National Connector Program’s Post

Would You Love a Job In Hawaii? Beware of the Coconut Wireless network!! 🥥 Hawaii’s business community is unique, with aloha shirts and a laid-back style that felt like things move just a bit slower, island style. But one thing is lightning fast: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬. The Coconut Wireless is when you do something, and everyone knows about it instantly. Like the best WiFi connection, word travels so fast in Hawaii in business. This is where your business reputation is critical. You can’t get away from doing someone wrong, hurting someone’s feelings, or messing up on the job. If you want to relocate to Hawaii, I recommend that you work with a career coach in Hawaii. I recommend Gayle Morihara, a colleague and a dear friend. Reach out to her, and she'll help you understand the unique nuances of getting a job (and surviving your job) in Hawaii. IMAGE: I got these post-it notes from my nephew, who just returned from Hawaii. Only a local person would get it. #UniqueCorporateCulture #HawaiiNoKaOi #CareerCoaching

Just been back to Cape Town for a couple of weeks and one thing that never fails to impress is a stunning African sunset! 😍 This 📸 was taken on the stunning Whale Coast, in Pearly Beach. Saw sooooo many whales! 🐋 The other thing that never fails to impress is the power, and importance, of connection. I had the best time catching up with family and some of my best, decades-long, friends. Reconnecting reminds me every time how much I value the relationships, their friendship and enjoy their company, and that time invested in building and maintaining those connections should always be top of my list. #powerofconnection #buildingrelationships

Spend more time making the big decision There are basically 3 big decisions you make in your early life • Where you live ? • Who you're with ? • What you do ? We spend very little time deciding which relationship to get into. We spend so much time in a job, but we spend so little deciding which job to get into. Choosing what city to live in can almost completely determine the trajectory of your life, but we spend so little time trying to figure out what city to live in. If you are going to live in a city for ten years, if you're going to be in a job for five years, if you're in a relationship for a decade, you should be spending one to two years deciding these things. They are highly dominating decisions. Those three decisions really matter. You have to say no to everything and free up your time so you can solve the important problems. Those three are probably the three biggest ones. #relationship #job #youth

Reflecting on the immense value of reconnecting with old friends lately. 🌟 Amidst the hustle of daily life, it's easy to lose touch, but the wisdom and perspective they offer are truly invaluable. Sometimes, those longstanding connections provide insights and counsel that our more recent friendships might not see. In both personal and professional spheres, these old friends can offer fresh perspectives, drawing from shared experiences and the journey we've traversed together. They serve as a reminder of where we've come from and where we're headed. This experience underscores the importance of consistent networking, not just when we're actively seeking new opportunities, but as an ongoing practice. Nurturing these connections enriches our lives in unexpected ways and ensures our network remains robust and supportive. Let's not underestimate the power of reconnecting and consistently networking, even when we're not actively pursuing a different path. The insights gained and relationships strengthened can be truly transformative. #Networking #OldFriends #Perspective

Today is a New Beginning. It is the first day not only of the new month but also to the rest of your life. #NewBeginnings #newbegginings #newbeginningsahead #opportunity #opportunities #communityworkout #communitysupport #onlineworkouts #homeworkout

I moved from London to Toronto 8 weeks ago. It’s funny when people ask me “How is Canada?” because I don’t have the words to describe it. Experiencing Toronto as a resident has been incredible, but how else do you describe leaving your family, friends, and job and moving across the world, if not “chaotic” In less than 2 months, I have had to throw myself in so many deep ends 🤣, re-discovering the things I’m passionate about, and re-learning what life means to me, without the influences of my lifelong community. For context: - Growing a business: Growing Avelon in a city where you've yet to establish a network is challenging; attending events alone that I wouldn’t otherwise consider; establishing and maintaining connections. It can feel like a full-time job, but the skills you learn are invaluable - Job hunting: I was blessed to work at Weber Shandwick and VML Health after leaving University, so actively job searching wasn’t something I knew much about until moving to Canada. If there's anything I’m learning from this, it’s finding patience! - Identity crisis: My move felt like a holiday until week 6; that's when I missed home. Leaving your confront zone feels like you’re going head to head with yourself, Some days my confidence takes a hit, and some days I feel like I’m on top of the world. One thing I can say, I’m so grateful to myself for doing this. Moral of the story; take the opportunities to discover yourself ✨ and to hiring managers, I promise I’m incredible!

"The Butterfly Effect" I once knew a talented professional who spent all her time chasing after the latest trends and "hot" opportunities. She was constantly networking, attending events, and pitching her services. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to land the projects she wanted. One day, she realized that she had been focusing on the wrong thing. Instead of chasing after opportunities, she started building her skills, creating value, and nurturing her professional garden. And then, something magical happened. The opportunities she had been chasing started coming to her. The butterflies had flown into her garden, attracted by the beauty and value she had created. The moral of the story? "If you spend your time chasing butterflies, they'll fly away. But if you spend time making a beautiful garden, the butterflies will come." Let's focus on building our skills, creating value, and nurturing our professional gardens. The opportunities will follow. #careeradvice #professionaldevelopment #opportunity"

**Comparing Village Life and Corporate Life** **Village Life:** 1. Close to nature and peaceful. 2. Strong sense of community. 3. Simpler and slower-paced. 4. Emphasis on personal connections. **Corporate Life:** 1. Fast-paced and dynamic. 2. Focus on innovation and growth. 3. Emphasis on productivity. 4. Strong professional networking.

3 Inspiring Ways Moving to a New Country Transformed My Twenties ✈️ 🌍 Embrace Adaptability When I moved to a new country, I faced challenges I never expected. Navigating finances, finding housing, and mingling in unfamiliar social scenes pushed me out of my comfort zone. Each obstacle I overcame built my resilience and showed me that what once felt impossible was entirely within my reach! 🤝 Expand Your Network Living in an expat hub opened doors I didn’t even know existed. I met incredible, like-minded people who shared my ambitions and dreams. Those face-to-face connections turned into deep friendships and collaborations, proving that nothing beats the power of real-life interactions over online networking. 🎯 Cultivate Focus and Determination Once I settled in, I felt a newfound commitment to my goals. With no easy fallback, I honed in on what I wanted to achieve. That pressure ignited a fire in me; I realized that my journey was not just about survival—it was my chance to shine! Embrace the adventure, and you might just uncover your true potential! ✈️✨

We spent last week at a house in the country that we’ve rented many times over the past decade-plus. It’s dog-friendly and has a huge and beautiful yard. And a doggy door. This was Sadie and Oliver’s first visit to the vacation house. Oliver, our year-old puppy quickly learned that he could go outside whenever he wanted, and let himself back in when he got lonely. Sadie, our 9 year old geriatric lady would only go through the doggy door when it was held open for her. She prefers to be invited into spaces and doesn’t even nudge partially open doors with her giant head to get into rooms where her people are. Of course this got me thinking about how people seize, or don’t seize opportunities in the workplace. Some people are Olivers and charge through open doors into new projects, charting their own courses and bounding into the unknown. Others are Sadies. And prefer the status quo. They’re ok where they are, and might push themselves into new areas if someone they trust is there to guide them, but left to their own devices, they’ll stay put. The world needs Olivers and Sadies. Not everyone needs to be explorers. Not everyone needs to be content where they are. Your organization needs some of each. Recognize where people are today (they may grow from a Sadie into an Oliver or vice versa) and allow them to be. To just be. It’s ok to be content where you are. It’s also ok to want new challenges. Are you an Oliver or a Sadie?