Walking into that town council meeting was like trying to understand a foreign language. My friend Earl, bless his heart, laid out the budget with more numbers than a lottery ticket, while old Mrs. Gable just wanted to know if we could plant more magnolias by the post office. I sat there, scratching my head, […]
Self-Defined Success: How to Build a Career Around Your Life (Not the Other Way Around)
There’s a version of career advice that’s been quietly running in the background of most of our professional lives for decades, like an old operating system nobody ever updated. It goes something like this: work hard, climb the ladder, accumulate the markers of success – the title, the income, the corner office or its modern […]
Saintly Smarts for Your Bottom Line: How Integrity Is the Best Business Strategy
Back in my hardware store days, a fella came in, bought a whole truckload of 2x4s for what he said was a big ol’ deck project for someone else. I gave him the best price on town, shook his hand, and wished him luck. Well, six months later, my wife sees that very same pile […]
Can You Win an Argument and Still Be Friends?
Walk into my old hardware store on a Saturday morning, and you’d hear the sweet symphony of negotiation. “Now, Bojangles,” Mr. Henderson would say, holding up a can of paint, “This is fine, but it’s not the color I had in mind for the kitchen.” I’d smile back and reply, “Well, now, sir, that’s true […]
Reciprocal Mentorship: The Career Growth Strategy Kiwis Are Using That Most Australians Haven’t Heard Of
Let me paint you a picture of traditional mentorship, because I think it’s worth being honest about how limiting the model actually is. A senior person – usually older, usually more experienced, usually with more institutional power – agrees to spend time with a junior person who wants to learn from them. The junior person […]
Stand Strong in Faith Without Losing Your Friends
Ever find yourself at a family barbecue, clutching your sweet tea while everyone else is on their second beer? Or maybe you’re the only one at work who doesn’t use “God’s name” as an exclamation point during a frustrating Zoom call. It can feel lonely sometimes – like being a Catholic in a culture that’s […]
Put Your Thoughts on Paper: Journaling for a Better You
I was thinking about the time I tried to fix my old tractor without writing down which bolts went where. Let’s just say it ended with a pile of rust and a whole lot of head-scratching. That’s life, isn’t it – full of messes we’d rather not repeat? But what if you could turn your […]
How to Get Promoted in Australia’s 2026 Job Market (When There Are 100+ Applicants for Every Role)
Let’s set the scene, because it’s important to understand what we’re actually working with here. Job ads across Australia and New Zealand are sitting 20 to 30 percent below their 2022 peaks. In competitive cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, and Wellington, it’s not unusual for a single advertised role to attract 100, 150, even 200 […]
Why Thanking God is the Best Upgrade You’ll Ever Get
You know that feeling? It’s Tuesday morning. The coffee maker’s on the fritz again (of course it is), your favorite work pants have a suspicious stain, and you just heard the neighbor’s dog let out a yelp that could curdle milk. Your first thought isn’t “Oh, what a beautiful day to be alive!” Nope, it’s […]