Tag: purpose

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!

Are you ready to quit your day job?

 

A question I get asked often is “how did you know when it was time to quit your job to pursue your passion” and what I typically pick up from this question is “how do I know when it’s time for me?”…which is an amazing question! A question I think many are scared to discuss with their peers, spouse and definitely current employer simply due to the fact that the unknown can be intimidating and it take vulnerability to open up about how you are feeling. 

Rest assured, you are in the right place for a safe & transparent conversation. I will share with you the four things that gave me the conviction to pursue my passion venture. I call it a passion venture because as much as I am passionate about it, it is a business venture first and if you are considering quitting your job – it better be a business venture for you as well.

  1. Relevance: An “Aha Idea” that continued to be relevant to a real problem I was trying to solve. Simply put, the idea does not leave you alone. You keep finding yourself in situations that validate the need for your business. 
  2. Numbers: The idea can be exciting, but you need to evaluate how your business will generate revenue. If you can evaluate the numbers, they will provide an added layer of conviction. If you aren’t sure where to start or feel intimidated, don’t be! You will want to get more advanced later, but for now start with focusing on a simple equation: 
    • Cost of goods/services X how many people you are aiming to serve per month X 12 (months) = Yearly Revenue 
  3. Research: Put together a business plan that identifies what your business is, who you serve, who your competition is, how you will market your new business, what your business expenses are. Pro tip: Focus on one at a time and really try to get clarity on each section. If you’re not sure where to begin – comment below or email me directly.
  4. Personal Conviction: Nothing was exciting me about my “day job” anymore (even though I did genuinely enjoy it for some time). For me, it was not burn out – it was the fact that my business idea was an inner voice that started as a whisper and turned into a yell. I could not ignore it.

If you find yourself in alignment with a few or all of these, I believe you are at a crossroads. Being in this place can be very exciting but also daunting at times. The good news is, I would love to offer you a 30min free consultation to get you started in the right direction. The “bad” news is that you do need to put the work in. Whether that means scheduling a time to chat or setting time aside to tackle point 2 and 3…it requires action on your part. 

I hope these insights help you on your journey and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or comment below! You can email me directly at: vladlenadufresne@gmail.com 

Struggling with Identity

Are you struggling with something in your life? Chances are…you are. I will be the first to admit that lately, I have felt a lot of struggles from within myself. It feels like a war has begun in my spirit and the distorted approach is that I didn’t recognize that it was the enemy who quickly planted the thought “something is wrong with you” and I believed it. I start asking “what is wrong with me” and that spirals into trying to pick apart my past and trying to understand my own psychology through analytical self-reflection. I convinced myself I am approaching it well, I am doing “the work” but God reminds me that the root “issue” is NOT me..I am not an issue, I am his beloved child and the issue is that Satan wants to convince me otherwise – that I am not capable, wise, worthy or truly loved and when I allow one thought in, the others burst through the door along with it.

I am reminded of Ephesians 6:12 that states “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

Recently, this verse has not been top of mind and the quality of life has gone down significantly. All of the sudden, everything feels like a personal attack and offense when it is not. We must remember who GOD says we are, not the lies of the enemy. It is so dangerous to believe Satan when he says:

No one loves you.

You are not worthy of good things happening in your life.

Who do you think you are?

Am I alone or have you heard these voices in your head? My guess is you have heard them on some level, and if not…I will just share my perspective because I do wrestle with these voices. In all honestly, some seasons it is less of a struggle but other times…it takes center stage. I believe when God is trying to grow us, teach us and take us into a new place of intimacy with him…that is when Satan strikes hard with these thoughts because he desperately wants to derail us from the TRUTH that God has spoken over our lives:

You are loved – not just a little, but DEEPLY loved. So much so God sent his only Son to die on the cross for your sins. It is personal, God knew of you in that time and did it for YOU, for your sins. God’s ability to love is beyond what our earthly understanding of love is, so if we think of “love” just know that whatever our version of that is, God’s love is a million times stronger and deeper. I think this is the truth Satan is desperately trying to distort for his own gain.

You are WORTHY because through Christ, we are pure. The old has gone, the new has come! When we accept Jesus, we accept that our sins are forgiven…not because we earned it, but because Gods grace is the gift we were given through Jesus Christ. I feel like our flesh tends to reject this gift but when we reject the gift of grace, we reject the grandiosity of Jesus’ sacrifice and call it “humility” when in reality…it is not humility that causes you to reject grace, it is shame. It is the shame that we carry around that causes us to say “no, I cant accept this” when God extends his grace.For some reason, it is hard for us to forgive ourselves but if we can’t forgive ourselves, we haven’t accepted that God has forgiven us…again, short-selling the work on the cross. The sad part is…we aren’t trying to do this, but this is the spiritual fight referenced in Ephesians.

You are a child of God, THAT is WHO YOU ARE. You are NOT the feelings you have about yourself today, you are always a child of God who is deeply loved, cared for, protected, blessed and favored. This is Gods promise to us…and it is so dangerous when we forget his promises. This is why it is so important to memorize verses so that when Satan strikes…we know how to strike back.

I will admit, I have struggled with striking back lately. I felt shame for it. I wanted to hide but God reminded me that I am not alone. That he is still my God, that his mercies are new EACH day and that I am never out of his reach. I think it is important to acknowledge that when this type of season is present, it is not an immediate fix and we should not expect it to be. We should be rebuking those thoughts but it is a consistent rebuking, not one and done. So if you prayed/rebuked..and still struggle: you are not alone. It is a process and my prayer for you and anyone who is going through a struggle is that you hold tight to God’s promises. That if you mess up or break down, know that God is not judging you..his heart hurts to see you hurt and his hope is that you seek Him in that moment. He is ready to pour out his love on you but he also knows that you are being made stronger, more whole and more equipped to step into the person he has called you to be so don’t give up.

I pray you are blessed & encouraged today! We are not alone, we stand in this life together and remember…we really have more in common with one another than we think so stay compassionate & kind.