The Whipp is a variety of things — it's the whipped cream on top of your hot chocolate. It's that delicious layer of foam on top of your latte. It’s also my Wednesday newsletter, where I'll share wisdom, humour and insights for professional peeps.
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The world is changing. The days of employees spending 30+ years at one company are over. And the same way employees are showing less and less loyalty to their employer, employers are showing less and less loyalty to their employees. “Mass layoffs” is a term heard ‘round the world, and it seems to be affecting … Continued
For better or for worse, you likely attribute a number of traits to one (or both!) of your parents. The way you look, the way you talk, and the way you think can all be traced back to your genetic makeup and formative experiences in childhood. But there’s one area of your adult life that … Continued
Can you be a leader if you “officially” have nobody to lead? That’s a question that’s come up quite a few times recently. For example, I’m a solopreneur. While I have a number of adjacent businesses and contractors I work with to execute various areas of my business, I don’t have a team that directly … Continued
I’ve been traveling a lot for work lately, and last week, I had the privilege of staying in a gorgeous hotel. However, when I woke up for my day of meetings, I realized there was no hot water. I tried and tried again, finally giving up and resigning myself to an ice-cold shower. (So much … Continued
When you write a book called Too Busy to be Happy, it’s only natural for clients to ask about said busyness. How can they reserve more emotional real estate for their personal lives? How can they get ahead professionally without consistently giving up their free time? Is it necessary to always go “above and beyond” … Continued
Whether you’ve been a Whipp subscriber for years or are new to our community, there’s a good chance you’ve heard me talk about the power of an “aha moment.” Those moments of sudden realization, when a challenge we were facing finally makes sense, are priceless. Something finally clicks and a new insight shifts our perspective. … Continued
No matter where you sit in the corporate hierarchy, there is one experience that is universal: Feedback. Feedback is critical as it provides valuable insights, uncovers blind spots, and helps professionals improve their skills and performance. And while everyone has been (or still is) on the receiving end of feedback, you may also be responsible … Continued
Until we meet again, Mr. P. Last week, I got the sad news that my beloved high school choir teacher passed away. Now you may not think that this news could (or should) rattle someone who’s been out of high school for more than 20 years. But it has. And that’s because Mr. P was … Continued
Do you get nervous before a big presentation? If you’re like me, you do–but as someone who’s also built a career on coaching large groups of people, I’ve had to get real comfortable with that anxiety. In fact, I had to figure out a way to reduce it. Recently, I was asked to speak in … Continued
If you work in any sort of professional environment, you’ve likely experienced “meeting culture.” It’s one of the worst practices we’ve picked up–one that was likely exacerbated during the pandemic when meetings were the only form of (virtual) connection with colleagues. But now that that whole thing is behind us, I believe it’s high time … Continued
Five minutes. Three hundred seconds. That’s how long you have to make sure your voice is heard in group meetings. It’s what I’ve nicknamed the five-minute rule. But before we get into it, let me explain where it came from. I have quite a few clients who I would classify as extremely introverted. These are … Continued
How many questions do you think you ask in a day? Between my clients, my kids, and my husband, there’s no doubt that I ask hundreds. And sometimes, I believe we ask questions without really considering the possible responses. Let me give you an example: We’re having some work done to our house, and we’re … Continued
I spend a lot of time thinking (and talking!) about the best bosses ever. Not only is it the concept behind my podcast, but it’s also one of the most popular programs my company, Leader in Motion, runs with our corporate clients. Why? Because employees don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses. For a … Continued
Has something ever rattled your confidence? Because you’re human, the answer is likely yes. But the real question is whether that “something” was rationally or irrationally linked to your insecurities. I woke up one morning (ironically it was International Women’s Day) and marched into the bathroom and stepped on the scale. I glance at the … Continued
In my last blog Can making more money make you feel poorer?, I challenged all of us to consider the relationship between making more money and being time-poor. Interestingly, I had several people reach out to comment on this topic. It turned into a meaty conversation with a client the other day. Jane, her name changed … Continued
What does it mean to be wealthy vs. poor? As most of us grow up and develop, there’s usually one answer modeled for all of us: Money. While it’s true that acquiring money is a form of wealth that correlates to success for so many of us. In this week’s piece, I challenge us to … Continued
A week ago, I had a very interesting experience. I decided to sneak away from the office on a Wednesday afternoon and play hooky with a great friend of mine. We went to this gorgeous outdoor Scandinavian spa with hot and cold pools, a steam room, a sauna, and the usual promise of blissful escapism. … Continued
