Life, Lemons & LemonDrops

In this episode of Life, Lemons & LemonDrops, hosts Greer and Whitnie discuss how to turn a “self-inflicted” lemon into a tasty LemonDrop. The sisters dissect the very human mistake made by 100 meter specialist Sha’Carri Richardson that earned her a 30-day suspension, and ultimately, removal from the 2021 US Olympic Track & Field team.

Using this very public case, they offer remedies and a path forward for anyone who finds themselves deprived of opportunities due to their own actions, but seeks a path to redemption and a roadmap for turning the experience into other opportunities that, perhaps, better align with their values and goals.

If you want to get some assistance or accountability with achieving your goals, book a session with Whitnie today.

In this episode of Life, Lemons & LemonDrops, hosts Greer and Whitnie tackle a subject that you may have faced--not getting a job you are more than qualified for, for reasons having nothing to do with your qualifications for the job. Sometimes, it's political, sometimes it's personal, but it's always painful. However it shakes out, you have to decide how you will handle it.

As a career management and transition coach, Whitnie sees all too often how job seekers don't value their worth enough to walk away from an application process when red lights are blaring. Those tell tale signs send all the messages needed to understand the the pitfalls that lie ahead. Most don't feel they can turn away any opportunity, let alone one they want, but in failing to do so, they end up subjecting themselves to something worse than if they'd simply chosen to go in a different direction in the first place. That's the choice Nikole Hannah-Jones made when she walked away from a tenured position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to instead join the faculty at Howard University. 

If you've been paying any attention, you'll know that Hannah-Jones is an award-winning investigative journalist, including a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, a MacArthur genius grant and a Peabody Award. She is an alumna of the very institution, UNC, that originally punted on her tenure application, then only after mounting pressure voted 9-4 to grant tenure. Hannah-Jones would be no different than most of us if she relished the idea of turning down the job, but dreaded the hassle of doing so and finding other opportunities. Ultimately, she triumphed with her ability to see that while her eventual path may not have been your preferred one, the one she ultimately travelled will have greater purpose in the long run.

Hannah-Jones' story, while the impetus of this episode, is about so much more. It's about you. It's about your choices and how you can elect to take the scraps someone else throws your way or you can stand up for yourself, defend what you believe is right and create an outcome that serves you beyond your ego and pocketbook. 

To read Nikole Hannah-Jones's statement on why she decline the UNC offer, instead opting to take her talents to Howard University, click here.

To read the UNC Chancellor's statement in response to the Board of Trustee's vote to offer tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones, click here, and to read about her choice to decline their offer, click here.

If you need assistance with career management or a transition whether to another position or entrepreneurship, book a strategy session with Whitnie today.

In this episode of Life, Lemons & LemonDrops, hosts Greer and Whitnie discuss new love or rather renewed love. In the glow of the recently confirmed rekindled romance of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, we take a look at how you might consider revisiting a past love that may have not been right before, but for which timing makes all the difference.

Whitnie shares the story of her romance and subsequent marriage to her husband Michael 30 plus years after they first met. Whether reconnecting with a past love is in the cards for you or not, may boil down to whether or not you and your former significant other have grown with the passage of time. If a name comes to you, don't just write it off as an annoyance, but explore the possibility that there could be a reason to reconnect--anything from romance, to business, to just catching up--be open to possibilities as you never know where they will take you.

To work through blocks that may be keeping you from the life of your dreams, including work, business or romance, book a strategy session today to help you get clarity and create a plan to move forward. 

In this episode of Life, Lemons & LemonDrops, Whitnie discusses how boundaries can help you to recover time you may feel is wasted when you are not being intentional with how you are using it. Boundary and time management are tools Whitnie added to her tool box during periods of her life when time was short and she had no choice but to use it more efficiently and effectively. These same tools help her today manage her businesses, podcasts, etc, even though she is nowhere near as pressed for time as she once was.

Here are a few tips that will help you:

If you find yourself in need of help setting boundaries, managing your time or accountability, reach out to Whitnie for assistance at [email protected].

Here's the link for the Wheel of Life mentioned in the episode.

In this episode, hosts Greer & Whitnie discuss the importance of letting go of grudges, not for the benefit of the one the grudge is against, but for the one holding the grudge. 

A grudge is a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment from a past hurt or injury. The problem isn't necessarily having the feeling of ill will or resentment, but holding on to it in such a way or for a length of time, that it impacts your ability to move on or let go - that's where you can go wrong. Holding on to resentments can impact your health and relationships, so you'll want to address the source of your pain as soon as you are able. But as importantly, holding on to grudges can limit your opportunities, both personally and professionally.

Remember, nothing is as important as your mental and emotional health, so protecting them has to be a high priority for you.

If you need assistance moving through old hurts, hang-ups or habits in order to maximize your ability to live the life of your dreams, reach out to coach Whitnie at [email protected]. Or seek counseling from your mental health professional.

