<![CDATA[Gala Jackson - The Emerald: Vitality in Life and Leadership Blog]]>

<![CDATA[Gala Jackson - The Emerald: Vitality in Life and Leadership Blog]]>Wed, 13 May 2026 21:14:46 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[mentorship changes the game]]>Fri, 31 Jul 2020 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.galajackson.com/the-emerald-vitality-in-life-and-leadership-blog/mentorship-changes-the-game

Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by an individual with expertise to a less experienced individual.

According to an article featured on Chronus.com, "67% of women rate mentorship as 'highly important' in career advancement, while 63% report they’ve never had a mentor."

The article goes on to cite a study completed by the Wharton School of Business, which notes that mentorship program participants were promoted 5x more often than those who did not participate in the program.

Knowing the inextricable connection between #mentorship, #careeradvancement, and the desire to be mentored, why is there a gap in mentorship opportunities for #women?

Can we have some dialogue?

Have you had a #mentor in your #career? If so, how did you identify your mentor? What was the greatest benefit of your mentor-mentee relationship?

If you have not had a mentor in your career, why not? Do you believe mentorship could help you advance in your career?

If you had the opportunity to join a virtual mentorship circle with a small group of other like-minded professional women would you join?

Personally, I've had 3 mentors throughout my career. All very different, but all incredibly valuable. Each mentor shaved years off of my #personal and #professional #growth!

Is it time for you to find a mentor or give back and become a mentor?
What are you seeking in a mentor? What do you have to offer as a mentor?

The comments are open below or you can schedule some time to connect with me:
https://calendly.com/galajackson/initial-consult

]]><![CDATA[Clarity is a catalyst]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2020 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.galajackson.com/the-emerald-vitality-in-life-and-leadership-blog/clarity-is-a-catalyst

Clarity is powerful.

When we don't have it, we worry, feel frustrated, and doubt overwhelms us. I believe this is why many women struggle with advancing in their #careers and #leadership.

We often don't believe we are enough for what we desire, and the last thing we want is confirmation of that belief. So we play it safe, minimizing, or even ignoring the clarity we do have and stifling our very own dreams.

Ironically, when we do gain opportunities that suggest we are enough, but we don't believe it, #impostersyndrome appears.

It's a hard, vicious mindset cycle.

Practicing #compassion and pinpointing what makes us who we are is how we combat this mindset epidemic. I help my clients identify, accept, and honor that they are more than enough.

Often overlooked when it comes to the #jobsearch, the very first step of an effective transition is your #mindset.

Clarity leads to courage, courage draws out our values and convictions, and our convictions produce confidence.

If you're struggling with your job search, schedule a complimentary coaching session. I've got 3 questions that will help you begin to shift your mindset.

https://lnkd.in/e2zxybQ

#claritycoach #careercoach #careertransition
#womenatwork #femaleleaders #womeninleadership

]]><![CDATA[Don't edit your resume again until you read this...]]>Mon, 27 Jul 2020 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.galajackson.com/the-emerald-vitality-in-life-and-leadership-blog/dont-edit-your-resume-again-until-you-read-this

The number one mistake job seekers make in their search is updating their #resume first.

Far too many #jobseekers struggle with frustration, anxiety, and writer's block trying to update their resume. It's not that you don't have any significant accomplishments to highlight; it's that you haven't assessed the #value you have to offer in the #marketplace.

Instead of updating your resume, the first thing you should do to reduce your time from search to hire is to take an inventory.

Here are a few questions to help you get started:

➡ What have I learned about myself during my time in this role?

➡ What new skills have I developed in this role?

➡ What projects or tasks have I contributed to during my time within this organization?

➡ What is the value that I have consistently delivered to this organization?

➡ What about this company, position, or work no longer aligns with my values and the expectations I have set for my career?

The answers to these questions make updating your resume a less frustrating process and aid in #networking. The resume should be a marketing document that speaks directly to the problems you solve, the value you deliver, and the skills you have to offer.

Schedule a complimentary consultation and let's chat:
https://calendly.com/galajackson/initial-consult

]]><![CDATA[Your Secret Weapon]]>Fri, 24 Jul 2020 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.galajackson.com/the-emerald-vitality-in-life-and-leadership-blog/your-secret-weapon

I hear all too often that #women have to be more masculine to be successful in #business and in their #career.

I disagree.

In a boardroom full of masculine energy the last thing needed is more masculine energy.

The narrative that femininity is weakness is absolutely ridiculous. We diminish what we don’t understand.

Femininity is just as powerful as masculinity.

Femininity in business, is an incredible, unparalleled asset.

Female leaders do not have to reduce their femininity in business - it’s time to leverage it. It’s a potent energy and our male counterparts know it.

I refuse to reduce my femininity to do business and you don’t have to either.

#femaleleaders #business #career #success #confidence #clarity #courage #careertransition #wellbeingatwork

]]><![CDATA[The Truth about Confidence]]>Wed, 22 Jul 2020 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.galajackson.com/the-emerald-vitality-in-life-and-leadership-blog/the-truth-about-confidence

I was talking with a client yesterday — a #femaleleader with an impressive background.

