STRESS/LESS STRAGTEGIES
FREE & FUN
“STRESS/LESS” WORKSHOP
Sponsored by Career Professionals Center,
CPCC, Harris Campus
7/22 · 11:00 -1:00
Learn easy, simple ways to decrease your job search stress so you can enjoy that great new job when you get it!
Also appropriate for
friends & family
Contact me for more info: jeannie@jeanniefennell.com / 704 342 ,1144
Lookit! I’m on TV!
I had the wonderful fortune to be interviewed by WCNC /
Channel 36,reporter, Bobby Sisk, for my support group called “The Bucket Brigade ” for people who are unemployed or in some type of transition.The article was also featured in 5/23 Charlotte
Observer Business section.
It was a little scary to do and of course when I saw myself on t.v. , I was surprised at how I looked .But it was also fun and exciting and I hope that it will help some of the folks who are stressed and need some support.
It’s the part of being laid off many people don’t expect: the emotional toll it takes to lose one job and then look for another.
That’s where Dr. Jeannie Fennell of tries to help. A psychologist, she started a job support group last November called the Bucket Brigade.
“I realized there was a lot of help for resume writing, but not a lot for what is the stress part and the toll it takes on you physically and emotionally,” she said.
The group meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at Julia’s Coffee in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore on Wendover Road. At this week’s meeting, six job seekers showed up and talked openly about the emotional process of figuring out what’s next.
“I worked in nonprofit for 12 years,” said 63-year-old Cindy Thomson.
Laid off last April, Thomson says she understood why her agency had to make cuts, but she still felt like she’d been rejected.
“I’m not that far from retirement age, so I say if you’re my age and you get laid off, you might be retired,” she said, laughing.
Thomson has attended the meetings since they started and finds the candid discussions helpful.
“I don’t do well at home by myself. My batteries will run down. I like to be around people so this group really helps,” she said.
Fennell said, “I hope that eventually this group goes away and that we don’t really need this anymore.”
But with more layoffs — this time in county government and schools — she expects the need to increase.
People with Great Courage
“I’m just very, very, very fortunate to be able to do this and be with these people and hear their stories. They are people with great courage,” Fennell said.
Fennell knows the pain of a pink slip firsthand. Before going back to school to get her doctorate in psychology, she worked as a recruiter and in human resources. She has hired and been fired.
“I often say I’ve been the person on both sides of the desk – the person looking for work and the person employed. In fact, when I moved to Charlotte, within about two months of being relocated by a company, I got laid off. I didn’t know anybody and it was really a tough time,” she said.
At each meeting a bucket is placed in the center of the table. Thomson says the message it sends is two-fold.
“One thing is you put doubts and fears and impatience in the bucket and leave it. And with the Bucket Brigade, there’s the analogy of throwing water on a fire and it takes a lot of people to pass the bucket, so we can all communicate with each other and understand what we’re all going through,” she said.
Down the Rabbit Hole and Back Again
LifeLearnings…Musings and Perspectives on our changing times
Remember what happened to Alice in Wonderland?
She fell down a rabbit hole into a strange land where the rules didn’t make sense and the all the signposts were backwards.
Alice kept asking for help to find her way but got confusing instructions. The queen of the land threatened to take off her head if Alice didn’t follow orders, but the orders were impossible to execute.
Over the last year or so,I have been feeling like Alice. The world seemed crazy. And I know many who feel the same. We have fallen down a hole and can’t get out. The signposts don’t make any sense. The landscape is different. What we are “supposed” to do is impossible and real directions seemed hard to find.
But as I have stumbled around myself and have helped others navigate through their changes, I have found out something very helpful and comforting.
That something is my essential self.
What’s the essential self? Our heart and our soul — those parts of us that are our character, are the same. They have not changed, no matter what else has. The essential self is as distinctive as the shape of our head or the way we walk. Whatever happened externally, the inside is much the same. On the inside is our values, our integrity and yes, our quirks and eccentric ways. Whatever made us valuable and unique is still there and usable, even if dented and scratched.
Whew..Realizing that was a great relief. I can count on those things within me that I have honed over my lifetime…they are not going to desert me. I can feel safe. I have only lost the outside stuff, not what is really valuable.
Realizing this, a quiet joy began to emerge because while everything else can be replaced or discarded, I, the essential me, will never go away.
And while I’m not grinning like the Cheshire Cat, I am smiling more and that’s a good sign. And yes, as the song says.”Still crazy after all these years” and I refuse to lose that.
