RESOURCES from 4word
Let It Go, Let It Go
What’s getting on your nerves at work? After decades in the corporate world, I’ve encountered my share of office annoyances. Tom had a habit of dominating meetings, cutting people off or talking over them to make his points. Rachael was such a multi-tasker that I never really knew… Read More
Want Flexibility? Just Ask.
One of my favorite Bible passages for navigating life is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…” These verses… Read More
Strangers In Their Own Church
A hot topic among Christians lately has been single or childless women in the church and how they "fit in." Church small groups, classes, and weekly activities seem to cater either to men or stay-at-home moms. Everyone else in the congregation either gets clumped together into a generic… Read More
Take a Break, A REAL Break
We are working too hard, and it's bad for us and for the companies we serve. Every year, Americans accrue billions of dollars worth of vacation days that they are not taking. Most of us are skipping lunch breaks too, in favor of eating lunch at our desks… Read More
I Had NO Idea
They say that you don’t understand what it’s like to be a parent until you actually become a parent. I wholeheartedly agree. Before I had children, I had NO idea what it was like to be a mother, especially a working mother. When I had children and joined… Read More
5 Steps to Mentor Bliss
So, you know you need mentors, right? You don’t have to take my word for it. If you have any doubt, pick up almost any career guidance book or magazine, or check out this research from Catalyst showing that employees with mentors tend to earn more, advance further,… Read More
Success = Support
"You can do anything as long as you have the passion, the drive, the focus, and the support." - Sabrina Bryan When anyone talks about succeeding, you will always hear mention of the importance of being passionate about what you do, keeping a clear vision for what you… Read More
Courage to Do Impossible Things
My life is always a bit hectic, but there have been times when things just seemed to flow. When the family was basically happy and healthy, when my relationships were strong and my career was comfortably challenging. This is not one of those times. Life is heavy for… Read More
Better to Want What You Haven’t Got
As women in the workplace, we are very accomplished and love accomplishing our goals. We are often assertive fixers who go after what we want and make it happen. This trait is a positive one in our work environment, and often in life, as well. But sometimes, we… Read More
What Will You Be When You Grow Up?
How do you know what you’re supposed to be when you grow up? I thought I knew going into college. I was determined that my future would be in fashion merchandising. I declared my major early, I worked all of my summer jobs in the same industry, and… Read More
The Plates DO Crash
As a workplace woman, I should be able to list "Professional Plate Spinner" on my resume. I think that working moms with children of any age will agree with me. And women who aren't parents, but are pouring their time and talent into volunteer activities or leadership in social, business,… Read More
Balance the Bread: Support for Primary Earners
There’s a special kind of pressure that comes when you’re the sole or primary wage earner in your home. The stakes are high, and they feel that way. I spent many years both as a single mom and a married breadwinner mom, and I’m not alone. The New… Read More
That Which Must Not Be Discussed
How many of us created a list of New Year's Resolutions for 2015? What was included on those lists? For some, finding a new job might be high on the list. For others, maybe finding an organization with which to volunteer or committing to connecting with a… Read More
4word People of the Year
2014 has been an incredible growing year for 4word, and we owe a lot of that growth to the many passionate and generous volunteers who give of their time and resources in order to help connect, lead, and support Christian working women. I thank God for those volunteers… Read More
Redemption After Divorce
Once upon a time, the fairy-tale version of my life was looking pretty good. By age 35, I had been married for over a decade, to a man who checked all the “right” boxes. I had a great education, a job I enjoyed, a church home, and… Read More
Quagmire of Office Dating
Should you date someone at the office? Maybe! We've seen some fabulous relationships develop.....AND we've seen it go horribly wrong and crumble into a hot mess. It depends on several things. If you are a bright, career-minded woman with a job you love at a solid company,… Read More
How to Max a Mentor for Success
So, you know you need a mentor. Here’s what else you need to know. 1. If you can’t find a mentor on your own, you can have someone else do it for you. Knowing that you need and want a mentor in your life is one thing;… Read More
Eating Lunch Alone at Your Desk
Who in your workplace do you consider to be a friend? When we say "friend," we don't mean someone who works on your floor that you see every morning for a few minutes before the craziness of your day starts. We're also not talking about the team member… Read More
5 Ways to Navigate the Winding Path
Back before I really knew better, I envisioned my career like a single, long, straight path that I would run as hard as I could. I expected to get a great education, land an amazing job, and GO. I would put faith first, and family too when the… Read More
Determine Your Purpose
“The purpose of life is to have a purposeful life.” My friend Charlotte often says that quote. I love it because it's a wonderful reminder of how simple life really is (even though it often feels complicated!). Lately, I have had this quote on my mind for a slightly different reason. 4word… Read More