The topic: Confidence

She shared with me that confidence was an area she was working on after receiving feedback that this was an area where she could improve. I asked a simple question:

“What convicts you?”

She seemed a bit surprised by my question. I followed up with what I fundamentality believe about confidence:

“Conviction creates confidence.”

Conviction connects you to your values, purpose, and passion. Until you find and define what convicts you, confidence doesn’t show up. Confidence is a powerful attraction energy that draws people and opportunities to you. But that power source doesn’t show up and work if it’s not connected to your core.

When I work with my clients, we focus on #clarity, #conviction, #confidence, and #career.

Instead of hammering in the narrative of all the things you “should” be according to everyone else’s standards, I help you reintroduce yourself to yourself. Together we identify your #zoneofgenius then I teach you how to leverage it to #thrive in your #career.

If you’re seeking clarity and want to be more confident, schedule a 20-minute complimentary #coaching session with me: https://lnkd.in/eVbh4Tp

Let's connect!

]]><![CDATA["Good Trouble"]]>Mon, 20 Jul 2020 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.galajackson.com/the-emerald-vitality-in-life-and-leadership-blog/good-trouble

On February19, 2020 I stood on the Edmond Pettus Bridge for the first time after leading a day of professional development for leaders at a Fortune 200 organization.

There was a holy silence as I stood on that bridge.

The invite to lead came from a company leader who had attended one of my career development presentations over 3 years ago.

Our chance encounter came full circle, when I, a black woman, business owner, in my 30s, was asked by him to come and facilitate leadership development for his team: a 90% white male audience, mostly natives of historic Selma, AL.

The courage of the men and women on that bridge in 1965 on Bloody Sunday, fighting for Civil Rights, allows me to stand in boardrooms today.

Only 55 years separates me from Bloody Sunday. Yes, just 55 years.

Because of them, he could become a leader in a Fortune 200 organization.
Because of them, I was able to become a business owner.
Because of them, we connected.
Because of them, we are able to bear witness of their sacrifice on that bridge, just a few feet away.

That is the power of courage and connection.

The memory standing on that bridge and all that led up to that specific moment is etched on my heart forever.

This weekend, I am reminded of the responsibility that I have, that we have, to continue making "good trouble". The loss of an icon and hero, the Honorable John Lewis, has left a gap that is unimaginable to fill. It will not take one person, but the collective spirit of hope, optimism, and unity in the humanity of all who seek freedom and justice to fill his shoes. Admittedly, it is hard at this particular time, but I refuse to let go of hope. We will continue the fight and honor the legacy of our ancestors.

#blackgirlmagic #blackhistorymonth #courage #connection

]]><![CDATA[Set the Standard]]>Fri, 10 Jul 2020 03:46:48 GMThttps://www.galajackson.com/the-emerald-vitality-in-life-and-leadership-blog/july-09th-2020

Setting standards is one thing, but actually communicating and living up to your standards is something different all together. Doing so requires a level of vulnerability and authenticity that often leaves us trembling, uncontrollably, from the fear of rejection.

Now, I know you’re thinking, “Um, are we talking about a dating relationship, Gala?” Nope, we are talking about the standards that you set for yourself and truth about how you give up on, bend, break, or suspend the commitment you made to yourself to maintain the standards you set. There by rejecting your own hopes and dreams. We won’t even get into the fact no one will honor the standards and boundaries you set, until you consistently honor them within yourself first, at least not yet.

We deal with more self-rejection than we do from other people. We set ourselves up to fail more times than we set ourselves up to succeed. And here’s the kicker, we are ALWAYS looking for someone else to take the blame.

A quote from Brene Brown that has stuck with me over time states, “It is easier to discharge pain than it is to feel it.” Just say ouch, amen, or sh*t! Well, that’s usually what leaps out of my mouth when I read Brene Brown’s truth bombs. It isn’t until we fully feel the pain of self-rejection and become acquainted with what it’s really like to let ourselves down that we can advance in, not just setting standards for ourselves, but also moving in alignment with those standards. As you do, what you will realize is that people start to treat and interact with you differently.

The way people treat us is a reflection of how we first treat ourselves.

Here are three questions you can reflect on as you seek to set and move in alignment with, then communicate your standards:

When I envision the absolute best version of myself, happy, confident, and fulfilled, what are the standards that version of me abides by?
What will I be able to have and what will I be able to do as I uphold and honor these standards?
How will I honor these standards in myself right now, recognizing the absolute best version of myself is already within me?

As you identify, anchor, and embody these standards, I encourage you to take your standards and turn them into daily affirmations.

