Surviving the Bad-Boss-Gotta-Move-on Scaries

BOO 👻 my evergreenies! Happy Halloween!

Tonight is going to be the first trick-or-treat night in YEARS that is not freezing—like, literally freezing. I haven't figured out why these kids actually need any costumes under their winter coats.

Hey kids, pass mom the butterfinger and gummy bears.

All this doom, gloom, and sugar rush has me thinking about leadership.

A leader is not just the person that stands in front of the room. I believe everyone can be a leader—a leader to your team, a leader to your project, and a leader to your field. But most importantly, be a leader to yourself.

Here are 6 of the scariest stories I've witnessed in leadership:

• Giving the people that don't show up fully extra time off, while the people that keep the ship afloat end up burnt out and overloaded on overtime.

• Downsizing the team without talking to the person that manages them first.

• Hearing someone say that "no matter what, we'll always find a place for you here," and three months later get laid off.

• Ghosting your team because you're too chickenshit to talk to anyone.

• Removing access to all of your team's online accounts 6 hours before you call them to tell them the department has been laid off.

• Not knowing that you, yourself, is capable of bigger things.

This is not fair. Not one bit. But it happens! No, it doesn't mean to cut and run. It's time to survive and thrive.

Here are 12 things that you can do to survive the bad-boss-gotta-move-on scaries.

• Know yourself.

• Figure out your strengths and how to leverage them.

• Figure out your weaknesses and how to counterbalance them.

• Be loyal to yourself.

• Always have a few months of savings.

• Don't burn bridges.

• Learn new skills.

• Figure out your transferable skills.

• Read books, newsletter, and content from people you look up to.

• Keep a work journal.

• Reflect on the projects you're proud of.

• Talk to someone about it.

When it comes to learning new skills, you can never get enough. So here are some of my favorite time-to-thrive resources.

• Learning some simple coding can help build emails and landing pages. Try out Codecademy.

• Practice writing better headlines! I love Headline Studio.

• Ask for someone you trust to edit something you've written. Plus, try Hemingway Editor.

• Try your hand at rewriting ads. Scroll through Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google, find an ad and rewrite it.

• Get inspired and create some new designs on Canva.

• Make a DataStudio report. There are tons of templates for Google Analytics, Google Ads, and more. If you have access to these accounts, yah gotta do it!

It was hard to see when the monsters were chasing me, but I now am grateful for the scary shit.

Don't let bad bosses trip you up. Keep going.

📣 Always be learning

There are many ways to promote Black Friday (cough, cough, 25 days). Still, I started dreaming up ideas on how small businesses can partner with other brands that complement to reach a broader audience and show community support. Buffer explains a few more strategies in their article 4 Alternative Ways to Approach Black Friday in 2022.

🎧 What I’m listening to

Business Wars - Taco Bells vs. Chipotle - These two may seem far apart today, but 30ish years ago, most Americans didn't eat tacos. Shame! How did they become rivals? Through trying to change the way Americans eat.

📕 What I'm reading

Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed. This book of quotes stole my heart. It's for the brokenhearted. The ones with their ego busted. Ready to learn how to hang on by letting go. Ready to believe in themselves and humans again. Brave Enough is a not-so-sweet reminder that we are all human, shit happens, and we need to take steps to learn and grow from it.

This quote stuck to me like those ooey-gooey Milk Duds.

This email is my channel for love. It's been brewing for a while now.

I appreciate you.

Lyndee