BCG BrightHouse

BrightHouse Luminary

Crowley Group

Global Director

National Geographic

Anthropologist, Filmmaker, TED Speaker

TED Conferences

Global Speaker. Keynote Addresses include Oxford University, the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institute, and Harvard University.

TED Speaker

Global Innovator | Humanitarian | National Geographic Explorer | United Nations Visionary Award Recipient | TED Speaker

After decades of bridging the world's most remote regions and Fortune 500 boardrooms, 
I've discovered this:

Your internal compass is more accurate than any external map.

As a National Geographic Explorer, 
I've studied navigators who masterfully find their way without GPS, 
maps, or permission. They navigate by trust. By instinct. By knowing.

I empower leaders to do the same.

My Work: 

National Geographic Explorer • Documented navigation mastery across 50+ cultures • UN Visionary Award Recipient • TED Speaker • BCG BrightHouse Luminary advising organizations, including Google through transformation • Author (forthcoming)

Problem: 

Most leaders navigate by committee, consensus, and comparison. 
It creates confusion and uncertainty.

Solution:

Your internal compass leads to clarity and conviction.

Methodology:

1. Navigational Intelligence
Strengthen your internal guidance system 

2. Transition Mastery
Move through change with precision, not panic.

3. Leadership Clarity
Lead by conviction, not consensus 

4. Decision Confidence
Trust your judgment when it matters most

Conclusion:

- Your first instinct holds the answer. 
It's pattern recognition and accumulated experiential knowledge. 

- Consensus dilutes clarity. 
The clearest path comes from internal alignment. 

- Navigation is a skill. 
It can be developed, strengthened, and trusted.

The same principles that guide navigators across 
vast and turbulent seas apply to your strategic decisions, 
career transitions, and leadership challenges.

The most expensive mistake leaders make is following someone else's map.
Your compass works. The question is whether you'll trust it.

🧭 Follow for daily insights on navigating with clarity and conviction.

WORK WITH ME

Keynotes | Executive Advisory | Organizational Transformation
For inquiries, please send me a direct message.

From those who’ve experienced my work:

“Elizabeth's timeless insights provided critical unlocks to our team and will no doubt do the same for a broad audience.” 

Ashley Grice, CEO BCG BrightHouse

"Elizabeth is a spellbinding presenter who embodies an inimitable coherence as a daring explorer, visionary, and courageous advocate for cultures around the world."

Dr. Chellie Spiller, Leader-in-Residence, Oxford University

"Elizabeth has greatly honored her cultural heritage. She is superbly qualified for her global quest to find and protect the essence of at-risk cultures." 

Captain Don Walsh, National Geographic, Ocean Elder

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey

No matter how successful you are, 
treat people badly and it means nothing.

Five minutes taught me what decades of success couldn't.

Early in my career, I wore my best homemade dress, took the hour-and-a-half bus ride to Honolulu, and waited outside a hotel executive's office.

When he finally saw me, he barely looked up.

"You're not a good investment."

Eyes on his papers. Not on me.

Years later, we met again. This time, he looked me in the eye.

"After watching your career soar, I've always regretted not being the one who helped you at the beginning."

Here's what I've learned since then:

Your expertise means nothing if you can't see the human in front of you.

I've watched brilliant executives lose entire teams because they treated people like furniture. Staff quit en masse because no one felt seen.

That hotel executive had 30 years of experience. I had none.

But I had something he didn't: the memory of being invisible.

So I learned to see everyone. The assistant ignored in meetings. The maintenance person others walk past. The intern everyone dismisses.

Not out of kindness. Out of knowing better.

People remember how you made them feel long after they forget what you said.

You can have every degree, every certification, every year of experience. But if you look through people instead of at them, you're already failing.

His five minutes of dismissal cost him a lifetime of connection.

My bus ride in that homemade dress taught me more than any boardroom: people know when you see them, and they know when you don't.

Who needs to know they matter to you today?

If you found this helpful, share it with those who understand that humanity beats expertise.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey 

National Geographic Explorer | Helping leaders to gain clarity in uncertainty | United Nations Visionary Award | TED Speaker

When the path is unclear,
make yourself the mission.

Last year, I said 'yes' to almost everything.

Speaking engagements that didn't fit my message. 
Partnerships that didn't feel exactly right. 
Projects that left me depleted.

I was chasing what I thought success should look like 
instead of asking what actually mattered to me.

By December, I was exhausted. 
It wasn't the kind of exhaustion a weekend could fix. 
It was the kind you know when something's broken.

So I stopped. 

For six months, I didn't pursue any new opportunities. 
I just focused on getting myself right.

Made exercise non-negotiable. 
Slept 8 hours instead of surviving on 5. 
Faced disappointments I'd been ignoring.

Nothing dramatic happened at first. 
But slowly, things shifted.

The work that felt forced before started feeling natural. 
Invitations came that aligned with what I cared about. 

Collaborations emerged with people 
who energized rather than drained me.

Here's what changed:

When you don't know what path to take, 
the answer isn't out there. 

It's in becoming the version of yourself 
who can see clearly.

Every wrong turn I took came from a depleted, 
unclear version of me. 

Every exhausting pursuit was about proving 
something instead of building something meaningful.

When you get yourself right first, everything changes. 
Your energy shifts. What you attract gets better. 

The path becomes visible 
because you're ready to see it.

Most leaders I know spend huge amounts 
on strategy. But they're strategizing 
from burnout. Deciding from confusion.

Here's what actually works: 

Pick one thing your body's been asking for 
and do it for 30 days. 

Not meditation if you hate sitting still. 
Not 5am workouts 
if you're not a morning person. 

Stop fixing your calendar before your sleep. 
Stop optimizing your content before 
you process what's actually bothering you. 

Stop planning your next move 
when you can barely think straight.

The version of you that's rested and clear 
already knows where to go. 
You just can't hear it yet.

But you will.

What's one thing you've been ignoring?

Share this with those who are exhausted 
from chasing the wrong things.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, 
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visual Credit: Enlighten Thoughts

The loudest voice in the room is rarely the wisest one.

I learned this watching my father in meetings. While everyone else debated and talked over each other, he'd sit quietly. Then he'd speak once, and the room would shift. Problem solved.

Years later, after studying leaders across different companies and cultures, I kept seeing the same pattern.

The people who talk the most are usually the most nervous. They rush to fill silence because it makes them uncomfortable.

The confident ones listen first. They gather information before they speak.

There's a difference between being quiet and being passive. The leaders I've watched aren't sitting back because they have nothing to say. They're observing. They're connecting ideas others miss. And when they do speak, it actually moves things forward.

Here's what I've noticed about people who think 
deeply:

They'll interrupt themselves mid-sentence if they realize they're wrong. Most people double down. Deep thinkers course-correct in real time.

They reference something you said three conversations ago. They're not just hearing you. They're building a mental map of how you think.

They get quiet when everyone else gets loud. Not because they're intimidated. Because they're watching the room dynamics play out before deciding where to add weight.

Instead of trying to time your responses, try this.

When someone finishes talking, let your first instinct pass. That's usually your ego or anxiety talking. Wait for the second thought. That's where your actual thinking lives.

If you catch yourself preparing your answer while someone's still speaking, stop. You're not listening. You're performing.

And if the silence gets uncomfortable, let it. The best conversations I've had started after someone got brave enough to sit in the quiet.

If you found this helpful, share it with those learning to lead differently.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Minutes are pieces of a life.
Look who's handing you theirs.

This Thanksgiving, I am thinking about gratitude
 in a different way.

"Appreciate those who give you their time.
 It is not just time.
 It is a piece of their life."

Not the meetings.
Not the quick calls.
The real moments.

To my mentor, who pushed me to write a keynote
I did not believe I had it in me.
Then spent hours revising it
until it became more than either of us imagined.

To the coach who taught me martial arts at dawn,
sending 6 am messages,
 walking me through each step
 like it was the middle of the day.

To the friend who stayed close after surgery,
 awake through hard nights,
 steady through painful setbacks.

When someone gives you their time,
they choose you over every other 
demand on their attention.

They give you a piece of life
they'll never see again.

They weren't just giving hours.
They were giving their heartbeats 
they'll never get back.

We thank people for gifts.
For opportunities.
For kindness.

But do we really see
the magnitude of their time?

In a world chasing "more,"
one truth is unchanging:

Time is the only currency
that doesn't return.

You can make more money.
Find new chances.
Meet new people.

But those long afternoons
someone spent teaching you.

Those early mornings
they chose you over rest,
are pieces of a finite life.

They decided you were worth it.

So this Thanksgiving, my gratitude is simple.

Not just for what people gave me,
but for who they chose to be
in my presence.

For the parts of their journey
they allowed me to witness.

For the moments they could have been
anywhere else, with anyone else,
and still chose here.

Your presence is your rarest gift.
Where you place it matters.
Who receives it matters even more.

