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Videos

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 guarantee that by the end of this episode, you'll master the art of…

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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. From casual verbal acknowledgments to more formal accolades, we discuss how these actions can…

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Aug. 17, 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 yes, even the strategic use of emojis in our digital interactions. We also address the common pitfalls…

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Aug. 16, 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 understanding burnout, investigating the roots of these emotions and how…

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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 professional lives. Discover how emotions like curiosity, awe, wonder, and even confusion can…

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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 valuable insights from Mark Brackett's book, 'Permission to Feel,' we ponder upon the multi-layered emotions…

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Aug. 14, 2023

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 telling a data story. - Setting your intentions, then stretching them. - How to…

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Aug. 14, 2023

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 impacting learning and development within organizations. Heather shared her top 6 takeaways from the keynote…

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July 16, 2023

Unlocking the Value of Learning and Development in Business - S4E7

In this episode of the Connect the Dots podcast, 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. As leaders, we explore how we can support the growth of our employees…

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June 28, 2023

Creating Purposeful Connections in Virtual Environments w/Dave Stachowiak (Season 4 Episode 6)

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…

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June 15, 2023

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 if you are in the US. If you are…

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Jan. 25, 2023

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. Today I’m diving in on why it is so important…

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Jan. 22, 2023

Three questions to ask after a layoff - Mentor Advice

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…

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Jan. 21, 2023

Do I regret leaving Apple now?

Sadness does not last forever when we walk in the direction of that which we always desired. - Paulo Coelho 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…

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Jan. 20, 2023

Open for Work - Day 0 of 2023 Amazon Layoffs

Today I went through something (along with over 18K other Amazonians) that I never expected. I was laid off, hence the Open to Work ring now appearing on my photo. Podcasting has been an outlet for me these last few years to talk through situations and share experiences so I…

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Sept. 1, 2022

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 reflect the views of my employer/previous employers. I am not a financial advisor,…

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Aug. 18, 2022

Do a New Thing w/Christa Hutchins (Connect the Dots Podcast)

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…

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Aug. 15, 2022

Book Review: How to keep house while drowning by KC Davis, LPC (Connect the Dots Podcast)

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…

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Aug. 4, 2022

Unscripted Fun - Deep Thoughts on Nothing (Connect the Dots Podcast)

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…

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July 21, 2022

Talking Creativity w/Martha Arrington (Connect the Dots podcast)

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…

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July 14, 2022

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” (PsychCentral). I knew that I had some masking tendencies but…

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July 7, 2022

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 comes to things like this, we have to own the…

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July 5, 2022

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 being. Positivity on it’s own is not a bad…

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June 23, 2022

Finding Work Life Harmony (Connect the Dots podcast)

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…

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