walk away with the tangible assets needed to tell their story and fulfill their professional and personal objectives. In addition, Joon Solutions guides women returning to the workforce and young entrepreneurs seeking strategies to advance their business while staying aligned to their mission. To learn more, contact info@joonsolutions.biz

Getting to Work on Childcare II: Take the Daycare or In-Home Care Route?

In the world of parenting, there are a number of very obvious topics that elicit polarizing opinions. Some Facebook groups and parenting blogs have become breeding grounds for well-intentioned people to justify their own decisions while inadvertently belittling those that belong to someone else. Selecting a childcare model that best suits the needs of an individual family has at times joined the ranks of hot topics amongst parents.

As I mentioned in my introduction to this series, I have barely achieved Honorable Mention status when it comes to gold star parenting so I won’t even pretend to know the developmental benefits of sending your child to daycare or having them cared for by a nanny or au pair. I fundamentally believe that the most important quality of your childcare solution is it unequivocally provides you with the comfort of knowing your child is in a loving and safe environment. However, there are some more objective factors to consider when choosing a model that meets the needs of each individual family. In many cases, we don’t recognize the relevance of these other components until we are knee deep into a solution and then have to make adjustments.

Remote Working: Even before the COVID-19 pandemic drove people to set up home offices with card tables and empty Amazon boxes, remote work was a reality for 20% of US adults. While many working parents regard remote work as key to balancing their personal and professional priorities, for some jobs, it is the only option. The qualities of a virtual work environment can play a role in whether an in-home childcare provider is the best option for a specific family. Without physical boundaries between the parent’s workspace and the children’s playspace, there are obvious household distractions that can impede a parent’s ability to focus. While there may be ways to tune out the noise, the lack of dedicated space can also present more subtle challenges like having a toddler attempt to pull you into every encounter that does not go their way. Even parents who wear the best noise-cancelling headphones on the planet may struggle to take a 10 minute mental health break if they have to walk past their child and nanny to get to the fresh air. Of course, some people have a high capacity to work through the chaos and some basic rules can help mitigate the impacts. However, as you contemplate hiring an in-home care provider or checking out daycare facilities, think about how your home set up will factor into your day to day routines. 

Schedules: Shortly after I first returned to work after my son was born, I had a conversation with a physical therapist who picked up her son every day at 3:00PM from daycare because that is when her shift ended. She left for work at 6:00AM and her husband, who worked from home, dropped their son off at daycare at 8:00AM. He was also available to pick up their son anytime he was sick. Their childcare situation seemed ideal for their family and, since the daycare was open until 6:00PM, it even allowed her the opportunity to run errands before picking him up. Around the same time, another set of friends announced they were moving their son out of daycare and hiring a nanny. Neither parent had jobs that could be performed virtually and, after a year of scrambling for back-up help anytime their child got sick, they decided to hire an in-home care provider. Months later, they lamented about how much less stressful their childcare situation had become since making a change that better fit their schedules. Schedules play a large role in deciding what childcare model is best for a family. It is important to consider work day start and end times or whether one parent has the flexibility to leave the office on the occasions when something comes up- and things will always come up. Oftentimes, day care centers follow the calendar of the local public school which can be ideal for some families and a nightmare if it does not align to the parents’ work schedule. Unfortunately, this challenge is exacerbated for parents who work non-traditional work hours. While some employers provide their employees with back up care options if their primary care provider is unavailable, most families are left figuring this out on their own and need to go into the selection process with their eyes wide open. 

Proximity: Whether your commute to work is 10 minutes or 60 minutes, the distance between your home and office may play a role in determining a child care model. Years ago, a friend worked 50 minutes away from her home and chose a daycare facility that was near her office. She was a bit apprehensive about commuting with a baby but there weren’t any accredited daycare centers near her house. She contemplated getting a nanny but wanted the flexibility to visit the baby during her lunch hour and the daycare near her office allowed her that chance. Another woman worked a few minutes away from her home but all the nearby daycare centers were run by faith-based institutions where preference for slots is given to church members. Since she did not get a slot, she had to choose between driving further away to find a daycare center or hiring a nanny. She did not find the additional commute time financially or logistically desirable and decided to hire an in-home childcare provider. As families evaluate available childcare options, it is important to consider how the proximity between the home, the office and the potential daycare centers will impact your day to day routines. By playing out different scenarios, a family can settle on what options would be least disruptive to their schedules and most conducive to their family dynamics and budget. 

Discussions around remote working, schedules and proximity to care are indeed very relevant to many working professionals. However, a promise I made in my first blog was to acknowledge where there are limits to my observations. Across the country there are scores of families who live in daycare deserts where there are three or more children for each licensed child care slot. Low and middle income families are more likely to live in childcare deserts, and until there are more affordable, licensed options available, not everyone will have the luxury of taking all factors into consideration when deciding on a childcare model that works best for their family. In a future blog post, we will take a closer look at policies that are being evaluated to address the disparity gap. Creating childcare options that meet the needs of all families is fundamental to creating equity in our society, to maintaining a strong economy and to our basic obligation to look out for one another. 