Look around your table this week,
virtual or physical.

These are not only people sharing a meal.
They're sharing their existence.

That's not just time.
It's love.

Who deserves your gratitude?

Share this with someone
whose time changed your life.

If you found this valuable,
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, for more.

Visual Credit: diary2feel

The right people don’t try to rebuild you.
They remind you you were never broken.

It took me decades to understand this.

I used to think relationships required work.
Constant effort. Endless compromise.
Walking on eggshells.

Then I met people who felt like oxygen.

No performance required.
No masks needed.
Just me, fully seen.

Here's how you recognize them:

• They celebrate your wins.
With genuine joy.
Your success is their happiness.

• They remember small things.
The book you mentioned.
Details that say: I see you.

• They respect your boundaries.
Your "no" is enough.
Your limits are sacred.

• You feel energized after seeing them.
Not exhausted. Not depleted.
You leave fuller than you arrived.

• They listen without defending.
They hear your hurt
without making it about them.

• They allow you to be fully yourself.
Your joys. Your sorrows.
All of you belongs.

• They make you feel safe.
Not just physically.
Emotionally. Spiritually.

• You don't have to edit yourself.
No watching what you say.
No calculating responses.

• They support your goals.
Even when it means less of them.
Your dreams matter.

I spent years accepting less.
Calling it normal.

It's not.

The right people feel like home.
The one you deserved.

They don't complete you.
They witness you completing yourself.

They don't fix you.
They create space for you to heal.

They don't need you small.
They celebrate you expanding.

Here's what changed everything:

1. I stopped explaining myself
to people committed to debating.

2. I stopped shrinking
for people who needed me small.

3. I stopped apologizing
for taking up space.

Now I protect my energy
like the precious resource it is.

The people who belong stayed.
The ones who didn't were lessons.

You deserve people who:

- Match your energy
- Honor your journey  
- Celebrate your becoming

Life's too short
for relationships that require
you to be less than you are.

The right people will find you.
But first, you must know your worth.

Who feels like oxygen for you?

If you found this valuable,
share with those who deserve more.

For more insights on navigating 
with clarity, join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visual Credit: HerPsychology

The calmest person in a crisis 
sees options others miss. 
Clarity is a quiet superpower. 

My mentor was missing for 26 days.
His village mourned. 
His family assumed he was gone.

Then he returned.

A storm had hit hard while he was at sea. 

No instruments. 
No rescue coming. 
Just open ocean.

He didn't panic. 
He found his center. 
He navigated home.

That's what made him a master. 
Not the calm voyages. 
The storms.

Fair weather will never make you a master.

He taught me something I carry into my work. 
Into every high stakes decision. 
Into moments when pressure mounts.

Chaos creates chaos. 
Calm creates clarity.

When conditions get rough, most people grip tighter. 

React faster. 
Force decisions.

That's when they lose their bearings.

The skill isn't speed. 
It's stillness.

Navigators learn to access a still point. 

Where the mind's logic meets the heart's knowing. 

From there, you see what reaction hides.

I've watched leaders destroy years of work. 
In ten reactive minutes.

Angry emails sent instantly. 
Bridges burned in frustration.

I've watched others hold steady under fire. 
Find paths no one else could see.

The difference was never intelligence. 
It was internal weather.

Your mind is like water. 

Stirred, you see nothing. 
Still, you see everything.

Pressure makes you reactive. 
Peace makes you responsive.

The pause that feels slow in the moment. 
Often saves months of correction.

You don't have to respond immediately. 
You have to respond clearly.

Those are rarely the same thing.

What decision needs your calm today?

If you found this helpful, share it with those 
who are facing a difficult decision.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, 
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Image Credit: Mike Leber
Please give him a follow.

Someone you know is fighting an invisible war.
Choose to lift them today.

I worked with an executive
at Google some years back.

Brilliant guy. His team loved him.
Strong leader in every way.

But something was wrong.

His energy would tank around 3 pm.
He'd lose focus during big decisions.
By evening calls, his patience was gone.

Not because of the work.
But because of what he was doing
when no one was watching.

He finally told me what his calendar
couldn't show:

4 hours of sleep most nights.
No workouts because meetings
always ran over.

Living on coffee and whatever
was in the conference room.

Eating dinner at his desk at 10 pm.
Telling his family "next
quarter will be better."

His neglected health became a problem.

We didn't touch his leadership approach.
We changed the invisible stuff:

-Saying 'no' faster to misaligned people.
-Protecting his sleep as a vital asset.
-Scheduling non-negotiable thinking time.

Three months in, the change was real.

His afternoon energy matched his mornings.
Decisions came faster and clearer.
His presence felt different, steadier, more grounded.

But here's what stayed with me most:

From the outside, this guy looked fine.
Successful. Respected. In control.

But inside he was drowning.

No one knew because he never showed it.
Because leaders aren't supposed to struggle.
Because admitting you're barely keeping it together
feels like failure.

That's when I realized something:

Everyone around us is carrying something we can't see.

The colleague who snapped in the meeting.
The friend who's been distant lately.
The person who seems fine but isn't.

We're all fighting invisible battles.

And sometimes, one kind word is the difference
between someone breaking 
and someone breaking through.

I started noticing it more after working with him.

- How a simple "you good?" can open a real conversation.
- How checking in without agenda can 
change someone's week.
- How being present for 5 minutes can mean more than 
talking for an hour.

We spend so much time managing perception.
Trying to look like we have it together.
Forgetting that everyone else is doing the same thing.

What if we stopped pretending?

What if we asked the real questions?
What if we shared the real struggles?
What if we lifted each other up instead of comparing?

You don't need a title to do this.
You don't need permission to care.

Just pay attention.
Just reach out.
Just be real.

Who can you check in on today?

If you found this helpful, share it with 
someone who may need this message.

For more on leadership mastery, 
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visual Credit: @entrepreneurshipfacts

Walk like you just got good news.
Talk like the world is listening.

Energy is magnetic.
Your confidence will bend reality.

I learned this the hard way.

Years ago, my film premiered
with the Honolulu Symphony.
It received praise. And criticism.

Public. Painful. Unrelenting.

I had two choices:
1. To shrink from the noise.
2. Or stand in my truth.

So I made a quiet decision.
I would walk into every room
like my work mattered.

Like the praise was louder than the pain.
Like I belonged there.

Shoulders back.
Eyes clear.
Energy steady.

Then something shifted.

New invitations arrived.
Better projects found me.
Stronger allies appeared.

Here’s what I saw:

Confidence is not a costume.
It’s a way of moving.

It doesn’t wait for proof.
It becomes the proof.

When you move differently,
life responds differently.

Walk like you're headed
somewhere important.
People will be attracted to you.

Speak like your words matter.
People will lean in to listen.

Act like life is working with you.
You'll start to notice that it is.

I've tested this around the world.
In boardrooms. On stages.
Through criticism. Through triumph.

The pattern is clear.
People who expect good things
see what others miss.

They reach for chances others leave.
They build momentum others never start.

Not because they’re lucky.
But because they’re ready.

Critics will always exist.
But they'll only win
if you back down.

Walk like you've already won.
Talk like you matter.
Move like good news is on its way.

What’s one change you can make?

Repost for those who are ready to shift.

If you found this valuable, join me,
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey for more insights.

I sent a letter to someone completely out of my league.

A powerful LA producer scouting Hawaii for a major network series.

Me? I was barely scraping by as an independent documentary producer.

No savings. No connections. No business writing.

I wrote anyway.

I couldn't stand watching from the sidelines, doing nothing, while an opportunity was coming to town.

The producer responded. Asked to meet. We talked about island life, my family, growing up here. Nothing about his show. I figured I'd wasted his time.

Three months later, my phone rang.

He'd written our conversation into his script. Created a character based on me. In the process, I auditioned and was eventually cast as the female lead the series.

That letter I almost talked myself out of sending became the turning point.

Recently, I've thought about that moment a lot. What made the difference wasn't talent or timing or luck.

It was just trying when it felt "too big" a dream.

Most people stop right before something shifts. I've done it myself. You get tired of rejection. Tired of hoping. Tired of feeling foolish.

But one day, after many failed attempts, something works differently. You're not desperate anymore.

You've learned what doesn't work. You try softer, smarter, with less attachment to the outcome.

Failure isn't wasted effort. It's data.

The rejection taught me something important. Closed doors showed me which ones to stop knocking on. Every "no" refined what I'd try next.

The producer told me later why he responded to my letter: "Most people sent resumes. You sent a story. Most people listed qualifications. You shared perspective."

I wasn't being strategic. I was just being myself because I had nothing left to lose.

When you try one more time, you're different than you were before. The heartache changed you. The frustration taught you. The failure gave you information other people don't have.

Use it.

I watch brilliant people quit right before their breakthrough. They've tried everything, they say. But they've tried everything once. They haven't tried everything with what they know now.

Your next attempt won't look like your last one. Growth, not desperation.

