4 Mindsets to Adopt to Make Your Struggles Ignite Your Super Strengths Job loss, Seasons of Heavy Change & Hustle
Hey Mamas!
Danielle here. Proud working mom of twin toddler boys, problem solver and nerd at heart (M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, self improvement junkie), and lover of travel (damn, I miss the buzz of an airport and excitement of flight and adventure) and all things Champagne. I’ve spent the last 12 years in Corporate America, in various leadership positions across Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Business Development and Program Management functions, and most recently as a Director managing a team of 7 and an annual $200M engine spare parts program in aviation, while negotiating and executing services contracts and delighting global customers.
What a time to be alive.
If there was ever a year of growth and opportunity, 2020 is it! That is, if you allowed it to be. For many of us — parents, I’m talking to you — we had no choice; especially the mamas, or the parental figure in the home who took on the majority of the emotional and literal pandemic baggage.
It was not easy wearing all the hats each of us were asked to rock this year (especially at the same time!). But somehow we did it; we’re doing it. And while it may have seemed impossible at time, we adapted and we’re better for it, and we each deserve a big fat medal. I would like my “medal” in the form of a kids-free girls weekend, with all the pampering and time to read and sleep in, once this vaccine is available. A girl can dream *wink*.
Guys, I lost my job due to COVID-19 this year, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
What?
You heard that right.
Don’t get me wrong, it sucked, and it is not easy dealing with surprise job loss anytime, especially during a global pandemic, but it sure did teach me a thing or two about life and resilience, the things that really matter, and what it means to be Strong As a Mother. I’m pretty sure you can relate.
It also forced me to get super clear on who I am, what I want to do, and where I want to invest my talents next, and that was the catalyst that enabled me to dive into the wonderful world of personal branding (more on that later). All of this is why I will continue to view 2020 as a gift. The layoff part of this year was a gift in itself because it taught me some exceptional lessons and gave me the gift of TIME. Time to reevaluate everything.
Even though many of us really took this year to the face, and I am right there with you, I will be forever grateful for the super strengths that I (re)discovered and ignited due to the insanity and opportunities that unfolded. What’s amazing about this year, is that it had so much challenge and unexpected change, that I found myself almost in a constant state of adaptation and resilience training — two things that I think us mamas are naturally working on all the time, and this year we really got to take those skills to the next level. Because of it, I forced myself to really dial in some mindsets and sharpen my toolkit so that I can continue to evolve into my next level of greatness regardless of what sh*t sandwich life decides to serve me on a silver platter. I’m going to share them with you as well, so that you can level up too.
These are the mindsets and lessons we can all learn from and own, so that we can each be ready to live our best life, and effectively continue to handle anything in any and all seasons of this wonderful and crazy life. Let’s get into it.
View every single challenge, failure and closed door as an opportunity, and use it to help you move towards your next level of greatness.
Anything worth doing or achieving is hard. Stop wasting energy talking about or thinking about the hard part of whatever you’re doing or want to do, and instead put that energy into taking the necessary actions to achieve the goal.
Look for the moments worth celebrating every damn day, and celebrate them effervescently. Open that bottle of champagne.
Consistency, passion, focus and HUSTLE are more important than raw talent.
Showing up as your authentic self in every single room you enter is the only way to live.
Which one resonated with you the most?
These are the mindsets that have been really helping me crush this year, without letting it crush me (there were some tough moments though, let me tell you!).
When I lost my job...I’ve always had some form of “work” that has been a significant part of my identity since I was a fresh out of college grad...I had to get really clear on my new identity (“Who am I?” and “What do I want?”) as I began my job search.
Sidebar: The same thing..the identity confusion...happened when I became a new mom, but I didn't know how to handle it then.
It was exciting and also terrifying, which is how I fell into personal branding. It forced me to get real with myself. I had to ask myself the tough questions that helped me dial in what I want out of this life, what kind of legacy do I want to leave behind, and most importantly how do I want to show up in the world so that I could embrace all the unique elements that made me, ME, and love my life — this is personal branding. Owning and celebrating your whole authentic self in everything you do, which led me to lesson #5 above.
As moms it's easy to feel a disconnect between the mom life and the work/personal life and it can feel as though we need to hide one world from the other, but I want us to stop doing this. Momming is a super strength that can and should be leveraged in all aspects of our life.
My final message to us all is to own that whole person, own your personal brand: the adaptable and resilient and scrappy mom, the multifaceted wife/friend/sister, the human who loves to learn about Champagne (or insert your nerdy hobby here), and the woman with passions and interests and unique skills that only YOU can deliver in the way you can deliver them. Allow her to show up authentically everywhere. And celebrate her fiercely. I want us to live in a world where "having executive presence" is as celebrated of a skill as "being an adaptable and resilient working mom" (which it is, we just have to be louder about it).
If you want a little help dialing in your personal brand, hit me up on the 'gram or be on the lookout for my personal branding tips, tricks and resources. And if you want a copy of my pressure-tested marketing bundle of personal branding collateral to help you level-up your work-life and dial in your personal brand, download the Bubbles & Babes Branding Bundle — it's packed with the 3 tools you need beyond the resume, and it's for anyone leading up to a career transition or inflection point, and anyone on the verge of change.
Cheers Mamas,
xx, Danielle
For more Modern Day Working Mom tips and tricks, and ways to live your best life while actualizing your full potential, follow Danielle @BubblesandBabes and check out her blog (www.bubblesandbabesinc.com).