Cafe Grit

Three weeks PTO for a Vice President position? Or, conversely, unlimited PTO for all (does it really work)?

In Episode 053 of the Cafe Grit podcast, I talk about my experience with vacation time over the years and what I'm seeing in current job postings.

How much paid time off do you get in your traditional (non-entrepreneurial job)?

When I started my first professional job in 2000 I got 3 weeks paid time off. Sixteen years later, when I left for another opportunity, I was a couple of years away from having 6 weeks per year.

Then I took that opportunity and my PTO dropped to 4 weeks per year. Seven years later it was still 4 weeks per year.

Now, as I look for a new position, I am seeing more and more upper management or even executive positions offering 15 days. 

While I'm sure in some cases that is negotiable, it's clear at least in the United States that we do not (generally speaking) value personal time off work.

Some companies (including the one I was recently laid off from) don't have a separate sick time bucket. They make you use your personal time off if you get sick.

Yikes. 

Check out the full episode and then let me know your experience with paid/personal time off. Fair or not fair?

In Episode 051 I talk about getting the call where I was laid off and what happened afterward. We talk team notifications, severance packages, what was said on the call, and how it went for the next few days.

In episode 050 I talk about getting laid off for the first time in 23 years of my professional career and the horror of applying for unemployment benefits in the USA.

"I am willing to deal with the ramifications of being my full self."

I heard this quote in a short random video from Gary Vaynerchuk. He was being asked why he swore so much.

I have this quote on my vision board because it resonated with me so much (especially being one who drops the...erm...occasional F-bomb).

The concept of being one's full self also struck me when I was listening to one of Mel Robbins' audiobooks "Kick A$$." 

The gist was if you bring your full self to the table - you are transparent, honest, you don't filter or hide who you are - and someone else doesn't accept you, then it's on them.

Let's repeat that for those who didn't quite ingest this: It's on them.

If you hold back, sugar-coat, hide parts of yourself, or otherwise don't express your needs, wants, feelings, etc...then you bear some of the responsibility for how people perceive you or the outcome of a situation.

In episode 049 of The Cafe Grit Podcast, I explore the concept of bringing and being my full self after a recent situation where I had to get uncomfortable.

Do you feel like you bring your full self to the table? Why or why not? What do you think that means, "be your full self?"

"How does your cluttered desk serve you?" 

I was asked this question recently by one of my coaches, Karen Chappell.

(Look her up if you want to live a pain-free life...she is a-MAZ-ing!)

I was talking with Karen about minimalism after re-watching a Netflix documentary called "Minimalism: Less is Now" based on the book "The Minimalists" by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus.

The idea of living a more intentional life with less useless clutter (in my house, in my head, in my technology) appeals to me very much.

I was telling Karen that I have a lot of clutter and it does weigh on me. So she asked me, "How does your cluttered desk serve you?"

Because we don't do things over and over again without there being some payoff for us--even for things that maybe aren't healthy or in our best interests.

I did have some thoughts on that. Check out the latest episode of Cafe Grit (048, info below) and find out how my cluttered desk serves me. 

PS: My desk is no longer cluttered and in the podcast I reveal how it got all cleaned up, with Karen's help!

🙋🏻‍♀️ Do you have a clutter problem? Does it feel like a burden? Have you ever explored minimalism?

#cafegrit #minimalism #workingfromhome #whatinspiresme #bethannecampbell

Oh, did I have a good laugh when a friend messaged me recently and asked me how I "do it all."

🤣 🤣 🤣

👉🏾 I very much do NOT do it all.

👉🏽 I am not keeping it together.

👉🏼 I don't have it all.

👉🏻 Most days I can barely keep my sh*t together.

People, it is OKAY to not do it all. It is okay to not hustle, to not work your ass off, to stroll through the journey rather than sprint all the time.

I promise you, most of the people out there whom you perceive as "doing it all" have their own demons and challenges and days when they just want to stay in bed and snuggle with the dog.

Don't you feel like that sometimes? I sure do.

Getting a person's name right (and correctly pronounced) is important. 

In episode 046 of the Café Grit podcast, I talk about some of the name faux pas I've experienced (or been responsible for) over the years. I also give some tips on how we can make sure that we are giving and receiving a preferred name.

In Episode 045 of the Café Grit podcast, I welcome my good friend, former colleague, and long-time corporate survivor Jerry Gray into the GRIT seat!

Jerry and I dive into the deep end of annual performance reviews. Who knew there was so much to learn? Jerry got me thinking about a few things and his insight as a leader and long-time member of the corporate club. He had some great advice!

(Don't worry...I remain ever the skeptic...but Jerry did get me thinking!)

We touched on ratings, merits, performance improvement plans, and we shared some of our own stories about annual reviews. I also talk about why I hate performance reviews.

Check out Episode 045 of the Café Grit Podcast and then go look up Jerry's alter ego, singer/songwriter/musician on youtube @JakeGrayAmericanPoet (but only if you love good music). https://www.jake-gray.com/

This episode is dedicated to my former coworkers, who are living the ultimate corporate bullshit scenario. I talk about what they are going through and how once again, horrible leadership is at the heart of their stress and unhappiness. 

In 2020 I published a book about a really horrible time that I and hundreds of my colleagues endured at a big company (which I no longer work for, thank baby Jesus).

The book is called "Where The Hell Is My Bacon?" but it should have been called "Where The Hell Is My Good Leadership?" Because that's what it was really about. Shitty leaders.

Those were the hardest years I have endured in my corporate life and I couldn't imagine anything worse. And I'm sure most of my coworkers felt the same. 

But things did get worse for them. 

🤔 Maybe I should write another book. Perhaps it should be called "Where The F#CK is Your Compassion?"

(Open to other titles, DM me your suggestions.)

Back in the bacon days, it was only the fear of layoffs. Now people are actually getting fired. For reasons that are frankly embarrassing for a company that has long claimed to put it$ employee$ fir$t. 

Maybe some deserve it. Most of them do not. And no one deserves to be blindsided or fired for truly ridiculous sh*t. 👎🏽

Additionally, these folks are also being mandated back to work part-time after the former president told them "Yes! Work from home!" and made a promise (how much do we miss her, eh?).

Some of them have moved out of state. You know...taking advantage of that "employee engagement" thing that they were told was important. That's a looooong commute. 🚗

I have had so many people tell me that this bad news is being delivered with seeming callousness. 

I know that sometimes hard decisions have to be made. I get it. But, as Walter Mitty said, "You don't have to be a dick."

Our bad habits benefit us.

Yes, it's true. Those things we do over and over and over again serve us in some way. Otherwise, we wouldn't do them.

Smoking, drinking, eating junk food, cheating on exams, not exercising, social media scrolling for hours...all of these things give us something in return.

In the latest Café Grit podcast, I explore some revelations I have recently had about myself and reasons why I continue to make unhealthy decisions even though I know they are not good for me.

You know what they say...what doesn't k1ll you makes you stronger!

Do you have a bad habit that you seem unable to kick? Have you ever thought that it might in some way be benefitting you (crazy as that sounds)?