Zero attempts guarantee zero results. One more attempt might change everything.

Who's your version of that producer? The person you think is out of your league but you're going to reach out to anyway?

If you found this helpful, share it with those who need permission to try again.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

I wasn’t ready. I did it anyway. 
That’s when everything changed.

Years ago, I accepted a job
I wasn't qualified for.
On paper, at least.

Others had better credentials.
More experience.
Stronger resumes.

During the interview, they asked:
"Why should we choose you?"

I told the truth:

"I don't know everything.
But I'll outwork everyone.
I’ll find what others miss."

They took the chance.
I took the leap.

Those first months were brutal.
Everyone else seemed to know more.
They moved faster. Spoke louder.

I wanted to quit daily.
Instead, I studied nightly.

These lessons saved me:

LESSON 1: 
Your difference is your advantage.

Stop trying to be a better version of them.
Be the only version of you.

Action: 
List 3 things you bring that others don't.
Focus there. Obsessively.

LESSON 2: 
Make your weakness your teacher

Every gap showed me where to grow.
Every struggle taught me resilience.
Every mistake became wisdom.

Action: 
Pick your biggest weakness.
Study it for 15 minutes daily.
In 90 days, it won't be a weakness.

LESSON 3: 
Build bridges, not walls.

I couldn't win by competing.
I won by connecting.
By making everyone better.

Action: 
Help one person daily.
No agenda. No expectation.

LESSON 4: 
Document everything

I kept notes on every lesson.
My struggles became my roadmap.

Action: 
End each day with this question:
"What did today teach me?" 

That role I wasn't ready for
launched my career.

Not because I was qualified.
But because I was willing.

Every expert was once unqualified.
Every master was once a disaster.
Every leader was once terrified.

The difference is
they started anyway.

Your inexperience isn't a liability.
It's your superpower.

If there’s a job you're not ready for,
take it.

If there’s an opportunity that scares you,
grab it.

If there’s a dream that feels too big,
embrace it.

You don’t need to be ready.
You need to be willing.

Ready is a luxury.
Brave is a choice.

Choose brave.
The universe is waiting.

What will you say yes to?

Repost for someone willing to say “yes.”
Love, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey 💕

Critics reveal more about themselves than you.
You’ll never be judged by someone doing more.

It's often the people going nowhere
who have something to say.

I’ve noticed this pattern everywhere.

When I launched my first expedition, 
explorers cleared the path. 
Doubters waited for me to fail.

When I started speaking publicly, 
speakers cheered me. 
Critics judged me.

When I started writing, 
authors opened doors. 
Skeptics dismissed my voice.

Builders encourage building.
They know how hard the first brick is.

Climbers encourage climbing.
They remember the bottom.

Creators encourage creating.
They understand the blank page.

The critics will list every reason you'll fail.

Not because they're wiser.
But because your courage 
mirrors their fear.

Your action exposes their excuses.
Your progress threatens their comfort.

Here's what I've learned:

Criticism from the sidelines
is just noise from the stands.

The players are too busy playing
to tear down your game.

People doing the work
want you to succeed.

They've felt the fear you're facing.
They've fought the doubts you're fighting.
They've walked the path you're starting.

They'll share the shortcuts.
Open the doors.
Light the way.

Choose whose voices matter.

Listen to those who've been there.
Learn from those still going.
Ignore those who never started.

Your dreams don't need everyone's approval.
Just courage and a first step.

Who's cheering you on?

Repost for those taking their first step.

If you found this valuable, join me,
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, for me mindset insights.

Surround yourself with people
who have bigger goals than you.

Ambition is contagious.

I learned this later in life.
Luckily it wasn’t too late.

Growing up, my sister and I
were the dreamers in our family.

The ones talking about possibilities
while others talked about problems.

The ones seeing further
while others saw barriers.

Then we changed rooms.

I moved to California where people 
were building empires
while I was building projects.

People thinking globally
while I was thinking locally.

People planing decades ahead
while I was planning quarters.

At first, I felt small.
Then I felt something shift.

Their normal became my new baseline.
Their minimum became my starting point.
Their casual wins became my next goals.

Here's what happens when you're
the smallest dreamer in the room:

Your impossible becomes inevitable.
What seemed unreachable last year
becomes this year's checklist.

Your excuses evaporate.
Hard to claim it can't be done
when someone next to you did it twice.

Your timeline accelerates.
Their urgency becomes your urgency.
Their pace becomes your pace.

Your standards elevate.
Good enough stops being enough.
Excellence becomes the expectation.

Your vision expands.
You stop thinking in limits.
You start thinking in multiples.

I used to worry about being the least 
accomplished person at the table.

Now I seek those tables out.

The people you spend time with
determine the thoughts you think.

Small goals are just as contagious
as big ones.

Comfort is just as contagious
as courage.

Choose your exposure wisely.

Find the people who make
your biggest dreams
look like starting points.

The ones whose failures teach more 
than others' successes.

Not to feel inferior.
But to feel inspired.

Not to shrink.
But to stretch.

Your potential isn't fixed.
It's influenced.

By every conversation.
Every room you enter.

If everyone around you
is comfortable where they are,
you will be too.

If everyone around you
is reaching for more,
you will too.

This isn't about comparison.
It's about the environment.

You don't need permission.
You need examples of what's possible.

Protect your ambition
by choosing your circle carefully.

Five years from now,
you'll be the average
of the dreams you're exposed to today.

Not because you're not enough.
Because you're capable of more.

Who's raising your ceiling?

If you found this valuable, 
share it with those who dare to dream.

For more insights on mindset,
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Perspective is your hidden power.
99% of people never use it.

During the hardest year of my life, 
I thought everything was falling apart.

Years later, I realized
everything was falling into place.
I just couldn't see it yet.

Perspective isn't about being positive.
It's about being precise.

Watch what happens when you shift your lens:

1. Obstacles become opportunities
Every closed door teaches you
to build your own.

2. Struggles become strength
The weight that nearly breaks you
builds muscles you didn't know you had.

3. Setbacks become stepping stones
Each failure shows you 
what doesn't work.

4. Rejection becomes resilience
Every "no" redirects you.
It’s protection in disguise.

5. Shadows reveal hidden truth
Your shadows hold your compass.
Pay attention.

6. Mistakes become masterclasses
Your biggest errors become
your greatest teachings.

7. Fears become fuel for courage
What scares you most
shows you where to grow.

8. Pain becomes purpose
Your deepest wounds can be
the most valuable gifts.

After decades of working
with leaders around the world,
I've learned:

The hardest season prepares you
for your highest calling.

This isn't wishful thinking.
It’s strategic thinking.

Nothing is happening to you.
Everything is happening for you.

You just need the right lens.

Your current struggle
isn’t your story's end.
It's your story's turning point.

Choose your lens wisely.
Your future depends on it.

Share this with someone who needs it.

If you found this valuable, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, for more insights.

I lost my husband to cancer when I was 50.
Lost our company at 51.

Grief and financial uncertainty arrived together, 
uninvited and overwhelming.

I had two choices: 

Let the losses define the rest of my life, 
or choose to see a future of possibility.

That season taught me something 
I now see everywhere in my work: 

The difference between a heavy heart 
and a peaceful one isn't circumstance. 
It's perspective.

And perspective is always a choice.

Problems hide possibilities.

When funding fell through for one of my projects, 
I saw a closed door. 

Then I chose to see an invitation to innovate. 
That "problem" led to my most meaningful work.

Now when something goes wrong, 
I write down the problem. 

Next to it, I write: 

"This is teaching me..." 
It's a small shift that changes everything.

Gratitude is a practice, not a feeling.

Fear and faith require equal energy.

I've stood before audiences of thousands. 
The fear never fully disappears. 

But worrying takes the same effort as preparing. 
One paralyzes. One empowers.

When fear rises, I ask: 
"What can I actually control here?" 
Then I focus only on that.

Your morning mind shapes your entire day.
Before dawn presentations or difficult conversations, 

I protect my first thoughts. No emails. No news. 
Just intention about who I choose to be.

Those five minutes determine the next twelve hours.
You can't control what happens. 
But you absolutely control how you see it.

And how you see it changes everything that follows.

Share this to inspire those at a crossroads.

For more on Mastery Mindset, join me,
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visual Credit: @acalltoleap

Transformation isn't complicated.

Waiting for it is.

Most people think change happens in one big moment.

The decision. The commitment. The declaration.

But that's not how it works.

Real transformation starts small.

It begins with a thought that won't leave you alone. 
Something you keep thinking about at 2am 
or during your commute.

Then one day, you act on it.

Not perfectly. Not dramatically. Just once.

You make a choice that feels different 
from your usual pattern.

Maybe you wake up at 6am 
instead of hitting snooze three times.

Or you send that cold email 
you've been putting off for weeks.

Or you skip the group lunch 
and spend 30 minutes writing instead.

