Tag: blog

How broken am I willing to be to achieve my goals? (1-14-26)

Last week we kicked off a series about questions to ask ourselves as we start the year.  Our first question was “What one word/phrase will be our north star?”  The question this week might be a bit intense and provocative.  The intent is to help us think about protecting our mental health by asking this challenging question, “How broken am I willing to be to achieve my goals?”

Over the past few years, I have watched as more individuals have struggled with mental health challenges than ever before.  I’ve seen more people go on leave from work because of stress and its negative impact.  I’ve heard more people talk about how they were exhausted, beat down, limping, and feeling overall broken.  I have also been that person.  Last year was the first year in a long time that I didn’t feel I went past the breaking point.  I think part of this is because I began the year by asking myself, “How broken am I willing to be to achieve my goals?” and forcing myself to contend with this answer. 

How does this apply to work?  While the question is admittedly intense, asking how broken I was willing to be was a wake-up call that forced me to contend with the impact of feeling broken and how that affects my role as a husband, dad, friend, and human.  While I had allowed myself to go past the breaking point in the past, I realized it wasn’t worth it.  If this meant not doing everything or missing out on something, so be it.  I would rather be whole and be better for myself and family than be the super stressed hurting version of myself.  As a result, I didn’t work myself into the ground.  I was more intentional about where I put my energy.  I made trade-offs and said no to things.  This also led to conversations with my boss where I had to say, “I can’t do X, Y, and Z without sacrificing my heath and family, and I don’t want to do that. Can we align that X and Y are the most important and I can let Z go?”  Here’s the other thing that happened, since I said no to other things, I was able to dedicate time and do X and Y extremely well, and in the grand scheme of things that’s what truly mattered.  Overall, I managed to have a solid year, deliver a lot of value, and I did this while being whole.  I wish this for all of us.

The challenge: We are still early in the year, before you get lost in the shuffle, I’d encourage you to ask yourself, “How broken am I willing to be to achieve my goals?” 

Bonus thought/challenge for leaders- I firmly believe that leaders have a responsibility for protecting the health of their teams.  The choices we make as leaders can enable people to be healthier versions of themselves OR bury them in impossible work and standards that have detrimental effects.  With that in mind, here is the difficult question I’d pose to anyone leading people, “How far are you willing to break people to achieve your goals and/or the team’s goals?” 

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Q1 2025 Self-Reflection (3-26-25)

It’s a bonus blog!  I hope you’re excited 😉  For the past few years I’ve used the last Wednesday of the first quarter to share a blog on doing quarterly check-ins for work and yourself.  This will be a long email, because I’m sharing my own self-assessment.

We have our first performance management coming up in the next month.  During this check-in we will talk through some of these questions.  What are 2-3 highlights?  What are 2-3 opportunities to do better?  What are some learnings from Q1 I can apply moving forward?

What does this have to do anything?  While this is great for work, we could apply this same thinking to our personal lives as well.  What are some of your goals for 2025?  How did you do with them in Q1?  Have you stopped to CELEBRATE your progress?  Stop RIGHT NOW and celebrate something you’ve achieved.  After you celebrate, then you can reflect and see if there are any gaps.  If you have gaps, why do you have gaps?  What happened?  What got in the way?  How can you adjust to reach your goals for this quarter?

The challenge: Will you take the time to do a quarterly check-in?  What changes will you make to set yourself up for the rest of the year?

Bonus: Here is my review based on the dimensions in my life I set goals for.  Hopefully, it sparks a thought or two for you.  In case no one has told you lately, “YOU GOT THIS!” 