Last week, I read a quote that reminded me why I quit career coaching almost as fast as I started career coaching: “If you wait until you’re motivated, you’ve already lost.” The piece goes on to highlight some examples, like “Surgeons don’t always feel like doing surgery. Teachers don’t always feel like teaching. Parents don’t always … Continued
What if you already had exactly what you were looking for? When most of us think about the new year, we think about what we want compared to what we have. We want more success, prosperous relationships, money, travel, quality time with family, or more JOY! More joy, right? Who doesn’t want more joy? But as … Continued
“Why can’t I just do this stuff at home” is what I thought after an obscene amount of jumping jacks and skipping rope. Last week, I was in a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout class at 6:30 am. Now, to get there, I had to shovel my car out of seemingly endless snow, which, to … Continued
I am starting to see a new trend of burnout in both professional men and women. And no one is talking about it. Women are delaying motherhood and investing heavily in their careers: Professional and relational landscapes for men and women, specifically couples, have changed in the past few decades. As a result, so have … Continued
For most professionals, this is the time of the year when they receive career-defining feedback to set the tone, expectations, and goals for the following year. In my career, I have received good and not-so-good performance reviews. However, over the years, I have experienced and heard of some that suggest performance reviews are unnecessarily ineffective … Continued
Which of these two people do you recognize? One: the breezy, charismatic speaker, the one who makes audiences want to lean in and learn, the person who captivates and excites. The other one: dry, shy, possibly withdrawn. This is the one who reads their presentation word for word, clears their throat 18 times in as … Continued
In most professions, you’re paid, depended upon, and expected to make decisions. You’re required to know the risks, consider the facts, and deliberate between options. Sometimes – you make it look easy. And if you’ve been in leadership for more than a moment, some of what others may consider the most challenging decisions to make … Continued
Is there a connection between business and the wild? There is. Consider that the wilderness environment – like business – can be unforgiving, challenging, dynamic, unpredictable, perplexing, and vast. In the wild, just as in business, we must be able to conserve our energy and state of mind, take the lead from the rising and … Continued
On International Women’s Day, I headed out with three incredible women I know to a local business event. It felt great to get out with friends after weeks of omicron keeping most people home. As I caught up with one friend, she shared her excitement as she was planning a retreat in Costa Rica in … Continued
When I think of leadership, I think of how much a great boss can make the work experience fantastic and even give your personal life a lift. By contrast, a lousy boss can make life feel miserable. Even for myself, I think of one of the first bosses I had when I was an intern … Continued
Last summer I was listening to another podcast by Glennon Doyle and had another ah-ha moment worth sharing. Before diving into the meat, let me start by explaining my values from a young age. I remember believing I could be anything I wanted to be when I grew up (thanks, mom). I also remember thinking … Continued
Last week, my husband and I visited a new local food shop in our area. We were standing there looking at the menu when the man behind the counter said, “Excuse me, sir, can I ask you a strange question?” Both of us were a bit startled. My husband agreed, and the man proceeded to … Continued
Friday, after my morning shower, I walked out of the bathroom to my husband standing in the doorway waiting for me. Although he rarely cries, his eyes looked full of pain. He said, “did you hear…. baby… text… did you…” Although he never got the words out, my brain started to slowly knit the pieces … Continued
Can a great leader succeed even if they don’t have industry or relevant experience? For eons, hiring managers have grappled with this question in the hiring and promotion process. To expound: “He’s never worked in the industry before.” “She has only been a manager for three years.” “Jack already has the group’s pulse. So why … Continued
Leadership in the wild is very different from the leadership we see or experience in corporate life. After my podcast interview with Jeff Barrett, the Founder of Blue Mountain Wild school, I was giddy. I was excited because it made me think of leadership differently and with a fresh perspective. Let’s consider the stark contrast … Continued
From the outside, your life looks successful. But inside you’re overwhelmed and exhausted. The harder you try to juggle it all, the more burned out you feel, and your attempts to manage it all are not working.
Everyone has a finite amount of emotional real estate to process decisions, change, drama, baggage, and relationships. Too Busy to Be Happy reveals how you can make conscious choices about what you allow to occupy it, and how to defend those choices against the inherent impulse to do it all. With eight practical tools for dealing with the challenges you encounter every day, Christine Laperriere teaches you how to reclaim and boost your energy and work-life wisdom.
It is possible to be successful and sane – to be busy and happy. Too Busy to Be Happy shows you how.
At Leader In Motion, author Christine Laperriere takes a fresh approach to engage with your leaders to transform productivity, improve culture, and retain talent across your organization. She delivers a proven, implementation-based methodology that helps your leaders raise their game and improve their personal performance to ultimately drive positive change across your organization.
Learn more at Leader In Motion