Then you do it again. And again.

At first, it takes effort. You have to remind yourself.
You have to push through resistance.

The first month of writing my doctoral dissertation
was messy and overwhelming.

Half the time I stared at a blank screen.
The other half I deleted everything.

But slowly, it got easier.

What once required willpower became routine.
What felt unnatural started to feel normal.

By week three, I woke up before my alarm.
By month two, my fingers moved across
the keyboard without thinking.

Eventually, I started trusting the process.

I became who I envisioned myself to be.
A Doctor of Philosophy, an anthropologist
specializing in ethno-navigation.

The gap between who you are
and who you want to be isn't crossed in one leap.

It's crossed in small steps,
repeated until they become part of you.

What's one small step you can take?

If you found this valuable, share it with 
those daring to take the next step.

For more insights on leadership mindset,
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Silence hits differently at 2 a.m. 
2025 proved it. 
Grief confirmed it.

This year I lost family members. 
Two dear friends who felt like family. 
The world feels heavier than I remember.

I used to think mindset was something you worked on 
when life was stable. When you had time. 
When things were calm.

I was wrong.

You become unstoppable when you work on things 
people can't take away from you. 

Your mindset. Character. Personality.

These aren't luxuries. 

When I was younger, I took my inner strength 
for granted. Thought it would always be there. 
Like breathing.

Now I know better.

1. My days include meditation and prayer. 
Not for enlightenment. But for steadiness. 
I pray like I’m building a foundation, because I am.

2. What became clear in the darkness
is that we can't control how long we're here. 
We can only be present for whatever time we're given.

3. More than ever I listen deeply. Really listen. 
Not waiting for my turn to speak.
Just present to what someone is saying.

4. Work used to be a priority. 
Productivity. Accomplishment. 
Staying on top of things.

Now, work serves life. 
Not the other way around.

5. Every moment feels more precious 
because I finally understand. They are.

Your character isn't built in the good times. 
It's forged when things fall apart 
and you choose who to become.

Your personality isn't decoration. 
It's how you show up when 
showing up feels impossible.

Your mindset isn't positive thinking. 
It's the quiet decision to keep going 
when stopping would be easier.

Build these while you can. 
Strengthen them before you need them.

Because one night, alone with your grief, 
you'll realize: These are the things
that can't be taken. They're the things that last.

What are you strengthening that no one can take?

Repost for those navigating their own storms.

Follow me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, 
for daily insights on Mindset and Mastery.

The loudest opinions often come 
from those who never dared.

Everyone has a point of view
about your journey.
Few have actually taken it.

I learned this the hard way.

When I started exploring,
everyone had advice.

"Too dangerous."
"Not practical."
"What about security?"

These warnings came from people
who never left their comfort zone.

Never took a risk.
Never followed their calling.

The loudest critics often have
the least experience.

They'll tell you exactly why
your dream won't work.

Based on fears, not facts.
Based on their limits, not yours.

Who NOT to listen to:

- People who never tried.
They're protecting their own choices,
not protecting you.

- People who quit early.
They need you to fail
to justify their surrender.

- People who play small.
They can't imagine big
because they never dared.

Who TO listen to:

- People who've walked your path.
They know the actual terrain,
not the imagined dangers.

- People still climbing.
They remember the struggle
and share real wisdom.

- People who celebrate courage.
They understand the cost
of an un-lived life.

I spent years asking permission
from people who couldn't grant it.

Seeking approval
from those who never approved
of their own dreams.

Now I know:

Your gut knows more
than their fear.

Your instinct sees further
than their caution.

Your vision matters more
than their comfort.

The first 90 days of anything new:

Trust yourself completely.
Learn from those ahead.
Ignore the noise behind.

That's it.
That's the formula.

Most warnings you'll receive
aren't about your journey.

They're about the journey
others were too scared to take.

They're projecting their limits
onto your potential.

Don't let them.

The path forward requires
selective listening.

Choose your advisors
by their scars,
not their theories.

By their attempts,
not their opinions.

By their courage,
not their caution.

Your dream threatens
those who abandoned theirs.

Build anyway.

Who are you listening to?

If you found this valuable, 
join me for more, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey 💕

You can’t silence people. 
You can silence their access.

Last month a collaboration landed in my inbox. 
Interesting work. Good people. I wanted it.

But I'd just gotten results from my doctor. Elevated 
cortisol. A sign I was running on fumes. My body
was asking me to stop. Thankfully, I listened.

I said 'no.'

I turned off cable news the same week. 
The constant political coverage was draining me.
Stillness was more important than staying informed.

For years I put work ahead of my family. 
I said 'yes' to projects that cost me time at home. 
I thought that was dedication. It was depletion.

If we don't protect our health first, 
we can't show up for anyone else. 

This is what I've learned to do...

1. Say 'no' and mean it.

That collaboration looked perfect on paper, but my 
body knew more than the 'over-achiever' in me. 

I turned it down without explaining. 
Some doors need to stay closed.

2. Control what's being consumed.

Cable news was making me anxious, 
so I stopped watching. Not disconnected. 
Just selective. Your inputs shape your energy.

3. Set boundaries before burning out.

Boundaries teach people how to reach you. 
The ones who care will follow them. 
The ones who don't were never for you.

4. Stop fighting every battle.

Not every argument needs your voice. 
Not every crisis needs your attention. 
Protect your reserves for what matters most.

5. Guard the mind.

I used to let everything in. 
Now I ask: does this serve me? 
Most of it doesn't.

You can't outsource this work. 
Peace is grows through small,
consistent choices even when it's hard.

Repost for those who want 
to protect their peace.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, 
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

I lost someone last week who taught me to read stars.

He was a navigator in Hawaii. One of the greats.

I was planning to call him after Thanksgiving. Tell him I'd be home in January and we'd catch up properly. I wanted to thank him for everything he taught me.

Thanksgiving morning, I found out he died the night before.

All those things I wanted to say will never be said to him. That gratitude I was saving for the right moment never got expressed.

Milton "Shorty" Bertelmann taught me to read more than just stars. He taught me to read myself. To navigate my fears. Find my own courage.

I never told him that part. I was saving it for later.

And now I'm thinking about all the other "laters" I keep creating.

That morning conversation you keep putting off eventually becomes an empty chair at the table.

You really do lose interest in things. The book you're excited about writing today feels less urgent in six months. The project that lights you up right now? It fades.

Your energy at 8am isn't the same as your energy at 8pm. The clarity you have right now gets muddy by evening.

Kids grow up fast. Parents get older while you're making plans to visit "next month." Friends drift away when you keep saying "let's catch up when things quiet down."

Life doesn't end dramatically. It just goes by quietly, one postponed moment at a time.

Just like navigation, life requires reading the signs in front of you and acting on them. Not waiting for perfect conditions. Not saving gratitude for later.

That conversation I was planning for January is now something I'll regret.

So I'm making that call I've been putting off. Thanking people today instead of next week. Having the hard conversation now instead of waiting for the perfect time.

Not because I'm being dramatic about mortality. Just because "later" keeps not showing up the way I think it will.

If you found this helpful, share it with those who need the reminder to act now.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

I used to overthink everything.
Presence made me unshakeable.

It's your most underrated power.

When critics attacked my film work publicly, I chose silence. Not because I had no response, but because I'd finally learned that composure is far more effective.

Through decades of navigating uncertainty, I've discovered what actually creates real, lasting confidence.

Look people in the eyes. No matter who they are.

During an important meeting with television producer Steven Bochco and his team, I could feel the skepticism in the room. Instead of looking past the group, I connected with each person. Eye contact isn't confrontation. It's confirmation that you belong there.

Never answer immediately.

Early in my career, I rushed every response, desperate to prove I knew enough. Now I pause. Breathe. Consider. Those three seconds of silence carry more weight than rushed words ever could.

Keep your struggles private. Not secret, just private.

When I lost my husband and our company, I shared with those who mattered. Not for sympathy, but for support. Your struggles aren't social currency.

Stay calm when others can't.

During meetings at the United Nations, one committee member challenged me continually. Every question designed to destabilize. I responded with steadiness, to dismissal with data. Composure isn't weakness.

Dress with intention.

Your appearance is your first statement. Make it consciously. Clean, considered, comfortable. When you respect your presentation, others respond accordingly.

Speak slowly.

I learned this giving keynotes: speakers who rush lose the room. Those who pace their words own it. When you speak slowly, people lean in.

Stop caring what they think.

I spent years editing myself for imaginary critics. The truth is most people are consumed with their own concerns to judge yours.

Accept without reacting.

Research funding that disappeared. Partnerships that dissolved. Opportunities that vanished.

I learned to acknowledge without attachment, accept without anger, move forward without resentment.

Create your vision. Follow it.

At 43, I was a student again, starting my doctorate when everyone said it was too late.

At 50, I rebuilt everything when it would've been easier to retire. Your vision doesn't need validation.

