Send us a text Are you ready to harness the power of SMART goals? Join me, Heather Balcerek, as I take you on a refreshing journey, dispelling the complexities of goal setting and transforming it into an exciting, rewarding endeavor. I guarantee that by the end of this episode, you'll master the art of setting SMART goals. Trust me, the rewards of such strategic planning are monumental. From adding value to your work, balancing your workload, defining your success, to providing clarity, SMART go...
Aug 23, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Send us a text Ever wondered how you can bring more gratitude into your workplace? As we wrap up our enlightening mini-series on words for the workplace, we shed light on the importance and methods of expressing appreciation to colleagues. From casual verbal acknowledgments to more formal accolades, we discuss how these actions can make people feel valued and included. This isn't simply about saying thank you - it's about fostering an environment of respect and understanding. Drawing upon insigh...
Aug 18, 2023•10 min
Send us a text Get ready to revolutionize the way you navigate the digital communication landscape in your workplace. We promise you an insightful conversation about the power of clear language, the underestimated value of punctuation, and yes, even the strategic use of emojis in our digital interactions. We also address the common pitfalls of relying solely on text-based communication, providing you with four actionable tips for fostering better digital connection. Ever wondered about the silen...
Aug 18, 2023•13 min
Send us a text Ever felt that choking burnout at work? That desolate feeling of exhaustion that seems to suck away all your energy, making the simplest tasks feel like a mountain? This is the episode you need. We've taken a deep dive into understanding burnout, investigating the roots of these emotions and how they manifest in our workplaces. With insights from Brene' Brown's book, "Atlas of the Heart", we'll guide you to recognize the signs of burnout and the importance of naming our emotions t...
Aug 17, 2023•33 min
Send us a text Want to supercharge your creativity at work? This episode promises to take you on an enlightening journey packed with fresh insights. We delve into the world of emotions, exploring how they ignite and fuel creativity in our professional lives. Discover how emotions like curiosity, awe, wonder, and even confusion can be key drivers in the creative process. We believe each of us brings a unique flavor of creativity to our work, and being able to understand and express this is crucia...
Aug 15, 2023•8 min
Send us a text What if there was a more profound way of expressing your emotions at work beyond just being "happy"? Let's get into a stimulating chat about harnessing and articulating emotions more accurately within the workplace. Drawing valuable insights from Mark Brackett's book, 'Permission to Feel,' we ponder upon the multi-layered emotions we experience in our professional lives, and how the term "happy," though commonly used, might not be doing full justice in describing those emotions. W...
Aug 14, 2023•8 min
Send us a text In this episode, we continued exploring the world of learning and development in the business realm. Here are some key takeaways from the discussion: Understanding how change impacts where our focus lands. Importance of telling a data story. Setting your intentions, then stretching them. How to have more inclusive conversations. The episode ended with some exciting updates regarding the podcast. We have a challenge ahead of us—our goal is to reach 200 episodes by the end of 2023. ...
Aug 09, 2023•25 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Send us a text Hello Connect the Dots community! Welcome back to our 3 Part series, titled "Unlocking the Value of Learning and Development in Business," previously we dove deep into the importance of individual and collective efforts in impacting learning and development within organizations. Heather shared her top 6 takeaways from the keynote panel discussion. Today we are diving into Part 2, where Heather highlights 5 more key takeaways from various sessions she attended while at TICE. We are...
Jul 26, 2023•30 min
Send us a text Hello Connect the Dots community! In our latest episode, titled "Unlocking the Value of Learning and Development in Business," we dive deep into the importance of individual and collective efforts in impacting learning and development within organizations. This is the first of a three part series. Heather highlights key insights and thought-provoking ideas that both leaders and individual contributors can apply to foster a culture of continuous growth and learning. In this episode...
Jul 12, 2023•39 min
Send us a text This episode is a really exciting one because we are welcoming in a guest that has made more of an impact on Heather’s journey than he probably knows or will ever know. Today we are talking to Dave Stachowiak (STA-HOE-VEE-AAK) the host and founder of Coaching for Leaders, a top-rated management podcast downloaded 30 million times. Coaching for Leaders is #1 search result for management on Apple Podcasts in the United States. With more than 15 years of leadership at Dale Carnegie a...
Jun 28, 2023•51 min
Send us a text *****I do want to start with a quick disclaimer today. This episode may touch on mental health topics. I am not a doctor or certified mental health professional. If you are or someone you know is in crisis, please call 988 if you are in the US. If you are outside the US, there is a link in the below to a list of international options. Are you trying to be a better leader, change industries, reset after a layoff, or looking for ways to bring your whole self to work? Have you recent...
Jun 14, 2023•19 min
Send us a text Over the past week, I have seen such an outpouring of recognition, both personally and across the posts on LinkedIn. It has made me think about the importance of showing recognition in the moment in and out of the workplace. Today I’m diving in on why it is so important and giving some recognition of my own. After you listen, accept my challenge to recognize someone you work with and someone outside of work today. Head over to any of my social media and let me know if you accept a...
Jan 25, 2023•27 min
Send us a text No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions. - Charles P. Steinmetz When I met with my mentor yesterday, she had me answer 3 questions about the lay off situation. These questions really made me stop and think so I wanted to put them out there for you. Asking ourselves questions helps us process through the feelings. But these questions aren’t just for those that were laid off. Maybe you are one of the people that got to stay, which is not always an easy place to ...
Jan 20, 2023•20 min
Send us a text It’s Day 1 of this new world where my job is to job hunt. Oh the life of a layoffee... Since I left Apple for Amazon in November 2021, I have been asked if I regret the move more times than I can count. So sitting here now, the day after the layoff, I wanted to answer this question again. Do I have regrets about the move I made? The answer is no. I now get to take my knowledge and skills to a new place where I can continue to inspire others and grow my skills. Sadness does not las...
Jan 19, 2023•18 min
Send us a text Well now...here we are... together again. It's Season 4 of the podcast and this season is all about bringing all of you to work. I will say I had a different plan to start this season but it seems I have more time on my hands now. Today I was laid off from my job. Ouch. Me and thousands of others were impacted by the layoffs at Amazon. I'm hurt, confused, sad, angry....all the feelings. So let's do this together. Come along on my journey as I navigate this new space and let's conn...
Jan 18, 2023•23 min
Send us a text Hey All! I just wanted to check in and let you know what’s been going on since I haven’t released a podcast in the past month. All is well. I’m just working through some things that I committed to. I’ll be back soon. I promise. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/connectthedotspodcast/support This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thepolkadotdesk.substack.com Support th...
Oct 09, 2022•5 min
Send us a text Disclaimer: This video/podcast contains explicit language and covers topics that might cause you to use explicit language too. I might hurt some feelings and make folks mad. These are my own thoughts and opinions and do not reflect the views of my employer/previous employers. I am not a financial advisor, certified coach, or medical professional. Just wanted to make sure you knew these things upfront today. Now to the show... Today I’m drinking wine and talking through student loa...
Sep 02, 2022•2 hr 37 min
Send us a text After almost 3 years, Christa and I finally got to sit down for a conversation. We met at Blissdom in late 2019 and I was instantly drawn to her passion for helping others. She is a project manager by trade, then was called by God to help His girls. Christa started to volunteer with Proverbs 31, using her project management skills to help them grow. Over the years, she has continued to work in the corporate world and build her business. Christa shares how God has lead her through ...
Aug 18, 2022•47 min
Send us a text After seeing so many people online recommend the book, “How to keep house while drowning” by KC Davis, LPC, I decided to pick it up and read it. I really enjoyed her approach to cleaning and organizing. I had a lot of things marked in the book to mention but did not get through them all. I definitely recommend picking up this book physically or e-book style. You can find KC Davis online at https://www.strugglecare.com . Laughter, Love, and Blessings, Heather Social Links @msheathe...
Aug 15, 2022•1 hr
Send us a text Today’s episode is all about nothing. I mean it’s not dead air, but I just had some fun talking about the random things going on in my life. It’s just some unscripted fun catch up from the last few weeks. I cover mocktails, sunscreen, the account that might make me get TikTok, and more randomness. Come along for laughs and fun! Laughter, Love, and Blessings, Heather Social Links @msheatherbdot @connectthedots_podcast NEW Youtube channel! NEW Website! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/m...
Aug 04, 2022•50 min
Send us a text On today’s podcast, I welcome Martha Arrington. She is a painter, a certified zentangle instructor, educator, and amazing human. I met Martha on Instagram awhile back and instantly became a fan of her work. It’s truly beautiful and unique, just like Martha. Through our conversations over DMs, I knew that I wanted to learn more about her story and her take on creativity. I hope you enjoy this creative conversation. Find Martha online: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marthaarri...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Send us a text Masking. When I started to research ADHD, this was a term that came up quite a bit. Masking “involves hiding symptoms or overcompensating for them. When you mask ADHD, you try to act like you do not have the condition” (PsychCentral). I knew that I had some masking tendencies but it’s a journey to start identifying what is and isn’t a mask. In this episode, I am covering information about what masking is, examples of masking, consequences of masking, and some helpful steps to acce...
Jul 14, 2022•1 hr
Send us a text This is part 2 of the “Reversing the Rachel Hollis effect - Deconstructing Toxic Positivity” podcast set. I am sharing a few YouTube videos that help explain the concept more and offer insight on how to overcome it. When it comes to things like this, we have to own the mistakes and wrong doings from our past. This is where we grow. These deep thoughts episodes were a big step in my journey. I hope you have learned and enjoyed them as well. Here are all the links I mentioned and so...
Jul 08, 2022•27 min
Send us a text Toxic positivity is something that I had not really heard of until the last year or two. But it’s something I am extremely familiar with. For me, Rachel Hollis was the influencer that pulled me into this way of thinking and being. Positivity on it’s own is not a bad emotion and it’s one of my personal favorites. When it starts masking the real emotions and your aren’t able to feel those or feel like they aren’t valid, that is where the problem lies. This podcast is part 1 of 2. He...
Jul 05, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Send us a text Finding harmony between work and life is hard. This week we are navigating the workplace as we talk about work/life harmony. So what’s that all about. When people talk about work/life balance that brings up this image of the scales of justice. Balancing your time between the two is just not possible, you would be working 84 hours a week. that’s a hard pass for me. But when you can get into a cycle or flow between the two...that’s where you can find harmony. Links Mentioned Creativ...
Jun 23, 2022•41 min
Send us a text You know those people that you see online and you are drawn into their story because it’s powerful. Maybe it’s a story of change or survival or triumph. That’s what Michael Rix did when I first started following him on Instagram. Through the strings of his banjo and the words of his book, he has been able to share his story of going from cult to country. I reached out to him a couple months ago and asked if he would come on the podcast to share his story. Thankfully he said yes an...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Send us a text It’s the second week of the month so we are talking about neurodiversity. Today, I’m going through an update on my neurodiversity journey. I am still at the beginning stages of my journey and there is a lot to learn. I want these types of conversations to be helpful to anyone else who may be going through something similar. It’s important to know that you are not alone in this. Links Referenced: https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-testing-diagnosis-guide/ https://exceptionalindividua...
Jun 09, 2022•44 min
Send us a text Recently I watched “The Dropout” docuseries on Hulu, which is about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. So many questions came to mind as I watched this story. But the one that kept nagging at me was focused on the impact Elizabeth Holmes had for the women that come after her. On today’s podcast I set out to review this story and analyze the impact she had or has in come cases. Then I wanted to make sure we took away some lessons learned from this situation. I hope you enjoy this deep ...
Jun 02, 2022•49 min
Send us a text Today I’m going to dive a little deeper into a topic that was brought up in episode 74 of the 100 days of podcasts. When I talked about burnout and I made the comment that I had turned in that badge. This got me thinking about what other badges we carry in regards to the workplace and which ones we need to turn in. I’m going to talk about 3 badges we need to turn in, burnout, perfectionism, and workaholism. Burnout Badge Definition of Burnout: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/b...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 25 min
Send us a text On today’s episode I’m welcoming one of my dearest friends. Lori and I became friends while working at Apple together. We both left the company last year but get together for coffee or cocktails a couple times a month. One of the things we realized in leaving our last company was that we both had forgotten our worth. We wanted to bring that conversation to you. I hope you enjoy this chat. Laughter, Love, and Blessings, Heather Check out Lori's new venture: https://www.instagram.co...
May 19, 2022•52 min