And I hope you are the same.
5 Mistakes That Can Cost You Business
I will be giving a talk on this topic to The Midlands Business Association on May 18, 2010 @ 12:00 .
The Midland Business Association has invited me to speak on this topic at their monthly luncheon. In this talk I will discuss the common mistakes in using time, money & reputation that undermine many entrepreneurs and give some simple solutions to avoid them. After making lost of mistakes myself and years of coaching entrepreneurs, I have some suggestions that can help to avoid costly missteps.
This business group is made up of small businesses and entrepreneurs who are located just on the outskirts of Charlotte NC in a fast growing area close to the 485 loop.
I was recommended by Pat Allen, a former SOULO member and owner of Grannanny Soaps & Lotions. Ifelt that I could give useful information to this group and I am delighted to support them since “start up entrepreneurs “ are some of my favorite people to work with.
For more info, contact me or : joyce@weeklypostnc.com
History, Heritage and Hope
Our Hope & Heritage
If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see all your ancestors.
All of them are alive and present in your body.
You are the continuation of these people.
Thich Nhat Hanh
We can gather strength today from the women who came before us. They often had challenges that we can’t imagine. Remembering them can give us strength and hope. If they did it ,so can we.
Women’s History is so important yet it is often overlooked. Since whoever is the “victor” usually writes the history, women’s contributions are often not recorded and therefore not celebrated
We can’t Honor what we don’t know.
We can’t honor what we don’t know. The contributions of women are unsung and they are usually too busy to record it themselves.
For most of my life, I didn’t think of my friends and the women in my family as heroines, but I have come to see them that way today.
I’m very sure there are women in your life whose lives deserve recognition and appreciation, including yours.
Remembering them gives me hope and courage – they faced and overcame so much. I am very grateful that their stories and their heritage have been passed down to me.
The Red Taffeta Petticoat
In my Thanksgiving letter, I wrote about my grandmother, who grew up without electricity and lived to see a man on the moon. She lived through two wars with two sons in service, weathered the Great Depression, and buried 3 husbands but still loved to dance in her red taffeta petticoat. And she thought she was nothing special.
My mother had cancer at an early age but felt she had to live to take care of her kids. While pregnant, she experienced a world war that carried two brothers into service. She had never worked outside her home but started a florist business at age 42 when my father became ill. Through very hard work she was able to send me to college. She loved to laugh and spread beauty, through her flowers, to many people. And she thought she just did what anyone would do.
We are not alone.
I know so many women like them who think they are nothing special but they truly keep the world going. And they pass on their example of courage and love of life to us.
We cannot honor them any more than to remember them and pass on their stories and their joy. And to remember, when we feel overwhelmed, that we are part of an amazing heritage and we can’t do any less. We are not alone.
Happy New Year! Start It Right…
WHAT WILL THIS YEAR BE FOR YOU?
You know that every new year you say...
This will be the year I will….
·Get healthy/lose weight ·Find a new job
·Save Money ·Get Organized ·Start my new business
·Have a great relationship
Yet somehow it doesn’t happen.
You don’t need more “self-help” information…you need real-time professional support,and practical ideas + accountability.
Even if you are the most talented and disciplined person on the planet,it is doesn’t work to do it alone.Even great athletes,artists & musicians need coaches and mentors.
Let Dr. Jeannie Fennell of LIFEWORKS give you the support,perspectives,and experienced help you need to make lasting change.
TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT !
CLIENTS SAY:
” Jeannie, I think you have x-ray vision…You were able to see my blocks & fears and help me to move thru them.Sometimes it was gentle and sometimes a push in the behind…I needed this accountability to get going.Thank you” Jim C.
” I didn’t know what to expect …as a guy. it hadn’t done anything like coaching…I should have done it much sooner as it was a big help in getting me motivated.I looked forward to our meetings and will always be grateful for how things have changed for me. My family likes me better now too!” M. G.
“Jeannie has a gentle but powerful way of listening to you and enabling you to get really clear on what you need to do and discerning what keeps you from moving forward. With her help, I have really changed and my life is so much better now”
SUSAN R.
COACHING SALE!
30%-40% Off!
Wow..What a Great Deal!!
I Hour = $75.00
2 Hours= $145.OO
3 Hours=$ 199.00
Or Create Your Own Package..
Two People Signing Up Together Get 10% off Total Price.
Pay by credit card or check.You can pay in monthly installments.
Sign up today and start your year right….
This time next year your life could be so much better!
YOUR LIFE IS WAITING
Get Clear,Get Focused,Get Support and GET GOING!
Contact me for more information: 704 342.1144
Money Multiplier
Been Stressed about Holiday gifts? Have you been complaining about the state of the economy?? The Malls Madness? The lack of good customer service?
I know I have done that a lot and felt unable to do much about it but I think I have found some help for all of that …& it can be fun & rewarding besides…what a great deal!
The solution? Multiply your money locally!
The solution is to shop locally with independent (not chain store) merchants in your ‘Hood. Shopping locally can generate huge dividends in improving your community & your pocketbook.
You can help contribute directly to your own well-being and someone else’s. The monetary amounts from such spending are are huge:
- If 3 people spend $50.00 a month locally it would generate over $42.6
- BILLION annually….which would be spent locally.
- For every $100.00 spent in an independently owned business, $68.00
- comes back to us.
- If you spend that in a national chain, only $43.00 comes back & if you spend it on line, your community & your business gets ZERO!
I am really fortunate to live in an in-town neighborhood where there are lots of diverse shops and great gifts to chose from. But wherever you are, I know there are places to go where you will have a wonderful selection as well as doing your part to support folks working hard just like you. It can save you money and time.
Every community has locally owned restaurants, art galleries, gift shops, bakeries and other businesses that will really appreciate you and your business. And the parking is easy.
Gotta love the 3/50 Project
The wonderful 3/50 PROJECT is all about this. It encourages people to buy & support local businesses. This is such an important idea because these businesses contribute so much to, our local economy and our community. We really do like to do business with people we know and trust. And personally, I liked to be called by my name and greeted like a valued customer, not an account number.
Social media is great but nothing takes the place of a person who is happy to see you and wants to help you. So check out this out how you get known and appreciated in your “village.”.. You will never get that from a chain store. To find out more at the 3/50 website.
- Pick 3 locally owned independent businesses to check out and stop in & say Hello. Buy something that makes you smile.
- Find time to talk the owner of a local business about their business and yours. You may be able to support each other and will have made a friend…and they will be sure to remember you next time you come in.
- Eat in a neighborhood restaurant, ask to meet the owner and thank them for improving your quality of life. McDonalds will never do that.
- Hold your “meet- up” in a local coffee shop or resturant,they will be happy to have you and give you special service.
- If you need a product or service but can’t find it, ask the local merchant if they can recommend someone. Chances are they will give you a good recommendation and will say “Tell them I sent you “; always a great way to get good service.
- Subscribe to your neighborhood association’s newsletter & get on the email list for the local merchant’s newsletter. Great way to find inexpensive deals and events.
- If you already have some favorite local businesses, stop by and thank them or send them a referral. They will remember!
SOS Tip: It Really Does Take a Village to Raise A Business..
It Really Does Take a Village to Raise A Business… or Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!
Recently I found out from my favorite bookstore, Park Rd Books, about the wonderful 3/50 project that encourages people to buy & support local businesses.This is such an important idea because these businesses contribute so much to our own businesses,our local economy and our sense of community. We really do like to do business with people we know and trust.And personally,I liked to be called by my name and greeted like a good customer,not an account number.We all want to be known & valued.Social media is great but nothing takes the place of a person who is happy to see you and wants to help you. So check out this month’s tips to find out how you get known and appreciated in your “village.”.. You will never get that from a chain store. To find out more at the 3/50 website.
The idea of 3/50 is that if 3 people spend $50.00 a month locally it would generate over $42.6 BILLION annually….which would be spent locally…like in your business. For every $100.00 spent in an independently owned business, $68.00 comes back to us. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43.00 comes back & if you spend it on line, your community & your business gets ZERO!
- Pick 3 locally owned independent businesses that you value and stop in & say Hello.Buy something that makes you smile.
- Find time to talk the owner of a local business about their business and yours. You may be able to support each other and may have also made a friend…and they will be sure to remember you next time you come in.
- If you need a product or service but can’t find it locally,ask the local owner if they can recommend someone.Chances are they will give you a good recommendation and will say “Tell them I sent you “; always a great way to get good service.
- Subscribe to your neighborhood association’s newsletter. Often you can advertise inexpensively there and can also find businesses in your community to meet your needs.
- Attend local events & be a sponsor or donate a service.People putting these together as well as attendees will remember you & your generosity.
- If you already have some favorite local businesses, stop by and thank them or send them a referral.They will remember!