These aren't techniques for impression. They're foundations for peace.

The film critics who attacked my work taught me my greatest lesson: when you know who you are, what others think becomes irrelevant. When you trust your vision, their doubts can't derail it.

Master these principles not to impress anyone, but to become immovable.

If you found this helpful, share it with those ready to build real, lasting confidence.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visla Credit: Mindsets

White Oak Media

Storytelling workshops for sales teams and executives.

Founder

Level Up Newsletter

Write daily posts and a weekly newsletter on communication, personal branding and strategic thinking.

🔸 Built a newsletter to 11,000+ subscribers
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🔸 52,000 followers

Writer

VMware

Senior Delivery Leader, Enterprise Transformation Engagements

Stirling Consulting

Director, Digital Transformation

York University

Senior Delivery Lead, Software Engineering, LCS

Flow State

Led a software development team building enterprise-grade system integration software.

Clients included: Danone, Red Flag Deals, the University of Montreal, Concordia, etc.

Engineering Team Lead 

Emerge Ahead, Inc.

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Microsoft

.NET Evangelist

Want to grow your business? Craft and share a story that connects with your customers. DM me to learn how.

This is what happens when you learn something new. 

It’s 6:25 am. I am sitting in my green chair.

I get my phone out of my pocket and put it in front of my face.  It tells me that it can't recognize my face, so I type in my pass code. The home screen is full of apps, and I take a second to find the app I want to open. 

It’s the Kindle app.  It opens to page 263 of 481. I am about 57% done. 

The book I am reading is called Very Good Copy, by Eddy Shleyner. It’s about copywriting. Copywriting is the discipline of writing ads, advertisements, and website content to sell products. 

The chapter I am about to read is called Writing Immersive Stories.  It begins with a story about a hospital visit. Eddie talks about his experience just before and right after surgery. He then breaks down a technique for writing stories called “realism.” 

He offers two more examples. I read them. I can’t stop. The technique is so effective that my mind won’t let me put my phone down. 

I finish the chapter, and I feel empowered. Inspired.  Excited.  I learned something new today.

Learning something will make you feel that way, excited, empowered. But that is not the end of it. When you apply what you learn and get results, the feelings of success and accomplishment can often overwhelm you and send you jumping up and down like a little kid. 

The key is to apply the learning.  And over the years, that’s what I’ve done. 

When I learned communication and writing, I:

🔹 Improved the lives of thousands of my readers
🔹 Built an audience of 55k+ people 
🔹 Written 850+ posts

When I learned product management, I: 

🔹 Led $10M + enterprise software modernization projects
🔹 Mentored and coached dozens of product managers
🔹 Build 18+ software products

When I learned strategic thinking, I: 

🔹 Reduced time-to-market from months to weeks for a Fortune 500 client
🔹 Saved companies over $100M+ in operating expenses
🔹 Enhanced customer service efficiency by 30%

And much more. 

Learning can transform you and your career in unimaginable ways. All you need is an open mind and a willingness to put what you learned into practice.

If you want to: 

→ Upgrade your career without sacrificing your sanity or personal life
→ Own the room with executive presence and unshakable clarity.
→ Earn respect, recognition, and rewards at work

🔥 Then sign up for my weekly newsletter at terrydanylak.com/the-vault

Terry Danylak

10 Habits That Make You Look Unprofessional
(and how to fix them!)

🔥 Being a professional is more than just showing up.  
It’s about how you show up.

Here’s the harsh truth:
Small, seemingly harmless habits can quickly undermine your reputation.

Master these fixes to elevate your confidence and improve your image:

1/ Not proofreading
Typos make you look careless and unprepared.

➟ Double check the spelling
➟ Read the email or document again
➟ Ask others to check if it’s important

2/ Cutting people off
Cutting people off is very rude and extremely disrespectful.

➟ Wait to respond
➟ Let the other person finish
➟ Think about your answer, then talk

3/ Being late, a lot
Lateness demonstrates your poor time management skills.

➟ Arrive early when you can
➟ Send a message if you’re late
➟ Apologize and don’t repeat it again

4/ Missing deadlines
Constant delays damages trust and your relationships.

➟ Keep communications open
➟ Ask for help before it’s too late
➟ Let people know if you’re behind

5/ Oversharing
Sharing too much personal information puts you at risk.

➟ If in doubt, don’t say it
➟ Keep conversations professional
➟ Stop others from oversharing too

6/ Being defensive
Being overly defensive creates tension at work.

➟ Cool down before reacting
➟ Wait to hear the full idea first
➟ Take a breath before responding

7/ Being messy
Your cluttered desk suggests you’re disorganized.

➟ Tidy your space daily
➟ Keep your documents organized
➟ Use a system like the PARA method

8/ Playing favourites
Being overly partial to certain colleagues can create tension. 

➟ Treat everyone fairly
➟ Make sure everyone is participating
➟ Respect other’s skills and experience

9/ Ignoring feedback.
Dismissing feedback shows a lack of self-awareness.

➟ Listen to advice
➟ Act on advice if it is useful
➟ Say thank you for people’s help

10/ Gossiping.
Talking behind people’s backs creates a toxic work culture.

➟ Don’t spread rumours
➟ Don’t listen to others gossiping
➟ Don’t share if you’re not allowed

📌 Remember:
What you do consistently will shape how people see you. 
Personally and professionally. 

What habit do you see the most in the workplace? 
Share in the comments. ⬇️

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Helping overwhelmed team leaders establish processes that deliver high-impact results • Fortune 500 coach • Delivered $100M+ in savings for enterprises

Habits that make you look unprofessional

Lessons From Admiral McRaven
(The Most Watched Motivation Speech In the World)

Admiral McRaven is a retired US Navy four-star Admiral who has commanded special operations at every level. He is most known for his motivational speeches to college graduates.

1️⃣ Make Your Bed Every Day
In the Navy Seals, the day's first task is to make your bed.

And you are required to do it perfectly because it matters how you start your day.

You will feel:

• Proud
• Encouraged
• Ready to take on the day

🔥 If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never do the big things well.

2️⃣ Respect Everyone
During his training, the best crew was composed of the smallest guys. Big guys made fun of them, but the little guys out-paddled, out-swam, and out-battled them in every event.

Judge people by:

• Their effort
• Their dedication
• Their willingness to help others

🔥 Show respect first.

3️⃣ Take Risks
The record for beating a slide-for-life training obstacle has stood since 1977. But that year, a student took a risk and slid down the obstacle head-first, beating the record.

Taking risks helps you:

• Become more resilient
• Overcome your fears
• Build confidence

🔥 Success in life comes from taking risks.

4️⃣ Lift Up Downtrodden
On Wednesday of Hell Week, you spend 15 hours straight trying to survive the cold. Some want to give up, but the SEALs don’t let them. They do everything to help them through the tough times.

Help others:

• When it’s easy
• When it’s tough
• When it’s impossible

🔥 Nothing is more rewarding than helping others.

5️⃣ Step Up When Times Are Toughest
A ship-attack mission is where SEALs train to attack a ship in the dead of night, in the darkest waters, where every move can be deadly. They must be calm and composed in the darkest of moments.

To win in life, you must:

• Step up when you know there’s no one else
• Step up when you know least but must find the way
• Step up when you feel you can’t, but know that you must

🔥 As the SEALs say, the only easy day was yesterday.

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I help leaders build high-performing teams • Fortune 500 coach • Delivered $100M+ in savings for enterprises

Step up in your darkest moments

The secret to unstoppable self-confidence:
Believe in yourself.

But it’s easier said than done.

🔺 What kills self-confidence?
It starts in the morning, with your thoughts:

• I don’t like how I look
• I am exhausted
• I am not ready

It continues during the day:

• I am shy
• I can’t do it
• I don’t belong here
• I am not good enough
• I will never learn how to do it

⛔ STOP IT.

Self-confidence is about belief, but that belief is built on these five pillars.

1️⃣ Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.
If you don’t feel confident about doing something, you haven’t done it enough times.

How confident were you:

• When you first started driving a car?
• After driving hundreds of times?

2️⃣ Self-Talk
Stop telling yourself you are not good enough because every else already does.

Change what you say to yourself:

Don’t pick me! ⇒ Pick me!!!
I can’t do it ⇒ I will learn quickly
I’m nervous ⇒ I am excited

3️⃣ Celebrate Your Victories
Small victories, big victories. Any victories. 

A fertilizer for confidence is called celebration.

Said hello to a clerk ⇒ Celebrate
Asked for a discount ⇒ Celebrate
Spoke up at a meeting ⇒ Celebrate
Took charge of a project ⇒ Celebrate

4️⃣ Become Delusional, Just A Little
Interpret negative feedback in a positive way. But don’t go overboard.

You have to believe you’re good enough to feel that you’re good enough.

Audience was quiet ⇒ They were enthralled
Didn’t get the deal ⇒ Wasn’t a good one
Didn’t get hired ⇒ Overqualified

5️⃣ Believe In Yourself
No one will believe in you unless you do.