Let’s (all) Get to Work on Childcare

“I am not sure how you do it.”

These eight words, when uttered to any mother, can be delivered with awe, envy, judgement, confusion or even ambivalence. When my children were younger and my husband and I both had full-time jobs that required us to travel, I would struggle to come up with a good response to this comment. After a while, I learned when someone was giving me a compliment, making a genuine inquiry or poking me with their own baggage. My ability to detect the inquirer’s intentions did not come from analyzing their body language or tone. It came from reflecting on the fundamental reason why this question kept coming up- women not only assume the primary role in caring for the health and well-being of their children but, they are surrounded by messages and systems that make assistance a real or perceived obstacle. 

All mothers spend gobs of time simmering over the choices that directly and indirectly impact the quality of their children’s lives. In my experience, the mental, physical, emotional health of our children consumes the minds of parents more than pretty much anything. As we “know”, our ultimate goal- the gold star of parenting- is to raise kind, connected citizens who feel a deep sense of happiness and are contributing to society in some form. So, do you stand a chance of getting the gold star if you respond to, “I am not sure how you do it” with, “I have an incredible village of people supporting my family and our child care provider(s) is the cornerstone of our village”. I mean, that response sounds like it may be deflecting, right? Well, while I cannot claim to have ever achieved gold star parenting status (not even sure about silver- maybe an honorable mention), I absolutely believe that access to high quality, reliable child care gives women the assurance that the health and well-being of their children is not in question. It gives them the springboard to, “do it”.  Unfortunately, it is not as easy as it should or could be and we have to do a better job of figuring out how to make child care a priority. 

Prior to the pandemic, half of all US families reported having problems finding child care which drove 64% of those families to alter their plans to be in the workforce (Center for American Progress, March 2019). The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the childcare challenges that have been plaguing families as evident by the millions of women who have left the workforce to care for their children.  While the reopening of schools and daycares may alleviate some pandemic-related child care challenges, we will not return to (or increase) pre-pandemic employment statistics for women until we dismantle the system that has disproportionately placed the burden for child care on women, increase the role of employers and create more avenues for families to have high quality, accessible child care.  

Over the course of the next six weeks, I will explore some of the ingredients that go into creating and nurturing first rate childcare. I will share insight on the different child care models, provide tools for hiring and managing a child care provider, pass along advice from seasoned parents and industry professionals, offer mindfulness techniques for overcoming common yet unfounded fears about childcare and explore the role that employers and policy makers have in changing the landscape. 

On a related note, access to affordable, high-quality child care trickles into some of the biggest social issues impacting our country. This series may seem like it’s barely scratching the surface or only applicable to a limited audience- and those are fair observations. Volumes can be written on how inaccessible childcare can limit economic mobility and how it disproportionately impacts women of color. Also, families living in poverty or with low socioeconomic status are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to having any optionality regarding child care solutions. As I introduce each topic, I will do my best to come from a place of inclusion and to call out where challenges and limitations may exist.

If you have advice or a personal story to share as we embark upon the world of child care, please feel free to email me. Otherwise, thank you for being a part of the exploration and stay tuned for our next update.

Uncovering Joy

Over the last five years, I had the privilege of helping to build Daymaker. Being in the trenches of a start-up felt miles away from my 20 year career in corporate America and helped me grow spiritually and professionally in ways I did not foresee. In addition, I spent a lot of my free time chipping in to help other start-ups and do-good organizations. I spent hours learning about innovative businesses and shared my two cents on how to translate ideas into execution. More frequently, I served as the unofficial head cheerleader/career counselor to many conflicted yet hopeful individuals contemplating a professional move or reset. It was hard to call this vegetable soup of ancillary encounters "work" because it was often informal, unpaid or unscheduled. However, I was moderately fulfilled, grateful for the chance to stay relevant and enjoying the flexibility. There was really no urgency in making a change until I started to wonder if there was enough joy in my work and realized I owed it to myself to lean into the question.

When I reflect on what brings me joy in my work, my mind gravitates to the moments I am invited into a person's sacred space and asked to learn about their personal mission or the purpose they have been charged to lead. I come alive when the combination of my encouraging words and practical counsel shifts the way a person approaches a challenge or implements a plan. In some ways, this epiphany is not a complete stretch as many of the skills I have used to informally advise individuals and organizations over the last five years comes from being a management consultant for two decades. However, the real a-ha moment came when I realized I craved more time with leaders, dreamers and visionaries. I craved the structure and tools that would help me maximize my impact. I craved accountability. Launching Joon Solutions fills the cravings and more importantly it is helping me see where the joy is hiding.

Joon Solutions is my vehicle to help companies and individuals who are ignited by a purpose. To read more about Joon Solutions and the services, check out the new website. In some ways, Joon Solutions is a new chapter. In other ways, Joon Solutions is the book I have been writing for years and it finally has a title. Either way, I am excited to continue working with amazing people and look forward to all the new opportunities that now lie ahead.