Shannon V. Bennett (Brand Strategist, Writer)’s Post

Ever heard someone brag about getting laid off a month into a new position? You’re about to. When I was informed about a widespread layoff eliminating my role, my manager’s manager said, “I’ve only heard the most positive things about your work.” This is someone who manages hundreds of people! 👀 My colleagues, on hearing the news: “I’m so sad, we were just getting started!” “The work you did was so important.” “You were so valuable to the team.” “I can easily see you as a Chief Marketing Officer.” Several higher-ups offered to be reference. In one month of working with me, they trusted me and knew I was capable of creating impact immediately. It was just bad timing for the company itself. Can you imagine what I could've done if I had 3 months? A year? 🤯 I want to do great work AND empower the people around me to do great work. After a few margaritas to kick off the search, I’m back on the market! I specialize in marketing automation, sales enablement, and partnering with product for B2B companies. Help me out by introducing me to your marketing friends, and I’ll owe you a margarita next time we meet. 🙏🍹

Sunday reflection, stop asking for permission! Just do it! To all the job seekers out there, especially those impacted by layoffs: The time is now to take a chance or risk, don't wait for permission. I've been where you are. My career has been anything but a traditional pathway to leadership. Early on, I struggled to get my foot in the door, but I didn't sit around waiting for others to open doors for me. My first big break came when I left Seattle, post graduation and took a chance in a small town in southern Illinois as an assistant pharmacy manager at Walgreens. While I knew this wasn’t the end goal, it gave me the credentials and experience for my next move. Eventually, I made my way to Chicago and kept working towards bigger goals. Friend Health provided me with the opportunity to grow, but my career seemed to stagnate once I attained the director role, a position I held for five years without further advancement. However, those five years were instrumental in building my character and gave me the springboard for future roles and where I am today. I didn't wait for things to be handed to me, every role was earned, and I danced to the beat of my own drum. As I continue my journey, I will not wait but will continue to take control of my own success. So, don’t wait for permission, create the future you want today. Use this time and your skills to build your perfect job or role. Bootstrap and start anywhere. Stop waiting for someone else to open that door for you! Remember, the goal should be to create financial independence. You have the power within you to shape your destiny. Embrace the challenges, learn from them, and let them propel you forward. Your future is in your hands, make it extraordinary! #Leadership #CareerJourney #ProfessionalGrowth #TakeControl #SuccessMindset #FinancialIndependence #BuildYourFuture

Life’s too short to not follow your heart. This summer, I made the decision to leave full time corporate to make space pursuing more of what I love. I’ve been cultivating my portfolio career for years now, and it’s time for me to lean into this new season. My career has been centered around building impactful products and building high-performing teams. Now I’m on a mission to help other leaders do the same as a fractional/part time Product Consultant. Even more fulfilling than launching products has been launching other people’s career and potential. So I’m spending more energy as a Career Coach helping mid-career professionals confidently navigate their next career move, and as a Teacher in higher academia forging the next generation of creative thinkers and thought leaders. Rounding out my portfolio, I’m investing more time in connections, serving my communities, and exploring my identities as a Caregiver and as a Maker. It sounds like I'm doing more than before, but honestly, I've never felt freer. In short, I’m living my best semi-retired life. If you’re interested in partnering with me on any projects, career guidance, or simply to catch up, DM me! I’d love to hear from you.

“Eight months? That’s it?” Yep, I know what you’re thinking. A short stint can be a red flag - but hear me out. In my first four months, I was promoted to Director. Why? Because I delivered results, fast. I took a chaotic environment, implemented process improvements, streamlined documentation, and built a roadmap that my team could actually follow. My colleagues saw it. My leadership saw it. And I’d love for you to see it too! So, why am I looking for my next opportunity so soon? A business decision beyond my control led to a round of layoffs. I wasn’t involved in the decision but had to live with the outcome. It wasn’t about my performance or my impact - ask anyone I worked with, and they’ll tell you that I hit the ground running and never stopped. What did I learn from the experience? I can adapt quickly, build trust quickly, and drive real change - even when time is short. I don’t waste a moment; I make an impact from day one. So, if you’re looking for a product leader who can thrive in uncertainty, create order from chaos, and turn ideas into action, I’m ready to get to work. Let’s talk about how I can bring that energy and expertise to your team! Don’t let a short tenure fool you. Let’s turn this into a long-term win for both of us!

Some days, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱. But showing up is everything—because if we don’t: ↳ We’re alone, thinking we can’t do the hard things. ↳ Alone, stuck in a cycle of negative self-talk. ↳ Alone, overwhelmed by our doubts. Starting any journey can feel daunting and overwhelming. That’s why preparation is essential in the game of life. I'll be honest—when it comes to my personal brand, I wasn't fully prepared for this layoff. But that’s the lesson: 𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙. So now, it’s time to lock in. To commit to training myself—inside and outside the gym—to be the best I can be and to keep putting in the reps. To prepare for whatever comes next, because: ↳ Setbacks will happen. ↳ Layoffs will happen. ↳ Life’s curveballs will keep coming. And there will be moments when motivation simply fades. But when we lock into our 𝗪𝗛𝗬, we can push through—even when the motivation isn’t there. That 𝗪𝗛𝗬 is what gets me up and keeps me chasing my dreams, no matter how tough the journey becomes. Happy Monday! --------- I am a high-achieving customer success manager and a fitness enthusiast currently looking for my next roll in CX. 📌 Ring the  🔔  to get notified each time I post for more posts on how to improve your work/life balance and get fitness inspiration.