—

The only thing that is ever in your control is what you think about.

When you think about yourself, make it a positive thought.
This is how you will build unstoppable confidence.

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Unstoppable Self-Confidence

10 Japanese concepts that will change how you work. 

Japanese culture is rich in ways we can use to improve ourselves at work and at home. ⛩️ 

Ancient wisdom, gathered through thousands of years of experience and reflection, can serve as your beacon as you navigate our busy and always-on lives. 

Here are 10 Japanese concepts that will change how you live:

1️⃣ Ikigai: Find your purpose and passion
People who have a purpose live longer.
↳ Your ikigai is what gets you up in the morning
↳ Find what you love and what others will pay for

2️⃣ Omoiyari: Show sincere compassion
Try to make life easier for others. 
↳ In what you do and how you act
↳ In how you work and what products you create

3️⃣ Wabi-sabi: Strive for excellence, not perfection
A way of life that embraces imperfection & simplicity.
↳ Eliminate clutter in how you work and how you speak
↳ Embrace things as they are

4️⃣ Mottainai: Work sustainably
Be intentional with your actions and your work.
↳ Don’t waste your talent in the wrong place
↳ Eliminate unnecessary processes 

5️⃣ Shin-Gi-Tai: Mind, technique, body
The three elements of maximum performance.
↳ Meditate to clear your mind
↳ Learn new skills to stay sharp
↳ Exercise to live a healthy life

6️⃣ Kaizen: Improve continuously
Make small, incremental changes continuously.
↳ Pick a skill or a process to improve every week
↳ Review your successes and failures  

7️⃣ Shuhari: Learn the basics, improve, improvise
Learn the techniques, make improvements, and adapt.
↳ Mastery begins with learning the rules
↳ Mastery is achieved when rules don’t matter

8️⃣ Shoshin: Be curious about everything 
Adopt a beginner’s mindset when solving problems.
↳ Ask lots of questions, even the dumb ones
↳ Be open to challenging your understanding 

9️⃣ Shokunin: Become a master craftsman
Go on a lifelong journey towards mastery.
↳ Cultivate a deep understanding of your craft
↳ Develop a sense of pride in your work

🔟 Ho-Ren-So: Over-communicate
Report, communicate, and consult as much as you can.
↳ Gain trust and authority by sharing information
↳ Improve decision-making and speed of execution 

I’ve applied these principles in my work and seen 10x improvement in my output and my outcomes. 

📌 But more importantly, these concepts helped me find the right path in our chaotic world. 

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10 Japanese Concepts

Got an interview coming up? 
Does it make you feel nervous?

It won't if you prepare for it.

🔥 Save this cheat sheet and crush your next job interview.

1️⃣ What’s the hardest problem you’ve ever worked on? 
↳ This is a test for your problem-solving skills. Pick a hard problem, explain why it was hard, and show how you’ve solved it. 

2️⃣ Tell me about a time when you had to handle an ethical dilemma.
↳ An example could be how you stopped someone from stealing or doing something that would be harmful to a client or the company.

3️⃣ Tell me about a problem you found that others missed. 
↳ Explain what you found and why others may have missed it. Show what you did to fix it. Finally, describe how you shared what you learned with the team.

4️⃣ Describe a situation where you had to manage multiple projects at once 
↳ This question is about your ability to prioritize and delegate work. Explain how you organize your work and your team. Show how you get things done. 

5️⃣ Tell me about a time you missed a deadline. What did you do?
↳ Be honest about it, admit that you’ve missed a deadline. Highlight how you communicated with stakeholders throughout the process.

6️⃣ What motivates you at work?
↳ The interviewer is looking to understand you at a deeper level. Identify your motivation and show how it aligns with the company’s mission and values.

7️⃣ When was the last time you changed your opinion about something big?
↳ To answer this question well, show that you have a growth mindset. Tell a story and describe how new information made you reevaluate your opinion.

8️⃣ What’s the most constructive feedback you’ve received? 
↳ Explain how it was difficult to take, but you kept an open mind. Show how you applied the advice.

9️⃣ Describe a time you had to learn a skill quickly
↳ Describe the skill you had to learn. Explain your plan for learning. Show the result and how long it took.

🔟 Can you describe when you had to give difficult feedback?
↳ This is a test of your ability to improve others. If you’ve never done it, describe a method you would use.

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17 worst career mistakes
(And how to fix them to boost your career)

1/ Overstaying
Staying too long at a job because it feels comfortable. 

2/ Not having friends outside of work
Thinking that your colleagues are your real friends.

3/ Not building a network at work
Believing that you can get promoted on merit.

4/ Thinking you’re irreplaceable
Telling everyone that if you leave the place, it’s toast. 

5/ Solving all problems
Trying to put out all fires, no matter how small. 

6/ Avoiding office politics
Ignoring office games, hoping you won’t be affected.

7/ Waiting for others to take charge
Not taking charge when the opportunity strikes. 

8/ Playing the short game
Only thinking of your next move or next promotion.

9/ Avoiding hard work
Looking for shortcuts and quick-fix solutions.

10/ Trusting everyone blindly
Believing that others will stick up for you. 

11/ Not asking questions
Staying silent in meetings for fear of looking stupid.

12/ Chasing status
Pretending you are a bigger deal than you are.  

13/ Ignoring industry trends
Staying in the past, doing work the “old” way.  

14/ Avoiding difficult feedback
Being afraid to give truthful feedback to bad employees.

15/ Not building a personal brand
Believing others will speak for you and your work.

16/ Becoming too specialized
Focusing on one skill and ignoring others.

17/ Avoiding all risk
Not trying anything new because it is risky.

Most of our work lives are spent thinking we’re making the right moves and the right choices. 

Yet, most of our right moves often turn out to be big career mistakes. 

Agree? 

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17 Worst Career Mistakes

10 uncommon habits of high performers
(that everyone should pay attention to)

🔥 High performers stand out because they do things that other people don’t even think about. 

In today’s job market, you have to find your edge because the playing field has been levelled.

Everyone has:

• Necessary credentials 
• Certifications, awards and degrees
• Results-based experience descriptions

But that’s not what gets you results. 

What actually gets you the job you want, the career you crave, is:

➟ Being dependable
➟ Being focused on learning daily
➟ Being available when you’re needed
➟ Being someone everyone wants to work with
➟ Being ready and willing to make a real impact

📌 If you want to stand out and make a real impact, here’s what you need to focus on: 

1️⃣ Learning
Learning the skills you need to succeed. 
↳ Master one skill at a time
↳ Don’t spread yourself too thin

2️⃣ Applying
Applying skills in the right environment.
↳ Not everyone will appreciate your skills
↳ Move to a place where your skills are wanted

3️⃣ Acting
Taking action instead of waiting.
↳ Everyone can talk about doing things
↳ Don’t talk, take action

4️⃣ Creating
Creating value and being useful. 
↳ Always ask if your work adds value
↳ Reduce wasteful work to a minimum

5️⃣ Taking
Taking a stand for what you believe in.
↳ Have principles and be known for them
↳ Choose what is right instead of what is easy

6️⃣ Fixing
Fixing mistakes instead of hiding them.
↳ If you’re wrong, admit it
↳ If you’ve made a mistake, fix it

7️⃣ Showing 
Showing up no matter what, day after day.
↳ Take responsibility for your actions
↳ Lead by example, every day

8️⃣ Asking
Asking for feedback to improve yourself.
↳ Reflect on your successes
↳ Internalize lessons from your failures

9️⃣ Delivering
Delivering on your promise.
↳ Under promise
↳ Over deliver

🔟 Promoting
Promoting your work at every opportunity.
↳ Tell others what you’ve achieved
↳ Acknowledge the people who have helped you

📌 High performers focus on many things. 
But one thing that makes the biggest difference is making a big impact in the real world.  

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10 Uncommon Habits of Top Performers

Connect The Dots.
(Lessons from Steve Jobs)

Steve Jobs was a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer era. He founded Apple and started the mobile phone revolution.

1️⃣ Follow Your Curiosity
Jobs learned about fonts by dropping in on a calligraphy class in college.

Later, he used this knowledge to create beautiful typography on the Mac.

Exploration:

• Helps you build knowledge
• Helps you find new opportunities
• Helps you innovate and create new things

🔥 Follow your intuition.

2️⃣ Trust In Yourself
You can make things happen. Dream Big.

Believe in yourself.

When you believe in yourself:

• You gain confidence
• You eliminate self-doubt
• You inspire yourself and others

🔥 You succeed at anything you try.

3️⃣ Find What You Love
The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

You have to keep looking until you find it.

How to start:

• Define your vision
• Determine your values
• Experiment, fail, learn, experiment

🔥 You’ll know when you find it. When you do, go all in.

4️⃣ Don’t Lose Faith
You will have many setbacks. Obstacles will appear out of nowhere. Don’t lose faith.

