Tag: leadership

How to get a promotion or pay bump…

Are you ready for a career upgrade? Perhaps a promotion or a pay bump in your current role? It can be tough to know what “the right” way to approach this is. The real answer is there is no one way to do it, but there are some principles that I genuinely believe in that can get the job done. 

Here are FOUR things to consider in your journey: 

  1. Commit to excellence. In your current day-to-day duties, ensure that you are showing up with your 100% effort and dedication. You want to do this before you ask for a promotion and allow your upper management to notice it without any demands. This builds your reputation as a reliable employee and you will be an asset to your company – this can be used as leverage when you are ready for that salary or promotion conversation (if they don’t come to you first). 
  2. Go the extra mile. Is there something that you can do that exceeds your responsibilities? If the answer is no, I would challenge you to think harder about possibilities because I believe there is always a way to find new ways to add value. If you’re not sure, comment below or send me an email. That said, do not come to your boss with just an idea, come with a high-level plan of action. This demonstrates to your employer that they don’t need to do heavy-lifting or question if you should run with it. This allows your employer to be impressed with the idea, the strategy and builds confidence in your ability to execute. Last but not least, get approval and get it done. 
  3. Stay positive. I do not mean you have to smile 24/7 and enjoy all your coworkers but I do recommend that you keep it professional no matter what, leave your opinions at home. If you don’t like a coworker, a new policy, or a manager then it is up to you to find a professional way to handle it. I promise you there is always a way to do it professionally.  If you have a situation at work that you’re unsure how to navigate, comment below or send me an email. 
  4. Communicate. Perhaps you are already crushing it on 1-3, that brings me to the last point: communication. If you are ready for a change then it is up to you to make it known. Yes, it is ideal when your boss just notices and offers the perks but that doesn’t always happen. So take your power back! It is up to you to make it known. Each situation differs but I recommend starting by sending your boss an email requesting a one on one meeting. In this meeting, be prepared to start with gratitude for your role and how you appreciate adding value to the company. Then transition into highlighting your contributions and how you believe you have the skills to qualify for the promotion/pay bump. Pro tip: For best results, outline what you want to share on paper before you go into a meeting.

I hope these tips help you in your situation. If you need help navigating your path, please comment below or send me an email to request a 1:1 and I would be happy to offer a free 30min consultation. My email is vladlenadufresne@gmail.com and I hope to connect with you.

Wishing each of you a successful career that you genuinely enjoy!

Pressure & Performance

This year I quit my secure job to dive into the world of being a founder of a tech startup. Yet, when someone asks what I do…I don’t always know how to answer – I own my own business -OR- I am a founder of a tech company…I try to find the right answer but those responses seem unreal because they seem to “fancy” because the reality of being a founder in early stages is that your confidence in yourself is still developing and although I AM a founder, the app is not ready yet and the first part of the puzzle is raising capital (something I knew nothing about when I started) and the goal was to get by JUST ENOUGH to pay the necessary bills of the business and moving forward with the business plan and then BAM, more bills and another round of funds is required to keep moving forward. The cycle begins again and yes, I could just focus on aggressively raising funds early on but the truth is…those investor meetings would terrify me. I would be so excited about my idea, but I hated public speaking so the process of meetings where the spotlight was on me to present, answer questions AND ask for their buy-in (personally and financially) was sort of a personal torture (just being transparent here).

Fast forward to present day, it feels better. I have grown in confidence and knowledge but I still don’t have all the answers so the meetings are easier…but not easy. I still fight this feeling of “they will think I am not enough” and try to perform my way out of that fear because inside, even though I KNOW what I am capable of, others may not. When I have a vision or get passionate about something…even when it is hard, I commit and figure out how to get to the finish line. The element I don’t share very often is how hard I am on myself and how that leads me to struggle in painful ways, an internal torment (that may sound dramatic but talk to my support system and you’ll know that I am not exaggerating)…but I push through anyway.

That said, I don’t push through alone. God is my refuge and encourages me every step along the way. I have had more breakdowns than I would care to admit, but God has carried me through each of them – whether it be a worship song that calms me, my spouse giving me an encouraging pep talk (beyond grateful for his love & support), a prayer session that humbles me, a journaling session where I gain clarity or some other way because God is endlessly creative.

I do genuinely believe that the only reason I am able to push through in this process is directly tied to my faith. I genuinely believe God called me to this purpose, I have had this vision since 2017 and the knock on my spirit only got stronger since. God has been building me as a person, brought me to my spouse (who is an integral part of this journey, I couldn’t do it without him), building my professional confidence, my public speaking skills and so much more in between.

