Moonshot Mentor with Laverne McKinnon

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit moonshotmentor.substack.com Being taken advantage of in the workplace can leave you feeling overworked and underappreciated. In this week’s blog and blogcast, I look into the signs of being exploited on the job and explore practical strategies to reclaim your power, restore balance and potential avenues for resolution.

Have you ever faced a major setback in your career and wondered if success is still possible? Most professionals - whether they talk it about or not - experience career losses that shake their confidence and make them question their future. These experiences are excruciating, painful and dis-orienting. They leave us feeling unmoored with no clear North Star. Sadly, negative self-talk can take over...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit moonshotmentor.substack.com Losing a job can feel like losing a part of yourself. In her poignant essay, “Silver Linings Playlist: An Amputee’s Songs of Healing,” Diana Theobald shares a startling truth: the emotional impact of job loss can be as devastating as losing a limb. This might sound extreme, but it resonates deeply with many w...

Have you ever felt stuck, no matter how hard you try to succeed? Do you find yourself caught in a cycle of working harder but not seeing the results you want? One of the reasons you may feel stuck is that you hold mistaken beliefs.  Many of us hold onto mistaken beliefs that act like super glue, binding us to patterns that don’t serve us. These beliefs might feel like truths, but they cloud our vi...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit moonshotmentor.substack.com Are you feeling adrift in your career, unsure of which path to take next? Do you find yourself navigating through the twists and turns of professional life, occasionally losing sight of your true direction? If so, you're not alone. Many of us have experienced moments of uncertainty and confusion as we journey...

This week’s blog and blogcast is about bravery, perseverance, and never giving up on your dreams. It’s a story about a girl named Aurora who loves to ski. It's about how she learns to ski and strives to become better, even when it's tough. She has to go through lots of ups and downs, just like going up and down a ski slope. Sometimes, she gets scared or falls, but she doesn't give up. With the hel...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit moonshotmentor.substack.com Many of you know of my obsession with Trader Joes movie popcorn. Well, the other day, I went off the deep end and ate an entire bag by myself.  The truth is that I was eating my feelings. The Germans have a word for it: Kummerspeck. Essentially it means “Grief Bacon." So in this week’s blog, I unpack the danc...

We live in a world in which stressors are non stop. Combine that with a culture that values grinding away and a “never give up, never surrender” attitude and we’ve got a recipe for disaster.   So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or just plain drained, you're not alone. It's not uncommon to grapple with depleted resilience and struggle to bounce back from curveballs. But here's the thing: resi...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit moonshotmentor.substack.com Listening is the cornerstone to a successful and long career, fostering loving and compassionate relationships, and building confidence and esteem. I write and talk about listening frequently, and yet I haven’t taken the extra step to hear from you by asking what’s important in your life and in your career. ...

I’ve just had a major personal breakthrough by doing something that is totally out of character for me. I shut my mouth trap.  Thanks to Craig Ferguson for the pro-tip on the three questions I need to ask myself before speaking up. It’s such a battle of ego vs. empathy!  Check out this week’s blog, which involves Trader Joe's Movie Popcorn,  the best chicken kabob pita sandwiches from Amir Falafel...

Should I quit my job is one of the most frequent questions I get asked as a career coach. Whether you're pondering your current job satisfaction or considering a career change, this week’s Moonshot Mentor blog offers practical insights and strategies for making informed decisions. I take a business tool I learned when I got my MBA and repurpose it for career assessment. It’s called return on inves...

As an overachiever, I’m always looking for ways to define and measure success – especially as it relates to being in command of my career journey. In this week’s blog, I share how to use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to redefine success on your terms which includes saying goodbye to endlessly comparing yourself to others. Which we all know is not helpful at all .. and yet so hard to stop!  Thi...

Have you ever worn a tank top or flip flops in the winter? Have you ever thrown perfectly fine milk out because the sell by date is in the past? Have you ever dumped a healthy plant because it’s no longer in season? These are all examples of how our society is overly focused on what’s new and what’s in season. In today’s blog and podcast, I take that mistaken belief system that “new is better” and...

