After two decades leading teams at companies like Slack, Adobe, and Salesforce, I've learned that the most successful professionals aren't just high performers, they're strategic about how they build and sustain their careers. Here you'll find practical insights and proven strategies for navigating the realities of modern work, from getting noticed for the right reasons to building career resilience that lasts.

Whether you're hitting a plateau, navigating a transition, or positioning yourself for what's next, these insights will help you move beyond just working hard to working strategically.

How to Position Yourself for Mid-Year Promotions & Career Moves
Laurie J Wetzel Laurie J Wetzel

How to Position Yourself for Mid-Year Promotions & Career Moves

Mid-year reviews are around the corner, promotions are being discussed, and hiring budgets are being finalized. If you want to land your next big opportunity, this is your moment.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: You don't get promoted when you deserve it—you get promoted when decision-makers can see your next-level potential and trust you're ready.

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How to Get on the Shortlist Before a Role Even Opens
Laurie J Wetzel Laurie J Wetzel

How to Get on the Shortlist Before a Role Even Opens

Most decision-makers don't start from scratch when roles open up. They mentally scan for people they already know and trust. If you're waiting until a role is posted to get noticed, you're already too late. Learn how to build strategic visibility and position yourself as the obvious choice long before opportunities surface.

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The Career Alignment Formula: How to Find Work That Energizes You
Laurie J Wetzel Laurie J Wetzel

The Career Alignment Formula: How to Find Work That Energizes You

You can be great at your job and still feel drained by it. It's a common trap for high achievers: You follow the promotions. You chase the opportunities. But you forget to ask a more powerful question: Does this work fuel me or just use me?

Career alignment isn't about chasing passion. It's about precision. When your work aligns with your values, strengths, and current season of life, everything shifts. You don't just perform better. You feel lighter. Sharper. More resilient.

The Career Alignment Formula starts with three deceptively simple questions that can transform your relationship with work...

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How to Get Recognized and Promoted (When Results Alone Aren't Enough)
Laurie J Wetzel Laurie J Wetzel

How to Get Recognized and Promoted (When Results Alone Aren't Enough)

The paradox of potential: navigating a world where visibility often outweighs actual results.

In many organizations, being seen in meetings and staying visibly late often matters more than your actual output. This "face in the place" dynamic frustrates productive professionals who believe results should speak for themselves.

But you're not imagining it. Research consistently shows that visibility significantly influences advancement decisions, sometimes overshadowing objective performance metrics.

There's a fundamental difference between what makes someone an excellent professional and what positions them for promotion to higher levels...

[Continue reading to discover the tactical playbook for getting recognized without sacrificing your productivity]

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The Discomfort Zone: What High Performers Miss When They Hit a Plateau
Laurie J Wetzel Laurie J Wetzel

The Discomfort Zone: What High Performers Miss When They Hit a Plateau

Professional plateaus don't just stall careers, they can slowly suffocate your sense of purpose. But momentum isn't always movement. Sometimes it's how you lead yourself in the waiting. High performers know that clarity doesn't come from forcing answers, but from asking better questions that reconnect you with what makes you feel most alive.

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Stop Waiting, Start Building: How to Create Career Momentum When the Next Step Isn't Clear
Laurie J Wetzel Laurie J Wetzel

Stop Waiting, Start Building: How to Create Career Momentum When the Next Step Isn't Clear

Career limbo happens to even the most accomplished professionals. That uncertain space between what was and what's next can feel frustrating, especially when you're used to forward progress. The real danger isn't being temporarily stuck; it's losing your direction, confidence, and momentum while you're there.

This article reveals five strategic approaches used by professionals who successfully navigate career transitions without losing momentum. You'll discover how to create short-term anchors that generate progress without pressure, maintain strategic visibility even when you don't have "news" to share, craft a compelling future narrative before you need it, and take consistent small actions that create clarity. Most importantly, you'll learn how to manage the emotional journey of career uncertainty, transforming what feels like a setback into a strategic opportunity for repositioning.

You don't need to have your entire next chapter figured out to move forward. You just need the right strategic moves to transform career limbo into purposeful momentum.

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Why Career Stability is a Myth
Laurie J Wetzel Laurie J Wetzel

Why Career Stability is a Myth

Career stability isn’t what it used to be. Even high performers can get caught off guard by layoffs, restructures, or leadership changes. This article breaks down why traditional job security no longer works and what top performers do instead to protect their careers and stay ready for what’s next.

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The Secret to Career Longevity: Strategic Relationships That Open Doors
Laurie J Wetzel Laurie J Wetzel

The Secret to Career Longevity: Strategic Relationships That Open Doors

In a world where technical skills have a half-life of about five years, there's one asset that appreciates over time: your professional relationships.

After two decades in leadership at companies like Slack, Adobe, and Salesforce, I've learned that career longevity isn't just about what you know—it's about who knows what you're capable of.

While most professionals obsess over technical credentials and performance metrics, they often underinvest in relationship capital—the trust, goodwill, and reciprocity you build with others over time. This capital compounds. The colleague you helped five years ago becomes the decision-maker who remembers your value. The mentor who saw potential in you becomes the connector who recommends you for opportunities that never hit job boards.

Strategic relationship building requires moving beyond transactional networking. It's about cultivating genuine connections with people who challenge your thinking, advocate for you when you're not in the room, and connect you to opportunities you didn't know existed.

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The Achiever's Blind Spot: Why High Performers Miss Burnout Warning Signs
Laurie J Wetzel Laurie J Wetzel

The Achiever's Blind Spot: Why High Performers Miss Burnout Warning Signs

Burnout doesn't always look like collapse. For high performers, it often hides behind continued achievement and productivity. You're still meeting deadlines and showing up, but inside, something feels off. This silent progression makes burnout particularly dangerous for driven professionals who excel at pushing through discomfort.

In this article, we explore the early warning signs high achievers typically miss, why success can mask depletion until it's too late, and practical strategies to break the cycle before hitting the wall. The most successful professionals aren't those who burn brightest before burning out—they're the ones who build sustainable practices that protect their energy and impact over the long term.

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Stop Hiding, Start Shining: The Anti-Self-Promotion Guide That Actually Gets You Noticed
Laurie J Wetzel Laurie J Wetzel

Stop Hiding, Start Shining: The Anti-Self-Promotion Guide That Actually Gets You Noticed

In a professional world where "building your personal brand" has become the mantra, many of us still cringe at the thought of self-promotion. The line between sharing achievements and humble-bragging feels razor-thin, especially on platforms like LinkedIn where visibility is currency.

But you don't need to choose between invisibility and inauthentic peacocking. The most respected voices on LinkedIn aren't those with the longest list of achievements—they're those who consistently provide genuine value.

This article shares practical strategies to stand out meaningfully: leading with lessons rather than accomplishments, curating valuable industry content, asking thought-provoking questions, and showing selective vulnerability. By focusing on contribution rather than promotion, you create a presence that naturally draws attention without triggering your internal "self-promotion alarm”.

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