Why keep going:

• That’s how you become resilient
• That’s how you learn and grow
• That’s how you win

🔥 Do what you love, and the rewards will come.

5️⃣ Connect The Dots
You can’t connect the dots looking forward.

You can only connect them by looking backwards.

Find the connection:

• Examine your past knowledge
• Look for unusual patterns
• Connect the dots

🔥 You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future.

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Steve Jobs Motivation

The quickest way to improve anything is to reduce waste.
In business, this can save millions.

📌 What is waste?

Any work that you do that doesn't create value.

• Waiting to use the equipment
• Printing unnecessary copies
• Building too many products
• Meetings with no agenda

There are eight types of waste:

🗑️ Waste of Waiting
Waiting for the next step in the process.

🗑️ Waste of Overproduction
Producing more than is required.

🗑️ Waste of Transportation
Moving things without purpose.

🗑️ Waste of Processing
Redundant effort that doesn’t add value.

🗑️ Waste of Motion
Movement that takes time but adds no value.

🗑️ Waste of Inventory
Holding excess stock that can’t be sold.

🗑️ Waste of Intellect
Underuse or misuse of people’s best skills.

🗑️ Waste of Rework
Altering delivered work that shouldn’t happen.

Each type of waste creates additional drag on your processes. This directly translates into the cost of time, money or intellectual capacity.

📌 How To Reduce Waste In Your Processes?

1. Identify the process to improve
2. List the steps in the process
3. Review each step

Then, identify:

1. The value each step adds
2. The waste each step creates
3. The blockers each step encounters

📌 Reduce waste by applying one of these process improvement techniques:

1. Relocate to a new facility.
2. Reconfigure the inputs.
3. Reallocate resources.
4. Reorder the steps.
5. Reduce the steps.
6. Remove a step.

Reducing wasted effort results in immediate benefits.
Take the first step. Then take another.

You’ll be surprised how far it takes you.

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JSESSIONID

Angela Barreda

You can spot a toxic workplace from a mile away. 
But only after you’ve started running away from it.

🧨 Many people think that they can spot signs of a toxic workplace in their job. 

They think: 

➟ “I’ll know it when I see it.”
➟ “Toxic places just feel toxic.”
➟ “Only big corporations are toxic.”

🔥 Yet, they often spend years in their jobs only to realize how toxic their place was after they leave. 

If you’re in a toxic workplace and you don’t know it, here are the 10 signs you should look out for: 

1️⃣ Low transparency
You think you know what’s going on, but you don’t. 

▸ You don’t interact with other departments
▸ You’ve no idea if the business is profitable
▸ Departments get reorganized without notice

2️⃣ Questionable promotions
People get the job based on unfair factors. 

▸ The new guy gets promoted first
▸ The most visible people get higher pay
▸ Experienced workers get stuck in dead-end jobs

3️⃣ Micromanagement
Every little task must be documented and reviewed.

▸ The boss watches you work
▸ Every email must be cc’d to the manager
▸ You get detailed instructions on what to do, all the time

4️⃣ Mediocrity 
People spend little time improving their skills. 

▸ Few people take courses
▸ Going to conferences is discouraged or forbidden
▸ People get annoyed when you propose improvements

5️⃣ Persistent risk avoidance
No one takes on new projects because they are risky.

▸ New ideas are ignored 
▸ Managers discourage innovation
▸ No one leads high-risk, high-reward projects

6️⃣ Urgency rules
Every task is urgent, and every project is important.

▸ All tasks must be done
▸ All tasks must be done yesterday
▸ All tasks are marked as high priority

7️⃣ Constant turnover
You may be staying, but others leave fast. 

▸ New people quit quickly
▸ Everyone who’s good has left
▸ Hiring new people is a challenge

8️⃣ Politics
It’s not what you’ve done, it’s who you know.

▸ Promotions are decided over lunch
▸ Projects are allocated to golf buddies
▸ Pay raises go to the loudest jerks in meetings

9️⃣ Work weekends
Work doesn’t stop when you get home. 

▸ You get emails after work
▸ The boss calls you on Saturdays
▸ Vacations are denied for no reason
 

🔟 Culture of fear
No one is speaking up because it’s risky.

▸ Few speak their minds
▸ Problems get hidden and ignored
▸ The ship is going down, and no one cares

It’s always easier to spot a toxic workplace if you’re not in it. 
But it slowly saps you of energy and life.

The longer you stay, the harder it becomes to leave. 
But leave you must, if you want to have a future. 

Are you stuck in a toxic workplace?
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10 Signs of a Toxic Worklplace

10 Things You Should NEVER Put on Your Resume
(If you actually want to get interviews.)

Most resumes are ignored, not read.
Why? Because they’re filled with:

🚫 Too much fluff
🚫 Unclear and irrelevant info
🚫 Dozens of buzzwords few understand

Here are 10 resume red flags to eliminate ASAP 👇

1️⃣ Objective Statements
Objective statements add little value to your resume. 

❌ “Seeking a position where I can grow…”
✅ Use a headline that highlights what you bring, not what you want

2️⃣ Fluffy Responsibilities
Writing generic statements makes you blend in with other candidates

❌ “Oversaw multiple projects”
✅ Write: “Delivered 7 projects worth $4.2M ahead of schedule”

3️⃣ No Results
A resume without results makes it hard to judge your value.

❌ “Managed a team of designers”
✅ Write: “Led 4 designers to launch a new app, driving 20K monthly users.”

4️⃣ Paragraphs Instead of Bullets
Long paragraphs are hard to scan, and recruiters skip them.

❌ Dense walls of text
✅ Write: clean, scannable bullet points that lead with action + outcome

5️⃣ Buzzword Salad
Too many buzzwords put you in the ignore category.

❌ “Innovative, passionate, self-starter”
✅ Let your results show your drive, don’t just say it

6️⃣ Hobbies That Don’t Add Value
The right hobbies can help you get the interview.

❌ “Love hiking and Netflix”
✅ Only include hobbies that show relevant skills or traits

7️⃣ Outdated Experience
Old experience sections are irrelevant to current jobs. 

❌ 6 bullets on a job from 10 years ago
✅ Condense: “Promoted twice in 2 years; built internal tools still in use today”

8️⃣ Generic Soft Skills
Generic soft skills make you look ... generic.

❌ “Excellent communication skills”
✅ Write: “Presented monthly updates to execs; improved team alignment by 30%”

9️⃣ References Available Upon Request
Everyone knows that you can provide references if asked.


❌ Obsolete. Everyone knows this.
✅ Use that space to showcase your value and achievements

🔟 First-Person Pronouns
First-person pronouns make your resume look like a story. 

❌ “I led the team to success.”
✅ Resumes should be written without “I” or “me”. Start with strong verbs

💡 If you want your resume to stand out?

Use this bullet formula: 
Specific activity → Clear, measurable outcome

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What not to put on the resume

12 Genuine Signs of Intelligence You Can't Fake.
It is something you can develop by learning from other intelligent people.

Highly intelligent people:

• Ask lots of questions
• Think before they respond
• Make an effort to understand others
• Admit when they are wrong and learn from it.
• Welcome uncertainty and adapt accordingly

It's easy to spot someone highly intelligent.

Just look for these 12 signs:

🔹 Insatiable Curiosity
Truly intelligent people always ask insightful questions.

🔹 Open Mindedness
Intelligent people make an effort to understand, not judge.

🔹 Being The Silent Type
An intelligent person prefers to think about their responses.

🔹 High Adaptability
Truly intelligent people aren’t afraid of uncertainty.

🔹 Strong Self-Control
Intelligent people avoid rash decisions and take their time.

🔹 Admitting Faults
Intelligent people don’t tie their self-worth to their ego.

🔹 Wittiness
Intelligent people can find an odd angle and time it perfectly.

🔹 High Creativity
Creativity is an everyday practice for highly intelligent people.

🔹 Strong Self Identity
Truly intelligent people have high self-awareness.

🔹 Variety of Interests
An intelligent person usually works on multiple projects.

🔹 Preference For Solitude
Truly intelligent people need space to reflect and brainstorm.

🔹 Empathy
Intelligent people have high emotional intelligence.

Which of these traits do you identify with the most?

Let me know in the comments.

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The right job will have the right feel.

It will feel unbelievably exciting.
It will feel unencumbered.
It will feel understanding.
It will feel encouraging.
It will feel challenging.
It will feel welcoming.
It will feel respectful.
It will feel accepting.
It will feel impactful.
It will feel inspiring.
It will feel amazing.
It will feel creative.
It will feel safe.
It will feel fair.

🔥 As Jean says:

”When praying for a job, also pray for a culture that gives you respect, growth, and peace of mind.”

(Image Credit: Jean Kang)

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3 emotions that can destroy your job interview.
(And how to overcome them)

Interviews are stressful:

• You don’t know the people
• You don’t know what’s expected
• You don’t know if you’re good enough

These three emotions can take over.

