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15 Ways to Leverage the C3 Community to Accelerate Consciousness and Your Career

Posted on by in Change the world, Conscious Leadership, Corporate Consciousness, Leadership, Networking, Professional Development | Leave a comment

 

In 6 months, Lawrence and I grew the C3: Corporate Consciousness Co-op Community to over 100 people, and we’re still growing.

This group’s vision was to put together leaders who have individually created their own ripples to elevate corporations’ consciousness and recognize that by working together, these ripples become larger, faster, and more powerful waves of transformation.

It’s for those who share a sense of urgency about how quickly we as a planet need to outpace technology, climate change, and greed before we destroy ourselves. 2020 was the largest global challenge we’ve experienced in our lifetime, but there is every reason to believe that other, perhaps greater, challenges lie ahead. We need leaders willing to sacrifice popularity and security for effectiveness in creating change.

The C3 community is not for wish-makers but action-takers. We are in it for the mutual value we are creating. Not only do we get to go further and faster together, but we also get to promote our own initiatives to garner more significant support. We get to support our counterparts’ professional endeavors to help them get further on their journey, as well.

Our goal for 2021 is to expand this group while maintaining quality, which we will measure by engagement. We don’t just want any members who request to join. We want those who are willing to participate and willing to add value.

Once you are in the community, you’ll be invited to engage in a few different ways. We’ll also use these guidelines to assess our engagement and growth success.

Introduce yourself. Reintroduce yourself.

Once your membership is approved, you will be welcomed, tagged, and asked to let the community know what topics and practices related to conscious leadership that you like to speak on. When you do this, your topics are truncated down to 30 characters and are added to our topics poll. This past month we had so many topics we split them into 3 polls and down to a final poll. Topics that have votes (or relevance/timeliness in their favor) are carried over to the next month, but they won’t always, especially as we expand.

If you were an original member, you might have only introduced yourself to a few people, whereas now there are over 100! So hop back on and reintroduce yourself! You may have also thought about other niche topics you want to speak on. Go ahead and share!

We aren’t threatening to delete anyone right now, but because of our engagement goals and our commitment to filling this community with co-creating action-takers, we may eventually do some house cleaning. Don’t just be a passive observer. Stay active and add value!

Read other people’s introductions

None of us have reached complete conscious leadership enlightenment, yet we all have valuable expertise. Someone right here in the community may be an expert in something that you are struggling with right now. As long as we maintain the group’s quality by ensuring that members are all committed to the same thing, co-creation, expect a warm reception to an invitation to exchange expertise. Follow up when you receive such an invitation, as well.

Vote in event topic polls

Vote for yourself or vote for someone else. Just vote! The point of voting is to ensure that our content co-creation is what you desire, even demand, based on what challenges are relevant to you in your conscious leadership journey. On the other hand, say you really want to hear about a topic, but you know you won’t be available on the first Thursday of the month at 1 PM ET, vote for another topic.

Did you refer someone into C3 because you knew that the community would add value to them and vice versa? Vote for them! Remember that a vote for a topic is also a vote for a member.

Spread the word

As I’ve said, we are not interested in growth alone. We do not want to dilute our community with people who are not practicing and promoting conscious leadership. We don’t want people who are more interested in serving their own brand interests than contributing to the movement.

If you know someone who sees issues in the corporate world that we cannot continue to facilitate, wants to serve better and is willing to reach their hand out, they are who we want in this community! We want to combine our expertise and knowledge, and help bring new people into the movement to change the way we work in the corporate world! Send them this link: http://bit.ly/LI_C3

Attend the events and comment/ask questions

Lawrence knows what he’s doing on Streamyard! He makes the radio operator in me proud, watching him keep his thumb on the conversation while also posting relevant links and tracking the comments. All while highlighting the nuggets of wisdom and thought-provoking questions of our audience. We would love to see expansion in participation and conversation-starting questions during these events!

Several of our panelists started as people who were engaging in the events! Visibility is part of the value we intend to provide to you, your experience, and your expertise. We create a safe space for people to share a different perspective. We believe that this is completely necessary if we are to achieve consciousness in the workplace.

Watch the replays

Each month, I list the questions we answered or even questions that beg for more answers. If you go down that list and find anything curious, go back and check it out! Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments. Share your thoughts and reflections. Share your tips!

Share the event summaries

The event summaries are meant to entice anyone in C3 who didn’t attend to watch. These summaries are also shared across social media to drive like-minded professionals to the group. Share it either individually to people who would appreciate the insights or publicly on your own social media pages (with relevant audiences).

Engage with us on Clubhouse and Twitter

Lawrence and I are everywhere, but there are a few places where we include the flow of our daily lives. We have collectively and individually created some ancillary outreach to continue finding new conscious co-creators for our community.

Every other Tuesday at 1:15, Lawrence (@bossllab) and I (@ripplemaker) jump off our telesummit strategy call and into a Clubhouse room. We talk about the tenets of conscious leadership and crowdsource ideas for keynotes and breakouts. If you are on this platform, follow us both and put our next event, March 9th, on your calendar. We’re talking about psychological safety and whatever else seems important to discuss.

This Wednesday at 11 AM ET, I’m re-starting Twitter Chats, at least experimentally. I’d like to see what the Twitterverse has to say about conscious leadership. Find the chat by searching #ConsciousLeaderChat just before 11 AM. You can also follow me @EpicCareering and engage from my profile tweet.

Share relevant articles/blogs – even your own – just ask a thoughtful question

The problem with many of the other groups for practitioners I am in is that it becomes a blog dumping ground. Everyone shares their blog, and no one engages. I mean, post after post with no engagement, not even likes!

For this reason, many group managers have prohibited promoting external links at all.

We are pro-promotion, which is rare. And, we get where these group managers are coming from, as well. When you share a post or article, start a discussion or ask a question, be sure to tag people with relevant experience and ask them to share their opinions or experiences.

Invite other members to connect

Connecting obviously makes it easier to co-create. As an OG LinkedIn trainer, I encourage you to add a note and explain your intentions. Mention the C3 community. If we manage this community right, you will find warm receptions to these invitations.

Promote your event

Do you know of other groups or organizations’ conscious leadership events? Let us know! Knowledge-share is yet another critical value of this community.

Attend someone’s event

When you see an event posted, and you have the time available, go. Engage. Let people know what we’re doing here. Bring a few great people back with you, especially insightful speakers. Talk up the C3 member who is hosting or speaking. Share with us a summary of the event. Give those of us who couldn’t attend an overview of what we missed and pieces of value!

Co-create a new event

We don’t have a monopoly on events in C3. If another topic is in demand, and you are an expert in that topic, create a new event. Even better, consider co-creating that event with some of the people who also voted for it. You can host it and invite others to be panelists, or you can ask someone else to host so that you can be a panelist and bring in other panelists – or not. We have found that we have tremendously enjoyable and valuable banter with 4 perspectives contributing, but that’s not a rule.

Give us more ideas

Most other LinkedIn groups that I am in are not very active. On the other hand, many of the Facebook groups I am in are very active, yet the group I created (Raising Corporate Consciousness) had nearly no engagement over several months. If you see other groups doing things to nurture co-creation, engagement, and value, please let us know about it.

If you see a post or event outside the group you feel is worth mimicking, post it yourself. We are not here to hog the spotlight; quite the opposite. We are here to elevate YOU!

Volunteer

With more ideas, we’ll need more volunteers to help support execution. With more volunteers, we can do more events and highlight more of our members. There are already ideas on the table for which we could use man/woman power, for instance – a structured mentor program.

