JW Strategies

SO amazing to have the go right over Allen, TX today! Did you get to see it? Whether you got to see it live and in person or watch it online / on TV, we hope you took a moment to just stop and be amazed. Just a moment.

Or did you think you were too busy to do it? Had to go to that scheduled meeting? Couldn't escape that deadline? Had to get just a few more emails out that were way more important than this total solar eclipse that won't be visible from the contiguous United States again until 2044?

W.H. Davies, the Welsh poet, was on to something. If we can't be bothered to stand and stare, just for a little bit, what is life? What is it all for?

This is a big part of the reason why we created ALIVE + THRIVE - the workshop for professional moms coming up May 3rd in Allen, TX. It's important to stop every now and then and reconnect with what matters. Why we're doing all of this - day in and day out. If you felt like you might be a little too time pressed and stressed to bother seeing the eclipse today, maybe you should come to this: momsleadershipnetwork.com

Just last summer, Australia appointed Michele Bullock as the ninth governor and first woman to lead the Reserve Bank of Australia in its 63-year history. “Her appointment strikes the optimal balance between providing exceptional experience and expertise and offering a fresh leadership perspective,” the Treasury said. She also assumed the position at a moment when high inflationary trends put economic pressure on her country.

We hope Michelle is rockin' out her first year as the first female governor of the RBA. Ready to rock out the rest of your year like the superstar we know you are? If you're a , maybe you should come to our workshop next month:

JOIN US!

ALIGN + THRIVE
A Personal Development ​Workshop for Professional ​Moms
Powered by Mom's Leadership Network
Friday, 3 May 2024, 9a-3p, Austin, TX

REGISTER: Seating is VERY limited. Save your spot now! https://bit.ly/4cxYi2o

(PS - not in the Austin area? Join our email list to stay apprised of future workshops coming soon near you. Just DM me to get looped in).

No one wants to be in yet another meeting for the sake of another meeting. Let's make sure we're making the most of our collective time together.

EXEC TIP OF THE DAY: How to manage team meetings wisely

Team meetings, however often they happen, should be used to plan, brainstorm, reflect, and share ideas. It’s important to keep team meetings focused and useful, in order to drive productivity. No matter how often teams meet, they should have a structured plan for each meeting. This will help to keep meetings organized and productive, thus driving team performance. Meetings are a time for team collaboration, brainstorming, and creating a plan to move forward with projects. [ SOURCE: LumApps ]

💡Want to run your meetings like the rockstar leader you are? You should talk to the people that turn emerging leaders into rockstar execs. Learn how our powerful executive coaching program can skyrocket your career today! jwstrategies.com

🐣 Easter has long been seen as a symbol of rebirth, new life and hope. Wishing you all of that and more in your executive career and otherwise.

Don't forget, for the moms, our professional moms workshop is coming up May 3 in Austin, TX. Check it out!:
https://momsleadershipnetwork.com/

! - from all of us at JW Strategies

Share this with a busy, professional mom who NEEDS this: we see you. You do it all. All the things. All the time. You’re a great mom, a ​powerhouse at work, the person ​who holds all the balls in the ​air. You’re on a treadmill, ​moving through life at high ​speed, making it all happen for ​everyone.

It’s a lot.

And we see you because we are you. We're a group of professional moms and leaders in our respective fields who saw the need to inspire, uplift and empower each other. It worked so well for us, we decided we needed to spread the love and provide the same for other hardworking mom leaders.

The ALIGN + THRIVE Workshop is your chance to turn your much-needed focus inwards for a moment - long enough to deep dive back into your values, reconnect with your aspirations and dreams. It's a chance to view both your personal and professional journey afresh - right alongside other women who get it, just like you.

JOIN US!

ALIGN + THRIVE
A Personal Development ​Workshop for Professional ​Moms
Powered by Mom's Leadership Network
Friday, 3 May 2024, 9a-3p, Austin, TX

REGISTER: Seating is VERY limited. Save your spot now! https://momsleadershipnetwork.com/

(PS - not in the Austin area? Join our email list to stay apprised of future workshops coming soon near you. Just DM me to get looped in).

