A digestible deep dive into a better work-life

Really Good Work Advice

Hiya!

Two orders of business:

1. A few of you haven't been receving my emails (boooo), so I'm trying a new template to see if it's more inbox-friendly. Fingers crossed you got it. (You can read all previous publications here - you only have to log-in once to access it.)
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2. Our next subscriber meetup is coming up soon on April 6th. We'll go over our goals, and how to navigate through obstacles standing in our way. Considering I normally charge $350/hour for coaching, this is a really good deal (it's free!) Register here.​
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Now on to Really Good Work Advice 😉

x Claire

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Your career safety net

​The job market is BRUTAL right now.

​Between the gutting of the federal government (America's largest employer), entire industries collapsing (media), widespread hiring freezes (tech), and AI eliminating roles overnight (engineering), even the most qualified professionals are finding themselves suddenly unemployed.

​Maybe that's you. Maybe it will be you soon. Either way, it's a gut-wrenching position to be in. When you're ambitious and driven, nothing feels worse than losing control of your career trajectory.

As someone who has been laid off - twice - and experienced a ton of obstacles - ahem, lawsuit! - I'm super passionate about creating my career safety net. Something that keeps me untouchable from whatever chaos comes my way..sort of my own version of "What Color is Your Parachute?"​

Spend some time mapping out for yourself a regular cadence with which you can invest in the following categories and read on for specific action steps per each one, plus a 7-day action plan at the bottom of this newsletter that provides suggestions for how to implement everything you've learned.

✅ Keep your eye on the future and upskill accordingly

✅ Be visible

✅ Invest in relationships

✅ Work on your blind spots

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​Keep your eye on the future

The world of work is changing at warp speed and the ones who stay safe are those who upskill accordingly. Unfortunately, I learned this hard way. I started Ladies Get Paid around the same time as fintech educator, Tori Dunlap. In the beginning, my business - which was primarily events-based - was "more successful"; Tori even taught a workshop for us! But Tori got on TikTok and translated her content into diversified digital products, swiftly scaling her audience and her bank account. Meanwhile, I was hosting labor-intensive in-person conferences that relied on brand sponsorships, two things that crumbled when the pandemic hit.

Could I have seen a pandemic coming? No. But I should've diversified my income streams way earlier, and spent more energy on things that scaled. Plus, my own resistance to TikTok, which at the time, I dismissed as a silly app for dancing, is seriously humbling now.

📝 Action Steps:

Track emerging trends in your industry

• Set up Google Alerts for keywords related to innovation in your field
• Subscribe to industry-specific newsletters and journals
• Attend conferences and trade shows to see upcoming developments firsthand
• Join industry-specific groups on LinkedIn and participate in discussions

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Regularly evaluate how technological changes might impact your field

• Follow futurists and technology forecasters on social media
• Experiment with new tools even if they seem unrelated to your work
• Allocate a small portion of your time to play with emerging technologies
• Study how early adopters in other industries are leveraging new platforms

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Develop cross-disciplinary knowledge

• Take courses in complementary fields (e.g., marketers learning data science)
• Join communities outside your direct industry to gain fresh perspectives
• Look for patterns in how disruption happens across different sectors
• Study how AI and automation are changing roles similar to yours

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Create a personal innovation radar

• Maintain a database of emerging technologies relevant to your field
• Track startups receiving funding in your industry or adjacent spaces
• Pay attention to what skills employers are increasingly requesting in job postings
• Monitor changes in consumer behavior that could affect demand for your skills

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Be visible

One of my favorite philosophical questions is, "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" In my opinion, it doesn't. Same thing goes for you.

Unless people know you, you're a nobody.

Harsh, but in this Capitalist society we're in, what you do is a huge part of who you are and the value you bring.

Be visible for that value! You don't have a bunch of LinkedIn followers to be known, but what you do is consistently put yourself out there if not in a public way, at least for enough people to witness what you have to offer.

This could look like connecting people to each other. Raising your hand in a meeting. Helping with a friend's project. Showing up to an event. Sharing your insights on social. Hosting an event. Either way, it's taking action outloud and bringing others along the way.

📝 Action Steps:

1️⃣ Contribute beyond your job description

• Volunteer for cross-functional projects that expose you to different departments
• Offer to mentor newer employees or interns
• Participate in company events or initiatives outside your direct responsibilities

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2️⃣ Create your own platform

• Start a simple newsletter sharing industry insights
• Host small gatherings bringing together people in your field
• Organize lunch-and-learns or skill-sharing sessions within your company

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3️⃣ Share your expertise publicly

• Commit to posting valuable content on LinkedIn once per week
• Comment thoughtfully on others' posts to demonstrate your knowledge
• Write guest articles for industry publications or relevant blogs

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4️⃣ Advocate for others publicly

• Amplify colleagues' good ideas in meetings
• Publicly recognize others' contributions and achievements
• Build a reputation as someone who lifts others up
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Invest in relationships

