Just as I believe that everyone has gifts to share with the world, things that they excel at doing, and can do better than most people, I know that there are things that I’m not good at doing. I’ve learned that the best way to compensate for that, is to partner with people who have the skill sets I lack.

What do I mean by that? Let me share an example. I do not think in pictures, while I can appreciate a beautiful scene, like the shining green leaves on the trees outside my office window, I have a great deal of difficulty visualizing the same scene.

What does that have to do with rebranding? I’ve known for years that images are really important to many other people. The old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” exists for a reason.
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One of my first afternoon’s as an entrepreneur was a photo shoot with a semi-professional photographer friend. She did the photo shoot as a favour, so that I could have a decent professional looking headshot and a few other images for my website and business cards. Up until this month, the fabulous image she took of a path in the woods near my home served as the banner image on my website, LinkedIn and Twitter profiles.
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I’ve updated my head shot a couple of times since then. Even though I attended many branding workshops I hadn’t really spent much time thinking about it.

​In 2018, I invested in getting a logo created for Empowered Path Inc., I love my tree themed logo!

In my company logo, the tree represents a good life. The trunk is a blank space which turns into two branches within the leaves. The blank spaces represent that there is more than one path to creating a good life.
 
Circles can mean a lot of things to different people. To me, a circle represents collaboration, respect and influence. When we treat each other with respect and collaborate, we can help each other learn how to thrive. Each person has a circle of Influence. When we collaborate, we increase our circle of Influence, affecting more people.
 
This year, as I prepared to launch online courses, I decided to invest in getting help from professionals whose strengths complement mine. I reached out to my network to reconnect with Jen Detlor Kerr, from DetDesigns, and asked her to create a logo to represent the paid course that I’ll be offering soon.
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I think in words and connections. I provided Jen with a very long description of what the course would involve along with a few pictures of a Bear puzzle as inspiration for what kinds of image I was looking for. I really liked that the outside edges were a blurred version of elements from inside of the bear and that the elements in the bear could represent different ideas and concepts.

I asked Jen to come up with an image that incorporated the main themes of my course, with stand alone elements over a sort of treasure map, showing that there were many different paths to success, which are often unknown and can be discovered and explored. I asked her to find a way to represent treasures (opportunities), obstacles, and inclusiveness all in one image.

Remember, I can appreciate images, without being able to visualize them. Jen created a glorious image, that exceeded my expectations, and looked nothing like anything I could have possibly visualized on my own. She shared drafts with me, which I shared with a close group of Thought Partners for feedback.

At the end of the process, the course logo image is infinitely more effective and powerful than anything I could have come up with on my own. 

What does this image mean to me?

It represents a treasure map for living a good life. Many things are uncertain, there are no charted paths, opportunities are all around us, and there is more than one definition of success.

The jewels represent opportunities, which are sometimes hidden. The blocks represent obstacles. The network image represents an inclusive network of Friendly Forces, people who want to help us achieve our goals, our Thought Partners. The 3 concentric circles represent the circle of influence. The silver trophy and the silver medal with a purple ribbon represent different definitions of success. The compass represents each individual’s capacity to seize control of discovering, exploring and navigating a path to their unique definition of success.

I love this look and feel so much, that I’ve rebranded my entire website to match it. And over the last couple of weeks, as Jen provided slightly simpler less busy versions the images, I quietly and without fanfare updated all of my social media banners.

Rebranding has been an adventure!
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If you enjoyed reading this you may also enjoy:
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To learn more about my new online courses click here.

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“Recce” is a military term, short for reconnaissance, and basically means exploring the paths you might take without committing too much energy or investing a lot of money and other resources to help you make an educated guess on how you may choose to achieve your goals.

One of my dreams when starting my business was to deliver training to help people reach their goals. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to do this, so I spent a LOT of time in Recce mode. I grew my network, met and collaborated on a variety of projects, all the while building up my business savvy.

Last year, I decided to expand my business by offering online courses. To set the conditions for success to deliver content to a wider audience, I did an in depth Recce. I reached out to people in my network and asked for advice. I started with learning about how to make my content as accessible as possible, because Inclusion Diversity Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) are all very important to me. And quite frankly much of the online content readily available is NOT that accessible, which creates an opportunity for my business!

In 2020, I hired Two Canes Consulting. After doing a website audit, and making the Empowered Path website more accessible, Sarina Cormier and Natalie Minnema taught me how to create more accessible online content. Then, I asked them to research and complete user testing on potential platforms.

In early 2021, I participated in a WE CAN Project at Queens University six-week eCommerce coaching course delivered by Dionne Baker of Shop Boss Secrets. She helped me realize the most effective path to delivering online content was through a host site, also known as a marketplace.

I realized that to do this right, I needed to invest in getting help with the things that I’m neither good at, nor enjoy doing. I reached out to the Friendly Forces in my network again. “Friendly Forces” is a military term, that basically means, the people who are likely to be on your side, that you can count on to help you out in a tough spot.

Penny Olorenshaw, from Build Marketing helped me create an email marketing plan, made more improvements to my website, and helped build the Empowered Path courses site.

In 2020, I took Smartphone Video Formula courses in person and online with Aaron and Angela Bell. They helped me realize I could record lessons on my phone if I wanted to. I asked Aaron for a referral for video editors. Playing around trying to edit videos on my own was fun, but ultimately not my strength.

I love learning, when I invested in the Pro + Growth Thinkific package, I took the training offered to learn how to set up the paid course I’ll be launching this spring. One of the first pieces of advice they shared is to offer a free mini course to let people know who you are and what your training is like.

My immediate reaction was to feel sick to my stomach, because any time I record video with no live audience I do a terrible job! A few days later I woke up at 430 am and thought to myself, you have everything you need to upload a free mini course! A few minutes later I was at my desk outlining my first course.

For fun I’d set up my smartphone next to my laptop moments before I delivered the “Networking: Identifying and Connecting with Friendly Forces” session on April 20, 2021 to a live audience of over 100 serving military members, their spouses and others who support people transitioning to life beyond the military.

I’ll admit that the top of my head is not always onscreen, and I rarely make eye contact with my phone. In spite of that, when I watched the edited videos, I thought to myself “Yes! That’s the energy I bring when speaking with a live audience, even when I can’t see them.”

I reached out to the Friendly Forces team I’ve been connecting with to help me put together the paid courses and said, let’s do a test run with this free mini-course. I’m grateful to Jackie Bell and Taylor Bell from Gorgeous Edits for the fabulous work they did creating the short videos for my first publicly available online course.

I invite you to do a Recce to learn more about the free “Networking: Identifying and Connecting with Friendly Forces” course by clicking here.

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One of the biggest challenges when considering a career in an industry that is new to you, is finding out what it’s really like to work in that environment. This is just as true for veterans looking for a second career as it is for new grads looking for their first big job.
 
A great way to get a realistic job preview is to conduct what the human resources industry calls an informational interview. What’s an informational interview? In plain language, it’s what’s known as inviting someone for coffee. The thing is that most employers are too busy to go for coffee, and they’d rather not leave work to meet with people who are looking for jobs.
 
How do you get around that obstacle? Contact an employer that you’d like to work with and ask them if you could stop by with a cup of tea or coffee for a 15 to 20 minute conversation to talk to them about what it’s like to work in their industry.
 
There are a few ways you can figure out who would be open to this sort of conversation. You can ask people in your network if they know someone in the industry you’re interested in, or more specifically at the organization you think you might like to work at, and then ask your contact to introduce you, by email, phone, LinkedIn, it doesn’t have to be an in-person introduction.
 
Another way, is to research employers yourself (read Job Search Tips #1 blog) and then reach out with a targeted message, explaining why you’d like to chat, and offer to drop by with a caffeinated beverage of their choice in exchange for 15 to 20 minutes of their time.
 
Many people find the warm introduction more comfortable. The person you want to interview already has a trusting relationship with your mutual connection, and is likely to be open to talking with you.
 
The second type of connection can be just as effective, if you’re clear about why you want to meet. A great way to connect online is through the LinkedIn platform which over 19 million people in Canada use.
 
The rest of this post outlines how the conversation might go, and includes some prompts.
 
When we’re out of lock down the first contact by phone, email, LinkedIn message, would ask when would be a good time for you to drop by their work place with a caffeinated beverage of their choice for a 15 to 20 minute chat.
 
For now, let’s imaging that you reach out with a phone call. Start by asking if it's a good time for a short chat, 15 to 20 minutes. If they say no, ask when would be a good time to call back.
 
If they say yes, thank them and introduce yourself, how you got their number, you're about to become a veteran, a new grad, exploring potential careers, etc.
 
Phrases with the letters ROE before them are Rules of Engagement (ROE) for more you can download my short free e-book “Networking: Identifying and Connecting with Friendly Forces.”
 
ROE - Get to know the person and what they’re interested in - you already know that the person you’re contacting is in the industry that you want to learn more about, you could start by asking how they decided to get into this business, and what they most enjoy about their current role.

ROE - Tell them a little about you - you started this during your opening comments, tell them why you're interested in learning more about their industry, what you already know that makes this industry appealing to you, what skill sets and knowledge you hope would make you a good fit.
 
You could use the following types of phrases:
“I’m getting ready to transition to a new career”
“I’m starting to explore my options …”
 
Be prepared with a list of 4-5 questions written down before you call or meet in person.
 
The person you’re interviewing may answer some of your questions when they tell you why they got into the industry.
 
The last question you ask should be "Do you know someone else I should/can talk to about being in this industry?”
 
ROE - Things to avoid bringing up, unless they ask you about it first
Don't ask for a job!  If they offer, feel free to explore that opportunity.
Don't tell them too much personal information, they don't need to know everything about you. You’re there to learn about their industry, not to share all of your hopes and fears.
 
Don't under any circumstances bring a resume with you.
 
If they OFFER you a job
And you feel comfortable with the idea of working with them (they seem like a good person, their values seem to match yours, they shared good info)
THEN say something like, "I wasn't expecting this, I'd love to explore that further, can we set up a meeting to discuss this?" and "What information would you like from me for that meeting?" 

Not everyone uses resumes to hire!
 
OR you don't feel comfortable at all, and don't like the values they share while answering your questions
THEN say something along the lines of "Thank you, that's a generous offer. I'm still exploring my options, and not quite ready to work for someone outside of the military yet.” Or for new grads “….I’m still considering where I’m going to live.”
And end with “Can I get back to you?”
 
The reason that I recommend NOT bringing a resume with you, is to avoid putting you into job search mode, which sends off unconscious body tells, that the person you’re interviewing may very well perceive as needy and off-putting. You give off a completely different vibe if you’re asking someone about their job, and how they got started in that industry, then if you’re asking questions as part of a job interview.
 
If you enjoyed reading this post you may also enjoy:
 
Job Search Tips #1
To Speak, or Not to Speak: Professionally
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To get a free copy of my eBook “Networking: Identifying and Connecting with Friendly Forces” click here

Honesty is something we owe ourselves and the others in our lives. Honesty requires reflection, and facing uncomfortable truths. To me living honestly means that the person I show the world is the person I am. It’s about being genuine and authentic, being true to myself. 

I genuinely believe that we all have gifts to share, and I want everyone to thrive. That means, as I prepared to become a veteran, I reflected on what I enjoyed doing the most, speaking, training, and writing, and decided to use those three gifts to help people reach their full potential.

Over time, I realized that my special interests in leadership, inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and mentoring also lent themselves to coaching. Now I speak, train, write, coach and mentor. The speaking gigs I accept, the words I write and the training, coaching and mentoring I provide all serve the same purpose: to help people learn how to help themselves, their communities and organizations thrive.

In 2019, I attended my first ever retreat, called a Transition Lifeshop, delivered by another veteran Sandra Perron. It was 2 days and 2 nights for military affiliated women, that is women who are veterans, serving in the military or the spouse of someone who was serving in the military or a veteran. At the end of the weekend, as we were sharing what we learned, one of the women turned to me and said something along the lines of:

"When I saw you here the first night, I thought, aha, now I’m going to learn if this person is really who she says she is. I’ve heard you speak several times at the Second Career Assistance Network events and at an International Women’s Day event, and I’ve seen what you post on social media. I couldn’t believe that someone could be that honest about who they were. Well, you got me, everything you’ve said and done this weekend proved that you are who you tell people you are."

Being honest about who you are, especially to yourself, is critically important. Once you’re honest with yourself, about what truly motivates you, what brings you joy, which people uplift you, what activities and learning energize you, then you can start making choices that will help you lead a balanced, happy and successful life.

Each person should create their own definitions for balance, happy and successful. These definitions are most likely going to change over time. For years, I felt I was living a balanced life, working full time, studying part time, raising three young children with the help of my spouse and some amazing childcare providers, and volunteering. I even made time to be physically fit, most of the time!

I loved that life and felt happy. As my children grew, and the positions I was offered became what I’d originally used as my definition for a successful military career, I realized that my definition of balance, happiness and success had changed. As Dr Stephen R. Covey describes it, I realized I was climbing the wrong ladder.

The last position that the military offered me would have meant radical change for my family. As I pondered whether to accept the appointment or not, I realized that I wanted to be more present in my children’s and spouse’s lives, I wanted to volunteer more in my community, I wanted to be the change I wanted to see in the world, to influence people more widely than I could as a senior officer. I also wanted to share my gifts of speaking, training and writing to help create a new more equitable world.
 
Becoming a veteran and launching my own business was a bit like jumping off a cliff and learning how to fly on the way down, as I had no prior business experience. My only paid work up until that time had been a handful of baby-sitting gigs as a teen, a summer job with the Air Cadets before my last year of high school, and my 28 years in the Canadian Armed Forces.
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Now looking back over the past 9 years, I realize that the skills I learned in my military career, the knowledge I gained through education and continue to gain as an entrepreneur, my willingness to continue learning new things, to explore the unknown and embrace new opportunities are what set me up for success as an entrepreneur.

Listening to Jamie Spencer-Blanchet, another military college graduate, in an episode of the Women’s Mentoring Network (WMN) Canada podcast, with Amanda Kalhous, inspired the metaphor that finding your path to success is more like exploring a jungle gym than climbing a ladder.

To stretch this metaphor even further, there is more than one path to success, sometimes you climb a ladder, only to realize that what you want to achieve is on the other side of the structure. This gives you choices, do you cross over, under or around what’s between you and your goal? Do you go down a slide and start again, climbing a new ladder that leads to your goal? Do you jump onto the monkey bars and cross an imaginary ocean full of sharks and monsters, while starting a new business?

When making career choices it’s important to be honest with yourself about what brings you joy, what kind of work environment you really want to be a part of, and which of your gifts you want to share with the world.

We all excel at different things. To me, the definition of a successful career, is finding or creating your own career, where you get to spend most of your time doing the things you love, and are good at, while being paid at least a living wage to do so.

Being honest with yourself about who you are and what is truly important to you can be world changing and terrifying at the same time. Particularly if you live and work in places that have narrow definitions of what is “acceptable” or that don’t care about what you want. It’s OK to keep some of your truth about what your career goals are to yourself until you find people, workplaces and communities that support you.

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