Blog Posts by HybridHer

Professional Network Top 10

In this labor market, having a strong network is critical to your professional survival. There are plenty of tips and articles on where to find people, how and when to connect to them and even what you need to say to attract and maintain your network. This article focuses on WHO should be in your network.

Here are the top 10 people that should be in your network…

1. The Mentor: This is the person who has reached the level of success you aspire to have. You can learn from their success as well as their mistakes. Heed their wisdom and experience. This relationship offers a unique perspective because they have known you through several peaks and valleys in your life and watched you evolve.

2. The Coach: The coach is someone who comes in at different times in your life. They help with critical decisions and transitions and offer an objective perspective with no strings attached.

3. The Industry Insider: This is someone in your chosen field who has expert level information or Read More »from The 10 people you need in your network

Yogis are not the only ones singing the praises of yoga. The medical community has now embraced yoga as one of the healthiest things we can do to reduce stress, increase focus, lower blood pressure, improve digestion and elimination, and generally make us calmer, happier people.

With all these benefits, why doesn't everyone practice yoga? The main reason, I learned, is lack of time. Our busy Western lifestyles make getting to those 90-minute yoga classes a challenge - many times increasing our stress rather than decreasing it.

I'm a yoga teacher, and I've been practicing yoga more than 10 years. I am also a busy working wife and mother, stepmother, business owner, author … The list goes on. I understand the challenge in carving out the time to practice. So I came up with a solution.

Yoga at Your Desk

Specific sequencing of yoga poses can create specific effects. For example, if you are tired and want more vigor, a sequence focused on backbends of all sorts will

Read More »from Why 10 Minutes of Yoga Works

It's in the news, on the Internet, the radio and every source you hear or see right now. Powerful men acting like "Pigs" as Nancy Gibbs so eloquently wrote in her recent article in Time (no offense to the four legged ones). When I read or see these reports, my mind asks many questions. Who are these women cheating with these men, and what is wrong with them? But more curious to me is how a woman decides whether to leave or stay? If you have been married to the cheating man for a long time, you have a "history." That history can be so powerful and usually includes children. Most of the men cheating have cheated numerous times in the past and their wives were aware of their cheating history. But…how do you decide whether to leave or go?

There are 5 things you should do if you are married to a man who is a womanizer and know he is not being faithful to you.

1. The first thing I would advise women to know is you don't have to explain your choice. If you go, you did it for the right

Read More »from Should You Ever Stay with a Cheating Man?

Like every other mother, I think I'm the worst mom ever. From the moment I learned I was pregnant, I was bombarded by parenting articles and the opinions of strangers outlining all 4 million ways I would likely fail at being a parent. Some standouts:

• Finding out after my baby shower that almost everything I had registered for was WRONG. Consumer Reports released a study one week later that almost all car seats were completely unsafe, meaning I had to return the one I got. Two weeks after that, we found out that all our gifts that had been manufactured in China were more than likely covered with lead. Also, by unwrapping these gifts, I may have exposed my son in utero to microscopic levels of poison! I didn't even have the baby yet and already I'd screwed up!
• Learning shortly after Atticus' first birthday of the existence of BPA, meaning that while I thought I was doing the right thing by feeding my child from a bottle, I was actually poisoning him…again. Now every night after

Read More »from Chicken Nuggets and French Fries: Confessions of a Mother and a Chef

Would you give up shampoo if it meant shinier, healthier hair-and less stress on the environment to boot?

If so, you're among a growing group of beauty-conscious people embracing the no 'poo movement. The 'poo, of course, refers to shampoo, the shower essential that Americans use 4.59 times each week.

Some dermatologists and hair stylists say that frequent washes cause the sebaceous glands to over-produce oil. Hence, a greasy scalp that leads you to shampoo more frequently, giving you dry ends - and the cycle continues.

To get through your no 'poo experiment, it's important to know that you can rinse your hair. Hot water (for a mild clean) or vinegar (for shine) are your best bets. And don't be afraid to blow-dry and style as usual. Your moisturized strands will respond to styling like never before. If you're a curly-haired beauty, you'll see more definition to your curls- and less frizz!
If your no 'poo experiment proves too difficult, try reducing your weekly

Read More »from Take a Shampoo Hiatus!

I slowly pull along the curb; put the car in park and look around, taking in the grayness of the day. Sitting in silence, I pull in as much air as my lungs will hold and ready myself before stepping onto the sidewalk. I stand before an establishment. A glance at the card in my hand confirms I am in the right place.

This is it.

My first time. I have never done it out before, choosing instead to do it myself in the sanctity of my own private space. But, as so happens when an amateur attempts a professional's job, things got unruly and I finally sought help from a friend. With a knowing smile and an "it's about time" pat on my shoulder, Zoe handed me the card I hold now, standing before a business I passed a hundred times but never noticed. I don't know. I've heard stories. Horrific tales of pain from others who've tried it.

Oh, come on! Zoe said. You had two babies! You've been through worse.

I pull the door open and walk in. Not because the woman at the counter is

Read More »from The In-Between

For most of us, work is a requirement. And until we uncover or create the opportunity that allows us to work our passion, we may be in a job that's just, well…a job. Accepting that your 9-5 is just a job works fine until you finally start listening to your passion and purpose. Once you begin to acknowledge your purpose and feed your passion, your "day job" may begin to feel like a burden.

So how do you make it through the 40+ hours a week without feeling like you are serving time for a crime you didn't commit? Here are nine tips on how to be happy at work:

1. Stay out of drama and away from contentious people.

2. Initiate a new project - tie it to a new skill you want to learn or practice.

3. Choose a better perspective: Look for opportunities and wins instead of shortcomings and losses.

4. Find a buddy. Research shows that people that have friends at work have a higher rate of career satisfaction.

5. Learn something new - read a book, read an article,

Read More »from 9 Ways to Be Happy at Work

Kids remember the strangest things. Just ask a teen what they remember as a small child. They will tell you things that their parents did with them that were a big adventure. You can tell it has impacted them because it brings smiles to their face when they retell it. With summer here and kids out of school, it is the perfect time to do memorable things with your kids. These times will never present themselves again, because next summer your child will be one year older (you will too), and they may not appreciate the family experience as much as they would this year. I have compiled a list to help you. This isn't a mandatory list, so no need to become compulsive and do all of them. Just choose one or two, and make it fun for your child and yourself. It may be one of the things that bring a smile to your child's face long after they become adults.

1. Build a tree house, and let your child decide on a name for it.
2. Plan a fall garden with your child. Let them help decide what goes in

Read More »from 25 Cheap Ways to Build a Summer Memory with Your Child