There are gaps in our ability to engage on all platforms to promote the C3 community and our value. We are a part of many other platforms such as Slack, Quora, and Reddit. If you are savvy with any of these platforms, let us know. We can talk about how you can leverage the time you are already spending to add value to the community while also using the community to add value to your career and conscious leadership momentum.

Future Vision:

As of now, there is no monetization for this group. In fact, Lawrence and I engage our assistants’ help to help us manage the administration and promotion of this group, so it’s operating at a cost. This means we do not have a budget to pay for speakers.

However, stay tuned for an announcement about a June telesummit. This will be an event born from the C3 community that illuminates the thought-leadership, expertise, and value of its members.

C3 won’t be the best-kept secret forever, and the odds of having your topic chosen as our monthly topic will go down as membership goes up.

Take advantage of being a charter member of this group. Consider yourself at the forefront of this wave of conscious corporate change we are co-creating.

Amongst The Waves

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupAmongst The Waves · Pearl JamBackspacer℗ 2009 Monkeywrench, Inc.Released on: 2009-09-20Producer: Brenden O’BrienC…

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Karen Huller is the creator of the Corporate Consciousness Ripple Blueprint and author of Laser-sharp Career Focus: Pinpoint your Purpose and Passion in 30 Days. She founded Epic Careering, a leadership and career development firm specializing in executive branding and conscious culture, in 2006. 

While the bulk of her 20 years of professional experience has been within the recruiting and employment industry, her publications, presentations, and coaching also draw from experience in personal development, performance, broadcasting, marketing, and sales. Her solutions incorporate breakthroughs in neuroscience, human performance optimization, bioenergetics, and psychology to help leaders accelerate rapport, expand influence, and elevate engagement and productivity while also looking out for the sustainability of the business and the planet.

Mrs. Huller was one of the first LinkedIn trainers and is known widely for her ability to identify and develop new trends. She is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Career Transition Consultant, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with a Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies and Theater from Ursinus College and a minor in Creative Writing. Her blog was recognized as a top 100 career blog worldwide by Feedspot. 

She was an Adjunct Professor in Cabrini University’s Communications Department and an Adjunct Professor of Career Management and Professional Development at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business  She is an Instructor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) where some of her students won the 2018 national YEA competition, were named Ernst & Young’s America’s Next Top Young Entrepreneurs, and won the 2019 People’s Choice Award. 

She is board secretary for the Upper Merion Community Center and just finished serving as Vice President of the Gulph Elementary PTC, for which she received recognition as a Public Education Partner and Promoter from the Upper Merion Area Education Association. She lives in King of Prussia with her husband, two daughters, and many pets, furry, feathered, and scaly.

When You Finally See the Dark Side

Posted on by in Career Growth, Change the world, Coaching, Conscious Leadership, Corporate Consciousness, Leadership | Leave a comment

When you are a confidant to people in bad job situations, you become privy to some pretty dark intelligence.

What do to with that?

Certainly, I don’t go public with it. If I am to remain a confidant, confidentiality is critical. Also, when I hear reports indicating a lack of conscious leadership in a company, I aim to help – not alienate – them.

I do keep a list, and I do index news and comments about unconscious companies and leaders.

So, what happens when a client, or a close contact, asks for help landing in companies I have “dark intelligence” about?

Well, it’s tricky, but I have adopted a policy and a protocol for making conscious decisions, meaning decisions in the highest good.

Some of my clients are coming to me to escape an unconscious company or boss because they feel stifled in their ability to lead consciously while succeeding in such an environment, and they want to make sure that their next opportunity is better aligned with their values and style. Since confidentiality goes both ways with my clients, I will tell them what I know and trust that they will use it only for the highest good.

Others want guidance in how to navigate their current environment and maximize their impact to leave it better than when they came. In this case, I provide them with questions to ask in interviews and in networking to qualify that the challenges that exist there are challenges they are going to confidently overcome to make the desired impact. The questions also ensure the existing challenges won’t be an obstacle to their impact or a career-killer, putting them into ethical predicaments that will force them to choose between becoming a whistleblower against their will or becoming complicit. I advise my clients only to go to this company if they are willing to be a whistleblower, which can have devastating effects when an industry is wrought with unconscious practices and leaders, and few conscious choices exist. However, should the need to become a whistleblower arise, they know I will be there to help them reinvent and redeem themselves so that they can move on to make their desired impact elsewhere.

Sometimes, it’s in the highest good that one of these companies hires my client, and sometimes it’s in the highest good that clients land where they can bring their whole selves to work and be uninhibited by unconscious conditions. If they are uncertain, as a coach I ask questions to help them come to their own conclusions and be at peace with their decision.

Over the years, especially earlier in my company, I found great joy and satisfaction in helping individual contributors breakthrough their corporate growth barriers and step into leadership. Unfortunately, the joy was diminished by reports of new insights they learned as they took on greater responsibility and had greater access to information, and had more involvement in strategic planning.

This was the point in my career that I started leaning further into conscious leadership coaching.

When dark intelligence about an unconscious company’s employment practices makes the news, certain comments, like, “The door is always right there. They can just work somewhere else,” seem super naïve, even ignorant. Coaches like me exist because decoding career campaigning isn’t everyone’s skill set, and we deserve to earn income for our skill set, so it takes someone with a budget to afford us. Many of the victims of these employers have been underpaid and overworked, resulting in additional challenges to hiring a professional like me.

There are not enough conscious companies for all of my clients, let alone the volume of talent out there reaching their limits with their current career situation.

Some will have to be the change they wish to see, and that will mean being trained as a conscious leader, and training other conscious leaders.

Either that, or you adapt. You learn to play the same political games and you become complicit in perpetuating a toxic, unconscious work environment.

Have you ever had a moment where you felt like you traded your values, maybe even your morals, for success in an unconscious company you once admired?

What did you decide?

What is your next move?

Ask yourself: What is in the highest good?

Is Conscious Leadership Training your future? Complete the application and find out.

Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd – (Speak To Me – Breathe) / Any Colour You LikeA video I always wanted to make, Enjoy.Leave a comment.

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Karen Huller is the creator of the Corporate Consciousness Ripple Blueprint and author of Laser-sharp Career Focus: Pinpoint your Purpose and Passion in 30 Days. She founded Epic Careering, a leadership and career development firm specializing in executive branding and conscious culture, in 2006. 

While the bulk of her 20 years of professional experience has been within the recruiting and employment industry, her publications, presentations, and coaching also draw from experience in personal development, performance, broadcasting, marketing, and sales. Her solutions incorporate breakthroughs in neuroscience, human performance optimization, bioenergetics, and psychology to help leaders accelerate rapport, expand influence, and elevate engagement and productivity while also looking out for the sustainability of the business and the planet.

Mrs. Huller was one of the first LinkedIn trainers and is known widely for her ability to identify and develop new trends. She is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Career Transition Consultant, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with a Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies and Theater from Ursinus College and a minor in Creative Writing. Her blog was recognized as a top 100 career blog worldwide by Feedspot. 

She was an Adjunct Professor in Cabrini University’s Communications Department and an Adjunct Professor of Career Management and Professional Development at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business  She is an Instructor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) where some of her students won the 2018 national YEA competition, were named Ernst & Young’s America’s Next Top Young Entrepreneurs, and won the 2019 People’s Choice Award. 

She is board secretary for the Upper Merion Community Center and just finished serving as Vice President of the Gulph Elementary PTC, for which she received recognition as a Public Education Partner and Promoter from the Upper Merion Area Education Association. She lives in King of Prussia with her husband, two daughters, and many pets, furry, feathered, and scaly.