That said, today I am writing about PRESSURE & PERFORMANCE. I hope the context was interesting to you to help you understand where I am coming from when I talk about the pressure & performance. I listened to a sermon by Pastor Steven Furtick (Elevation Church) and he was directly speaking on this topic. He said “certain type of pressure points to PRIDE in your life” and that when we feel this specific pressure it is because we have disconnected from our source (God) and try to perform for our own purpose which leads to losing our strength.

(Link to the video: https://youtu.be/T-M64gZW2hM)

I hate to admit it, but it is true. In my spirit, I know God brought me here and is leading me through it, but when the reality of what I am doing set in…I put all the pressure on myself. Believing that I am the one that is looking at the bank account, paying the bills, presenting my pitch deck, networking, researching, planning strategies..etc. That is what led me to spiraling self-doubt and feeling immense pressure. I took my eyes off of the one who is TRULY leading this ship…of course I will doubt myself, I am only human. This process REQUIRES you to keep your eyes on Jesus because he is worthy of ALL trust and faith. I don’t need to doubt Jesus… when I am connected to Him and know it is through HIS POWER that I am where I am and that HE will guide me to the next step…the pressure evaporates. How interesting is that? A pressure that was nearly CRUSHING me…dissipates in the presence of Jesus.

Can I get an AMEN?

So my point here is that pressure comes when our eyes are off of Jesus and we begin to perform in our own ability which leads to a weary, discouraged, frustrated and unstable soul. Therefore, we must intentionally keep our eyes on Jesus. This part is not easy band learning how to do this is a process in itself but I hope you are encouraged by this verse in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Prayer: Father, thank you for your love, your faithfulness, your strength and your promises. Forgive me when I start to perform for myself and take my eyes off of you. Reveal to me the motives of my heart and continue to correct me on my course. I cling to you as my refuge, my strength and my hope. I trust that I am safe in your arms and that you will lead me on safe paths even when I don’t see the road ahead. God, help me see how to be faithful in THIS day and not worry about the future. Grant me heavenly peace as I navigate the unknown and learn to trust you on a deeper level. My hearts desire is that I keep getting closer to your heart – help me remember that when I start to see the physical more than the spiritual purpose. I will make mistakes along the way but I will not be discouraged! I will cling to you and trust that I am learning & growing. Thank you Lord for carrying me through this. Amen.

Faith First.

When it comes to living the life of your dreams, you must expect challenges. Challenges in mindset, confidence, relationships, skills..etc. They can come in many different forms, and they will. Most people won’t take the chance of stepping into their dream life because they simply do not wish to give up the comfort of security. The fear of the unknown is too strong, therefore they stay at bay. 

I was in this place for a few years with my business idea. I kept looking around to see if someone else would do it. Over and over again God whispers “I am calling you to do this”. 

The questions start racing…why me? How me? I don’t have industry experience, coding skills or CEO experience..the list goes on. God says, you may not have all of those things but you have everything you NEED to get this done. You have leadership skills, people skills, decision making skills, organization skills, program management skills…the list goes on. Not to mention you also have  kindness, integrity and most importantly…you have ME. 

That last part is what got me, the God of the Universe says I have HIM. In all ways, he has proven this to me over and over again. At that moment, I knew I had to commit to bringing this vision I have cultivated (for over 3 years) to life. God is on my side, I will not fail (Psalm 46:5).

Accepting the belief that I am called and I CAN do it is only the beginning. The next part is where the real work begins. You must find a way to stay rooted in that belief as the emails pile up, decisions must be made, capital must be raised, investor meetings must be scheduled, meeting notes must be entered, follow ups, coaching, learning, growing…the list only increases. I will be honest here, I was riding an emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows and I knew God wanted me to have stable peace...not rollercoaster emotions. 

I went to prayer to seek his help and as always, God provided. He gave me a SUPER POWER phrase to help me recenter and realign my spirit with his whenever I felt unstable, scared, anxious, nervous, etc. 

What is this thought life super power phrase?  “FAITH FIRST.”  

What does that even mean? It means that you are guaranteed unexpected curveballs in life and in those moments, you hold the power to decide HOW you live your life. Do you live in a state of fear or faith? I made a decision early on that I choose to live from a place of love, faith & abundance. 

How can you use this? Whenever you feel scared, overwhelmed, stressed, anxious about whatever is going on…think (or say out loud) “faith first” and make the decision that you lead with faith. It will be undoubtedly true that fears will exist in this moment and what I found helpful is to acknowledge my fears, even thank them (because most of the time they are simply trying to keep me safe) and allow them to be present, but never let them lead the way. The analogy I like to use is driving a car…fears can sit in the backseat but faith is always the one driving the car. 

I pray you are blessed by this message! Let me know if this message resonates with you, if you tried & what your results were, or if you have a request for a specific topic to be covered in my next post. 

Thank you for stopping by. ❤