I know, I know. You've heard this a million times before, investing in relationships is the key to opportunity. The real question is, how? And most importantly, how to do it with limited time and bandwidth? Let's skip the spiel and go straight to the action steps :)

📝 Action Steps:

1️⃣ Strategic connection maintenance

• Set calendar reminders to check in with key contacts quarterly (just 5 minutes per message)
• Use waiting time (commutes, lines, before meetings) to send quick appreciation notes
• Create templates for different types of check-ins to streamline the process
• Implement a "3-2-1 system": connect with 3 peers, 2 mentors, and 1 new contact monthly

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2️⃣ Value-first micro-interactions

• Share relevant articles with specific contacts ("Saw this and thought of your project")
• Set up news alerts for your key contacts' companies to congratulate them on wins
• Offer specific, brief help based on your expertise (15-minute consults)
• Forward job postings or opportunities to people who might benefit (takes seconds)

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3️⃣ Leveraged visibility

• Create shareable templates or resources once that benefit many in your network
• Join industry Slack groups and set aside 10 minutes weekly to participate
• Schedule posts for LinkedIn in batches monthly rather than daily effort
• Repurpose your existing work as valuable content to share with your network

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4️⃣ Relationship multipliers

• Host quarterly virtual coffee hours where multiple contacts can connect simultaneously
• Create a simple system to track introductions you've made to identify patterns
• Build mutually beneficial triads instead of one-on-one relationships that require more maintenance
• Develop a personal "board of advisors" who can activate their networks on your behalf when needed

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Work on your blind spots

This one is a bit of a conundrum since blind spots inherently imply that you're well, blind to them! That's why it's critical to find ways to maintain perspective with everything you're doing, such as a regular self-reflection ritual, hiring a coach, reading books, etc.

Working on identifying and addressing blind spots is perhaps the most fundamental form of career future-proofing because it enables all your other efforts to succeed.

After all, you can't fix what you can't see.

📝 Action Steps:

1️⃣ Structured feedback systems

• Schedule quarterly "perspective checks" with trusted mentors who will be honest with you
• Implement a simple self-assessment routine that includes: "What am I potentially missing?"
• Use a decision journal to document your thinking process and review it later to identify patterns

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2️⃣ Assumption challenging

• Implement a "three interpretations rule": generate multiple explanations for others' behavior
• Schedule monthly reflection on which assumptions repeatedly create friction in your work life
• Practice saying "I notice I'm assuming..." before voicing concerns in important conversations
• Create a list of your go-to narratives and actively look for evidence that contradicts them

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3️⃣ Feedback receptivity

• Ask for specific behavioral feedback instead of general impressions ("What did I do in that meeting that could have been more effective?")
• Record yourself in professional situations (presentations, meetings) and review objectively
• Maintain a "feedback log" where you note patterns in comments you receive over time
• Ask specifically: "What am I not seeing about my approach that might be limiting me?"
• Create a simple framework to distinguish between the discomfort of growth and genuine warning signs

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7-Day Action Plan

Day 1: Future-Scanning Monday

• Set up 3 Google Alerts for emerging trends in your industry
• Identify one new skill that's becoming valuable in your field
• Follow two futurists or industry innovators on social media
• Spend 15 minutes researching how AI might impact your role

Day 2: Visibility Tuesday

• Update your LinkedIn profile with recent accomplishments
• Schedule one social media post highlighting your expertise
• Volunteer for a visible project at work or in your community
• Send a message offering to help a colleague with a challenge

Day 3: Relationship Wednesday

• Implement the 3-2-1 system: identify 3 peers, 2 mentors, and 1 new contact to connect with monthly
• Create templates for different types of check-in messages
• Send two "thinking of you" notes with relevant articles attached
• Schedule one virtual coffee chat for next week

Day 4: Blind Spot Thursday

• Start a decision journal by documenting one recent choice and your reasoning
• Practice the "three interpretations rule" for a situation causing friction
• Ask one trusted colleague: "What might I be missing about [current project]?"
• Write down three emotional triggers you've noticed recently

Day 5: Integration Friday

• Create a monthly calendar with small actions from each pillar
• Set up a simple tracking system for your career safety net activities
• Block 15 minutes weekly for future-scanning, visibility, relationships, and reflection
• Identify one cross-disciplinary skill to develop next month

Day 6: Resource Saturday

• Create one shareable resource that showcases your expertise
• Join an industry Slack group or online community
• Research one upcoming conference or event to attend
• Set up a folder system to store articles and insights to share with your network

Day 7: Reflection Sunday

• Review what you've accomplished this week
• Identify which activities felt most valuable and energizing
• Set three specific career safety net goals for the next month
• Schedule next week's safety net activities in your calendar

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I've seen far too many people wait until they need to make a change, to make that change. It's far better to implement action steps incrementally when you're not under extreme pressure. So please take this as your invitation (if not a bit of a warning sign..) to start creating your career safety net today.

We got this 👏