Thanks for helping us hit our first 500 followers on IG! Truly appreciate each and every one of you. As a thank you, if any of you would like my executive career coaching help, DM me for a complementary session! Would be happy to see how I could be of help to advance your leadership career.

PS - if you're not following us on IG yet, what are you waiting for?: https://instagram.com/jw.strategies

Dr. Julia

for | Janet Truncale: Global accounting firm EY announced in November that Truncale will become its global chair and CEO in July 2024. Truncale, who started her career at EY as an intern, currently oversees a team of 14,000 as the regional managing partner for EY Americas Financial Services Organization. When she takes over next year, Truncale will assume responsibility for EY’s 365,000 employees around the globe.

💡Ready to lead like Janet? You should talk to the people that turn emerging leaders into rockstar execs. Learn how our powerful executive coaching program can skyrocket your career today! jwstrategies.com

Ironically, feelings of self-doubt can be particularly acute for high achievers, who may hold a nagging suspicion that they aren’t ready for the positions into which they have been promoted. And while a dose of humility can be a helpful guard against hubris, too much self-doubt can lead to paralyzing indecisiveness.

Here are 3 tips I love from Ellen Taaffe, a clinical assistant professor of leadership and director of women’s leadership programs at the Kellogg School:

1. Don’t Get Too Comfortable Playing the Observer. When you are in transition—settling into a new job or managing others for the first time—you may actually be in a better position to jump into discussions, because you have the greatest opportunity to bring something fresh to the conversation.

2. Take a Cue from Those around You. You may think of these colleagues as fearless, but in reality, many of them feel the fear and act anyway. All of us are hired or promoted due to our potential to learn the role versus already being able to do it at an A+ level. If we hold ourselves to a higher bar than others and as a result do not pursue bigger opportunities, we can get left behind, even in roles where we could have developed and excelled.

3. Ditch Diminishing Language. Avoid rhetorical questions or opening qualifiers, because every “Does that make sense?” or “This may be a bad idea but…” signals doubt and indicates to listeners that the statement is less worthy of consideration. Instead, confirm that your audience is following along using far more confident-sounding open-ended questions, such as “What are your thoughts?” or “What questions do you have?” Couch your idea in a brainstorming frame such as “What could we learn if we did…?” This has the added benefit of starting a dialogue that engages others and asks them to contribute.

If you're needing more tips like this on how to shore up your own self confidence, I highly recommend we talk. We all face self-doubt at some point in our career, but it doesn't need to be the thing that holds us back. Let's do this: jwstrategies.com

for | This is a name you'll want to keep an eye out for in 2024: meet Claudia Sheinbaum, one of Mexico's top two presidential nominees.

Mexico's top two political parties selected female presidential nominees, virtually ensuring that the nation's next leader will be a woman. It will be a historic first for the country, which has established itself as a global leader in promoting gender equality in government.

Sheinbaum served as the Mayor of Mexico City and is a protégé of Mexico’s current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. In the June 2, 2024 election, she will face off against the opposition candidate, engineer and tech entrepreneur Xóchitl Gálvez. Although other candidates will appear on the ballot, the victor is expected to be either Sheinbaum or Gálvez.

Read more about both outstanding women at https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2023/10/02/mexico-set-to-elect-first-female-president-after-years-of-gender-equality-legislation/?sh=1fbb1ed51d8b

💡Ready to lead like Claudia? You should talk to the people that turn emerging leaders into rockstar execs. Learn how our powerful executive coaching program can skyrocket your career today! jwstrategies.com

: As President and CEO of Commercial Engines & Services, Russell Stokes leads GE's $20B Commercial Engines & Services business and a team of 12,000 employees responsible for an industry-leading portfolio of engines and services.

Previously, Russell was President and CEO of GE Aviation Services, a role in which he led a team of 7,000 employees responsible for on-wing support, repair, used materials and overhaul of global airline fleets.
He's a member of the Board of Directors for UPS and a member of Board of Trustees for the Morehouse School of Medicine. Russell graduated from Cleveland State University with a degree in finance and is a graduate of GE’s Financial Management Program.

