Are you ambitious? Did you grow up with a fire in your tummy to achieve? Me, too. Have you ever asked yourself why?

The belief and encouragement of putting a positive spin on all experiences, even those that are profoundly tragic, is debilitating.

This past year has been by far the hardest year of my life. I truly felt like I was living in an emotional black hole and despite my best efforts to put on a forged persona, I embodied darkness.

Do you feel that regardless of communicating how you feel and what you desire, your friends or family just don’t hear you or respect what you’re saying?

It’s taken me 34 years to truly understand what “being met” means and, now, I am on a journey of honouring what it means to me.

Throughout my 20s I was dedicated to climbing the corporate ladder. The motto “fake it, til you make it” was a regular place I’d go to find the courage I needed to accomplish my next steps.

Every June, people and businesses alike celebrate Pride Month. Rainbow flags are donned in windows, as stickers, on social media posts, and on clothing. While it’s great that we’ve devoted one month to celebrate the LGBTQA+ community, true allyship is an all year duty. Here are some simple, but powerful, ways you can promote inclusivity in your own or business life all year long.

Have you ever struggled with the feeling that whatever you do isn’t good enough? Well, if so, don’t worry because over 70% of the population has experienced imposter syndrome at one point or another in their life. Not sure what imposter syndrome is? Imposter syndrome is when you doubt your abilities and feel like a fraud. It can make a high-achieving individuals feel inadequate or undeserving of their accomplishments.

The term “mastermind” was first coined by Napoleon Hill in 1925 when he published his first book called The Law of Success. From that point on, Mastermind facilitation became a fundamental aspect in the growth of some of the world's most recognized figures including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and John R. Rockefeller.

I came across this article written by Forbes called “9 Ways to Recover From Burnout and Love Your Job Again” and it made me realize that I might be exactly that… burnt out. Sometimes we don’t even notice how hard we are working ourselves, especially in the middle of a global pandemic where our focus might be elsewhere. Toss in the fact that most of us are now working from home and aren’t allowed to see our regular friends and family. It’s not too far off to say that we are all experiencing some form of social withdrawal. The simple pleasures that we used for relaxation and release, are now out of our reach and we are all feeling its effects.

I came across an article in the Harvard Business Review called “How to Keep Working When You’re Just Not Feeling It”. It made me come to terms with the fact that I am, unfortunately, completely unmotivated. This year has been long, and for so many of us, we are feeling exhausted both mentally and physically, which is a main factor to lack of motivation. It can be immensely difficult to muster up the drive to get our work done when we just don’t feel like it.

Finding the right tools that connect clients with their goals and aspirations is vital for the success of a clients’ personal and professional endeavours. SheCan Consulting uses an array of coaching tools and models to help clients understand their position in respect to their goals, and one of our favourites is the TGROW model!

Many people tend to believe that their life’s purpose stems from innate gifts that make you stand out from other people, such as being good at drawing or public speaking. Just because you have a natural talent for something, doesn’t necessarily mean it is what you are MEANT to do with your life. Although there is a definite connection between our natural born abilities and talents, and our future careers, it most likely means that you just scored yourself a kick-ass hobby.

As we try our best to prevent the spread of COVID-19, many people have been forced into working from home. For lots, this has been a stressful process that comes with a multitude of mixed emotions. Although there are many positives to working from our homes, such as being able to create your own schedule, working from home can be hard on us both mentally and physically.

In recent years, I’ve made it a goal of mine to integrate meaningful and healthy habits into my everyday routine in order to improve my life. I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression since my early teens, along with a large majority of younger generations.

Excited. Nervous. Anxious. All the normal things you may be feeling prior to your upcoming Mastermind! Whether this is your first time or your tenth, it is important to be prepared and ready for the upcoming journey.

Mastermind’s come with a multitude of amazing benefits that will last a lifetime. The number one question Lauren get asked by people who haven’t participated in one of her Masterminds is, “What will I get out of it?”. Masterminds have been used for years, for all different purposes. SheCan Masterminds are focused on (but not exclusive to) the personal and professional development of female entrepreneurs! It can be hard to tackle the hurdles life presents to us and at SheCan, we believe that no one should have to go through life alone. It is Lauren’s goal to have each of her mastermind members feel like they are no longer on a solo journey, but one that is supported and celebrated with a group of like-minded individuals.

As we begin to gear up for the colder months ahead, we should focus on implementing changes to our daily routines in order to improve and maintain our mental health. Although the winter months bring excitement for many, as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are holiday crowd favourites, the seasonal change also brings on many negative effects on human health. Winter is a breeding ground for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD… literally), weight gain due to reduced exercise and changing eating habits, etc. While it can be hard to stay motivated this time of the year, there are many ways we can help ourselves through the long winter months.

To say this year has been tough would be an understatement. Amidst a pandemic, racial disparity, forest fires, and more things than one could ever truly imagine, stress levels are at an all-time high around the globe. Many of us have been forced into a new way of living that has negatively affected our overall mental health. While at times it feels like it would be much easier to just throw in the towel and disregard our responsibilities all together, that isn’t the reality of it for many people. Despite the high levels of stress and anxiety we face everyday, many of us feel forced into prioritizing other things over our mental health; like work, school, family, friends, etc. While all those wonderful things are very important, they can be the cause of our diminishing psychological wellness.

October is a month that people look forward to all year; It’s a time full of family and friends on Thanksgiving and ghosts and ghouls on Halloween. Although our love for comfort food and candy are what make October one of the elite favourites, it is also a month of turning our attention towards Breast Cancer Awareness.

Each year in October, we set focus on the importance of self-diagnosis and cancer research. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, it is estimated that 27,400 Canadian women were diagnosed with breast cancer, representing 25% of all new cancer cases in women in 2020. It is important to note that breast cancer is not exclusive to women. While it is much less common, men can also get breast cancer, most commonly in older men but it can occur at any age.