Have You Ever Cried at Work?

Posted on by in Conscious Leadership, Leadership, Mindfulness | Leave a comment

Have you ever cried at work? Whether personal or work-related?

How about on the playing field?

What were you taught to do with that emotion?

Suppress it? Fight it? Hide it? Turn it off?

Did anyone ever tell you to just sit with it? Let it out? Journal about it?

Do those methods work, and even if they work in the short-term, what are the long-term impacts?

How many people, let alone leaders, are taught how to process emotion?

How many people have turned to medication or self-medication not as a last resort, but as a go-to to not deal with emotion?

What has toxic masculinity, rugged individualism, and toxic positivity done to contribute to the prevalence of mental illness in adults and those entering adulthood – the generation with the highest rates of mental illness (even pre-COVID) ever?

Or, has it been the increased stimulation and distraction that has led to the increase? Has it been the increase in expectations from our young people to thrive academically and athletically without allowing and accommodating room for our youth to just be still?

The prevalence of mental illness and high-profile mass shootings and bombings has forced some of these questions to the forefront, but what place do these questions have in the workplace?

I am thankful that I started therapy young – in the 5th grade. It was the first time someone told me it was okay to have feelings – to have MY feelings.  Still, it has taken a lifetime to make peace with the intensity of my emotions.

In order to de-stigmatize mental illness, we also have to de-stigmatize emotions. We have to de-stigmatize therapy and normalize healthy outlets, like yoga, meditation, journaling, walking, boxing, etc.

Eliminate the words “woo woo” and “new age” in the context of these practices. There is enough science at this point to substantiate their efficacy, so using those words just makes you seem ignorant, insensitive, and obsolete.

Additionally, it’s time the workplace was encouraging, even accommodating, of these outlets.

If an employer assumes that employees are taking care of their emotional and mental health needs outside of work hours, it’s a dangerous assumption.

Every manager and leader needs to be trained on how to create a conducive environment to have and process emotions, whether privately or with you. As individuals, we have to know how to take care of these needs on our own, but as a leader, you should be able to uncover these needs and know where to refer employees for the care of these needs.

What about physical wellness? Science has proven a link between mental health and physical health. Read more about the links and the costs of this in our Mindfulness and EI training report.

What do you do as an individual experiencing emotions at work?

Firstly, do not apologize!

Secondly, fight your inclination to hide or suppress these emotions. Call them out by name. “I’m feeling _______________. I need a moment.”

You don’t have to decide anything else in this moment – what to do next, what to say, whether to go home or stay, who you’re inconveniencing, etc.

You can leave the room, or stay there. I find it easier to be with my emotions when I’m alone, at least at first. So, I would likely leave the room. I would head outside if I could, or toward any kind of nature – even opening a window would help.

Just allow it. Think of emotion as Energy in Motion – E-motion. It needs to flow. Breathing helps move the emotion through your body. It’s so easy to forget to breathe in the middle of intense emotion!

Be in it. Tune into your body – where are you experiencing this emotion physically? Your head? Your chest? Shoulders and neck?

If you feel like a victim, start processing all that happened to inspire these feelings. Have a pity party. Write down all of the events and feelings. Get them out into the open where you can refer back to them post-processing and sort out what is real, what is truth, what is story, what is assumption, and what is a product of your insecurities and limiting beliefs.

The time it takes to move through the emotion decreases as you get better at being with your pain.

At first, you may need a good 30 minutes, especially if an event was severe or historical. (If a reaction is hysterical, the cause is historical!)

What other possibilities exist?

What is in your control?

What outcome do you want? The desired outcome is not a necessary component of processing emotions, however, once your emotions are processed, you will have better logical judgment about what you want to happen next – if you need to go home, if you need to speak with someone, or if you are ready to face your co-workers and boss again.

You are under NO obligation to explain anything or apologize to anyone if you have dealt with your emotions healthfully. However, if someone was caught in the crossfire before you were able to process your emotion, you will have to decide if an apology is necessary to restore your integrity or your relationships. Depending on the severity of the blow, you may need to do much more than apologize and there may be irreversible consequences.

Learn from these consequences, prevent them in the future, and do not define yourself by these human moments.

What do you do as a leader when a team member is experiencing emotions?

Firstly, always validate emotions. Many managers and leaders do not want to be the recipient of anger, but this is a manifestation of ego, not empathy. So, even if the anger is directed at you, affirm that the person has a “right” to feel how they feel.

Ask them if they would like time to be alone or if they want to talk to you or with anyone else.

Be wary of pulling in human resources if human resources in your company is more inclined to react disciplinarily rather than resourcefully. At their best, human resources professionals are quite experienced and trained in serving in some counseling capacity, but there is too often a conflict of interest in processing events in compliance with policies and being fully emotionally available. There are also varying levels of severity that would certainly exceed the normal skill sets of human resources. If there is not a dedicated, licensed counselor or coach on staff, the best practice for HR is to refer the employee to other resources.

If you become the confidant. just listen. Don’t advise. Give the employee space to speak and process their emotions. Don’t try to fix anything, if there is anything for you as a leader to fix, until emotions have equalized. The message they need most is that you are committed to creating a safe place for them to share their emotions. You will have your own emotions about it, and you are justified in having those, too, but in this moment, just focus on listening. Eventually, it might be necessary to put your compassion into action. Allow yourself to process your own emotions before making any determinations, however.

If you and your company really want to demonstrate that you care and are willing to invest in the mental and emotional wellness of your team, allocate a room just for their emotional wellness.

What kinds of things would an emotional wellness room include?

A variety of tools to express a variety of emotions, from sadness to fear to anger.

  • Privacy
  • A box of tissues
  • Plants
  • A punching bag
  • A small table with chairs in case someone wants to talk it out
  • Papers and pens
  • Coloring books
  • Music/speakers
  • Pillows to scream into
  • Stuffed animals to squeeze or throw
  • A help button
  • A reference list for hotlines and guided meditations
  • A trampoline
  • Resistance bands
  • Exercise mats
  • A water fountain

Additional concerns I have that require additional research, perhaps research that has not yet been conducted, include finding out at what rate corporate leaders are medicated for mental illness. How does that impact their centers of empathy in the brain and their ability to make conscious decisions? I am sure there are instances in which the medication enhances their ability to handle stressful situations, but I wonder about the situations that are people-related.

I am not anti-medication generally, and no – I absolutely do not want to stigmatize taking medication. The side effects of many of these medications seem sometimes worse than the condition, and I do worry that drugs are too frequently prescribed when there are other therapies, coping mechanisms, and non-prescription solutions that would present better long-term options for enhanced mental health. I know many people who have found healthier alternatives to pharmaceuticals, are able to come off their prescribed medicines (under a doctor’s care), and then realize just how numb they had been. Numb is the most often used word.

I wonder how much more challenging it is to be empathetic when you are numb.

I hope for answers someday, and have been looking lately into pursuing a Ph.D. to dig into this deeper, among other research. If you have knowledge of any resources and/or research on this topic, please connect with me on social media. If you have a personal story about this, I would love to hear it.

How were you taught to deal with your emotions?

How were you taught to deal with other people’s emotions?

Guns N’ Roses – Don’t Cry

Music video by Guns N’ Roses performing Don’t Cry (Original Version). (C) 1991 Guns N’ Roses under exclusive license to Geffen Records

Karen Huller is the creator of the Corporate Consciousness Ripple Blueprint and author of Laser-sharp Career Focus: Pinpoint your Purpose and Passion in 30 Days. She founded Epic Careering, a leadership and career development firm specializing in executive branding and conscious culture, in 2006. 

