I'm So Excited!
Recently, a pundit referred to the “generativity” of President Biden. That immediately sent me to the nearest search engine. Turns out “Generativity vs. Stagnation” is the seventh stage of Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. (I did not take Psychology in college, so this is all new to me. But say “psychosocial development theory” three times fast and Erikson may appear.)
We Didn't Expect To Be Tested This Soon
Many of you have been kind enough to ask how you can provide financial support to Madrina Molly™ as this effort launches, and we are grateful. For now, the best gift you can give is to subscribe (for free) to the newsletter on this platform, Substack. We have made the decision that we will build our mailing list and use Substack’s free features, of which there are many. But when it comes time to monetize our offerings, we will migrate elsewhere.
My Favorite New Year Coaching Exercise
I got excited when I realized I’d be able to share my favorite coaching exercise with a large audience this year. I don’t claim originality for this exercise; I just know it works. It’s an amalgamation of multiple list-making exercises I’ve borrowed from people like Barbara Sher and Jack Canfield.
Here's To Our Holiday Rituals
Merry Christmakwanzukkah! That is to say, I wish you a wonderful day of cultural rituals. And it is my sincere hope that if you have no Christmas rituals yet, you use this day to go ahead and make some.
What Price Ambition?
It was a Sunday, and at about 7:30 a.m., I received a “Got a minute?” text from a protégé, client, and friend. I first met her when she was in her 30s and her kids were little. Now she’s 50, launching young adults, navigating a demanding, well-compensated career, and processing post-divorce trauma. (There’s something “magical”--note the sarcasm--about the two-year mark post-divorce. Maybe I’ll tackle that another day.) This woman—my friend--considers herself a hard-fought success.
Breakfast: The Most Important (Networking) Meal of the Day
As I wait for the clock to tick down on being able to mention the word “money,” it’s fun to do a brain dump of some of the wisdom I’ve accumulated from earlier careers.
We Are Informed By Our Parents ...
I confess that I remained haunted by Hurricane Jackie’s (mom’s) retirement. Dad was seven years her senior, and when they retired to Florida, she was 63, my current age. For three decades, she spent her days in the Sunshine State walking, playing golf, aerobicizing and socializing.
Umbrellas and Encore Careers
In the late 1990s, when I immersed myself in the study of coaching as a domain, I read two books by the late Barbara Sher. These books had such a profound effect on my life and work that the title of one book, It’s Only Too Late If You Don’t Start Now, has become a personal hashtag and mantra for me. The other book, I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was, also remains a seminal piece of thought leadership for figuring out what makes for a satisfying career and life.
The Triple Decker Club Sandwich Generation and Feeling Wealthy
Madrina Molly™ represents a huge change for me. For most of my adult life, I’ve arisen at 4:30 a.m., commuted to an office (or, more recently, to the next room) and structured my days around corporate or client meetings or both.
Who Is Madrina Molly?
A client once called me “Hada madrina de buenas ideas financieras,” which translates to the “fairy godmother of good financial ideas.” Another client called me the “Good Idea Fairy.” I sensed a pattern.
Wage Gap, Time Gap, Wealth Gap
A week here on Earth (and I’m assuming anyone reading this lives on this planet) is 168 hours. It’s how many hours you and I have each week of every year we’re here. No more, no less.
The Priceless Value of Experiences
I recently did a podcast with a local mental health service on how to survive money stress during the holidays. We forget that gifts of time, experience, and expertise are as valuable -- or more valuable -- than store-bought purchases. So, the show’s host and I instead discussed ways to avoid overspending, including some tips for planning.
Technically, This Is An OBA
A million years ago, when the earth’s crust was cooling and when college degrees were still etched in stone (just kidding, it wasn’t quite that long ago), I ditched my plans for law school to pursue a different post-graduate path and a career in the nascent high-tech computer industry. Before long, I realized I liked people better than electrons, and that led me to a position as a technical sales engineer, enabling me to call on prospects, provide technical demonstrations, and implement successful hardware/software business solutions.