Tag: Interviews

Ep 15 The Attorney That Cares, Jennifer Jackson, Joins Rachael to Talk About Balancing Motherhood, Billable Hours and Defining Yourself

Posted on by Rachael Melot in business, Success Without Apology Podcast
Jennifer Jackson and I ran track together in college and now she and her husband raise three beautiful, athletic children while both pursuing professional careers.  Jennifer tackles social injustices through her career as an attorney and through the mission field.  She will encourage you to define your version of success.

 

Show notes:

Jennifer Jackson is an attorney who cares — about her clients and her community. Her professional and personal philosophy includes giving back in ways that make a meaningful difference to the local and global communities. Jennifer is a firm believer in Gandhi’s idea of “being the change you want to see in the world.” Being a mom of three provides critical time management and conflict resolution skills that prove invaluable in and meeting the needs of clients. Experienced in workers’ compensation, products liability, employment and trucking, Jennifer evaluates the case in order to provide early and efficient resolution. But litigation is not the only concern for clients so she provides a holistic approach with care and attention combined with loads of experience and knowledge. When not devoting her time to the practice of law since 2002 she is helping various non-profits offer free legal services to the underprivileged, rescue women and children from trafficking and connect kids with mentors to help keep them off of drugs and out of gangs.

She Has a Really Big….

Posted on by Rachael Melot in business

Rolodex.  Of course.  A rolodex.  For those of you under the age of 30 you may not even know what a rolodex is, but way back in the time of paper we had these things that sat on our desks called a rolodex.  The rolodex was a desktop card index used to record names, addresses, and telephone numbers, (or business cards) in a rotating spindle or a small tray to which removable cards are attached.

 

Nowadays we call them phones.  🙂 . But in a recent retreat I participated we were asked to describe our self with one word and the first letter of that word had to be the first letter of our name.  So going with “R” I used the word relational.  I believe that I am a relational personal who builds long-lasting relationships.  I value my relationships with friends, business acquaintances and family a great deal.

I confess I am not the quickest to build the relationship.  I think I have mentioned before that I don’t make very good small talk.   But if we get past the small talk in our conversation then I dig in – I really get to know you.  I have known this about myself and I have a few close friends who know this about me, but honestly when the Mayor of our City described me to a consultant as having a really big rolodex, I was kind of shocked.

Should I be shocked that he thought of me as having a big rolodex? I guess I kind of thought that was my little secret.  Isn’t that kind of weird that I felt exposed and kind of “found out” when I was described as having a big rolodex.  You know, I know people.  haha

After weirding out about it just a little, I have come to take great pride in my rolodex.  I believe the people in my rolodex (or phone) are one of my greatest prized possessions.  I know people.  I know people who know people and everyday I love expanding my network of people.

John Maxwell once said in a training session that he always asks his new friends or acquaintances, “Who do you know that I should know?”  Maybe that is because he too values his rolodex.  He values the people he knows.  I believe I am in company with the likes of someone like Maxwell who is always focused on building his rolodex to grow and develop as a human, a leader, and a mentor.

#GoGrowYourRolodex

Ep 6: Emma Otto Visits With Rachael about the Art of Negotiating

Posted on by Rachael Melot in business, Success Without Apology Podcast

After listening to the podcast please leave me your comments here.  I would love to hear any of your stories about how you or one of your rockstar girlfriends negotiated creatively.   At every turn of my career I have negotiated a day job that allowed me to take my personal days to officiate basketball.  Your needs may be different – tell me about how you make it happen.

#b2bnetwork #MediaLife #Negotiate4Life #CreativelyNegotiate

Practice Forgiveness for Happiness

Posted on by Rachael Melot in business

There are so many books right now being published about happiness. While on the surface this may seem like a good topic and good for us all to be consuming, I believe it is one more indicator of tumultuous and hurting society.  We, as a collective unit, are desperately seeking anything to calm the storm that lives with us right now.  We are consuming the drugs of hate, bitterness, anger, and anxiety to a point of detrimental personal health and well-being.  We have a President who name calls like a teenage bully, news stations fueled with hate and division, and teenagers turning to gun violence and retaliation rather than professional help or friends.

I am so saddened by our unfulfilled hearts.  I am heavy hearted that we have so many people who are in desperate desire to understand what could/would make them happy.  I genuinely hurt when others cannot find happiness in their life.  I have seen the darkest of days where happiness seemed afar and true inner joy was a goal, yet overall, I am a happy person.

I recently listed to Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver on Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations podcast and listened to Marie talk about her newest book, I’ve Been Thinking.  Maria spent a few minutes answering a question Oprah asked about what she teaches her children.  She spoke of the values and then she caught my attention when she began to expand upon forgiveness.  She tells her children they must practice forgiveness and work to be good at it.

As I heard her say that, my mind trailed off to write this blog because it struck me.  It really resonated with me that forgiveness and a forgiving heart is truly a key to happiness.  I think of the times I have been in the very darkest of days where happiness eluded me. I see now that I was in a place where I was being unforgiving.  For example, after my marriage ended I was in pursuit of my true joy and happiness, but it wasn’t until I fully forgave my ex- husband that I felt my personal happiness again.

As I mentioned earlier, you can read a dozen books about happiness if you would like.  You can find literature about the happiest people in the world, but can you forgive? Practicing forgiveness may be one of the best tactics to finding happiness.  Speaking of forgiveness, have you forgiven yourself for being slightly overweight or too bossy or a stay-at-home or a workaholic?  Have you forgiven your sibling for how they spoke to you or reacted to a situation?  Have you forgiven your friend for speaking ill behind your back against you?

How does forgiveness impact your personal happiness? If you are withholding forgiveness you are putting speedbumps on your road to happiness. If you can not forgive yourself or others, you prevent happiness from full development.  You may think it is easy for me to say because you think I don’t have people to forgive.

I have forgiven myself for all the wrong, inexperienced things I did as a youth director when I was trying to start a praise service.  I handled so many situations incorrectly and it took many years to forgive myself for them.  I forgave my ex-husband for his affairs and disrespect. I forgave the girl who used to bully me in school. I hold no grudge against my cousin who really screwed me in a business deal. I will forgive the person getting off this plane in an hour when she shows no curtesy or respect (trust me this takes a special kind of forgiveness, ha). I choose forgiveness, and I practice it daily.

The world gives us many avenues for anger, hate, bitterness, and unhappiness. What if we armed young people with the practice of forgiveness?  Could we prevent some of the actions they take to get revenge or to make people pay?  Each day we, as adults, are given opportunities to forgive.  We can practice forgiveness, model forgiving behaviors to young people and encourage forgiveness in others.  If you practice forgiveness, you can impact your happiness.  I say this, not as a happiness expert, but as a happy person.

Take some time to reflect and give me feedback if you would like.  If given the opportunity to forgive someone today, would you take it?

The Interview Dance

Posted on by Rachael Melot in successwithoutapology

While in college I attended a Presbyterian Church and later was asked to serve part time as their youth director. Growing the youth program over the years, the part time job eventually led to a full time position. [Two steps forward] After seven total years working at the church, it was time to move on and I needed to interview for a new job. The church had changed pastors and my youth program was not on her agenda. #ChurchLife

So I began interviewing for jobs, reading all of the Interviewing for Dummies types of books, and practicing my interview skills. I had researched the best questions to ask as a candidate that would demonstrate my thoughtfulness and desire to have the job. I was polished at answering all the, “Would you rather work by yourself or as a team member,” or the “What would you say is your greatest strength and weakness” type of questions. I would say I kind of became an expert interviewee. Unfortunately I was also interviewing for a few jobs I had no desire to have [One step backwards] for the sake of experience.

Over the years, I started getting the jobs I wanted, climbing the proverbial ladder and honing my ability to prove I deserved the next job, the better pay, or the promotion. I continued researching the best ways to GET the job I wanted. Then I bought my own business and now I needed to interview to find the perfect employee. And what seemed like, suddenly, I now had to evaluate the talent from the other side of the desk. Now I had to decide if the candidate was being honest, if they could work both alone and as part of a team. To be honest, at first I hated being the lead in the interview dance.

Continue reading “The Interview Dance” →