While the bulk of her 20 years of professional experience has been within the recruiting and employment industry, her publications, presentations, and coaching also draw from experience in personal development, performance, broadcasting, marketing, and sales. Her solutions incorporate breakthroughs in neuroscience, human performance optimization, bioenergetics, and psychology to help leaders accelerate rapport, expand influence, and elevate engagement and productivity while also looking out for the sustainability of the business and the planet.

Mrs. Huller was one of the first LinkedIn trainers and is known widely for her ability to identify and develop new trends. She is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Career Transition Consultant, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with a Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies and Theater from Ursinus College and a minor in Creative Writing. Her blog was recognized as a top 100 career blog worldwide by Feedspot. 

She was an Adjunct Professor in Cabrini University’s Communications Department and an Adjunct Professor of Career Management and Professional Development at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. As an instructor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, she has helped two of her students win the 2018 National Competition to be named America’s Next Top Young Entrepreneurs, to win the 2019 People’s Choice Award, and to land in the top 8 during the (virtual) 2020 National Competition.

She is board secretary for the Upper Merion Community Center and just finished serving as Vice President of the Gulph Elementary PTC, for which she received recognition as a Public Education Partner and Promoter from the Upper Merion Area Education Association. She lives in King of Prussia with her husband, two daughters, and many pets, furry, feathered, and scaly.

Interview for the Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy: Job Searching, LinkedIn and Best Practices

Posted on by in Branding, Engagement, LinkedIn, Marketing, Networking | Leave a comment

It was an honor to be interviewed by Christopher Waters for the Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy. We had a valuable discussion on job searching, networking, and LinkedIn best practices!

We covered:

  • The first thing to do when you begin your job search.
  • The importance of having an updated LinkedIn profile.
  • How to maximize the impact of your LinkedIn headline.
  • How to effectively use keywords on LinkedIn.
  • The value of building a network.
  • How to effectively conduct your job search.
  • What makes a candidate stand out.

…and so much more.

If the experience of job searching for you is one of frustration, disappointment, futility, and doubt, I share some things within the interview that I invite you to try as an experiment for 3 weeks.
Report back your results!

Click below to watch the entire replay.

Karen Huller is the creator of the Corporate Consciousness Ripple Blueprint and author of Laser-sharp Career Focus: Pinpoint your Purpose and Passion in 30 Days. She founded Epic Careering, a leadership and career development firm specializing in executive branding and conscious culture, in 2006. 

While the bulk of her 20 years of professional experience has been within the recruiting and employment industry, her publications, presentations, and coaching also draw from experience in personal development, performance, broadcasting, marketing, and sales. Her solutions incorporate breakthroughs in neuroscience, human performance optimization, bioenergetics, and psychology to help leaders accelerate rapport, expand influence, and elevate engagement and productivity while also looking out for the sustainability of the business and the planet.

Mrs. Huller was one of the first LinkedIn trainers and is known widely for her ability to identify and develop new trends. She is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Career Transition Consultant, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with a Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies and Theater from Ursinus College and a minor in Creative Writing. Her blog was recognized as a top 100 career blog worldwide by Feedspot. 

She was an Adjunct Professor in Cabrini University’s Communications Department and an Adjunct Professor of Career Management and Professional Development at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. As an instructor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, she has helped two of her students win the 2018 National Competition to be named America’s Next Top Young Entrepreneurs, to win the 2019 People’s Choice Award, and to land in the top 8 during the (virtual) 2020 National Competition.

She is board secretary for the Upper Merion Community Center and just finished serving as Vice President of the Gulph Elementary PTC, for which she received recognition as a Public Education Partner and Promoter from the Upper Merion Area Education Association. She lives in King of Prussia with her husband, two daughters, and many pets, furry, feathered, and scaly.

Authentic Leadership – Answer The Call To Conscious Leadership

Posted on by in Conscious Leadership, Corporate Consciousness, Goal Achievement, Leadership, Networking | Leave a comment

During yesterday’s Answer the Call to Conscious Leadership event, Carl Shawn Watkins and Isabelle Dominique “D” Ross helped us delve into Authentic Leadership – the risks, rewards, landmines, and sticky situations that leaders can find themselves in, especially today.

In yet another value-packed hour, we explored all of the following, and more:

  • What does the concept of Authentic Leadership conjure in terms of self and others?
  • How does being an authentic leader allow for people to bring their whole selves to work?
  • What are the key qualities of being an authentic leader?
  • How does being an authentic leader nurture an environment that facilitates better problem-solving?
  • When you are bringing in new talent, and people are coming from various backgrounds with potential unawareness about moral standards?
  • How can keeping it real go wrong in leadership?
  • Keeping it real is so subjective, how can you reconcile that as a leader?
  • While leaders have subjective views about authenticity, how do you use yourself as a model to set moral expectations?
  • How do you own mistakes even amidst judgment?
  • What is the key ingredient in honoring self and honoring others as leaders?
  • How do you productively respond to a failure of your team to reach the moral bar while maintaining authenticity?
  • Does Cancel Culture inhibit or facilitate authentic leadership and at what point do we say leaders are no longer allowed to continue as leaders?
  • How do you determine a violation is unrecoverable?
  • How can leaders prevent crossing that line?
  • Do we want to create a climate in which we allow unconscious beliefs and thinking are free to emerge so that we can sort that out of leadership or at least address it?
  • How do you maintain your moral code in the midst of crisis when survival mode kicks in?
  • Which is better – working for a great boss in a smelly bathroom or a bad boss in a beautiful office?
  • How can we move through this cancel culture together to come to an agreement about what is moral?
  • What is the hardest part of authentic leadership?
  • What is the distinction between authentic leadership and authentic leadership under the umbrella of conscious leadership?
  • How do you come to recognize when you are justifying self-preservation over authenticity?
  • What is the right combination of moral standards, psychological safety, and accountability to ensure that you are in the learning zone versus in crisis mode?
  • How do you restore your team post-crisis?
  • What has science and practical experience prove is necessary for leaders to optimize mindset?
  • How are leaders preparing their team members for capacity expansion and growth?
  • Do we avoid letting opposite beliefs cause drama and division, while still fostering an environment where people feel free to bring their whole selves to work?
  • Is there a conflict between being authentic and bringing your whole self to work?

Recommended reading on Authentic Leadership:

Join the C3 community to watch the replay now, and feel free to engage with our panelists (or hosts) within the community.

Please let us know what conscious leadership topics you want to be covered for our March Answer the Call to Conscious Leadership event.

Tell Me It’s Real

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupTell Me It’s Real · K-Ci & JoJoIt’s Real℗ A Geffen Records Release; ℗ 1999 UMG Recordings, Inc.Released on: 1999-…

Karen Huller is the creator of the Corporate Consciousness Ripple Blueprint and author of Laser-sharp Career Focus: Pinpoint your Purpose and Passion in 30 Days. She founded Epic Careering, a leadership and career development firm specializing in executive branding and conscious culture, in 2006. 

While the bulk of her 20 years of professional experience has been within the recruiting and employment industry, her publications, presentations, and coaching also draw from experience in personal development, performance, broadcasting, marketing, and sales. Her solutions incorporate breakthroughs in neuroscience, human performance optimization, bioenergetics, and psychology to help leaders accelerate rapport, expand influence, and elevate engagement and productivity while also looking out for the sustainability of the business and the planet.

Mrs. Huller was one of the first LinkedIn trainers and is known widely for her ability to identify and develop new trends. She is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Career Transition Consultant, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with a Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies and Theater from Ursinus College and a minor in Creative Writing. Her blog was recognized as a top 100 career blog worldwide by Feedspot. 

She was an Adjunct Professor in Cabrini University’s Communications Department and an Adjunct Professor of Career Management and Professional Development at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. As an instructor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, she has helped two of her students win the 2018 National Competition to be named America’s Next Top Young Entrepreneurs, to win the 2019 People’s Choice Award, and to land in the top 8 during the (virtual) 2020 National Competition.

She is board secretary for the Upper Merion Community Center and just finished serving as Vice President of the Gulph Elementary PTC, for which she received recognition as a Public Education Partner and Promoter from the Upper Merion Area Education Association. She lives in King of Prussia with her husband, two daughters, and many pets, furry, feathered, and scaly.

What We Can Learn From the Success of L’Oreal’s Mindfulness Program

Posted on by in Conscious Leadership, Leadership, Mindfulness | Leave a comment

Yesterday I attended an online L’Oreal mindfulness case study hosted by the Institute for Organizational Mindfulness and facilitated by Andy Lee, former Chief Mindfulness Officer at Aetna/current Senior Consultant for the Potential Project.

Jade Ku Sonlin, Assistant Vice President of People Development and Learning at L’Oreal, spent the hour talking about her personal mindfulness journey. She described how she went about gradually getting the C-level on board for a pilot, the success of that pilot, and how the pilot grew into a wellness program. She then expressed the continued impact on those who are now participating in that wellness program across the organization.

Sonlin started at L’Oreal in Marketing after burning out in LA agency life and adopting mindfulness as a practice.  Her marketing background proved very valuable in gaining buy-in and funding for this pilot (they outsourced to MindFresh.) Below are ways she applied her marketing know-how to eventually gain the approval and funds to move forward with a pilot.

Meet them where they are at

People are practicing mindfulness at some level, whether they know it or not. When you engage in activities in which you find yourself “in the flow,” take in all the details of something, and that moment before you do something that requires physical acuity when you take a breath you are practicing mindfulness. Sonlin’s boss is a mountaineer. He had some resistance to not just mindfulness, but also to the idea of dedicating time at work to it. So, Sonlin asked how he gets focused when he’s on a mountain in a precarious spot. He breathes. That was merely a seed planted that she could water later. More importantly, she now knew a way to frame mindfulness in a way that had relevance and resonance to him.

Throughout the pilot, they gathered feedback to continue to tap into messaging that would make the training more palatable, for instance eliminating names for yoga poses that weren’t understood by a non-yogi.

She also made sure the program was clearly named for what it was and dispelled some common myths, such as mindfulness is all about being still, or being still for long periods of time. In fact, there are various ways that you can practice mindfulness, and many take under 3 minutes!

Change is a marathon, not a sprint

Time is a precious commodity for anyone, but employers literally commoditize it. That’s why it’s not an easy sell to ask a company to spare any of it. The Aetna case study, which I had included in an accredited training that I did at an HR summit for my local SHRM chapter, proved that investing time in meditation creates … more time. (Read my Mindfulness and EI training report to find out more.)

Does that make people jump on board? Well, as Sonlin shared, mindfulness is a practice. This was repeated frequently throughout the training. So, not only is mindfulness training an investment of time, but something that must be practiced ongoingly in order to produce the ongoing benefits. You’re not just asking people to spare some time, but to accommodate something new permanently. That can feel overwhelming, especially for people currently experiencing burn out. This will likely cause resistance.

It is best implemented in stages for sustained longevity. First, it’s just about trying and learning. Then it’s noticing that trying and learning is making a difference. Then, it’s getting the brain to crave that difference and draw you into the practice, and that’s when you find yourself in a habit, or practice. The more social proof you can offer, the easier it becomes to enroll new people.

It starts with a ripple.

Offer evidence

Sonlin did a deep dive to find evidence that the investment of time and money would have business payoffs.  There are various case studies, some of which I’ve written about before. Since “because Google does it” is losing its luster as a compelling enough reason to try something, it’s thankfully really easy to point to the science.

The report I wrote a few years ago could have really come in handy for Sonlin since it lays out the science-based business case of mindfulness (and emotional intelligence) training.

L’Oreal’s mindfulness program was initiated in 2016, and Sonlin credits this program for L’Oreal employees sustaining productivity and morale during COVID.

Here are some other self-reported results from L’Oreal’s pilot participants:

  • 100% reported improved clarity
  • 96% reported increased patience
  • 95% reported it had a positive impact on their work
  • 84% discovered a technique that can use to de-stress

I have started to compile a curation of case studies to help you as a supplement to the Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence Training report.

Mindfulness isn’t just a trend; it’s a breakthrough technology that will help forward-thinking leaders solve today’s and tomorrow’s problems. Read more about this in the report, and let me know if you want help promoting this to your company.

New Radicals – You Get What You Give (Original)

New Radicals Song Get What You Give…Ultimate 90’s Song!!I Claim NO Ownership Of This Song, All Credit Goes To New Radicals And Universal Music Group!!I Wis…

Karen Huller is the creator of the Corporate Consciousness Ripple Blueprint and author of Laser-sharp Career Focus: Pinpoint your Purpose and Passion in 30 Days. She founded Epic Careering, a leadership and career development firm specializing in executive branding and conscious culture, in 2006. 

While the bulk of her 20 years of professional experience has been within the recruiting and employment industry, her publications, presentations, and coaching also draw from experience in personal development, performance, broadcasting, marketing, and sales. Her solutions incorporate breakthroughs in neuroscience, human performance optimization, bioenergetics, and psychology to help leaders accelerate rapport, expand influence, and elevate engagement and productivity while also looking out for the sustainability of the business and the planet.

Mrs. Huller was one of the first LinkedIn trainers and is known widely for her ability to identify and develop new trends. She is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Career Transition Consultant, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with a Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies and Theater from Ursinus College and a minor in Creative Writing. Her blog was recognized as a top 100 career blog worldwide by Feedspot. 

She was an Adjunct Professor in Cabrini University’s Communications Department and an Adjunct Professor of Career Management and Professional Development at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. As an instructor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, she has helped two of her students win the 2018 National Competition to be named America’s Next Top Young Entrepreneurs, to win the 2019 People’s Choice Award, and to land in the top 8 during the (virtual) 2020 National Competition.

She is board secretary for the Upper Merion Community Center and just finished serving as Vice President of the Gulph Elementary PTC, for which she received recognition as a Public Education Partner and Promoter from the Upper Merion Area Education Association. She lives in King of Prussia with her husband, two daughters, and many pets, furry, feathered, and scaly.

Inaugural Ambitions

Posted on by in Change the world, Changing life experience, Conscious Leadership, Mindfulness | Leave a comment

On Wednesday, my daughters watched the female vice president of the United States get sworn in.

The ceremonious events, that thanks to COVID and virtual learning I got to watch with my daughters, represented new possibilities. They represented hope that the future will not look like the past… or the present, which isn’t working for a lot of us either.

This new leadership and new administration are inheriting seemingly insurmountable challenges. These are challenges we’ve faced before as a country, but never really all at once. Some of the previous solutions left painful gaps where wounds never could heal as they continued to be inflicted and fester.

Bridges need to be built, but first justice needs to be served!

President Biden has a very large chasm to close. And he has a very opposing path that his new Senate will be pursuing at the same time as he is attempting to close the chasm as well as to stop the bleeding.

