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Episodes

Aug. 23, 2023

Goal Setting Reloaded: Working Smarter, Not Harder, with SMART Goals

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 gua…
Aug. 18, 2023

Words for the Workplace: A Deep Dive into Emotional Communication at Work - Day 5 - Gratitude

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.…
Aug. 18, 2023

Words for the Workplace: A Deep Dive into Emotional Communication at Work - Day 4 - Connection

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…
Aug. 17, 2023

Words for the Workplace: A Deep Dive into Emotional Communication at Work - Day 3 - Burnout

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 …
Aug. 15, 2023

Words for the Workplace: A Deep Dive into Emotional Communication at Work - Day 2 - Creativity

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 …
Aug. 14, 2023

Words for the Workplace: A Deep Dive into Emotional Communication at Work - Day 1- Happy

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 …
Aug. 9, 2023

S4E9: Unlocking the Value of Learning and Development in Business - Part 3

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 tell…
July 26, 2023

S4E8_Unlocking the Value of Learning and Development in Business_Part 2

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 i…
July 12, 2023

S4E7: Unlocking the Value of Learning and Development in Business - Part 1

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 d…
June 28, 2023

S4 E6: Creating Purposeful Connections in Virtual Environments w/Dave Stachowiak

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-AA…
June 14, 2023

S4 E5: Embracing Resilience: Conquering Layoffs, Coping with Loss, and Celebrating Life's Blessings

*****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 …
Jan. 25, 2023

S4E4: The Importance of Recognition in and out of the workplace

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.…
Jan. 20, 2023

S4E3: Three Questions

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 thi…
Jan. 19, 2023

S4E2: No Regrets

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, …
Jan. 18, 2023

S4E1: Open to Work

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 hand…
Oct. 10, 2022

Just Checking In

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 promi…
Sept. 2, 2022

S3E17: Wine with Me: Talking Student Loan Forgiveness

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 …
Aug. 18, 2022

S3E16: Do a New Thing w/Christa Hutchins

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 …
Aug. 15, 2022

S3E15: Book Review - How to keep house while drowning by KC Davis, LPC

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…
Aug. 4, 2022

S3E14: Unscripted Fun - Deep Thoughts on Nothing

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, …
July 21, 2022

S3E13: Talking Creativity w/Martha Arrington

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 beauti…
July 14, 2022

S3E12: Masking & ADHD

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” (Psyc…
July 5, 2022

S3E10: Reversing the Rachel Hollis Effect (Deconstructing Toxic Positivity Part 1)

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 …
July 1, 2022

S3E11: Reversing the Rachel Hollis effect (Deconstructing Toxic Positivity - Part 2)

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 …