Strong Stuff Asks: Why Did I Say This But Do That?

Having spent a fair amount of time talking with and for several years living with a person who earned a six-figure income, there are a few “secrets” that I have been privy to. For one thing, although it is a mind set, there is much that is gleaned from consistently being in the position to… Read More »

The Great Male Bonding Hoax

My very good friend Carlos and I never tested our friendship. Many mornings we worked together serving coffee and discussing what we would do once our shifts ended. Often our conversations involved advising one another about intimate relationships, money and career ambitions. When my birthday rolled around in February 2008, everything changed. I threw a… Read More »

How I learned to Stay Out of Credit Card Debt

Being young is great. Being young, dumb and broke is not. At twenty three, I thought I knew everything. Particularly around money. I didn’t know that money was an entity to be managed and nurtured like all great relationships. And since I chose stupidity over learning about and dealing with money, credit card companies swooped… Read More »

Winning at Work By Giving Up Certainty

“Learning Organizations” are not just the topic of TED Talks and progressive companies, it is now the chic little black dress of corporate America. While I am all about learning in my personal and day to day existence, I get queasy and befuddled when I am instructed to share my dreams with a group of… Read More »

How to Survive 2.5 Years of Unemployment Without Losing Your Mind

When I was laid off from a wonderful job that I loved, I didn’t panic. When one month of unemployment became three , I didn’t panic. After hitting the one year jobless mark, I panicked. While others around me railed on nonstop about the recession and no money and foreclosures, I confidently assured myself and… Read More »

What Kim Kardashian Can Teach Us

The reason we love our celebrities (Oprah, Salma Hayek, Tina Turner, Chris Rock, Margaret Cho, Susan Sarandon) is because when they speak, people listen. Many years ago, celebrity and those that had acquired it, had to be earned and there was a definite reason that we paid attention to certain individuals. When I was a… Read More »

The Buffy Summers School of Surviving Joblessness

I love saying that Joss Whedon inspired me and gave me insight through a fictional world that all things are possible. Joss’s creation allowed us to look for and expect power in all the forgotten and dismissed places in the world. Whedon forced me to push past the limits of my imagination and my real… Read More »

How Brownies Helped me Survive Joblessness

There is a part of us that is very wise and is extremely adept at coming up with solutions and thinking things through. To thrive amidst chaos and upset, we should undoubtedly listen to the wise part of us. It is this part of my right thinking mind that came up with the great idea… Read More »