But you can overcome them with some help.

😱 Embarrassment
This is your fear of not looking the part.

Worrying about your appearance?

• Dress to impress
• Get the haircut
• Groom yourself
• Put on the cologne (even if it’s an online interview)

🔥 Look good to feel good.

😱 Fear of Stumbling
This is your fear of saying the wrong things.

Stumbling and regretting things you’ve said?

• Prepare your answers
• Rehearse your answers
• Ask your friend for help

🔥 Do it 100 times, and you will deliver naturally.

😱 Fear of Failure
This is your fear of not getting the job.

Imagining a scenario when you don’t get a job?

• Take 5 minutes
• Sit down in a quiet place
• Relax and imagine you getting the job

🔥 Visualize success. Imagine it’s a done deal.

When you are confident of success, you feel calm.
When you feel calm, then you can be yourself.

📌 Nothing is more powerful than being yourself.

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3 Hard Hitting Emotions That Destroy Job Interviews

15 clear signs of a highly intelligent employee:

1. They treat everyone fairly (including the janitor).
↳ Fairness is THE attribute of intelligence. 

2. They despise micromanagement in all forms. 
↳ Micromanagement kills creativity and initiative. 

3. They know how to say no and say it often.
↳ Success requires focus, and focus is built on Nos. 

4. They go out of their way to help others succeed. 
↳ A rising tide lifts all boats. Helping others is helping yourself.

5. They prioritize their goals and dreams ruthlessly. 
↳ No one will help you achieve your goals if you don’t have them.

6. They have hobbies and read widely. 
↳ Being interested in other things keeps your mind sharp. 

7. They keep away from office politics and gossip. Always.
↳ Drama sucks you into a vortex of depression and unhappiness.

8. They start a side business, fail and start again. 
↳ Failure is not the end. Failure is a new beginning. 

9. They appreciate and respect others’ intelligence. 
↳ Learning from smart people is your shortcut to success. 

10. They exercise regularly to keep their bodies in tune. 
↳ A healthy body leads to a healthy mind leads to a happy you. 

11. They try building a business at least once in their career. 
↳ Entrepreneurship is the best way to build your resilience. 

12. They protect their time with their life. 
↳ Time is the only resource you can’t make more of. 

13. They focus on outcomes, not metrics. 
↳ Metrics mark your progress. Outcomes get your home.

14. They understand what’s important to people. 
↳ Focusing on solving problems gets you to the top. 

15. They stay grounded and humble. 
↳ It’s about respecting yourself and others. 

🧨 Bonus: 

16. They learn. Continuously.
↳ Life is a journey filled with learning. 

🔥 Intelligence isn’t about being the best. 
It’s about being the best person you can be. 

Which of these habits resonates most with you?
Let me know in the comments. 

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95% of people lose focus in meetings.
Many read the news, play games or shop online.

And it’s not their fault.

Most meetings are draining, lacking a purpose and usually a waste of everyone’s time.

😁 Should we just cancel them and live happily ever after?

We need to have meetings. But we must find a way to make them more effective.

Here’s how Amazon tackles meeting effectiveness.
Four rules from Jeff Bezos:

1️⃣ Two Pizza Rule
No team meeting should be so large that two pizzas can’t feed the whole group. This rule ensures ideas flow freely.

2️⃣ Empty Chair Rule
In every meeting, leave an empty chair to represent the customer. It’s a reminder of what you should focus on.

3️⃣ No PowerPoint
Skip the PowerPoint. Instead, write ideas out in a memo. It helps to clarify thinking and have deeper discussions.

4️⃣ Begin With Silence
Begin with 20 minutes of silent reading. This ensures that everyone is on the same page during the meeting.

—

I've tried them with my team, and they really work.
So, I recommend giving these rules a try.

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(Statistic Source: Human Resources Direct)

Most people think high IQ = more promotions.
Reality Check: High EQ gets you promoted faster.

📌 What is EQ?

Emotional Quotient measures self-awareness.
Most people call it Emotional Intelligence.

EQ is about:

• Knowing yourself
• Handling conflict calmly
• Being fair and respectful
• Having empathy for others
• Making sure others are heard
• Projecting a calming presence
• Keeping your emotions in check
• Celebrating when others do well

📌 What is IQ

Intelligence Quotient measures intellectual abilities.
Most refer to it as simply Intelligence.

IQ is about:

• Spotting patterns and connections
• Storing and retrieving information
• Understanding complexity
• Verbal comprehension
• Solving problems
• Reasoning ability
• Thinking speed

Both are crucial to success at work, but EQ takes the top spot.

If you want to get promoted at work, work on your Emotional Intelligence.

→ It makes work more satisfying.
→ It makes your team stronger.
→ It gets you promoted faster.
→ It helps you lead better.

Elevate your EQ.
Your career will thank you for it.

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Your Next Promotion

15 interview questions that come up again and again.
(Master them to get hired)

🧨 Tell me the truth. 

When you get asked an interview question, do you try to give an answer that will impress the interviewer?

🔥 And this is where most interviews go wrong. 

➟ You get nervous
➟ You stumble through
➟ You feel like you’ve failed

The best candidates don’t try to please the interviewers. 
The best candidates just focus on telling their story with results.

➟ Share your story
➟ Talk about your results
➟ Show what you’re all about

❤️ If the interviewer connects with you, you will get the job. 

To help you prepare, here are 15 common interview questions: 

• • • • • • • • •

1/ Tell me about yourself.
↳ Start broad, then focus on your results in one area that is relevant to the job. 

2/ Why are you leaving your current job?
↳ Talk about how much you’ve grown and that you are looking for new challenges. Never, ever put down your current or previous employers. 

3/ What's your biggest weakness?
↳ Share a real weakness and describe how you’re working to improve.

4/ Describe a time you handled an ethical dilemma.
↳ Share a story that highlights your integrity. Talk about what you decided to do and why. 

5/ How do you stay current?
↳ Describe the books, podcasts and courses you’ve consumed.

6/ What are your salary expectations?
↳ Tell them exactly what you want. Ask about the range they offer. 

7/ Describe a difficult challenge you’ve overcome.
↳ Set context. Share why it was difficult and what you did to overcome it. 

8/ Why should we hire you over others?
↳ Focus on one skill that is your competitive advantage over others.

9/ What's your proudest achievement?
↳ Prepare a story about your struggle and how you overcame it to succeed. 

10/ Describe a time you missed a deadline.
↳ Describe the steps you took to remedy the missed deadline and what you are doing now. 

11/ Describe a difficult decision you had to make under time pressure.
↳ If you have a model or a framework, share it and describe how you used it. 

12/ Tell me about a time you had to give feedback.
↳ Share two stories about how you give positive and negative feedback. 

13/ What motivates you?
↳ Share what moves you. 

14/ How do you handle conflict? 
↳ Share a story where you were able to resolve a difficult situation.

15/ Why do you want this role?
↳ Connect the dots between your experience and the company’s mission and values. 

❌ If you want to get the job:  prepare, memorize, and flatter the interviewers. 

✅ If you want to get the RIGHT job, prepare the answers that show how you’re the right fit for the role. 

Study, prepare, nail the interview. 

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15 Common Interview Questions

Harsh truth:
It’s hard to achieve success unless…

You change how you think about success. 

📌 Change your thinking, change your outcomes. 

Confidence → suppresses doubt
Ambition → destroys laziness
Dreams → decapitate fear
Growth → smothers ego
Wisdom → stifles anger
Peace → dulls jealousy

What happens to you in life may not be your choice. 
How you respond to it … is. 

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How to answer the most important interview question:
“Why should we hire you?”

❌ The answer most people want to give:

• I’m a hard-working team player
• I’m the ultimate professional
• I’m the most qualified

✅ What the hiring manager wants to know:

• If you’ve read the job description
• If you stand out from others
• If you will add value

Use The Value Connection formula to answer this question. 

It has three parts that help you show that you have accomplished a lot and are ready to grow.

🔥 The Value Connection:

• Your Warm Opening
• Your Value Delivery
• Your Traits Close

Let’s break it down:
👉 (Detailed breakdown in the carousel)

1️⃣ Your Warm Opening
Acknowledge that you are glad to answer this question.

2️⃣ Your Value Delivery
Connect each requirement you’ve selected to a value example.

3️⃣ Your Traits Close
Close the deal by offering to expand on your answer and listing your traits.

📌 Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.
This is your chance to brag about your accomplishments.

When you answer this question using this formula, you demonstrate that:

• You’re a professional
• You understand the job
• You’re going to add immense value

Check out the carousel for a complete example.

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The Battle

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey

Terry Danylak

Followers

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Performance ScoreDr. Elizabeth Lindsey's LinkedIn Performance

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The Battle

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey

Terry Danylak

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreDr. Elizabeth Lindsey's LinkedIn Performance