Not all is from slavery and civil rights times! Here’s some black history to know about right now:

Thasunda Brown Duckett is President and Chief Executive Officer of TIAA (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America), a leading provider of secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions for millions of people and thousands of institutions.

She leads a company whose mission is defined by financial inclusion and opportunity – goals and values she has upheld throughout her career. Under her leadership, TIAA is expanding its mission beyond higher education to all Americans saving for retirement.

Before joining TIAA in 2021, she held several key executive roles during a 17-year career at JP Morgan Chase, including CEO of the Consumer Bank and Auto Finance. Earlier in her career, she was a Director of Emerging Markets at Fannie Mae.

Duckett serves on the boards of NIKE, Inc., Brex Inc., Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Sesame Workshop, National Medal of Honor Museum, Economic Club of New York, the University of Houston Board of Visitors, and the Dean’s Advisory Board for Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. She is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council CEO Advisory Board, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. [ Source: TIAA ]

Ready to lead like Thasunda? Maybe our Executive Coaching is just the thing you need to amp up your game. At JW Strategies, we’re turning emerging leaders into rockstars!

Let’s talk: DM us or go to jwstrategies.com to schedule an appointment.

A lot of people are hearing about the use of executive coaches in the workplace. Why? Such coaching used to be reserved for the C-Suite, but over the years, coaching has been made more accessible to nearly every management level of an organization. There's a discernible difference in the ambiance and ethos of a workplace that thrives on a coaching culture.

According to one definition, a coaching culture happens "when an organization understands, appreciates and embraces a coaching approach as a key aspect of its leadership development strategies." Coaching culture isn't just lofty theory; it’s an attainable, tangible action yielding concrete results. Hope this post helps you better understand why (these are some of my favorite tips from Forbes!).

When you're ready to infuse the power of executive coaching in your own team, we should talk. DM me or visit jwstrategies.com to connect. See you soon!

Dr. Julia

Executive Coaching produces real results

Happy weekend! This is just a friendly reminder to mark your calendars for my new podcast interview coming up on Feb. 23! I’m looking forward to being a guest host on the Intentional Conversations Podcast with . This is going to be a LIVE podcast interview, so please be sure to show up live and say hi if you can! I'd love to see you there!

- Dr. Julia

For , we're highlighting some of the nation's (and world's!) top African-American CEOs. Our first highlight: Lowe's Home Improvement CEO Marvin Ellison. Lowe's needed to play catch-up with its key rival, Home Depot. Marvin's the right person for the job because he played a pivotal role in Home Depot's success in the first place. He spent 12 years in various senior-level roles at Home Depot and headed up the chain's U.S. stores from '08 to '14.

⬛Home Depot outperformed Lowe's after the '08-'09 financial crisis across several metrics, including EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization) margin. Similarly, Lowe's trailed its rival in earnings generated from assets and took longer to sell its inventory.

🟥Simply put, Home Depot made more money selling products more quickly than Lowe's. That comes down mainly to in-store performance — something Ellison oversaw during his tenure.

🟩Ellison's plans involve capturing market share by reengaging professional customers, resetting Lowe's store's footprint, and expanding its online presence. A big part of his vision is expanding omnichannel sales (online customers often want to pick up deliveries in-store) and investing in increasing same-day and next-day delivery — a vital issue for professional customers.

🟨Ellison's experience and previous commitment to improving Home Depot's customer-facing operations should stand him in good stead as he sets about improving Lowe's performance. If he does so, he'll surely go down as one of corporate America's most outstanding leaders. [ Source: ]

💡Got Ellison-sized dreams? You should talk to the people that turn emerging leaders into rockstar execs. Learn how our powerful executive coaching program can skyrocket your career today! jwstrategies.com

Hello my friend! Did you get my email today? If not, make sure you join my new email list at https://bit.ly/jwemails. One of the updates I included in that email is this new podcast interview coming up on Feb. 23! I’m looking forward to being a guest host on the Intentional Conversations Podcast with Nika White Consulting. This is going to be a LIVE podcast interview, so please be sure to show up live and say hi if you can! I'd love to see you there!

