How to navigate a dysfunctional workplace (and still advance your career)

I make ambition easy.

Hey Reader,
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My client Rachel found herself in a familiar but difficult situation – she’s up for promotion from senior manager to director, but she’s already doing both roles without the support she needs.

She’s also dealing with a chaotically structured organization, miscommunication across departments, and the feeling of constantly putting out fires that aren’t of her making.

During our coaching session (which you can eavesdrop on here!), we explored practical strategies for protecting her energy, creating efficient systems, and maintaining boundaries in a disorganized workplace. We’ll also discussed the importance of reconnecting with parts of oneself outside of work to prevent burnout, especially when leaving your current position isn’t an option.

Whether you’re dealing with similar challenges or just want to be prepared for future workplace chaos, this episode offers actionable advice on thriving professionally while preserving your wellbeing.

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(Yes, I know dysfunction is misspelled. I’ll upload a corrected version when I’m not on airport wifi 🤡)

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Key takeaways include:

1. Separate your identity from your work role. Remember “it’s just a job” – creating emotional distance helps prevent burnout when dealing with workplace chaos.
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2. Create efficient systems for repetitive problems. When faced with recurring issues (like repeatedly justifying budgets), develop streamlined processes to reduce your workload and frustration.
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3. Protect your energy with visualization techniques. Mental exercises like imagining a protective golden shield or washing away negative experiences can create psychological boundaries.
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4. Reconnect with creative outlets outside of work. Consistently engage with non-work activities that energize you, even just for short periods daily. Frequency matters more than duration.
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5. Seek community with peers in similar positions. Connect with others facing similar challenges for support, validation, and practical strategies.
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6. Frame improvements as benefiting the company. When proposing solutions to inefficiencies, demonstrate how they save the organization time and money.
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7. Maintain visibility with leadership. Ensure your contributions are recognized by multiple stakeholders so when others’ mistakes impact your work, your reputation is protected.
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8. Involve your team in problem-solving. You don’t have to shoulder all challenges alone – collaborative solutions often work better and reduce your mental load.

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Reply and tell me what you think..and what topics I should cover next! I always love hearing from you 🙂

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Now go get paid.

x Claire
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Listen to our session

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PS Want to be coached by me? Schedule your complementary call here!​

In this week’s newsletter:

🗓️ RSVP: How to Run Your Job Search Like an Entrepreneur

🤗 How to Take Critical Feedback Better

📝 A Framework to Develop Your Business Idea

✅ ​ To Done tracker ​Learn more​

💼 ​ Get hired dashboard ​Learn more​

💸 ​ earn better course ​Learn more​

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The job market is exceptionally challenging right now, with government cutbacks, industry collapses, hiring freezes, and AI eliminations affecting even the most qualified professionals.

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While being excellent at your job doesn’t guarantee success in finding one, I’m offering a solution by transforming my exclusive $1,200 coaching program into a FREE 90-minute masterclass revealing my proven blueprint for landing positions in this difficult market.
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The key is to stop thinking like a desperate job seeker and start operating like a strategic business. This masterclass will cover:
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✅ Market research and self-discovery

✅ Powerful positioning

✅ Marketing and sales strategy

✅ Perfecting your pitch

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Registration includes a recording so sign up even if you can’t attend live (though it’s always better when you do!)

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Register

✅ ​ To Done tracker ​Learn more​

💼 ​ Get hired dashboard ​Learn more​

💸 ​ earn better course ​Learn more​

How to Take Critical Feedback Better
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Critical feedback can be rough to receive, especially for us recovering people-pleasers! It’s personally something I’ve really struggled with though I’m definitely getting better at.

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Here are five tips you can use to filter and benefit from it:
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1️⃣ Consider the source of feedback. Evaluate whether the person providing criticism matters to you or is relevant to your goals. If they’re not your target audience, it may be appropriate to let their feedback go.
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2️⃣ Filter feedback through your learning goals. Ask yourself if the criticism addresses something you actually want to improve. If it aligns with your development goals, embrace it; if not, it’s okay to set it aside.

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3️⃣ Take action based on useful feedback. Transform criticism into concrete next steps to avoid feeling helpless or defensive. Consider how you can apply what you’ve learned to improve your current work or future projects.
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4️⃣ Reframe criticism as an opportunity. When you can take actionable steps based on feedback, you can shift your perspective and become grateful for the input rather than resentful.

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5️⃣ Recognize when feedback triggers deeper issues. If criticism causes strong emotional reactions, it might be touching on deeper personal areas that need attention and healing. View this as a valuable signal for self-reflection rather than something to fear.

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Join the convo 👉

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💸 ​ earn better course ​Learn moreWhat to do if you DON’T get the job

A Framework to Develop Your Business Idea

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An excerpt from last week’s edition of Really Good Work Advice,

a digestible deep dive into what makes a good work-life.

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In last week’s newsletter, I wrote about how my client “K” has all the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur (she thrives in uncertainty, makes order out of chaos, loves juggling a gazillion, embraces failure, and is continually pushing herself to try new things and learn), but, that she didn’t have a business idea.

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Well, guess what? Now she does!

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In less than 60 minutes, we were able to not only identify her business idea, we also mapped out all the steps to take to test it, so she wouldn’t feel pressure to leave her current high-paying (ahem secure) job, anytime soon.

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Based on our session, I’ve created a framework you can use to further develop your entrepreneurial itch. You will learn how to:

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✅ Identify a direction

✅ Identify a solution

✅ Explore business models

✅ Nail your unique value proposition

✅ Design an experiment

✅ 7-day action plan to implement this guidance

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Subscribe to read this newsletter

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PS In addition to a weekly newsletter, subscribers also get access to a monthly group coaching session with me. The next one is on Sunday, April 6th!

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x Claire I help you reach success without self-sacrifice. Learn more here.​

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