I knew I was going to have to reply to this email but when I received it I was so triggered that my blood was boiling and my thoughts were not constructive! And so, I gave myself permission to step away in order to get my bearings instead of just reacting with what came to mind. I’d been dealing with this incredibly difficult person for years but our conflicts had come to a head in the preceding months. It seemed like every interaction we had was fraught with tension, speckle

One of the things I love about hearing other people’s journaling stories is that they often articulate benefits of their practice that I’ve experienced but haven’t put to words before. One such benefit I heard from a client a year ago was that journaling helped her to find and use her voice so she could stand up for herself. Finding your voice and expressing your deeper needs can be the most powerful final step to take in re-writing your patterned responses to triggers. Recog

Some people seem to have a penchant for putting themselves out there. They can go from phone call to phone call, meeting to meeting, without ever seeming to tire. They can receive a constant stream of rejections without being the least bit phased. They just churn and churn, go and go, nothing seems to derail their determination to make a sale. I am not one of those people. I feel like I’ve had a relatively low threshold for putting myself out there… Maybe it’s because I thriv

Brené Brown is one of my favorite teachers of our time. Her ground breaking research on shame, vulnerability and living whole heartedly has transformed lives around the world. Brown’s authentic delivery of the material is as relatable as it is refreshing. She’s constantly digging deeper into the subject matter both as a researcher and as a lifelong learner. No matter which of her books you decide to explore first, you will be both challenged and encouraged to step into your o

Do you ever have those weeks where the same conversation keeps coming up with a bunch of different people? That’s been happening to me lately. It’s like there’s this collective struggle we are all dealing with and it’s nice to know you’re not alone. One moment of profound awakening I had years back was when I realized that the entire notion of being fearless is BS. Fear is always there. It’s hardwired into our DNA and for very good reason. The problem is that all too often we

Have you ever procrastinated on having a difficult conversation with your boss or colleague or a loved one? I know I have! It’s a common scenario really. The anticipation of the conversation weighs you down. Some of us fear what the other person will say. While other’s fear how we might show up in the conversation. Either way, the fear creates dread, the anticipation creates anxiety and we experience cortisol pumping through our bodies that tells us this conversation posses a

Whenever I tackle a big idea, embark on a totally new project or take on a completely different challenge I inevitably get to a point where I feel frustrated, overwhelmed and unsure I can get it done. Rather than give into those moments of fear and confusion, I write in my journal to process my thoughts and feelings. One of the best ways for me to re-gain my sense of commitment is to reconnect with my purpose. Purpose is defined as: 1. the reason for which something exists o

A program that primes the brain for trust, partnership and mutual success Fort Collins, CO (January 17, 2017) Ariana Friedlander, founder of Rosabella Consulting, LLC has earned the prestigious designation of Conversational Intelligence (C-IQ) Certified Coach. Ariana is one of 240 coaches world-wide who has earned C-IQ Certified Coach in the inaugural program. She is one of the only Millennials to be Certified in the world and one of four coaches Certified in Colorado. Conver

Ever felt both paralyzed by fear and determined to do something anyway? This is the story of Marie; she was more determined than she was scared because she sought help and support to get herself unstuck and turn her dream into reality. What Was the Opportunity for Growth? When Marie came to me she was unsuccessful at re-entering the workforce full-time after taking time off to manage family priorities. The technical interview process for most positions in her field frightened

And so, you roll with it as best you can. Deadlines get pushed back. New tasks get added to the do to list. You wonder if you’ll ever be done. But these hiccups don’t change the fact that you’re disciplined. You tackle each new challenge by holding onto glimmers of hope. You believe it’ll all workout but you’re also willing to let go just enough to say, what’s meant to be will be. And, if it isn’t meant to be just the way you imagined it, well that’s okay too. You start to le

Summer is upon us! Now is a great time to curl up in a hammock under the shade of a tree and read a good book. Like many a nerd, I have a growing stack of unread books piling up, and yet I sometimes struggle to find just the right reading material. While interesting at first, not all books that entice me to crack them open are engaging enough to finish! In fact, my inability to finish non-fiction books was a large source of inspiration for starting EntrepreNerds. I need acc

Giving into the constant distractions becomes a nasty habit.  It’s even a crutch for some.  The buzz of your phone with news, the urgency of your co-workers request, it can be invigorating.  Learning how to ignore nearly everything so that you are focusing your attention solely on being in the moment of an important conversation is hard.  Being present may not feel as energizing as being the go to person in an “emergency” but over the long-term it is more sustainable for your

One of the most profound ways to experience a shift in letting go is changing how your interact with people.  It may come as no surprise to you, but typical conversational behaviors in business are actually unhealthy.  Even though we may intellectually understand this limitation changing our conversational habits takes effort.  It starts with recognizing your own opportunities for improvement. Reflection Questions In what ways are you listening to connect with your customers

The introductions were taking a little longer than I had grown accustomed to, but it seemed participants were in desperate need of getting concerns off their chests. So I let them go on. Showing that this is a safe, supportive environment where we actively listen and affirm each other is more important then sticking to arbitrary time limits. It’s not always an easy task. As the facilitator, I had to fight the urge to get visibly annoyed, while at the same time making sure we

Check out The Gists! Here’s a synopsis of what we discussed: We applied the concepts from the two recommended readings, Contagious and Unlabel, in response to the many concerns and challenges expressed by participants. These are the 7 takeaways from the discussion to Build Your Brand, Build Your Business. Start by Being Authentic– Should be easy, no? But it isn’t always. Feeling confident in your authenticity can be a big challenge. To help you be more authentic (thereby elim

Would you like to capitalize on word-of-mouth or social media marketing? Do you want your brand to be well known and easily recognizable? Building and conveying an enticing yet authentic brand is of the utmost importance for establishing and growing a reputable business these days. This month in EntrepreNerds we’ll empower to Build Your Brand and Build Your Business by discussing: Tips for Creating an Authentic Brand Steps for Crafting a Story that Spreads Ways to Leverage Yo

Over the last 2+ years, EntrepreNerds have read, reflected on, conversed about, and implemented advice from more than 30 business books.  I’ve always maintained the belief that participants have valuable insight, knowledge and experience to help each other grow.  And so far, I have not been disappointed. While I bask in the glow of such positive feedback, I also revel in the thought of engaging the experts, the innovators that have authored EntrepreNerds books, in conversatio

Effective collaboration mobilizes the collective efforts of various skilled professionals to successfully overcome challenges too big for an individual to surmount on their own. Whether such efforts are among internal stakeholders or with external colleagues, these partnerships need to be managed appropriately or the fallout can be calamitous. In this month’s book discussion, we will enrich our skills Communicating for Effective Collaboration by exploring: Tips for Establishi