Let's talk about the benefits of Executive Coaching - of which there are MANY, but I'm going to highlight a few of my favorite here for you. Why are they my favorite? Because they're the most IMPACTFUL. What I notice in my clients is that working with an executive coach like me gives them the space and guidance needed to rock their first year as an exec and beyond. We help them manage their teams better, use their influence strategically and more. If you've been looking for the right exec coach to partner with, we should talk asap.

DM me or visit jwstrategies.com to connect. See you soon!

Dr. Julia

Everybody knows that is so important in the workplace these days, but what does it take to truly build a genuinely and sincerely team? Here's a few key points about that to keep in mind:

WHY IT MATTERS: No one needs a team filled people who all think alike. When you loop in different backgrounds, you loop in different thinking which means different and ideas. It also means more thorough decision-making. We need people who will challenge each other to tackle a problem from all angles, not just get along all the time to have fun. If ideas don't get questioned or elaborated upon, what you end up with is one-sided ideas that are far less creative. If you really care about innovation in the workplace, you need to care about diversity - of opinions, beliefs, backgrounds. That's what it takes.

💡KEY POINT 1: Address all aspects of . It's not just gender, race and ethnicity. It's also diversity of experience, culture, age, disabilities, sexual orientation and more.

💡 KEY POINT 2: Rethink the way you recruit. Consider even the language you use when posting jobs, use personality assessment tools to understand traits, motivation, skills, etc. And don't just rely on your traditional recruiting pipelines. If you really want to expand your talent pool, consider looking in places you may not be looking now and enhancing your incentives to help people relocate and attract diversity.

💡 KEY POINT 3: Foster better connections amongst your team. With diverse beliefs, opinions and backgrounds comes challenges. And when people challenge each other's beliefs, it tends to create fear and doubt. Since you know that now, you can get ahead of that. How? By working with a culture expert like me.

Start by educating the execs (something I can help you with) and getting buy-in on why having a diverse workforce matters in the first place. From there, we can make a plan to create a welcoming and safe environment for all. Ready to welcome employees from various backgrounds to your organization? Let's talk. DM me or contact me via jwstrategies.com.

See you soon!

Dr. Julia

Why is there all this focus on all of a sudden? Well, there are a couple of reasons for that.

First: those who offer wellness perks stay competitive in the fight for top talent. Workplace give you an edge over those just offering financial incentives. People like to know that their company cares about them holistically.

Second: it's about more than just fancy workout rooms, online yoga classes and gym reimbursements. It's about creating a workplace culture that favors employee well-being and psychological safety. Why does this matter? Because we want our people to feel VALUED, appreciated and ACCEPTED.

Third: office wellness helps employees be healthier, more productive and more agile in the face of uncertainty.

Have you been trying to consider how to make your workplace a ? Growing businesses face incredible growing pains. The people side of the business gets really hard to manage. Communication starts to go haywire. Culture seems diluted. Let us help get you back on track and rewired for your next level.

Let's talk! DM me (Dr. Julia) or head to jwstrategies.com to learn more.

Our Justice and Law Enforcement Day was beyond outstanding. It was insightful, informative and enlightening. There's so much I didn't realize that our local law enforcement and judicial system does on a daily basis for the citizens of Allen. Too much to share here, I'll just say: Allen, we're in good hands. This experience is one of the best things I've ever done!! 🙏🏾

🤔People often wonder what I do as an . I like to say that I help turn emerging rockstars into impactful leaders! Becoming a new manager and leader in your organization for the first time can be daunting (but you don't want your boss or team to know that!). A lot of what I do to help these rising execs involves coaching people in their career and helping them to enhance their performance and leadership skills. It's helping people move forward with their goals, hopes and curiosities. It's directly tied to what a client wants to accomplish. I'm mainly there to empower you to uncover and develop you own path to achieving your professional goals.

The cool thing I think clients appreciate most about me is that I help guide them with both the best of theory and real world experience to help skyrocket their career.

Sound like you or someone you know? We should talk. I'd love to show you how to rock your first year as a new exec! DM me or head to https://bit.ly/3F0YvLT to reach out. See you soon!

