Second Breaks

Senior HR leader, Randy Lumia, discusses how the HR organization is handling the changing workplace. What can employees look to their HR organizations during times of uncertainty? And how we can best position ourselves at work, especially as companies begin measures to manage the ongoing economic situation.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Updating the resumé and LinkedIn profile is unlikely to be one of your favorite things to do. Yet, it’s a requirement especially when we need or want to make a career move. Career coach Allison Lockett and Lou Blaser geek out on all things resumés.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

As the current situation extends and the economic issues deepen, more and more of us are going to consider alternate sources of income. This raises that question, is it a good time to start a business? When we hear of small businesses closing shop and the economy’s collapse, how sane is it to consider going into business? These are the questions at the heart of this episode.

And to dig into this question, I’m joined by business coach, Michelle Ward. Since 2008, Michelle has been guiding creative women to bridge the gap between an unfulfilling career and their dream business. Her programs include helping women clarify their business goals, launch their idea, and grow their business.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Lots of people across different industries and professions are being forced to — or are choosing to — look at their current career path and ask themselves “What else can I do?” For some, this may be a time to reposition themselves within their current field of work. For others, this may be time for a pivot or a career change. In this episode, we explore life coaching as a possible career path with Lee Chaix McDonough.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

We explore those inconvenient thoughts and feelings that come up just as you’re feeling motivated to act, step up to the plate, and do something out of your comfort zone. “Well, who the heck do you think you are to think that you can do XYZ?” These thoughts make you doubt yourself, your abilities, or whether you should even attempt the things you want to do. We dig into why these thoughts come up and what to do about them so we can move forward with our plans.

I'm joined by Tanya Geisler, a leadership coach, whose body of work is all about helping us recognize these patterns of thoughts that stop us from taking action so that we can recalibrate our behaviors and do the work we’re called to do.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Everyone agrees that it’s not going to be business as usual when this current crisis is all over, hence the phrase ‘new normal’ that we keep hearing nowadays. I find it helpful to read about or listen to stories of people who overcame seemingly impossible situations, people who figured out a way not just to adapt to a new normal but to thrive even as a result of it.

My guest today, Kristen Girard, is one such person. Her story shows us we can find new paths when things decide to proceed in the opposite direction of what we wanted.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

What’s Stoicism? How can its teachings help us during hard times? Brendan Hufford joins Lou Blaser to talk about Amor Fati, and Memento Mori, and Amelia Earhart, and Thomas Edison and the big fire. We also talk about this terrible diagnosis that Brendan and his wife learned about their son when he was just 2 years old, which made Brendan really embrace the idea of Amor Fati.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

As much as the world seems intent on disrupting everything these days, there are a few things we count on to help us stay grounded. Two of those things are our personal values and our natural preferences — basically what makes us who we are. In this episode: how being self-aware and understanding our natural preferences can help us manage our anxiety level. How leaning on our personal values can help us manage our teams and communities during disruptive times.

I am joined by Alethea Cheng Fitzpatrick to explore the role our personal values and preferences play during times of disruption. Alethea runs Co-Creating Inclusion, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm that’s focused on helping companies drive equity and shift culture.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Learning about what our mentors or people we admire are doing – how they are processing this moment, and how they’re going about things during these uncertain times – is instructive and motivating. Business owner, employer, and community leader, Tara McMullin discusses how she approaches planning when things are uncertain, and what leading and showing up looks like for her these days.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

The world of work is intense and filled with uncertainty at the moment. What should we be doing? Are there steps we can take to position us in the best way possible? And what if you’ve already been affected by the lay-offs and furloughs? What to do then? Dr. Nayla Bahri discusses resilient habits to practice during uncertain times, leveraging her research of the 2008 recession.

For the show notes, highlights, and links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast