🏡 Get Your Q2 House in Order

It’s that time of the fiscal year: quarter-switching! (We're assuming your Q1 started in January, but double check with your mentor, manager, the shareholder’s press release, or your friends in the finance department if your company isn’t public. Fiscal years are sometimes the worst best-kept secret.)

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🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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Q1 Reflections

The outlook was nothing but hopeful with a fresh budget, new hires, and stretch projects. People are capital “D” Doing Things with their clean slates like executing, driving, and getting shit done!

To recap, here are the things you did, and documented, and told everyone about:

• A win at 30 days

• A win at 60 days

• A win at 90 days

• 3 1:1s (monthly) to shine a light on said wins

• 13 statuses (weekly)

• Put out feelers for stretch projects

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👭 Share this article with a few of your corporate pals, then invite them to some networking events in Q2.

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Q2 Playbook

Welcome to the exploratory period. It’s mostly just a sappy rom com montage with the corporate version of ice skating, dessert sharing, and falling asleep on their shoulder. It’s all cute as hell, with minimal drama, and adhering to the status quo in the healthiest way possible.

Here's your honey-do list to ensure the baton isn’t dropped during the year’s first quarter handoff:

• Meet with champions, mentors, and cross-functionals

• Give vendors attention

• Attend at least three networking events

• Cross-training

• Start a new batch of exploratory job applications

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Episodes for Seamless Quarter-Switching

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HOUSTON, RSVP NOW

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Change the world for people affected by MS

I'm cycling toward a world free of MS. I'm going the distance with my training and commitment and I hope I can count on your support.

—John

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🎢 Promote Yourself From Up, Down & Around

Promotions sometimes elude even the shiniest of office stars with consistently stellar deliverables. It’s maddening, but companies want to milk as much work for the least amount of hassle (a.k.a. money). If you find yourself in this rut or want to take preventative measures, start managing Up, Down, and Around.

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🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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Sounds Like a Carnival Ride, but What Is It?

Managing UP: Managers, C-Suite, board members — anyone in charge of you.

Managing DOWN: Assistants, new associates, administration — any direct reports, too!

Managing AROUND: Cross-functional peers, team members, and coworkers one or two tiers removed. You all still report to the same people.

🤫 There’s even a secret fourth direction: inward. How is your communication contributing to your career goals? Who are helpful higher-ups to keep close by, and how are you optimizing your favors towards achieving professional milestones? Keep this in mind as you navigate through these dynamics from all angles.

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💫 Got an rising-star direct report? Share this article so they know how to prioritize their time when it comes to inbound requests.

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The Up, Down & Around Method in Action

If someone who falls in the managing UP category reaches out with a task, do it. Right then. Why are you still reading this? Go get it done and get it done good! Even if it’s not your direct manager, satisfying directives from the top down is always the priority.

For managing DOWN, you are the bottleneck between them and getting a given project across the finish line. Why? Approvals. Which means when something comes to you, it’s urgent, and you need to treat "down" requests like hot potato.

When managing AROUND, it’s generally acceptable to address it in a timely but non-urgent fashion. These are also requests that you should be weighing favors for. It may sound seedy, but consider their pressures and how you could alleviate them in exchange for requests you need to make. Like, “Sure, I can help you with this EOD rush job, but only if project X’s deadline can be pushed to Friday.”

These tactics are within your control, and require the tiniest amount of intention for some major career results.

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Episodes for Promoting Yourself from Up, Down & Around

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♾️ Closing the Loop Could Save Your Job

Layoffs are top of mind, and the job market’s scale of justice is sadly teetering towards the employer’s favor. For the lucky-duck employed professionals, this is the time to dazzle the hand that feeds you. The easiest way to step up is to prioritize closing every open communication loop. It’s something totally within your control and will make you stand out. 

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Closing the loop is as simple as it is asinine. Here’s an example:

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Manager: Hey, can you make sure our vendor fulfills the latest order?

Associate emails the vendor.

Associate: Yes, I’ve sent the message and will give you an update EOD.

End of day arrives

Associate: The vendor didn’t get back to me. I will call first thing in the morning.

Manager: Thank you for following up! Have a great day clocking out at 5. [This is a perfect world.]

Next day, 9:15am

Associate: Good morning! The vendors returned my call and said they received the order, and it will be at our shops by Thursday. I can inquire Thursday to make sure they were delivered.

Manager: 10/10 communicating, direct report. I can report to the C-Suite because of your diligence. I’m indebted to you and will hold off on kicking you to the curb.

The end

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🤝 Is an uncommunicative cross-functional partner coming to mind? They need this info. Share it.

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Sound like major corporate hand holding? Or even a bit annoying? 

Effective communication can be both and that’s okay. It lets your manager know you're handling a task even if it’s not solved yet. When the inevitable ball drops, your manager will know it wasn’t you (there’s your job security 😉). 

And if you don’t keep your manager in the loop? 

You might as well drop the loop and close that laptop because things aren’t real if your manager doesn’t know. Pics or it didn’t happen, manager pings or it didn’t happen. It’s your job to track your job and let the powers at be know you’re doing your job. Advocate the hell out of yourself by keeping receipts for when promotions are teased, or if your merit is questioned.

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Episodes for Closers

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⛰️ When (and How) to Quit

The workplace can be high-drama reality TV with the most personal stakes! (Think of the recent Open AI drama.) There are a million reasons to quit, and you will know in your gut when to grease those quitting wheels.

There are also a million ways to approach resignation, but pretty much one very wrong way: in a blaze of high-horse, bridge-burning glory.

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🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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🤠 Holster that scathing email, partner. 

We get how attractive ye olde cut-and-run tactic is, especially on a Sunday night. Choreograph a graceful exit instead to salvage your network. Set yourself up to pass the baton smoothly instead of chucking that thing into the crowd and running for the parking lot — especially if you’re applying in the same industry in the same town.

🕊️ So when can these peace accords take place? 

After extensive sleuthing, red string, and connecting the dots on a cork board, we’ve deduced the ideal time to quit: post-peak, pre-burnout. A.k.a., wherever and whenever you hit a ceiling of progress. Thresholds will differ, and it takes diligent Yearly Career Audits, Statuses, and 1:1’s to hack that epiphany. Think: no more vertical opportunity, stifled capabilities due to mismanagement, or just boredom.

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🔥 Got a work bestie on the verge of quitting in a blaze of glory? This newsletter will help. Send her the link.

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⏰ The true skill is timing it before the burnout.

Check out Episode 37 all about everyone’s favorite exhausted spiral into madness. Or take this assessment expertly delivered by Angela Duckworth of Freakonomics on identifying burnout symptoms.

😎 Quitting is for everyone... And so is good quitting practice.

So resist that ever-so-tempting desire to cuss out that piss-poor manager. This valiant high road will protect your peace and network. Face your personal peak, watch out for the coal mine burnout canaries, and start reaching for sunlight.

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Episodes for Quitters

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📉 Bad News: It’s an Employer’s Market

If the job market has felt off-kilter lately, it’s because it is. The Labor Department reported the ratio of open jobs to people looking went from 3:1 to 1.3:1. Meaning, there is *just* about one job for each person applying and we’ve slipped into the forsaken employer’s market rather than the coveted job seeker's market.

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🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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Don’t spiral! LinkedIn still has too many job openings to count, but this flipped market demands more efficiency on seekers' parts to find jobs they not only want, but are undeniably qualified for. 

You can do this in one of two ways: apply for EVERYTHING (not recommended) or narrow your focus with these steps...

1. Know exactly what you want.

2. Factor in a radical, honest look at your finances.

(Don’t forget about inflation!)

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😰 Got an unemployed pal? This newsletter will help. Share it.

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3. Network like it’s your job.

Network like it’s your job, because your job depends on it. Events and conferences are afoot, and those higher-ups won’t bite. Introduce yourself, chat, make a genuine connection as a human, and the professional benefits will blossom in time. And don't forget: everything from networking events NEEDS to be followed up on. Check out Episode 44, Episode 98, and Episode 110.

4. If you have a job, stick to our favorite equation...

• 70% of your job: doing your job

• 10%: writing down what you did

• 10%: telling people what you did

• 10%: looking for a new job

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Network Like It's Your Job

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🎆 From the Desk of Your Work Wives

It’s been a hell of a year (like most years nowadays), but we’ve got a good feeling about 2024. Professionally, we’re off to the races with newly-approved project budgets and headcount increases, which makes this the perfect time to double check how Corporate America is working for you.

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🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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First and foremost... What do you Want?

It’s a simple, yet incredibly daunting, question, especially if you (fortunately!) have Maslow’s first tiers covered — food, shelter, community, achievement. But that top most piece… it’s self-determination, self-direction, self-actualization — all fancy ways to say: setting your sights on what you Want and actually making it happen.

Now, it’s possible to break down this Goliath, life-long task into manageable chunks. What do you Want out of just 2024? Some answers we’ve heard recently: more money, more PTO, more scope of responsibility, more direct reports, more structure in my schedule, more stability in my employer…

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👯‍♀️ Need an accountability partner for your "new" job? Share this newsletter with a friend.

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Next up... How do we make that Want a reality? 

One year breaks cleanly into quarters, but even quarterly goals can seem overwhelming. Can we break it down further? You betcha!

Our secret to getting what you Want out of your shiny new year is… Treat it like you would treat a new job. Make that capital-W Want your new "job description" and set 30-60-90 goals, get informational interviews on your calendar, and pick out a set of potential Champions and Mentors who can advise on this new “job” of yours.

To get into this “new job” mindset, check out Episode 14 and Episode 47.

Here’s to getting what you Want in 2024! 

Vanessa & Holland

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Episodes for Starting a "New" Job

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💡 The Ask Your Work Wife Yearly Career Audit

Before you totally check out for the holidays, take some time to do some 2024 planning for yourself. This is a practice the Work Wives have been doing informally for years before we codified it into the Ask Your Work Wife Yearly Career Audit. No other exercise has been able to highlight the blockers that were holding us back from exponential growth and the inspiration that would get us there.

And of course, there are steps:

🛫 Remove yourself from your routine

Stop the circus for just one day! We know this is a B-I-G ask, but reflection isn’t something to juggle. Create a distraction-free environment — both in time and space. Carve out an afternoon, put everyone on notice you’re not available, or even book yourself a staycation. The Work Wives have been known to hop a flight to Mexico for this!

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🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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🤔 Think about everything you’ve done

Do you know what you did last summer? You better for the sake of this exercise. It might be painful or emotional or cringe. Don’t worry; that’s part of the process. (After all, it’s not an Ask Your Work Wife meeting until someone cries.)

✍️ Get it out of your brain

As more and more details come to light, write it all down. Get it all out of your brain so you can look at it and take stock. Vanessa & Holland love a journal, a sketchbook, a wall full of postits, or a whiteboard for this exercise.

👀 Stand back and look at it

Look at everything you pried out of your memory and sit with it. Reflect. You might even sleep on it.

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😵‍💫 Got an aimless colleague? Niece? Neighbor kid home from college? Share this newsletter. It'll help.

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🧠 Let your brain do the work of finding like items

What jumps out at you? Sometimes you need everything laid out in front of you in order to…

💡 Have an Ah Ha! Moment

An ‘ah ha!’ moment is something you want more of. Something you want to move toward. Something that makes you say, “Ah ha! I want THAT.” Think: leveling up, financial security, growing your team.

💩 …or an Oh Shit! Moment

An ‘oh shit!’ moment, on the other hand, is something you want LESS of. Micromanagement. Playing small. Feeling stuck. Anything that makes you say, “Oh shit, I DON’T want this.”

It’s incredibly powerful (and hard) to truly know what you want (and what you don’t). But once you see it, life will seem more at ease as you’re aligned with yourself…not with a job title, company, or even a salary. Then you can make work work for you.

Happy Auditing/holidays!

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Episodes to get your career on track

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😎 Quitting Is for Everyone

!! AHHHH YOU JUST HAD AN INTRUSIVE THOUGHT TO QUIT !!! 

Exciting! Change is scary, but usually ends up super cool… Plus, you know, there are steps.

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🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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🐴 Hold Your Horses, (Business) Partner

Don’t make any hasty decisions. Prep a “go folder” packed with all the goodies you’d be locked out of after leaving… This includes things like strategy documents you made, portfolio-worthy projects, and contacts.

🕑 Understand Timing

January is recruiting’s busy season equipped with Q1’s deep pockets. However, expect sloth speed from HR departments as companies muster post-PTO motivation and work through everything they punted to "after the holiday." Don’t hold your breath until about February for the coveted "next step" replies.

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👯‍♀️ Got a bestie who's ready to quit? Share this newsletter with them. It'll probably come in handy.

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🌟 Book a New Gig

GIVE THIS OPTION YOUR ALL. This is the rainbows and butterflies scenario where a dreamy position is lined up after your 2 weeks is submitted, plus a strategic vacation padding the transition. If the current job is manageable, make job applications your side hustle and exhaust your network for leads.

💣 Know Your Destitution Clock

If you need to GTFO, by all means, GTFO. But understand how much your life really costs and how much you can stretch your savings. Explore alternatives that fit and maintain your lifestyle. Move back home? Pick up part-time work? Sell that car? Raincheck that trip? Make it work for you and don’t listen to the noise.

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Episodes for quitters

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🎁 Corporate Gift Guide 2023

Get your office gifts just right this year and log off earlier than ever to celebrate the holidays.

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In today's email:

• Read: The Work Wives’ Guide to Office Gifts

• Listen now: Ghosts of Holidays Past

• Join the convo: About last night...

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🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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READ

The Work Wives’ Guide to Office Gifts

Gifting around the office can be thoughtful… OR… slightly weird and misguided. Take our hand and let’s get to the new year in one piece.

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🎧 Gearing up to deal-shop this weekend? Here's our gift guide, for your ears: Episode 112 | Corporate Gift Guide 2023 on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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Above You

These are those tailored, Ralph Lauren Purple Label suits in glossy corner offices (a.k.a. the ones who don’t want you working from home).

• A sincere, handwritten thank you letter. Sometimes, it is truly the thought that counts.

• A fresh gift card to a fancy restaurant—within reason. It needn’t cover the whole bill (because, listen. They know they make more than you.)

• Anything sweet under the umbrella of seasonal office snacks. Think See’s Chocolates (not an ad, but should be!), gourmet hot cocoa, or some fancy AF gingerbread cookies.

Around You

They get you. Cubicle partners, counterparts, all the usual suspects who make the modern “Top 8” MySpace Slack.

• Find the nearest tchotchke store (World Market-esque) and pick your $20-40 fighter: candle, calendar, ornament, or inside joke.

• The classic $20 Starbucks gift card. Always lands, always used in full.

• Give team morale a nudge by organizing a white elephant gift exchange (or… whatever the cheap gift swapping game du jour is this year). Set a spending limit and let the sweet, ‘grammable moments unfurl.

Under You

Leave the mistletoe out of this particular line up… but make sure the gifts are legit. These are the people that make you look good!

• A well-made branded journal or upscale stationery. It’s simple, practical, but with a nicer price point.

• Gift the gift of knowledge — a book that you found particularly useful to you personally. Make it worthwhile!

• A twist on the aforementioned classic Starbucks gift card: make it $50-100. You’re now the one who makes more than them… Everybody knows it, so don’t skimp.

All Around You

When you’ve gotta give at SCALE… it’s time to scale DOWN the gift package. If your list gets to be 20+, we recommend a travel-size gift package with an assortment of goodies. Could be skincare, treats, or something they specifically rave about.

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Ghosts of Holidays Past

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HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

The Ask Your Work Wife Course

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

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YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

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🤖 Writing Resumes for Robots 101

Resume-scanning AI is the crafty bridge troll standing in the way of that coveted interview, and we’ve got the answers to his riddles three.

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In today's email:

• Read: Writing Resumes for Robots 101

• Listen now: Network Your Tuchus Off

• Bona fide: We've got merch.

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🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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READ

Writing Resumes for Robots 101

Human resources all across Corporate America have annoyingly optimized their workflow with resume-scanning robots. These nerdy bastards select the qualified crème de la crème applicants to be seen by human eyes. And if this makes you want to delete your LinkedIn, that’s totally normal, but unnecessary. Here’s how to outwit the robots:

🤝 Network Your Tuchus Off

THIS is the only sure-fire way to get a hiring manager’s attention. Human connection beats robots every time. Lean on your past mentors, professionals who championed you internally, happy clients, professors with rapport, sorority sisters—reach out to all corners of your village! Getting a personal referral or introduction speaks volumes to new employers.

🙅‍♀️ Avoid 200+ Applicant Pools

LinkedIn is kind enough to taunt us with this info on the job listing. You could literally be born for that gig, but if a million girls would kill for this job, put the weapon down. It’s just a job.

🌟 Focus on Roles You’re Qualified For

AI is mostly scanning for relevant experience and trying to find the exact best fit. So if you’re applying to a VP position when your last leadership position was student government, dial it back. Focus that ambition on the next career step instead of the tenth.

📄 Double Check the File Type

Pick your fighter: .docx or .pdf. Follow what the application specifies, and if it doesn’t, we recommend the .docx format because it’s most compatible with automated resume screeners.

🔎 Use Keywords and Phrases

Tailor your resume for each job. Yeah, this might be a pain and you’ll be tempted to drag and drop the same ole’ file each time. But taking just 5-10 minutes to update the wording could get you in the robot’s good graces.

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🎧 ...and in case your mom’s resume is more up to date than yours, listen to Episode 15 | Not Your Mother's Resume on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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Network Your Tuchus Off

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HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

The Ask Your Work Wife Course

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

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YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

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💸 Manage Inflation (Better Than the Fed)

Inflation is spooky season’s scariest hatchet-wielding menace, and we’re here to rip that cheap expensive Halloween mask off with 4 ways to manage the hell-raising prices.

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In today's email:

• Read: 4 Ways to Cope with Inflation

• Listen now: Stretch your dollar, not yourself.

• Join the conversation: Coming soon to a podcast near you...

• Take the course: How to get what you want

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🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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READ

4 Ways to Cope with Inflation

You’ve clocked those unbelievable price tags on everything from groceries to, well, everything! Wages can’t keep up; your income would have to jump 55% to make the housing market affordable. Life is more expensive lately and everyone is feeling it, but there are ways to relieve the pressure.

🗣️ Open Up Raise Discussions

It’s time to schedule that momentous 1:1 with your manager to boast about your recent wins and what your scope demands in dollars. Don’t rely too much on inflation as a reason for the raise; highlight your niche skill set and value-add to your company instead. Check out our guide to securing a well-deserved raise to help cushion the higher cost of living.

🧾 Revisit Your Budget

Most Americans don’t have $400 for an emergency (including some of the highest-paid people in America). So you’re in good company if that’s you, but we want you to make new, thriftier friends. It’s time to revisit your “bare bones budget” and take stock in how much your life now costs month to month. Once you establish your new baseline, ask yourself the tough questions: What can you NOT live without? Can you cut back somewhere else to avoid losing that non-negotiable thing?

👀 Rethink that Resignation

Pervasive toxic work environments can be detrimental to personal wellbeing, so by all means get outta there if you must! But, if you’re ready to jump ship, maybe skip this shark-infested inflation waters and wait for another job to cruise by. You never know how long you’ll have to hunt for a job, so make job hunting the side hustle while you sit on your comfy, consistent income.

🐕 Explore Side Hustles

Got a hobby that can make you some petty cash? Let’s cashflow some of those regular expenses. Take stock of your free time and decide what level of commitment elsewhere is manageable. We are by no means advocating a run-yourself-ragged approach to inflation. Find an endeavor that fits your bandwidth.

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🎧 Rising prices got you down? Listen to Episode 80 | Personal Finance Lite on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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Stretch your dollar, not yourself.

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YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”

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HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

The Ask Your Work Wife Course

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

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💰 Get that Bag: A Tactical Guide to Getting a Raise

Asking for a raise stokes awkward fear in even the most confident, blazered business women. Overcoming this knee-jerk, anxious reaction to salary negotiations could literally change your life.

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In today's email:

• Read: A Tactical Guide to Getting a Raise

• Listen now: A very particular set of...negotiation skills

• Join the conversation: What's the best holiday gift you've received?

• Get what you want: The Ask Your Work Wife course

🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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READ

A Tactical Guide to Getting a Raise

Advocating for yourself shouldn’t feel slimy or greedy. If asking for more money makes you want to chuck your laptop into the sea, we’ve laid out a game plan.

Do Your Vertical Research

Sift through Glassdoor, LinkedIn, or Payscale for how your skills are being compensated elsewhere. Know what your job responsibilities are worth, not necessarily your title.

Know Your X Factor

Highlight your professional “je ne sais quoi” that makes you indispensable and solves your company’s needs like fluency in a second language (Spanish or C++).

Show the Receipts

Keep track of major wins as discussed and meticulously tracked in your Status meeting agendas. Consider scheduling a salary conversation after a positive performance review or notable milestone.

Time It Right

This is not ‘ping’ territory. Schedule a 1:1 with your manager at least two weeks in advance, and send an agenda at least 24 hours before. In-person is preferred, but you know your work dynamic best.

Keep Q4 in Mind

Plant the salary seeds before budgets are finalized in your industry’s fiscal calendar.

🎧 On your way to a negotiation conversation right now? Listen to Episode 3 | What Women Want: More Money (aka The Negotiation Episode) on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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WORKING TITLE: HOW TO ASK FOR A RAISE

TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE MEETING

YOU

I’d like to schedule a 1:1 to discuss my performance and compensation.

(Be specific that this is going to be about salary. Suits react poorly when cornered!)

AT THE MEETING

YOU

I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me! I’d like to discuss my responsibilities in this role, how I’ve contributed thus far, and how my compensation could reflect that.

(She is polite and straightforward.)

YOU (CONT'D)

I’m really enjoying my work. The launch exceeded target by 90 percent, bringing in a million new customers, and my next campaign is projected to make this company a bajillion dollars.

Taking into consideration my experience and the scope of this position, I’m requesting a salary lift of X percent, bringing my annual salary expectation to X dollars.

(She takes a big breath because that was really brave.)

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I have a very particular set of... negotiation skills.

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Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”

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HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

The Ask Your Work Wife Course

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

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🙋‍♀️ How to Handle the Hiring Surge

The chatter about a September hiring surge is deafening, but don’t tune it out. Get ahead of it.

In today's email:

• Read: “If you’re not 10 minutes early, you’re late.”

• Episodes to Handle the Hiring Surge: Listen now

• Never Stop Learning: Ask Your Work Wife at HBMA's Interactive Strategies Conference

• You Ask. We Answer: Send us a question.

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🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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READ

“If you’re not 10 minutes early, you’re late.”

It’s September – or, as we like to call it, Q4’s bonus month. Everyone is back from family vacations and the kids are all back in school. The whole of Corporate America is settled back into a routine and humming along. C-suites are gearing up for the next year’s planning and budget meetings.

You also have enough information about the year to know exactly where you stand financially – how likely is it that we make a profit this year?

If it’s highly likely, your department knows it needs to spend its remaining budget in order to keep it for next year (and maybe even add to it!).

The reverse is also true. Which is why you end up with a hiring surge or…we hate to say it…a layoff purge in September.

What can you do about it?

• In August, review your Status and 1:1 documents, clock those big (quantifiable) wins, and update your resume.

• Set job alerts on LinkedIn for your title, the title right above you, and that wild, ridiculous fantasy title you really want.

• Apply. Follow up. Interview.

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✍️ NOTE: Even if you’re not looking for a job, your company is hiring. That means the new hires are coming in $10-20k above what your current salary is. If you don’t want to be left behind, you need to make a strong case for an off-cycle raise. The best way to do that is with a competing offer in hand.

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By October, the calendar has ticked into Q4 and it’s all closed-door C-suite planning and holiday plans. The window is closed and if you weren’t prepping in August, you missed the September window.

But next year, your only goal needs to be: get your department to spend that excess budget on you.

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🎧 Winter is coming — listen to Episode 69 | Turn! Turn! Turn! To Every Quarter There Is a Season on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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Episodes to Help You Handle the Hiring Surge

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Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”

---

HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

The Ask Your Work Wife Course

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

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🤠 Where do I find B2B marketers in Houston?

Hey Work Wives! Here’s a question…

What’s the best way to break into B2B marketing as a career? I know I should be networking… But I don’t know where to find B2B marketers in Houston. Help!

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In today's email:

• Read: Where do I find B2B marketers in Houston?

• Catch up: Most recent episodes of Ask Your Work Wife

• Got a C-suite interview coming up? Here's what you need to know.

• How to get what you want: The Ask Your Work Wife course

🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

---

READ

Where do I find B2B marketers in Houston?

Join us at Houston Business Marketing Alliance's Interactive Strategies Conference on Wednesday, August 30.

You'll hear from the top B2B marketing minds in the city and have plenty of time to mingle with like-minded professionals.

Ask Your Work Wife has sponsored the attendance of three early-career marketers and worked with HBMA to provide a 10% off code to our followers (that’s you!).

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CATCH UP

Most recent episodes

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HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

The Ask Your Work Wife Course

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

---

YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”

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AMBITIOUS, CAREER-ORIENTED, AND TOTALLY ON INSTAGRAM

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🍸 How to Drink with Your Coworkers

It’s 5 o'clock somewhere, which means it’s happy hour somewhere and it’s not always the happiest. In Corporate America and beyond, your interaction with alcohol says something about you — let’s make it say something good! Or at least neutral. 

So sit back, relax, pour yourself a drink (or don’t), and study up on happy hour etiquette.

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In today's email:

• Read: How to Drink with Your Coworkers

• Listen: Business or Pleasure?

• Got a recruiter screening call coming up? Here's what NOT to mention.

• How to get what you want: The Ask Your Work Wife course

🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

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READ

Look at the Time, It’s Happy Hour

We collectively took a two-year hiatus from drinking around our coworkers…and it shows. 

There’s a unique culture, language and even lore around alcohol that bubbles up when you network. Your relationship with alcohol is very revealing, can lead to sensitive conversations, and spark social testing. 

Whether you’re a sommelier or stone-cold sober, we could all use a refresher.

🎧 Team happy hour coming up? Listen to Episode 60 | Pass the Work Happy Hour Vibe Check on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

A Two Second Vibe Check

It’s the quick moment when the bartender asks “What can I get you?” If you’re going off script, all eyes will be on you — so here’s the script:

Check out this list of cocktails, beer and wine that are socially acceptable. Doesn’t matter what specifically, just stick to the status quo. Don’t let your alcohol snobbery or bashfulness shine through.

Alcohol? I’ve Never Met Her

There are plenty of sober people playing it cool at happy hours and the reason doesn’t matter as much as you think. Whether you’re in recovery, religious, pregnant, or just not into it, we don’t want you to miss out on the potential connections. Check out the menu beforehand to scope out the non-alcoholic options. Sobriety is trendy now and so are mocktails, so if you’re comfortable in your sobriety, order that fun fruity sparkly drink.

Hacking the Vibe Check

If you’re shy about your sobriety, there’s an almost sure-fire way to avoid the questioning: miss the first round of drink orders. Here's how:

1. Be a little late. (Have "trouble" parking the car!)

2. Go straight to the bar instead of the table or gaggle of suits. Nobody will bother you if there’s a drink in hand. Bonus points if you get something sparkly with a lime, because it looks like a G&T (gin and tonic). 

3. A few drinks in, offer to grab water for the table. At least a handful will bite and you can sip on water the rest of the night. We condone closin’ deals and staying hydrated.

Cheers!

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Business or Pleasure?

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HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

The Ask Your Work Wife Course

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

---

YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”

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🤝 An Introvert’s Guide to Networking

That networking event you RSVP’d to has finally rolled around and you’re feeling much less sparkly than you did on sign-up day. We especially salute introverts (Holland) who brave professional speed dating—hopefully with their extroverted friends (Vanessa). 

We promise it’s a sure-fire way to progress in any career and get what you want way faster. You might even have some fun (you’ll definitely have some fun).

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In today's email:

• Read: An Introvert’s Guide to Networking

• Episodes for Networking Newbies: Listen now

• You don't have to be a people manager to get ahead: Join the convo

• How to get what you want: The Ask Your Work Wife course

🎙️ Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast for ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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READ

An Introvert’s Guide to Networking

🎧 On your way to a networking event right now? Listen to Episode 54 | Networking for Newbies on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

We, the Work Wives, have something wild to say:

Networking moves your career further and faster than anything else.

—Vanessa

You read that right. Knowing lots of people and knowing them well is going to help your career more than anything else. Not certifications, fancy degrees or even your bank account.

There are just two key buzz words to remember: strengthening and growing. Growing your network refers to meeting more people, whereas strengthening is fostering genuine connections by following up.

People assume extroverts are all networking savants, but you know what they say about assuming? It annoys the Work Wives.

Anyone, including textbook introverts, can create a meaningful and expansive network. Here's how:

Do Your Homework

You’re committed to an event, and every event has a coordinator. Find that person! Ask them any and all of your questions! They want and need you to show up. They will be forthcoming and helpful with easing your anxieties, and you may inadvertently make your first connection well before the event.

Lean Into the Anarchy

Some of us (cough Holland cough) love the rules that govern corporate society. We yearn for hierarchies. Networking events tend to scramble those labels and leave the type-A’s and Virgos floundering. Rewrite that narrative! No structure means you’re not obliged to stay the whole time or talk to every single person. Talk to five people and leave after 30 minutes. Do your thang.

Business Cards Babyyy

If there’s a name badge situation, only use your first name. Write it big to avoid the awkward lean in and avoid the phone or pen fumble by bringing business cards. Seems old school, but it still totally works. Bonus points if you print them at Moo (not sponsored) for an extra cool look.

If You Bring a Friend…

...the temptation is to cling to their side like a crutch, so set clear intentions around networking. Prioritize the new people over the familiar hangout.

Be Cool.

Let people come to you. Find a corner that’s on the edge of the chaos and just stand there with inviting, open body language. When chatting, turn on that charm, but in a chill way. It sounds so dumb but ask a question and then let them ask a question. People don’t know who you are if you’re always asking them questions.

Never Forget the Follow-Up

The real game starts when the event is over: the much anticipated follow-up. Remember their name. If you promise something, follow through. Reach out on Instagram or via email, but don’t overthink. Move heaven and earth to go to something you’re invited to.

And that’s it! No biggie, right? It’s like business casual friendship and you’re already a great friend. You got this :)

---

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Episodes for Networking Newbies

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HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

The Ask Your Work Wife Course

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

---

YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”

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AMBITIOUS, CAREER-ORIENTED, AND TOTALLY ON INSTAGRAM

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🍰 Piece of cake performance review recipe

Hey overthinker, we have a request for you: don’t overthink your performance reviews. No need to rehearse a whole song and dance. Just go over the quarter’s greatest hits and skip the minutia.

Ask Your Work Wife is here to help you present your manager with bullet points that prove you're contributing to the bottom line. New episodes drop Wednesdays on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In today's email:

• Read: Don’t Overthink Your Performance Review

• Listen: Just be chill.

• Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife? You ask, we answer.

• Join the convo: Not us becoming ✨unhinged✨...

🎧 On the go? Listen to Episode 47 | Don’t Overthink Your Performance Review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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READ

Don’t Overthink Your Performance Review

A performance review is nothing but a form. Just a bunch of silly little text boxes on a piece of paper that is filed away in HR where it can’t hurt you. Replace the scary with pragmatism.

Managers want to assess if their employees are adding to the bottom line. If you’re reading this newsletter and trying to rehearse your performance review, you’re already doing the most.

It’s not about whether or not you’re eligible for a raise, it’s about whether you’re ineligible for one.

—Holland

Piece of cake performance review recipe

Ingredients

• A heavy pour of clearly set quarterly goals to point back to.

• Pretty much the whole container of a detailed report of your top and bottom performing outcomes.

• Set aside a batch of fresh, yet achievable goals.

Directions

1. No Studying Allowed

Resist every urge to study for the meeting. It’s a professional pulse check. You’re a warm body who’s in the building delivering top line items as prescribed in the job description. That’s a gold star right there.

2. It's an Open-Book Test

You give them the information they need to write a glowing review in those text boxes. Give them the language for you to win. This is a reporting meeting to report on your past performance.

3. Don't Ask for a Raise

I know we say this every other sentence, but this is probably the one time you gotta sit on that raise request. This meeting is all about the brass tacks of your day-to-day job function. Instead, nudge a raise request during 1:1’s.

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Just be chill.

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YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”

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THE COURSE

Make Your Move

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

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AMBITIOUS, CAREER-ORIENTED, AND TOTALLY ON INSTAGRAM

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⚔️ Adventure awaits you, Frodo (but not before you train Sam)

We’re off to see the elves — *ahem* — get a promotion… but we need a backfill first. Ask Your Work Wife is here to help you find the freshest hire and train him up to do all the things holding you back. New episodes drop Wednesdays on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In today's email:

• Read: Adventure awaits you, Frodo (but not before you train Sam)

• Listen: Newbies need love, too

• Join the convo: Why "Ask Your Work Wife"?

• How to get what you want: The Ask Your Work Wife course

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READ

Adventure awaits you, Frodo (but not before you train Sam)

🎧 Take the adventure on the road — listen to Episode 58 | Why Training a New Guy Makes You the Peter Jackson of Corporate America on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Remember Your First Day?

Faking proactivity and capability when in reality you had NO idea what was going on. Riding that learning curve can be tricky when there’s a tidal wave of information. Keep in mind what worked best for you and how you wish you were trained.

Level 1: Get Frodo to Mordor

Yeah, you read that right. All you should be concerned about is relaying the basic information they need to get A to B. In Peter Jackson’s case when synthesizing massive books into the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, he had to strip away anything that wasn't getting Frodo (A) get to Mordor (B).

If it doesn’t have anything to do with moving the box from A to B, your intern doesn’t need to know.

—Holland

Level 2: Sauron’s Time to Shine

Want to take it up a notch? Divulge the relevant context to why they’re doing what they’re doing. If you can provide your trainees with the relevant context, that empowers them to think better on behalf of you, the project, and the company at large. 

This level should inspire suggestions and improvements that could benefit everyone. That’s why you hired them, for their fresh take!

And if you need to train huge clusters of newbies, adjust to scale with supplemental materials like video explanations, visuals, or practical exercises.

The Good News for Trainers

You want to be replaceable because that means you can move up. Nobody wants to be stuck in the Shire just because they’re Hobbits.

Also, the learner bears the responsibility of learning in this educational duo because their livelihood depends on it. You're not a middle school teacher begging their students to read a book they hate, you're teaching someone how to do their job...or teaching a man to fish, if you will.

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Newbies need love, too.

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HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

The Ask Your Work Wife Course

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

---

YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”

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AMBITIOUS, CAREER-ORIENTED, AND TOTALLY ON INSTAGRAM

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👀 Your "Dream" Job Is Actually a Temp Job

Putting all your professional eggs in one corporate basket is so 40 years ago. Ask Your Work Wife is here to help you shop around for baskets and advocate for yourself! Even if that means working a few “temp” jobs. New episodes drop Wednesdays on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In today's email:

• Read: Job Sucks? It’s Temporary. Perf Job? Dream Bigger

• Listen: Why every job is a temp job

• Join the convo: How to make your next move ASAP

• How to get what you want: The Ask Your Work Wife course

🎧 On the go? Listen to Episode 43 | Every Job Is a Temp Job on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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READ

Job Sucks? It’s Temporary. Perf Job? Dream Bigger

Job Announcements We Wish Popped Up on Our Feeds...

There’s No Tenure in Corporate America

What happened to us, Millennials? We’re the generation raised with a healthy distrust of companies after the 2008 shit show. We took that “family” company culture for what it was: perks not promises. Instead of disrupting the market and scaring recruiters with a slew of resume two-year stints, the youngins are expecting tenure?!

Why EVERY Job Is a Temp Job

Well, not every job is mindless administrative work as we usually refer to temp jobs, but every job will only suit your needs temporarily. You should always be prepared to quit, because nothing is guaranteed when you’re a sunk cost line item. It’s a dog-eat-dog world and you gotta cover your own ass with an exit strategy in the case of a forced exit.

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Why Every Job Is a Temp Job

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HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT

The Ask Your Work Wife Course

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

---

YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”

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AMBITIOUS, CAREER-ORIENTED, AND TOTALLY ON INSTAGRAM

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🗓️ Put it on my Calendar: Figure Out Calendar

You can’t control the weather, but you can make your days feel a lot sunnier by mastering your calendar. 

Ask Your Work Wife is here to help you get your precious lunch hour back and never play email scheduling tag again by putting time on your calendar to figure out your calendar. New episodes drop Wednesdays on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In today's email:

• Read: The Work Week’s Calendar Forecast

• Listen: Manage your calendar, and other etiquette rules for Corporate America

• Join the convo: #FollowFriday

• Get what you want: Take the Ask Your Work Wife course

🎧 On the go? Listen to Vanessa — and eventually Holland — lose their shit over work calendars in Episode 65 | Emily Post Takes on the Corporate Calendar. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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READ

The Work Week’s Calendar Forecast

Monday ☔️

There’s a high chance of back-to-back meetings caused by a front of unproductivity that rolled in Friday afternoon. Book 5-, 30-, or 60-minute time slots and avoid waving when signing off or saying, “I’m going to give you some time back.” Nobody “owns” your time and that guy is lucky you even sat through their boring slide deck at all.

Tuesday ❄️

It’s pretty chill with the whole week ahead to implement Monday’s big plans. Looking to drop the stress temperature even more? Include an agenda in the meeting description, or even a link if it’s a doozy of a document. Make it super clear who owns the document for updates and that everyone can see it at least 24 hours beforehand.

Wednesday 🌫

Even this morning’s thick fog shouldn’t stop you from checking your coworkers’ calendar before booking a meeting. It’s public! Don’t bother booking when they’re busy. Nobody likes getting caught in email tag about something as boring as availability. Save everyone’s time and go play some real tag at 5 o’clock.

Thursday ☁️

Your energy is winding down but the schedule is ramping up! Double-check what meetings are INTERNAL v. EXTERNAL, that virtual invite links are crystal clear, and that phone meetings specify who is calling and who gets to longingly wait by their cell.

Friday ☀️

It’s shaping up to be a beautiful weekend once the predicted hangry emotions cool off after your lunch was booked. If a meeting is scheduled to run into or plow through lunchtime, ordering food for everyone is a MUST. Snacks at the very least. It’s a professional courtesy when you snatch someone’s hallowed lunch time.

---

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Manage your calendar, and other etiquette rules for Corporate America

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JOIN THE CONVO

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GET WHAT YOU WANT

Take the Ask Your Work Wife Course

In the Work Wives' first-ever course, Vanessa & Holland introduce an entirely new way to think about Corporate America and give you step-by-step instructions on how to focus your energy to get what you actually want.

---

YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”

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AMBITIOUS, CAREER-ORIENTED, AND TOTALLY ON INSTAGRAM

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