After months of silence and rejection, you start believing you should be grateful for anything. That’s the quiet lie long-term unemployment tells you—and I believed it too.

My father wasn’t just my dad, he was my greatest mentor. On what would have been his 88th birthday, I reflect on the lessons he taught me about integrity, resilience, and love through his words, his actions, and the values that shaped my life and career.

When hiring managers scan a resume, the first thing they see isn’t your skills or your leadership. They see your company names. If you’ve built your career at smaller companies, you start every interview at a deficit.

This International Women’s Day, I’m not here to celebrate resilience. I’m here to ask: What if women didn’t have to be resilient just to belong?

Too many talented people are waiting for permission to lead — when the real work of leadership starts the moment you stop asking.

After 15 months of job searching, even the smallest flicker of hope — one email, one human actually reading my resume — feels enormous. This is what job search really looks like now.

When my CEO demanded a scapegoat, I refused. “If he wants a head on a pike, it’ll be mine.” Leadership is about responsibility, not fear.

The best product doesn’t always win—the best marketing does. Two brands, two strategies, one clear winner. The difference? Emotion beats logic every time.

Leadership isn’t just about influence—it’s about responsibility. My son’s behavior in class set the wrong example, and owning his mistake publicly was the real lesson. The same applies in business.

Leadership built on fear isn’t leadership at all. A new federal mandate forcing employees to justify their work—or be considered resigned—is a dangerous precedent. This power-driven approach is creeping into corporate America, too.

Job seekers are more than faceless applicants in a broken hiring system. This post exposes how companies reduce talented professionals to labels like "unemployed" or "not a fit"—and why it’s time to change the system, not the people. If hiring managers won’t see us, we will see each other.

Leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about empowerment. True leaders uplift, inspire, and create opportunities for others to thrive. Whether you’re sharing ideas, mentoring, or fostering resilience, leadership is a daily practice of empowering those around you.