Belladonna Career Coaching’s Bucket list

Typically, a bucket list is defined as a list of activities and experiences that a person wants to accomplish before the end of their life. One of the things on my bucket list is to help professional women realize what is keeping them from reaching their full potential, and working to overcome the identified obstacles.

As someone who has worked in the corporate world for the past 25 years and ascended to the level of Vice President in multi-billion-dollar organizations, I have given this subject much thought. I have recently pivoted in my professional life and I founded Belladonna Career Coaching. My goal is to help women climb the corporate ladder at a faster pace.

Many people have personal bucket lists, but I want to share a bucket list from the perspective of my business. Belladonna Career Coaching’s bucket list consists of five categories that can slow down or accelerate a woman’s career trajectory.

1) Self-view
2) Relationships
3) Work/life balance
4) Communication
5) Environment

These are the items that I want each of my clients to explore. Let’s look at each of them in more detail:

1. Self-view

How we view ourselves plays a huge role in how we show up at work. It is that inner voice telling us what we believe to be true but might not be. Much of the script in our heads stems from our upbringing and what our parents, teachers, or other authority figures programmed us to believe; the values they taught us as important. This is where many “shoulds” and “ought to’s” reside. These scripts are what we tell ourselves about what is expected of a female leader and we use them to see how we measure up to that “ideal image”. Working on your self-view can change the dynamics and the scripts so that what you are telling yourself is actually the real truth and not someone else’s truth that has just been residing in your mind.

2. Relationships

Who we know seems to be more important than what we know. The reality is that no one ever gets ahead without having a network of internal and external supporters at all levels. It is human nature to gravitate towards people who are just like us. This is commonly known as an “affinity bias”. Nevertheless, as a woman who wants to get ahead in an organization, I highly recommend that you surround yourself with diverse people at all levels to mentor you, provide you with feedback and help you grow.

3. Work/life balance

It is a myth to believe that only women struggle with work/life balance. However, women frequently do carry a heavier burden. Not just because of decisions related to having children and raising a family; but women often have a harder time setting healthy boundaries around work hours and time off. Many women will put themselves last and neglect their own needs to support other’s needs first. Working with a coach can help you look at ways to find that work/life balance we all deserve.

4. Communication

Women in the corporate environment may struggle to find their voice and speak up with confidence, especially in a room full of people. It can be even more challenging when the initial small talk might be on topics we are having a hard time relating to. It takes practice to speak with purpose and with ease; to know when to listen and observe and when to command an audience.

5. Environment

The fifth and final thing on Belladonna Career Coaching’s bucket list is the work environment. It can be far-reaching and also something that seems to be the most difficult to control. On a macro level, the culture of the country we live in impacts the degree of difficulty for women to attain leadership roles. On a micro level, the work environment may vary from industry to industry and even within a given corporate culture; such as department to department.

So how do you take control when it seems like the odds are stacked up against you with so many powerful variables that can impact your career trajectory? The key is to understand that there are resources available to you in each of the areas listed above. Moreover, you can choose to change any of those circumstances to work in your favor. How you may ask? Consider hiring a coach who empowers you to overcome challenges and get the help and support you deserve to rewrite your inner monologue that is getting in your way. Maybe you need to add “getting a coach” to your bucket list. Working with a coach is such a valuable tool to help you get where you want to go.