  • Rebuild (B+)- This is my word/theme for the year.  I wanted to make repairs AND extensive changes.  I’m giving myself an B+, because all of the momentum I’ve built back and am taking advantage of.  I’d say the trend for all categories is that the first 6 weeks of the quarter were bumpy, and from there I’ve been on a great upward trajectory. 
  • Mental Health (A)- The goal is to feel like I’m in a good, strong, solid mental state.  I feel I’m in the best headspace that I’ve been in a hot minute.  I have a lot to love and celebrate in life right now.  I think I’m also doing a better job of practicing radical acceptance and recognizing “it is what it is.”
  • Physical Health (B-)- The goal is to build strength, aiming for increasing strength by around 15%.  I couldn’t find an exercise routine or rhythm in January or February.  I’ve been crushing it in March and making sure I’m prioritizing my time to hit the gym.  I’m reestablishing my strength baselines, so I can track that more throughout the year.  I would like to walk/run more, mainly so I can make sure I’m prepared for my obstacle course races.  First one is in May!
  • Family (B+)-The goal is to feel like I’m being an amazing husband and dad.  I’m feeling pretty good about things right now.  I can feel my family start to evolve into the next phase with my son turning 11 and my daughter almost 13.  It’s cool watching them grow and leading beside my wife.  I will honestly say I’ve been working more hours than I’d like, but I think that will balance out in the future.
  • Career (B+)- The goal is to feel like I’m delivering magic.  From the end of the year through Q1, I feel like I’ve been delivering some Hufflepuff magic, and that folks are valuing it.  The whole feeling valued piece is huge.  I’m also on the verge of rolling out a few things I’ve been working on for the better part of a year, and that’s adding even more positivity.  With that said, the past few months have also been a humbling experience and a reminder that it’s impossible to juggle everything all of the time.  I’ve definitely had a few balls drop in Q1.  Some of them have been rubber.  A couple of them have been glass.  As part of the radical acceptance piece, I’m doing better at embracing it for what it is and I’m proud that despite all of the crazy I was still able to do some pretty darn amazing things.  Luckily, the crazy is starting to become more manageable.  In the midst of all the change and organizational evolution, I feel like I’m getting some stability, which might be a weird thing to say 😉.  As we continue to fill open roles, we can better distribute the workload.  Additionally, as we take confident steps toward embracing a new future, this stability will become stronger and enable the team and I to reach our potential.
  • Financial (B)- The goal is to ensure we are saving/investing money in the right way.  I’ve already shifted money for investments.  I am wasting a bit too much money on eating out right now.  I want to tighten that up in Q2.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Patios and Unplugging from Work (6-5-24)

This is the last in our series about patio furniture.  This week will be about patios and unplugging from work.

Now that we have some comfy patio furniture and have created a better space, I’ve more or less made it a habit to spend a decent amount on my back patio every night.  Sometimes, I sit back there and hang out with my family.  We talk and catch up on the day together.  Sometimes,  I sit out there and read a book.  Sometimes, I sit out there and just zone out, checking out the flowers, birds, and bunnies hopping along throughout the neighborhood.  After a long day of handling work and family commitments, it’s nice to take a few moments to unplug and recenter.

What does this have to do with anything?  Often when we talk about unplugging from work, we talk about unplugging over the weekend or during a long vacation.  This implies that throughout the week we remain plugged into work.  I know I’ve fallen into this cycle of feeling tethered to work all throughout the week and the pressure of always feeling on.  Have you?  I know that when I go through periods where I stay plugged into work around the clock I begin to burnout, which has a negative impact on all aspects of my life.

While it might not be as long as a weekend or as big of an adventure as vacation, I’ve found that my daily time hanging out on my patio has been incredibly valuable.  Not only is it nice to unplug in the moment to enjoy time with family or appreciate the beauty around me, but it also has positive effects that last beyond that time on the patio.  When I disconnect on a regular basis, even if it’s just for a few minutes, I feel more centered and capable of taking on what life throws my way.  These little moments of unplugging are incredibly powerful, and I think we can all find moments like these in our daily life whether it’s chilling on a patio or engaging in another activity that makes you feel whole.

The challenge: How can you unplug and recenter on a more regular basis?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Personal Brands, Being You, and Owning Space in People’s Minds (4-3-24)

This week we are going to kick off a series on personal branding.  This week is about brands, being you, and owning space in someone’s mind.