Assessment is the key to career longevity. Judgment is the fast track to being a flash in the pan.  Assessment creates a path forward. Judgment creates a black hole.  Assessment is curious and full of possibility. Judgment is a slammed door.  Check out this week’s blog to learn more about how assessment over judgment is the cornerstone to career clarity and growth. This is a public episode. If you...

Have you ever heard the phrase “fake it till you make it?” There’s definitely value in embracing this approach, but a more effective way to gain confidence is to lean heavily into courage — which does not mean pretending to be something that you’re not. When seeking to bolster your confidence, the one crucial ingredient you can't afford to overlook is courage. In this week’s blog, I explore the co...

I had  a scary wake-up call recently when I was caught in the whirlwind of juggling multiple responsibilities while neglecting my own well-being.  It was a valuable lesson for me on how stress often lurks beneath the surface and then rears its ugly head and stops me in my tracks.   But here’s the thing, I actually think I’m pretty good at self-care. This recent experience though taught me that I w...

It's the end of January and I'm wondering if all your good intentions on how you're going to navigate the year and achieve your goals is slipping through your fingers? If yes, you're not alone. (If no, you’re a rock star!)  Setting goals can be a thrilling ride, but often, the road to achieving them is paved with unexpected twists. If you've ever found yourself frustrated or contemplating ditching...

Understanding the intent behind your words and actions is what will  determine who is in the driver’s seat of your life and career. You may think that you are driving, but if you are not clear on how you are honoring your values and purpose then your life will slowly and inevitably spin out of control.  And you’re going to feel really crummy along the way.   In this week’s blog, I explore how Inte...

As I start to wind down on 2023, I keep returning to the most inspiring book I read this year: Tricia Hersey's Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto . If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it as a gift to yourself. When Hersey wrote about Grind Culture, I felt like I was caught in the headlights holding my gigantic to-do list, color coded markers and pomodoro timer. In my final blog and blogcas...

Throughout my life, I’ve had this niggling thought that maybe I’ve been playing small. When I learned about the concept of “moonshots” it got me thinking that maybe I was playing small because I was afraid to fail. The very nature of a moonshot is that you’re likely to not succeed, but wow - what a journey it is there to try and get there!!  In today’s blog, I explore steps to uncover your unique...

I've had the privilege of witnessing people move from stagnation and apathy to motivation, focus, and passion. Some have transformed from timid bystanders into visionary leaders. Others, who once played small or not at all, have changed the trajectory of someone else's life. How did they do this? By aligning their talents and passions into a clearly defined life purpose.  This week’s blog and podc...

Do you ever wonder how a beekeeper tolerates all the bee stings of the job? Well it got me wondering about how to develop professional resilience - especially since I’ve had more than the occasional professional “sting.” Check out this week’s blog to learn how to build your tolerance to those 'ouch' moments in your career. 🐝 I call it the BEE: Building Empowerment through Endurance concept. Is it...

A few weeks ago, I was up at Mammoth Lakes for the first time. On a hike in the forest I came across a remarkable pine tree that had been struck by lightning and was folded in half. It was an embodiment of resilience - it was sprouting new branches despite its deep wounds.  In this week’s post, I explore how to access resilience through building a strong foundation in your life by honoring your va...

A friend recently had a major setback at work - it honestly was a sh*t show and both my friend and their organization was at fault. It was heartbreaking to witness how each side engaged in finger pointing and didn’t actually take time to confront the failure. The failure of the project, the failure of communication, the failure of process. In today’s post, I talk about the critical role of resilie...

Everyone gets triggered.  It’s normal to have a strong emotional response to a situation that violates your values or reminds you of an upsetting time in your life. One of the best ways to manage them is to know your triggers so you trigger less frequently and process quicker.  That being said, you’ll never not be triggered. I know. It sucks. To give you a handle on tackling situations where you'r...