Dr. Julia

🤔Feeling overwhelmed already by your 2024 goals? Try this instead: 👇🏾

When presented with a problem that requires behavior change, we pounce on it with big goals. We’re programmed to “go big or go home,” but big goals are more burdensome than they are motivational; they require daunting effort to accomplish and sustain. Instead, the way to achieve big is to start small — through . Micro habits are small components of a larger habit. By breaking down an ambitious job into smaller, more achievable ones that you build over long periods of time, micro habits help you complete big goals. To succeed with micro habits, you must be deliberate and choreograph steps to sustain them. First, identify a “ridiculously small” micro habit, and piggyback on a daily task, so it becomes part of your regular routine. Next, track your progress and hold steady for a long time before building on the habit. Finally, find others to hold you accountable and keep you motivated. [ SOURCE: Harvard Business Review ]

If your strategic plan includes skyrocketing your career in 2024, you and I should talk. Connect with me via DM to chat. See you soon!

🤔How do you plan a corporate retreat that's both fun AND productive? It's that time of the year, actually, and if you haven't pulled together your retreat agenda yet - trust me, you're not alone my friend. That's why I have these quick tips here - and I want you to DM me, too, if you want a quick sounding board for your upcoming event. Whether your team meets in the office, remotely or both, a retreat is much needed for everyone.

THE GOAL: let's create a thoughtful, effective retreat that:
✔️ Spurs productivity
✔️Juices up morale
✔️Deepens relationships and trust

THE PLAN: Provide variety and choice to maximize happiness and create a retreat everyone will remember.

THE BUDGET: You'll need a place to meet. Whether your retreat is on travel destination mode or you just want to get everyone together at a bowling alley with a meeting room element earlier, there's a solution for every budget. The key is to be creative and work with what you've got.

THE LENGTH: A retreat can be as short as a day if needed. Or you can go all out and do a few days or even a work week if it can be afforded.

THE AGENDA: You'll want to build in both bonding time and unstructured free time (for the introverts on the team). Just be clear on which activities are mandatory and which aren't. Play time is important for bonding and business time is important for productivity and alignment. Schedule time for each team to meet and cross-team meetings as well where appropriate. Big-picture visioning and strategizing should be on the agenda so everyone can have refreshed goals and attitudes to execute. Also, you'll want to find speakers to give deep-dive talks to help the team with key areas you know they need help with.

THE FEEDBACK: Make sure you solicit feedback on the retreat. Surveys are a great way to do that.

Finally, remember that point about finding deep-dive speakers to help on your agenda? That's me. Whether you need someone to help with a hands-on vision workshop, to help energize everyone afresh around values, vision or mission or even just do some understanding around personality types, Dr. Julia's your gal. Connect with me via DM to chat. See you soon! | jwstrategies.com

I tell my clients all the time that everything begins with . If that's not clear, how can anything else be - goals included? Now that it's 2024 - it's time to rethink that afresh. I know you've thought about it, but how do you do it in a way that's doable, that doesn't fade away after two weeks from now and that TRULY becomes your North Star for 2024 and beyond? Here are some quick steps you can take to reconnect with your vision this year in a meaningful way. And if you get stuck or need help - just DM me. Happy to assist.

Happy New Year! 🎉🎉

Dr. Julia
JW Strategies | jwstrategies.com
The boutique firm that creates rockstar leaders and best places to work.

Let's rethink your career vision.

Ever felt like a fraud at your workplace despite evidence of your competencies? ⬇️⬇️

This feeling, known as 'Imposter Syndrome,' is fairly common among professionals. It's that persistent doubt that questions your abilities, even when you're achieving success.

Imposter syndrome can be tough to tackle, but it's essential to remember that your feelings don't always mirror reality. Your achievements are a product of your hard work and talent - don't let self-doubt diminish your accomplishments.

✨ One effective way to combat imposter syndrome is to talk about it. Sharing your experiences with trusted colleagues or mentors can help normalize these feelings. You might be surprised at how many people have been in your shoes!

So, the next time imposter syndrome sneaks up on you, remind yourself of your worth. 🙌🏽

Reach out, share, and remember, you belong in your field as much as anyone else.

If you want some guidance navigating these feelings, let's chat and see if my executive coaching services would be a good fit for you! ➡️ I'm here to support you in overcoming these hurdles and reaching your full potential.