Lately, my life looks like presentations, practical ahas, meaningful client moments, and weekend plans centered around books, coffee, and a very happy inner child.

I’ve presented three times in the last two weeks—twice for CPA Academy on Work Well Remotely and Break Free From Busy, and yesterday for a local Vistage Peer Advisory Group on Reclaim Your Workday. One of the exercises included making a list of tasks you’ll do Now, Not Now (1–3 months), or Not Ever. I’m set to write a book, but Not Now. I may be creating a course, but before I do, I’ll be sending out a survey to you all soon.

One big aha from an attendee was Three Before Screens. Doing three screen-free things in the morning before letting emails, texts, and news hijack their day.

I'm loving the Reclaim Your Workday Action Club.

In Week 2, we focused on email and chat management.

A couple of Week 2 Commitments & Ahas:

• Creating a “copy” folder
• Including No Response Needed at the end of emails.

In Week 3, we tackled meetings, which are considered the least productive part of the workday in just about every workplace productivity study I’ve read.

Week 3 Commitments & Ahas:

• Create a scheduling link and add it to the email signature
• Create async videos with processes to reduce meeting attendance

It’s so cool doing check-ins with former clients. I was especially happy to get this feedback after just one laser coaching session. Linda Harrell won the free session for completing the annual Weekender Snapshot survey:

The weather’s getting nicer, which means I’ve been able to fit in more walkie-talkie coffees. One was with former client Andrea Pereira, who is hanging her shingle as a fractional HR leader—highly qualified, driven, and seriously awesome.

I met up with another friend and former client for a hike at a state park, walked three miles before one of my husband’s shows with another, and squeezed in long phone-walkies two more times. If you’re new here, walking meetings—walkie-talkies—are one of my favorite ways to connect with people, and I sometimes book them two months out. I prioritize people and meaningful connections, but I’m also careful not to overload myself. (Look for my upcoming book on relentless prioritization later this year.) And if you haven’t tried one yet, check out this quick blog post: How to Have Walking Meetings​

It’s been two weekends of five performances by my husband, but this weekend it’s all about my Little Free Library. I’m launching it soon after a Books & Banter gathering on Saturday to swap, donate, and choose the first books to stock.

I started my Little Free Library journey for one simple reason: books mattered a lot to me growing up. First Little Golden Books, then the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, books about Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, and Harriet Tubman, and eventually consuming every Stephen King book I could get my hands on, which became the top cause for lost sleep as a kid. Reading Cujo and Pet Sematary at 11 years old was not my best idea, but it was still fun.

Full disclosure: I stole a book from my cousin when I was four. All I remember is that it was about a frog and that I got in a lot of trouble. There are worse things 4-year-old me could have stolen… right?

When you get this, I’ll be with my friend and mentee Geraud, sipping habanero chocolate coffee and walking at The Frontier to talk through my new business model.

On with the Weekender!

In celebration of Women’s History Month, I’m honored to be credited.

RADERCO RECOGNITION Melina Palmer at The Brainy Business listed Work Well. Play More! as a top book for mindset, habits, and productivity. READ Melina's POST Stacy Sherman included me in her article on career and leadership advice from 30 women. It’s well worth the read. READ Stacy's ARTICLE

Episode 121: 10 Things Professional Speakers Ask For and Why

PERFORMANCE POWER TIP Want higher keynote engagement without changing your speaker? Fix the room. Confidence monitors, dimmer house lights, no lectern, and fewer empty chairs can shift attention fast. Bonus: I also share science-backed note-taking guidance your audience might actually follow. One Thing You Can Do Now: Ask your introducer to practice the introduction before they go onstage. LISTEN (26 min) READ SUMMARY (4 min)

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P.S. I’m considering creating a new course for company learning systems, and before I build anything, I want to hear from you. Keep an eye out for a survey in the next few weeks.