“The measure of a woman is not how she nurtures and takes care of others, but ultimately how she first nurtures and takes care of herself. We cannot authentically give to others what we are unwilling to compassionately give to ourselves.” - Gala Jackson

]]><![CDATA[The Unexpected Teacher]]>Wed, 08 Jul 2020 03:52:45 GMThttps://www.galajackson.com/the-emerald-vitality-in-life-and-leadership-blog/the-unsuspecting-teacher

I talked with a client today about her job search, and as we were working through her coaching session, she said something that stuck with me, "Job searching has been teaching me resilience". What an aha moment for her. She said it with such relief as if the answer to the most challenging season of life had finally revealed itself. This season of life was about resilience, and the teacher manifested itself in her job search.

Here’s a little bit of backstory; she is a creative professional who was fortunate enough to have amazing jobs with very visible brands as a result of a robust network. She had never really gone through the process of applying for a professional job or conducting a job search, which meant that she was at a total loss when it came to the strategy behind an effective job search.

As she leaned into the revelation, there was a faster cadence to our conversation. I could hear the excitement in her voice. As she talked through the rest of our discussion around resilience, I could sense that she was on the path to having a breakthrough in her professional and personal life.

Sometimes the greatest lessons we need to learn in any given season of life show up as the most unsuspecting teachers. If you are navigating a job search or career transition, and feel like you keep bumping into roadblocks, I encourage you to take a step back. Observe.

Now consider these questions:

As a result of this experience, what am I aware of now that I was unaware of before?
What can I do with this level of awareness?
How is this experience developing me?
What can I take away from this learning experience?
How can I navigate my job search win a different way, a fresh perspective?

Now I invite you to schedule a complimentary coaching session to discuss the answers to your questions. Click here to grab some time on my calendar.

Talk with you soon!

]]><![CDATA[4 Certain transformational Self-Care Tips during uncertain times]]>Tue, 07 Jul 2020 02:01:48 GMThttps://www.galajackson.com/the-emerald-vitality-in-life-and-leadership-blog/4-certain-transformational-self-care-tips-during-uncertain-timesI celebrated the life and legacy of my grandfather.

I embraced my birthday.

I navigated uncharted family territory.

I thought I was doing well managing myself care during the abyss of uncertainty. With the pandemic and racial tension at an all-time high, until sleep became elusive, I was crying more than I was laughing, stress eating, and slipping out of mindfulness into numbness.

I was falling apart.

I needed a more in-depth, more structured self-care routine ASAP to authentically show up every day and not drag through it to continue running my business, lead a team, and pour into others daily through coaching.

Here is an overview of four new tried and trusted elements of my self-care routine that you can implement too.

Morning Pages.
I swear by them. They are NECESSARY. Each morning I get up, and for 30 minutes, I write. Mercilessly. Every single thought, task, feeling, and more gets on those pages. As I write, I release any creativity blocks and regressed feelings standing in between me and the day ahead. It is not pretty -- I do not care. It's my truth in those early morning moments or even late nights. It is healing and healthy work. The kicker, you cannot go back and read what you wrote. You release it and move on. Yeah, I know, right!? Super hard at first, amazingly freeing once you learn to let go. Eventually, you can go back to read what you wrote, but not for some time. To learn more about the concept of Morning Pages, check out The Artist's Way. It is a beautifully challenging, 12-week process. It is WORTH it.
Meal Prep (but let me explain).
Here's the thing, I don't meal prep in the traditional Martha Stewart way with an apron and hours in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon. Meal prep is one of my least favorite tasks. I do it because it's fewer decisions I have to make in my day and week. It also ensures that I get at least two square, healthy meals each day. My plan: I map out my meals for the week by day and mealtime, make a grocery pick-up order, and then build in the cook and eat time in my schedule. Otherwise, I'll end up skipping lunch and not eat dinner until 10 pm. Plus, eating my feelings every single day is not an option -- periodt! One additional tip around meal prep is to keep your favorite, healthy snacks in abundance in grab-to-go portions (even though I'm just going down the hall). Splurge and by the individually wrapped items or divvy up things quickly while putting the groceries away.
I limit my workload.
I heard you; yes, you can. I'll tell you how. I no longer have massive blocks of time open on my calendar for everyone to see. I schedule my day from admin hour to lunch to walking the dog to personal tasks like taking a 30-minute block to pay bills. Now, do I label these things by their actual tasks on my public calendar? Of course not! It just says "busy" or "unavailable." This approach intentionally limits the number of meetings and coaching sessions on my calendar to avoid being spread too then each day. It also ensures that the important stuff gets done and not at 2 am.
I structure my day by energy pattern.
It sounds fancy, but it's super easy and powerful. I started paying attention to my body rhythm. When was I more alert and focused versus when I was more distracted and less energized? I started scheduling high energy tasks during my "peak performance" times and scheduling low-energy tasks when I was more tired. As an example, I schedule my coaching clients during my peak energy time blocks during the day. My clients deserve a fully engaged coach for every session.

These are 4 of my self-care tips. I'll share more next week. In the meantime, I was hoping you would send me a quick email and share one of your self-care tips. I'd love to compile a list and share it with those who need to prioritize self-care.

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