How do you help heal a nation desperately divided while the bones are continuing to bleed? How do you prevent our country from being wounded in this way again? How do you hold the assailants accountable and still engage? Do you bring their apologists into the fold?

You can’t unify while you vilify.

Brené Brown’s research on shame is now mainstream in the corporate and professional development worlds. At its core, it teaches us that shame is about the worry that we aren’t worthy of connection.

So, how do you hold people accountable without vilifying them?

Let’s get biblical about this. Hate the sin; love the sinner.

One of the tenants of conscious leadership is assuming the best of intentions. Empathy seems like such a far reach from how many of us are feeling about people who have opposing views from us. The most passionate among us will not yield easily into empathy, even when they are ready. We have to give everyone time.

Unity will be a marathon, not a sprint. I expect there’s also no particular destination, and that it will be a continual journey. The more passionate we are, and the longer we persist in battle with the opposing side, we may start to exhaust and resign.

Anger is not the enemy of unity; apathy is. This is the real challenge ahead. The anger won’t subside until the wounding does.

As someone who advocates owning and processing emotions, I will not be urging you to put aside your anger. On the contrary – I say really lean into it. Listen to it. What is it that it’s telling you that you need? Go deep! What would that need provide to you once filled? What is all of this really about?

We are only one month into winter. We are all already craving spring for all that it provides, especially renewal and growth. Let’s take the next 8 weeks to sort out what is really at the core of our anger. Now is the time to dive deep into what we really want our world to be like on the other side of this, and what part we can play in that. I think most of us will find that it’s fear.

I am inspired by the possibility of the Reunited States of America. In fact, throughout COVID, I have been writing an album of songs about just that. I believe we can get there someday, but the only way out of the pain is through it.

May we empathize! May we heal! May we rise!

P.S. If you’re ready to find out how conscious you are as a leader, take a few moments to assess your CCQ – Corporate Consciousness Quotient here.

WATCH: Andra Day performs ‘Rise Up’ in Biden’s virtual inaugural parade

Grammy nominee Andra Day performed “Rise Up” while looking over the Black Lives Matter mural in Hollywood, while across the country 10-year-old skater Kaitly…

Karen Huller is the creator of the Corporate Consciousness Ripple Blueprint and author of Laser-sharp Career Focus: Pinpoint your Purpose and Passion in 30 Days (bit.ly/GetFocusIn30). She founded Epic Careering, a leadership and career development firm specializing in executive branding and conscious culture, in 2006. 

While the bulk of her 20 years of professional experience has been within the recruiting and employment industry, her publications, presentations, and coaching also draw from experience in personal development, performance, broadcasting, marketing, and sales. Her solutions incorporate breakthroughs in neuroscience, human performance optimization, bioenergetics, and psychology to help leaders accelerate rapport, expand influence, and elevate engagement and productivity while also looking out for the sustainability of the business and the planet.

Mrs. Huller was one of the first LinkedIn trainers and is known widely for her ability to identify and develop new trends. She is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Career Transition Consultant, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with a Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies and Theater from Ursinus College and a minor in Creative Writing. Her blog was recognized as a top 100 career blog worldwide by Feedspot. 

She was an Adjunct Professor in Cabrini University’s Communications Department and an Adjunct Professor of Career Management and Professional Development at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. As an instructor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, she has helped two of her students win the 2018 National Competition to be named America’s Next Top Young Entrepreneurs, to win the 2019 People’s Choice Award, and to land in the top 8 during the (virtual) 2020 National Competition.

She is board secretary for the Upper Merion Community Center and just finished serving as Vice President of the Gulph Elementary PTC, for which she received recognition as a Public Education Partner and Promoter from the Upper Merion Area Education Association. She lives in King of Prussia with her husband, two daughters, and many pets, furry, feathered, and scaly. 

Empowered Goals – Answer The Call To Conscious Leadership

Posted on by in Conscious Leadership, Corporate Consciousness, Goal Achievement, Leadership, Networking | Leave a comment

Last week we had another groundbreaking Answer the Call to Conscious Leadership event with Kenston Henderson, Sr. and Jennifer Wildgust as panelists to talk about Empowered Goals.

I, actually, didn’t develop goals, and you might have seen me mention what I did instead last week. By watching the replay of last week’s event, you will learn how you can apply the same neuroscience hack to re-engage with your goals.

You’ll also get the answers to these questions:

  • What is the distinction between empowered goals and plain goals, or other kinds of goals?
  • How can empowered goals be used in leadership to manage at an individual and team level?
  • Where do you start when helping your team develop empowered goals?
  • How does the first week of the year help you set up a successful year?
  • What are the questions that need answers before you set empowered goals?
  • What is a critical component to staying motivated?
  • What are the reasons people fail to reach their goals, and how can the C3 group fill that void?
  • What are ingredients leaders can ensure their teams have to enjoy repeated success?
  • Where can a leader learn how to achieve huge goals?
  • What are the steps that need to be taken to maximize goal achievement?
  • What is the trick to developing empowered goals with your strong-willed “rebel” team members?
  • What is the trick to keeping your rebels accountable for their empowered goals?
  • How does the control-influence model come into play?
  • What are good questions to ask when reflecting on the previous year’s goals, especially after a year like 2020?
  • How can you use the unmet goals as fuel?
  • How do you allow yourself grace while not letting yourself off the hook?
  • How can you use your imagination to achieve your goals?
  • How can you mentally prepare yourself for possible hardships that can derail you?
  • What if your team members are not in a conducive emotional state when goal setting?
  • How can you help your team members process their emotions so that they can get into a conducive emotional and mental state to set empowered goals?
  • How can leaders guide their teams through building the habits that will support goal attainment?
  • How can you reinforce your team in achieving their empowered goals?
  • Why do we have to reframe failure?
  • No matter what happened, what do you have to do to continue crafting better goals?
  • What is the best metric for assessing goals?
  • What is the one thing that you think people need to know to feel empowered about moving forward?

When you watch the replay inside of C3, be sure to expand the screen so that you can see the insightful comments shared by the people viewing the event, too!

Our panelist, Jennifer, said, “I’ve learned so much in just this little bit of time!”

That’s what these events are all about! It’s so powerful to spend this hour on the first Thursday of every month leveling each other up.

I’m so grateful for the members of this community and look forward to offering them a spotlight to contribute to this cooperative movement toward conscious leadership.

***********************************

P.S. If you missed the LIVE information session on the Conscious Leadership Movement, I invite you and encourage you to watch the replay —  especially if you can’t help but take action to make the world a better place after recent events!

Is now the time for you to join this movement? Find out and find out how NOW, because I am ready to get started as soon as the pilot group is complete.  The world can’t wait!

I am offering a special DOUBLE certification PLUS LIFETIME ongoing conscious leadership education deal for THIS PILOT GROUP ONLY!  This offer expires on January 21st – or as soon as we have 5 pilot participants commit and invest!

Watch the reply until the end to find out all about it!

Karen Huller is the creator of the Corporate Consciousness Ripple Blueprint and author of Laser-sharp Career Focus: Pinpoint your Purpose and Passion in 30 Days. She founded Epic Careering, a leadership and career development firm specializing in executive branding and conscious culture, in 2006. 

While the bulk of her 20 years of professional experience has been within the recruiting and employment industry, her publications, presentations, and coaching also draw from experience in personal development, performance, broadcasting, marketing, and sales. Her solutions incorporate breakthroughs in neuroscience, human performance optimization, bioenergetics, and psychology to help leaders accelerate rapport, expand influence, and elevate engagement and productivity while also looking out for the sustainability of the business and the planet.

