July 22, 2020
There’s no doubt that this global pandemic has disrupted many lives, but it’s also disrupted many of our beliefs about life, work, business, and family. Every week, I speak to dozens of individuals who are thinking about and planning for a pivot in their career, inspired by the events of the last few months. And, I’m […]
May 20, 2020
JF: In February of this year you left a decade-long career in higher-education to pursue your dream of becoming a pilot. I think many people would have a feeling of “oh s#%#” for you right now. How are you feeling?Michael Schmidt: This is a funny and excellent question! When I finally decided to take the leap […]
May 6, 2020
Over the last several weeks, I’ve spoken with dozens of individuals about their career, leadership, and communication challenges as they navigate these uncertain times, and every single person has mentioned how their company is reacting to the global pandemic and treating its employees. Employees notice, and they care about how their company is operating in […]
March 19, 2020
Two years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Jordan Sale, the Founder of 81cents, and today Fink Development Coaching is proud to partner with her amazing company! Jordan recently sat down with me for an Authentic Career Conversation, check out her story and amazing company below. If you’re inspired by Jordan’s story and want to […]
March 3, 2020
A handful of years ago, I was working at the Fuqua School of Business and got to spend a lot of my time there with budding entrepreneurs. During this time, I watched students come into the program with wide eyes and wild dreams of pursuing their idea and hitting it big. As they moved through […]
February 7, 2020
Three years ago I was in Chapel Hill, applying to PhD programs (none of which I got in to, btw), and contemplating a big move with my partner. At the time, it was uncertain where I would land and whether I’d be landing wherever that was alone. One of the most prominent thoughts on my mind, […]
January 29, 2020
It’s been almost ten years since I first embarked on my MBA journey. I’m actually in disbelief as I type these words, as I can still remember the very first day of my MBA experience like it was yesterday. It’s embarrassing to admit that on my first day of Pre-MBA Bootcamp, I realized I didn’t […]
January 14, 2020
Design is a field that I have a love-hate relationship with. When I was a kid, I used to rearrange the furniture in my parent’s home while they were at work, sometimes changing the entire layout of the house. As a teenager, I painted my bedroom walls with the changing season or my changing mood, […]
December 18, 2019
Is 2020 your year? Are you dreaming of finally quitting that job you hate to pursue your passion of arranging beautiful flowers all day? That sounds pretty great! When I imagine the role of a floral designer, I see my days spent in a light-filled studio, surrounded by a plethora of exotic flowers (that somehow magically got […]
December 2, 2019
“The only limit to becoming a product manager is yourself,” this is one of the beliefs Diego shared with me last week. I met Diego several years ago while he was an MBA student at Duke’s Fuqua Business School. Out of the thousands of students, I’ve met in my eleven-year higher-ed career, Diego was one of […]