It's never too late to get intentional and take control of your career! ⏱ Even if 10, 20, or 30 years have passed — you can still make an intentional change to meaningful work. Jorge's career change journey began when he was looped into a round of layoffs at age 42. He decided it was time to get intentional and make his career fit into the life he wanted to be living! 🤩 Learn how he seized control of his career through strategic experimentation and strengths alignment (and ended up with multiple offers!) 🥳 Listen to Jorge’s full story here: https://lnkd.in/gYwx6ai2 #CareerChange #HTYC #CareerTransformation #CareerAdvice #BoldCareerMoves #HappenToYourCareerPodcast #PersonalDevelopment #HappenToYourCareer #SuccessStory #IdealRole #CareerHappiness #CareerTransition #CareerFulfillment #DreamRole #MeaningfulWork #LifeDesign #CareerDesign #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerExperiments #IdealCareer #CareerTransition #MidLifeTransition #CareerChangeAt40

Top 10 things I learned at my son Ben’s HS graduation party this weekend: 0️⃣1️⃣ Planning a special event can be stressful, so having a well communicated plan is critical. ✍️ 0️⃣2️⃣ Satisfying guest requests varying in age from 12 to 82 requires setting different expectations up front. 👵 0️⃣3️⃣ The weather is out of your control so don’t waste time worrying about it.☀️ 0️⃣4️⃣ There will always be too much food leftover. (The Italian in me always fears there won’t be enough throughout the day and night).🍔 0️⃣5️⃣ Nothing is better than connecting with family and friends to celebrate life milestones. 🧑🧑🧒🧒 0️⃣6️⃣ Charcuterie and grazing tables are not the same thing. Grazing tables are way more epic (see Saturday’s post for more detail). 🧀 0️⃣7️⃣ Watching kids your son has known since Kindergarten celebrate together 12 years later is way more emotional than I ever thought it would be. 🏫 0️⃣8️⃣ Coolers filled with beer, soda, and water will inevitably have someone ask if you have something to drink other than those three things. 🍺 0️⃣9️⃣ Mexican food trucks are a huge hit and requires zero food prep and cleanup. 🇲🇽 1️⃣0️⃣ Seeing your HS graduate “work the room” showing appreciation to all his guests was a proud mama moment. 👨🎓 Onto the next chapter for Ben…Coastal Carolina this fall! —— Hi! I’m Laura. I’m fulfilling two passions in 2024: 👩🏻💼I coach sales reps and first line sales leaders with EASE: Everything is Attitude, Skill, & Effort. I love mentoring sales professionals. Let’s chat! 📖 I’m writing a book called “The Layoff Cooties: It’s Them, Not You.” It’s part of my healing process after an unexpected layoff last year. Publishing in Fall 2024!

Career Pivot Success! 🔄 Tom’s passion for technology was undeniable, yet he was stuck in a sales role he no longer found fulfilling. Together, we explored his transferable skills, upgraded his resume, and connected him with the right networking opportunities in the tech industry. Fast forward six months, Tom secured a position as a Product Manager at a tech startup, proving it’s never too late to follow your passion. 🌐 A recruiter’s role is not just to fill roles but to facilitate career aspirations and drive fulfillment.

Some are scared to make a move in their career. But the biggest risk we take is leaving it to chance. When you fail to plan your career, you accept: - Holding down single job - Relying on a 3% raise to live - Subjecting yourself to random layoffs - Rarely increasing your skillset - Working a 9 to 5 until 65 Any promotion you receive will be from random chance. And work will never be anything more than a paycheck. That's no way to drift through life. Try this instead: - Create a career development plan - Put effort into growing your skills daily - Align your mission with your manager - Advocate for your work every week - Secure a promotion in 6-12 months You don't have to spend every moment on your career. But leaving it to chance isn't a solution either. Build a plan, build your career, build a better life. ——— ♻️ Repost if this resonates.  👉 Follow for daily posts to level up your career. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend! Stay Excellent.

With the new year approaching 🚀🚀🚀, I’ve been reflecting on an amazing year of success which includes all the high’s and low’s of owning a business. First off, I couldn’t be more grateful. Thank you God for this opportunity! Second, I remember when I was working as an employee how I used to think working 60+ hours couldn’t be so bad since I was already working 40. It hits different… I face a lot of fatigue. Wearing multiple hats is probably the most fatiguing part of it where I have to analyze and make decisions on everything from marketing sales strategies, clinical operations, and even what kind of candy 🍬or mints I want to offer my patients. 😅 It’s important to hire out for different positions in my company as I grow so that I can really channel my energy more effectively. Next opportunities are front office administration and physical therapists who are passionate about their skillsets and want to go further than just clinical growth opportunities. Eventually even hiring my own sales & marketing teams to keep growing the non-clinical skills. Beyond that, I’m really opening my mind up to all the possibilities and avenues to take the business. Time will tell how much I accomplish, and I’ll try to document along the way my progress. Thanks for coming along the ride.