I can’t remember who told me this, but my favorite definition of what a brand is goes something like this, “A brand is the place something/someone owns in your mind that is uniquely theirs.”  If I told you to think about Apple, I’m sure a few things would pop into your mind.  If I told you to think of Android or Microsoft, I’m sure you’d think of different words, even though they are all in the tech sector they each own a different piece of real estate.  Similarly, if I said Toyota or General Motors, you’d likely have different ideas instantly popping up into your brain.  We could play this game over and over again with things like McDonald’s vs Panera, Nike vs. Under Armor, etc.  Over time these brands have earned that space in your mind, by communicating AND fulfilling a promise to you.  That promise consists of their mission, what they do, and how they do it.  The more often they fulfill that promise, the stronger the brand becomes.

What does this have to do with personal branding?  Similar to those other brands, I believe someone’s personal brand is the piece of real estate you own in someone’s mind when they hear your name.  A person owns that spot in someone’s mind, because they have CONSISTENTLY lived and acted in accordance with their mission.  They have demonstrated values and behaviors that align to that mission over and over and over again.  When people hear my name, I hope they instantly think something like, “Spark igniting storyteller.  He cares deeply for people, is a creative problem solver, keeps it real, brings the energy, and communicates in a way that moves people forward”.  I hope at this point in my career I’ve delivered on that promise and those things enough times that I own that space in people’s brains.  I didn’t get there overnight.  I had to spend time to figuring out who I am, my mission, what I do, and how I do those things.  From there, I had to consistently live those things over and over again and continually refine myself along the way.

The challenge:  If someone hears your name, what space would you own in their mind?  What is your mission? WHAT do you do?  HOW do you do it?  Do you live those in a way that other people feel them? 

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

The 500th Blog- Growth and Appreciating the Journey (8-17-22)

Today is a special Wednesday for me.  This is the 500th blog entry I’ve written.  It’s about growth and appreciating the journey.

This is my 10th year of blogging. My first blog was sent on September 26, 2022.  Over the weekend, I realized that the 500th blog would be sent out today.  I started walking down memory lane and reading through my old entries, and I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.  If you’d go back and read my first few entries, you’d probably chuckle too.  It just wasn’t as good as it is now.  I started the blog when I worked in training as a way to explore customer experience and our selling model.  It was so limited in scope compared to what it is now.  The writing wasn’t crisp or clear.  I was trying hard to be funny and clever and wasn’t always succeeding.  The real raw authentic vulnerability wasn’t present for the first few years.  People initially didn’t quite get what I was doing with the blog and was mainly wondering why I felt the need to do something so weird.  If you look back through the original entries, it becomes really apparent that I had no idea what I was doing.

As I looked back, on one hand I saw so many mistakes and things that now drive me nuts.  On the other, I saw so much growth and transformation. I can see how the writing is better, more focused, and more real.  I can still remember how incredibly nervous I’d get before sharing anything remotely vulnerable, like being on the border of getting sick.  Now, I’ve gained more strength and courage to make this a little easier.  Now as I look at myself I can see a writer who still doesn’t know exactly what he’s doing but does have a better grasp on who he is. 

As I look back through the years, I am also incredibly thankful for all of you who have ever read an entry or sent me a note telling me it made you smile, gave you inspiration, or felt like a warm hug.  All I want to do in life is spread a little joy, love, and light.  Thanks for giving me a chance to do that every week. (I’m not crying when I write this paragraph.  You’re crying.)

What does this have to do with anything?  Maybe you’re just starting a journey.  If you are, just know it’s okay if the journey is a little ugly, bumpy, and weird for a bit.  Experiencing all of those things, just means you are human.  Maybe, you’ve been on the journey longer.  If so, please take a second to look back.  Look back and see the mistakes.  Look back and smile when you see the growth.  Look back and see all the people you’ve touched.

The challenge: Will you appreciate the ride?  Will you appreciate your growth?

Bonus 1- Thank again for reading.

Bonus 2- I know this is totally selfish.  If you have a favorite entry, series, or topic from the blog over the past 500 entries I’d love to hear what they are.  It will fill my bucket.

Bonus 3- Here is a list of some of my favorite entries throughout the year linked to my blog site.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry