Career
Social Media Q&A with Laura Creekmore
Laura Creekmore is an experienced, award-winning content strategist and information architect. After a dozen years in digital media, Creekmore founded Creek Content in 2008. The firm helps clients with content strategy and management, search application optimization, taxonomy and information architecture, and online communities. Creekmore developed, and her team now implements, the content strategy for a private personal health improvement site. She also manages the content development and community engagement strategy for a software company’s private customer community, working to improve service and drive down costs. Creekmore is married, has 3 children, and is president of the board of Friends of [...] Read More
Social Media
NAME: Z
STATUS: Chatty
GOAL: Keeping an eye on Troy
PEEVE: Facebook updates that say nothing
GLEE: Connecting with old friends
Troy is in sixth grade this year and wants to get on Facebook. Many of his friends are social media masters already but Troy hadn’t shown much interest until now.
He will set up his Facebook page this weekend and I will be in his first round of friend requests. That’s the House of Z rule. In a few years, after he turns 18, if Troy wants to “unfriend” me and post stupid stuff on Facebook that could jeopardize his career or college scholarships or [...] Read More
Following Your Passions
NAME: Lily
STATUS: Teaching my mom about Twitter
PEEVE: People who get everything they want, when they want it
GLEE: Matinee movie pricing
There’s a popular saying among career-in-betweeners these days: Do what you love, and the money will follow.
That’s all very well and good, if what you love is, say, investment banking. Or if you have a trust fund that allows you to start up your very own mobile cat-grooming business.
But what if what you love is something you happen to be terrible at, or something everyone loves, or something that’s either fiscally or physically impossible? I suppose the idea is to put [...] Read More
Life Coach Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Bailey
Dr. Stephanie Bailey is a lifetime champion of community health excellence. She was Director of Health for
Nashville/Davidson County (1985-2006) and recently served as the Chief for Public Health Practice at CDC (2006-2010). Dr. Bailey has received numerous awards, is a published author, and a sought after speaker. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Clark University; her M.D. from Meharry Medical College; and her M.S.H.S.A. from the College of St. Francis. She currently consults on community health strategies and is an Independent Business Owner, Regional Representative and Certified LifeCoach for COMPASS, a Personal Development Company. Her purpose in life: “To [...] Read More
Finance Beyond Budgeting
NAME: Lily
STATUS: Embracing the joys of moderation
GOAL: Get organized
PEEVE: Wilting container gardens
GLEE: The perfect shade of red
As one of the legions of under-employed, I’m very interested in hearing about life journeys these days: tales of reinvention, new passions discovered, avocations that turn a profit. So my little ears always perk up whenever I hear anyone talk about starting a business.
I don’t come from entrepreneurial stock. My relatives prefer the illusion of security that lies within the confines of a government job or a well-paid position at a large corporation. Since the latter didn’t exactly work out well for me, however, [...] Read More
Beyond Budgeting Q&A with Melissa Hammel
Melissa Hammel, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), and a temporarily Licensed Professional Counselor/Mental Health Specialist, serves as managing Partner and Principal Financial Planner at Hammel Financial Advisory Group, LLC, a financial planning and Registered Investment Advisory firm located in Brentwood, Tennessee. The firm specializes in providing holistic Fee-Only® financial planning and asset management for individuals and families. As Principal Financial Planner, Melissa leads the financial planning process by offering clients broad based financial planning, counseling, coaching, and wealth management services. She emphasizes the importance of reviewing retirement plans, asset and liability protection, and cash flow management. Through her studies and [...] Read More
Beyond College Education
NAME: Z
STATUS: Thirsting for knowledge
GOAL: Learn new stuff
PEEVE: College kids who complain
GLEE: Conquering a fear
Don’t hate on me but I liked school. I liked college. Even now, learning new things makes me happy.
I was never very good at other languages, but I still have what some consider an insane desire to learn Latin. My goal of speaking and reading functional Spanish is more understandable and probably more realistic.
Mythology and the ancient worlds fascinate me. Although I’ve seen “Cleopatra,” the tortured epic movie with Liz Taylor and Richard Burton at least 20 times, I want to know the [...] Read More
Education for Employment Q&A with Expert Judy Parks
Judy Parks, Staffmark Staffing Services since 1997. Managed both Gallatin and Lebanon Branches most of her career helping both employees and companies by matching the right person to the job through coaching and skills assessment. Currently she is an Account Executive in the Nashville and Brentwood markets, finding companies who are looking for great employees. Originally from Massachusetts, Parks moved to Tennessee in 1991 and currently lives in Mt Juliet.
Q: What are important factor when building a resume?
A: The most important piece of information on your resume is the contact information. Be sure that you can be contacted at any [...] Read More
Cheap Crafting
NAME: Z
STATUS: Crafty
GOAL: Starting on holiday craft gifts
PEEVE: Adhesive failure
GLEE: Making cool stuff with little coin
One of our closets is piled with bins of unfinished craft projects, fabric, notions, buttons, cookie tins, beads, old vintage jewelry, broken pieces of jewelry and broken plates, cups and other ceramic pieces for when I finally make those mosaic garden decorations I’ve been planning.
When it comes to crafting, I’ve got no shortage of ideas. The problem is always time.
But I’ll make the time to find or create a good deal. Simply going to the craft store for supplies is boring. Where’s [...] Read More
Etiquette: Work It
NAME: Lily
Topic: Etiquette
Glee: Cool spring nights
Peeve: Cicadas
In New York, maybe it’s S.O.P. — standard operating procedure — to let the door fall closed on any random member of the female gender because you can’t be bothered. But that ain’t how we play down South, brother. You say “thank you” and “ma’am” and you speak when spoken to. You would think that would be a fairly simple lesson any simpleton could easily pick up.
You would be mistaken.
Allow me to explain: We have a new manager at work whom I’ll call “S” for short (and for “Satan”). I’m not saying I [...] Read More
