4/26/2024 Newsletter: I cry a lot but I’m so productive
Hi Friend!
Even if you aren’t a Swiftie you may have heard about the song on her new album “I can do it with a broken heart”.
Specifically, let’s take a moment to appreciate that line -
“I cry a lot but I’m so productive”
Crying buckets but still getting stuff done? A true anthem for every busy woman out there!
But let's get real - behind the scenes, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. We're all balancing a circus of family, pets, and occasional meltdowns (under the desk or otherwise). 🤯
And I know you think you are staying cool calm and collected but your boss isn't blind to those frantic vibes or those "I've got it all together" sighs. (Your team isn’t either.
And if you are thinking about climbing that career ladder and bigger responsibilities? Hold your horses!
The truth is - nobody's handing out promotions to frazzled folks barely keeping their heads above water. It's not just about ticking off tasks; it's about moving the needle as a strategic powerhouse! 💥
So mark your calendars for my brand-new masterclass on May 3rd, where I’m sharing all my HR insider secrets on how to level up without losing your cool.
📅 I’m talking ninja-level boundaries to soar up the career ladder while keeping your sanity intact. Trust me, it's gonna be a banger!
And hey, if the thought of your boss or work nemesis gate-crashing the Zoom party has you breaking out in a cold sweat, fear not! It's a webinar - your secret's safe with me! 🤫
Can't make it? No worries! I'll send you the replay so you can soak in all the wisdom at your own pace. 📽️
In the meantime, take a moment to ponder: Are you actually as productive as you think? What are some boundaries you need to put in place to be not just productive - but effective?
Stay fabulous, stay fierce, and let's conquer the world - one strategic move at a time! 💼✨
Cheers to being both productive AND sane,
Nicole Case
Nicole’s Favorite Things!
What I’m reading, listening to, wearing, and just overall enjoying right now…what I’d share with you if we were in a group chat together!
📖READING: Bride, by Ali Hazelwood Still on my romantacy bullshit. This was quick and easy read - a little lighter on the world-building. It seems like it’s the first book of a series. Entertaining read if you are in between series!
🎧LISTENING: The Money With Katie Show: The Black Market Turning “Stealth Wealth” & “Quiet Luxury” Upside Down
🫶LOVING: Sushi from Wegmans for a quick and easy lunch. IYKYK
Full Transcript:
So Taylor Swift's new album came out last week and I'm sure many of us have already listened to it several times. And I will say that one of my favorite songs is I can do it with a broken heart, particularly the line that just, uh, is I cry a lot, but I'm so productive. It's an art. And if that's not an ode to every freaking busy woman out there, I don't know what it is. And the truth is we all have shit behind the scenes, like bright, we're all dealing with family stuff. Kids, pets, spouses, friends, all that stuff.
[00:00:29] And I know that we can handle a lot. I know we can handle a lot and we've been doing it since the beginning of time. Right. And there's even like this sense of pride, I think, for us to try and do all of the things. And yeah, you might be getting it all done, but at what cost and is it actually getting done well? We say yes to all of these things, and we might not be delegating properly to our teams, or we might be putting in. Too much effort in certain things that don't require 110% effort.
[00:00:59] And then we find ourselves under the desk crying, as Taylor mentioned. And believe me, I've been, I've totally been there too. I've burnt out a few times in my career and it's usually come back. It usually comes back to me, just not setting certain boundaries. Around my time, my effort, my expertise. And I'm going to tell you something right now. The truth is that you aren't hiding the fact. That you're crying a lot that you're pulling your hair out because your team and your boss can see it.
[00:01:27] They can see. The frantic. they can see you being on edge. They can see your snappy responses, your deep sighs. Or again, maybe you're starting to miss some of these small things and just generally not being on top of everything, like either you usually are, or like you think you are. Again, I can be. I can remember being in a talent review meeting. A couple of years ago, talking with senior leaders about who we were going to promote and give a larger scope to because of an acquisition that we had just done. And when a particular name came up in conversation. Just, they were immediately dismissed.
[00:02:05] They just immediately dismiss that person. They were just like, ah, no, they, they can barely handle what they have now. And just, and they moved on to the next person, you know, to discuss the next person. So if you are looking for a promotion, you're looking to take on bigger responsibilities, you're looking on to move up. We know that you can do it like you have the capabilities to do it.
[00:02:26] However, no one is going to give you a bigger scope or more responsibilities. If it appears that you cannot handle what you already have, again, you might be productive. Like you might be getting all the work done, but you aren't being affected. And that's the difference between managers who are doing things. And the strategic upgraded leaders who are being effective.
[00:02:46] So I love talking about this topic and I, again, I think this is a secret about how people get promoted up to senior strategic. Leader roles, like get that promotion to that director. You know, senior director, VP level. So we'll be talking more about this next Friday, May 3rd at 12 noon Eastern. It's a brand new masterclass that I've never done before.
[00:03:08] I'm really excited for it. Five boundaries to move up and be seen as a strategic leader. I'll link to it down below. Where you can get signed up for that. And, um, if you're a little bit nervous about like, well, I'm Nicole, I'm nervous to like, kind of show up to one of these things and like, oh no, I'll have my boss. Ended up being on the call as well.
[00:03:25] I'm going to be using the zoom webinar. So like, nobody can see that, except for me, you know, who is, who is there because all of that is going to be hidden. So don't be afraid of that. I would love for you to join live. And if you can't join live, cause you got some dumb meeting that you got to go to that, you know, is I actually going to be, um, beneficial, but you still gotta be there. Feel free to go ahead and sign up anyway, and then I'll know to send you the replay as well so that you can watch it on your own time. But in the meantime between now and then I want you to think about if you believe you are being productive. But, you know, you're crying a lot. Can your team and your leadership tell like, really think about that.
[00:04:01] Like, what are some things that like, you can look at another leader and be like, oh yeah, they don't, they're doing stuff, but they don't have it altogether. Like, turn that back around on yourself. And then think about what are some boundaries that you need to put into place in order to be more effective and not just productive.