In this episode of Life, Lemons & LemonDrops, hosts Greer and Whitnie discuss the importance of establishing boundaries and how to set them for the benefit of your health. In the wake of another premium athlete, Maddie Groves, choosing to walk away from her sport as she reached the pinnacle of her career, reportedly to stand up for what is right, we are left scratching our heads and asking how far must we go to protect our mental health?

Share your thoughts in our LemonDrops Facebook Group or leave a voice message on anchor.fm/lifelemonslemondrops.

If you find yourself in a situation where you could use some assistance in navigating a work challenge, adding balance or harmony into your life, or needing to create boundaries, please contact Whitnie at [email protected]. 

If this is a life threatening situation, please dial 911.

In this episode of Life, Lemons & LemonDrops, a Greer-less Whitnie talks about the recent bruhaha over Naomi Osaka's decision to withdraw from the French Open after announcing she would not honor her contractual obligation to meet with the media. Osaka's actions highlight the need for us, particularly in the workplace to guard our wellbeing. Whether the way she went about communicating her decision was the best approach or not, the good news is that a spotlight has been placed on the divide between what is emotionally good for human beings and the price often paid for success.

Whitnie shares her thoughts about the importance of putting yourself first so you can serve and give from a whole and healthy you. Remember you cannot pour from an empty cup and sometimes making sure your cup is filled takes drastic measures to ensure your self-care. Rather than being judgmental, we should extend empathy and grace, as we attempt to understand how to provide support in areas it is needed. If Osaka with all the resources available to her is still feeling the need to step away from her work to take care of herself, what must those with fewer resources available be going through?

We welcome your contribution to this discussion. Share your thoughts in our LemonDrops Facebook Group or leave a voice message on anchor.fm/lifelemonslemondrops.

If you find yourself in a situation where you could use some assistance in navigating a work challenge, adding balance or harmony into your life, or simply working toward a mindset shift, please contact me at [email protected]. If this is a life threatening situation, please dial 911.

In this episode of Life, Lemons & LemonDrops, host Greer interviews sister and co-host Whitnie about her passion for the work she does and what drives her to do it. Whitnie shares a little about her life and how she came to care so much about helping people reach their goals, particularly as it relates to the work they do. With books, podcasts, speaking engagements and more, Whitnie is making her mark on the world in her own unique way and shares how you can do the same.

More About Whitnie:

After the death of her son and finding it difficult to say out loud much of what she was experiencing, Whitnie Wiley’s journey as an author, speaker and podcaster began by her chronicling her grief journey.

Since those painful early days, Whitnie has shared her words on leadership and career management with hundreds of thousands of readers around the world as the author for the Lead the Way column in the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Docket magazine. She encouraged her readers to develop self-awareness and use their values and priorities to pave their path to enjoying their careers, better leadership and improved teamwork.

As an in-demand coach, speaker, and mentor, Whitnie shares her wisdom from her own life experiences with grace, humility, and humor to drive change in today's business world. Combining her passions for writing, accountability and coaching, Whitnie also helps new and aspiring writers complete their writing projects and get published through her Writers Write Accountability Group and one-on-one coaching.

Whitnie is a contributing author to eight books, seven of which are Amazon bestsellers, including Women Who Empower, How to Be Crazy Amazing in Difficult Times, 1 Habit for Entrepreneurial Success, 1 Habit for a Thriving Home Office and 1 Habit for Success. She is anticipating the publication of four books in 2021, including her first solo effort, The SIMPLE LeaderTM.

Whitnie holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from the University of San Francisco, a master’s degree in Organizational Development and Leadership from St. Joseph’s University and a juris doctor from Alliant International University’s San Francisco Law School. She is a certified life coach with a specialty in career transitions and a Jack Canfield Certified Success Principles trainer.

If you'd like to work with Whitnie you can reach out to her here or to purchase books visit her Amazon author page. 

When life gives you lemons, you should make lemon drops...and sometimes you just need to go home and start all over. Life, Lemons & LemonDrops hosts, Greer and Whitnie, talk about Greer's very, very, very bad day and the steps she took to deal with adversity so she could move on. Then the sisters share practical tips on how to deal with life's little challenges when they pop up and to help you get right back on track. Don't get overwhelmed, just do what you can, don't beat yourself up and move forward.

If you find yourself running into challenges and need help with a mind shift or developing a plan to get moving again, book a strategy session with Whitnie today.

In this episode of Life, Lemons & LemonDrops, hosts Greer and Whitnie chat with guest and Chief Civility Officer, Sejal Thakkar about how the experiences of her youth, the lessons she learned from her dad and her time as an employment lawyer helped craft her current work addressing bias and diversity in the corporate world.

To learn more about Sejal Thakkar or to hire her check out her LinkedIn page.

Click here listen to Sejal's TEDx Talk, The Pain, Power and Paradox of Bias.