Mrs. Huller was one of the first LinkedIn trainers and is known widely for her ability to identify and develop new trends. She is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Career Transition Consultant, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with a Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies and Theater from Ursinus College and a minor in Creative Writing. Her blog was recognized as a top 100 career blog worldwide by Feedspot. 

She was an Adjunct Professor in Cabrini University’s Communications Department and an Adjunct Professor of Career Management and Professional Development at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. As an instructor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, she has helped two of her students win the 2018 National Competition to be named America’s Next Top Young Entrepreneurs, to win the 2019 People’s Choice Award, and to land in the top 8 during the (virtual) 2020 National Competition.

She is board secretary for the Upper Merion Community Center and just finished serving as Vice President of the Gulph Elementary PTC, for which she received recognition as a Public Education Partner and Promoter from the Upper Merion Area Education Association. She lives in King of Prussia with her husband, two daughters, and many pets, furry, feathered, and scaly.

Leveraging LinkedIn for Co-Creation and Community Building

Posted on by in Branding, Engagement, LinkedIn, Marketing, Networking | Leave a comment

I didn’t create goals this year. (*imagined gasping)

They felt heavy – a reminder of all the goals I failed to achieve in 2020. As much grace as I gave myself, I also still carried that disappointment around with me without even realizing it until I sat down to make new goals.

An awareness I uncovered in 2020 was just how futile it is for me to trudge forward with goal-based activities while feeling so heavy and serious. The pressure of the goals and the obligations I was holding myself under gave everything I did a negative charge. I was spinning my wheels when I was able to set aside time. I felt like I wasted so much time doing things that got no results, and I attribute the lack of results not to the pandemic, but to my state of mind. I backed off for a while, eliminated some toxicity from my life, and worked on expanding and making things lighter.

I am working on taking work seriously and not letting myself off the hook while also taking myself lightly – to be more in the state of flow. In a flow state, the efforts that I make have exponentially better results.

So, when goals felt heavy, I needed to reframe them. I know that having an outcome in mind is critical to staying motivated, and if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there. I also know that having an outcome you believe is possible is also critical for motivation. I still needed to have achievable outcomes in mind, so I called them possibilities.

I also chose a theme for 2021: Co-creation!

The most successful parts of 2020 were because I had the support of others and many highlights were supporting others in their 2020 successes. I have a partner in Lawrence Henderson as Co-manager and Co-administrator of the C3: Corporate Consciousness Co-op group on LinkedIn, as well as a co-creator and co-host of our monthly Answer the Call to Conscious Leadership events, which have been mind-blowingly chock full of conscious wisdom, and I’ve met (virtually) so many amazing leaders thanks to our work together.

I have a great partnership with my Virtual Assistant, Cynthia Harder. If not for her… I don’t even want to think about what 2020 would have been like!

I fully endorse the power of co-creation and community for support of your 2021 goals (or possibilities.)

Guess where I found them both? Well, the article title probably gives that away.

I’m going to introduce some methods and tools (no investment needed!) that I have used to source amazing people and potential partners, and grow our LinkedIn group to 100 members organically in 7 months.

I don’t have a LinkedIn Premium account (at the moment or for most of 2020), so all of my tips can be implemented by anyone with a free account.

I advise you, before you take action on this list, to have a complete, branded LinkedIn profile.

A branded LinkedIn profile starts with identifying your unique expression of your top qualities, skills, experiences, mindsets, approaches, and talents and the value that they tend to or can create for your target audience. Epic Careering has a proprietary process for developing branding points, which are the foundation upon which all of your content and copy is crafted. This process produces a powerful psychological effect on your ideal profile visitor.

  • It creates instant resonance, which can lead to rapport.
  • It produces an incremental build-up of excitement at the possible value you can offer.
  • It induces a sense of urgency to take action (inviting you to connect).
  • It inspires more of the right people to accept YOUR invitation.
Here are the areas of your profile that you need to optimize with branded content to produce this effect:
  • The first thing people will notice about your LinkedIn profile will most likely be your photo. That is why a profile picture is a must. I recommend using a professional profile picture and a custom banner to immediately introduce visitors to your brand.
  • Your Headline is the second most visible aspect of your LinkedIn profile. It defaults to your most recent experience title, but you have 120 characters to leverage. Definitely make your role known and put it first. I say role instead of title because sometimes companies give you titles that are only understood internally or don’t accurately reflect what you actually do. Use a title that is more universal and is likely what someone would search for if they were looking for the solution that you offer. Then use the other characters to convey who you help and the outcomes you produce. If there are characters left, consider including a fun fact or hobby that will spark curiosity and let people know who the person is behind the professional, e.g. Ferry Fest Founder.
  • The About section (formerly called Summary) allows for 2500 characters (formerly 2000). Only the first 300 or so show without someone having to click “read more,” so the key is writing something that makes people want to read more! Stories, especially when they include details that appeal to the senses, are great ways to hook a reader, so think of it much like the first line of a book – the book of you. What would the first line of your memoir say? You might also start with a bold statement, compelling question, or a pithy quote. If it’s more in alignment with your brand to just get right down to business, then tell people right off the bat who you help, what they might be experiencing, what you do to help them, and the outcomes you produce. Think about the keywords that people might search for when it comes to the solutions they’re looking for and incorporate them into more detailed summaries, explaining further about emerging themes of your professional journey. Allow your personality and passion to come through. The best practice to use the first person with pronouns is based on the fact that the more approachable and relatable you are, the more invitations you send will be accepted and the more invitations to connect you will receive. (There is no obligation to accept them, of course.)
  • Your Experience section is a great place to tell stories of your triumphs. Tell the stories that demonstrate and prove your branding points. This is an opportunity to tell more of the back story, describe the challenges you had to overcome, and flesh out the results and impacts that don’t fit on your résumé. In this way, your LinkedIn profile becomes supplementary and complementary collateral that promotes your brand consistently and continues to enhance your trustworthiness and authenticity.
  • Add sections to your profile to highlight awards, publications, organizational affiliations and leadership, volunteerism, and projects. When you add projects, you can associate them with your roles, if there is a role association, and even add/tag co-creators. This is a great way to boost your and your colleagues’ visibility and give credit where it’s due.

Once you have your LinkedIn profile branded and optimized, find people with whom you want to co-create, which could be a partner, a client, a vendor, an employee, or an employer. In my case, I was using LinkedIn to find leaders out there to transform and elevate corporate leadership to invite to the C3 community.

I did a few test keyword searches, finding terms in some profile headlines like “disruptor,” “servant leader,” and “leadership development.” Then, I searched for those terms and evaluated the first several results to see if “my people” were coming up. Once I got the search just right (and this was one of my best skills as a recruiter), I then drafted a template invitation that was warm, humble, and reflective of the times. This invitation explained that I was a coach and was looking to add value to my connections by making introductions, and what introductions would be the most impactful right now. I visited the profile of the people in the results and opted to connect when that option was available (most of the time). I entered my invitation message into the Note field so that it would be sent along with the invitation to connect. If the invitation was accepted, I sent a follow-up message requesting to ask questions to see how I could help.

Once I realized that I needed a higher volume of sent invitations to get the number of accepted connections that would actually lead to back and forth conversations, I did invest in a tool, Cleverly. So, technically, this is where my efforts were inorganic and required an investment, but no one was mass invited to the group (except my mailing list, which is still primarily comprised of people that I know personally). The growth of the group was still based on 1:1 conversations and selective invitations.

The investment in Cleverly is not required to make this work for co-creation and community building, however, for me, it did accelerate it.

I copied the search URL link into a Cleverly form, then entered my invitation message template into their form and selected the number of results I wanted that message sent to daily. Once the invitation is sent, it allows you to write a follow-up message and yet another follow up when that message is answered. I only wrote one follow-up so that I could actually visit the new connection’s profile and ask questions based on what I found to make it more of a personal conversation with greater rapport.

Not everyone understood what I was doing. Some people were downright skeptical and some were really annoyed.

They just aren’t my people right now. No problem. I’d sent them a note that I was currently only looking to connect with people who are on LinkedIn to network and co-create, so no hard feelings. I disconnected from those people.

Anyone who accepted my invitation but didn’t respond to my follow up message, which was a request to ask the contact some questions, I offered grace to. I know that in any year, let alone 2020, responding to LinkedIn messages might take a back seat, and reiterated my desire to connect and get to know each other. This was appreciated by some, and those were my people. If people still didn’t respond, I let them know that while I appreciated that they would accept my invitation, I really want my network to be full of people with whom I can make a genuine connection. No hard feelings. Don’t be offended – it’s nothing personal. If I don’t hear back from you, I’ll assume that’s not you and disconnect.

Many people don’t engage on LinkedIn regularly, so I give it a good month. Once a month, I go through and disconnect with people I have not heard back from.

While many messages go unanswered, there are still a great handful of ongoing messages that allow me to find out if they are up to something I can add value to and vice versa. While engaging with other conscious leaders on LinkedIn over the past few months, I aimed to find out what the most important thing was that they were working on and if they were open to co-creating with other conscious leaders, in which case I would invite them to the C3 community.

Our live events in C3 and the opportunity to give these leaders the spotlight were the value that we offered that had them accept the invitation to the C3 community, and inspired them to invite others into the community as well.

In addition, once a topic was chosen by the community for the event, I would source a new expert to bring into the community, and they would invite others to the community as well.

I hope 2021 offers you rich relationships with new co-creators. Creating is, after all, what we’re made for.

Join the C3 Community today! Tell us what your expertise is and we’ll add it to our member survey. If it’s picked, you’ll have the opportunity to take the spotlight as a guest panelist!

Connection

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupConnection · The Rolling StonesBetween The Buttons (UK Version)℗ 1967 ABKCO Music & Records Inc.Released on: 1967…

Karen Huller is the creator of the Corporate Consciousness Ripple Blueprint and author of Laser-sharp Career Focus: Pinpoint your Purpose and Passion in 30 Days. She founded Epic Careering, a leadership and career development firm specializing in executive branding and conscious culture, in 2006. 

While the bulk of her 20 years of professional experience has been within the recruiting and employment industry, her publications, presentations, and coaching also draw from experience in personal development, performance, broadcasting, marketing, and sales. Her solutions incorporate breakthroughs in neuroscience, human performance optimization, bioenergetics, and psychology to help leaders accelerate rapport, expand influence, and elevate engagement and productivity while also looking out for the sustainability of the business and the planet.

Mrs. Huller was one of the first LinkedIn trainers and is known widely for her ability to identify and develop new trends. She is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Career Transition Consultant, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with a Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies and Theater from Ursinus College and a minor in Creative Writing. Her blog was recognized as a top 100 career blog worldwide by Feedspot. 

She was an Adjunct Professor in Cabrini University’s Communications Department and an Adjunct Professor of Career Management and Professional Development at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. As an instructor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, she has helped two of her students win the 2018 National Competition to be named America’s Next Top Young Entrepreneurs, to win the 2019 People’s Choice Award, and to land in the top 8 during the (virtual) 2020 National Competition.

She is board secretary for the Upper Merion Community Center and just finished serving as Vice President of the Gulph Elementary PTC, for which she received recognition as a Public Education Partner and Promoter from the Upper Merion Area Education Association. She lives in King of Prussia with her husband, two daughters, and many pets, furry, feathered, and scaly.

Where Might We Go as a Society if We Can Rapidly Scale Conscious Leadership?

Posted on by in Change the world, Conscious Leadership, Leadership | Leave a comment

Where might we go as a society if we can rapidly scale conscious leadership?

The admirable leaders of today that I know are committed to self-discovery, expansion, and accelerating sustainable innovation.

None of these leaders lack skill, education, knowledge of best practices, or commitment. They don’t lack mentorship. They don’t lack empathy.

What they lack is:

  • Time
  • Proper boundaries
  • Habits and external accountability that support consistent enforcement of boundaries and time allocation
  • An easy-to-follow, step-by-step system to continually and gradually guide their expansion into conscious leadership
  • Environmental controls that support the continuation of all of the above, even during times of disruption

The Corporate Consciousness Ripple Blueprint is:

  • A composite of the best, proven breakthroughs in conscious leadership in a year-long curriculum
  • A supported system of learning that optimizes retention and application based on current neuroscience
  • A double certification program that will have you putting 90k more conscious leaders into positions of influence in 3 years’ time!
  • A plan to tilt the scale of corporate leadership from profit-focus to sustainable, distributable profit and solution-focus that will help the world reverse the harm that leadership practices of the past have done to our planet and people

Where could we be right now if the world had an abundance rather than a lack of conscious leaders?

Where could we be in 3 years?

Where could YOU be in 3 years having accomplished that much?

The only commitment I ask you to make right now is to register for an online information + Q&A session on Wednesday, January 13th from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. You won’t want to miss this training, especially if your New Years’ goals include:

  • Leveling up your influence and leadership contributions
  • Expanding your marketable leadership skills
  • Ensuring that your time and talent is used to make a lasting, positive difference in the world

2021 needs you. Years and generations beyond tomorrow need you! Register now!

See you there!

(To further help you set up 2021 as a much better year than 2020, join us in the C3 community and get access to our next Answer the Call to Conscious Leadership event on Thursday, January 7th at 1:00 p.m. as we dive into Empowered Goals!)

Bobby Womack – Where Do We Go From Here (Official Lyric Video)

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Karen Huller is the creator of the Corporate Consciousness Ripple Blueprint and author of Laser-sharp Career Focus: Pinpoint your Purpose and Passion in 30 Days. She founded Epic Careering, a leadership and career development firm specializing in executive branding and conscious culture, in 2006. 

While the bulk of her 20 years of professional experience has been within the recruiting and employment industry, her publications, presentations, and coaching also draw from experience in personal development, performance, broadcasting, marketing, and sales. Her solutions incorporate breakthroughs in neuroscience, human performance optimization, bioenergetics, and psychology to help leaders accelerate rapport, expand influence, and elevate engagement and productivity while also looking out for the sustainability of the business and the planet.

Mrs. Huller was one of the first LinkedIn trainers and is known widely for her ability to identify and develop new trends. She is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Certified Career Transition Consultant, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with a Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies and Theater from Ursinus College and a minor in Creative Writing. Her blog was recognized as a top 100 career blog worldwide by Feedspot. 

She was an Adjunct Professor in Cabrini University’s Communications Department and an Adjunct Professor of Career Management and Professional Development at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business  She is an Instructor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) where some of her students won the 2018 national YEA competition, were named Ernst & Young’s America’s Next Top Young Entrepreneurs, and won the 2019 People’s Choice Award. 

She is board secretary for the Upper Merion Community Center and just finished serving as Vice President of the Gulph Elementary PTC, for which she received recognition as a Public Education Partner and Promoter from the Upper Merion Area Education Association. She lives in King of Prussia with her husband, two daughters, and many pets, furry, feathered, and scaly.

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