The Ordinary Professor

Advice from a professor as you graduate 🎓

Feel all the emotions.
The excitement. The fear. The relief. The grief. The uncertainty. The pride.

Graduation is not just an achievement. It’s also a transition. A version of you is ending while another version is being built in real time. That deserves space.

Take time to process before rushing into the next chapter. So many people sprint past this moment trying to “figure it all out” immediately. You do not need every answer overnight.

Let yourself grieve what is changing:
• routines
• friendships
• identities
• places that felt familiar
• the comfort of being a student

Then slowly begin asking yourself:
What do I want?
Not what sounds impressive.
Not what everyone else expects.
What actually matters to me?

Stay present during this season. There is growth happening underneath the surface even when life feels uncertain. Some of your biggest lessons will come from the transition itself, not just the destination.

You are not behind.
You are becoming. 🌱

People with people-pleasing tendencies often make decisions too quickly.
Not because they’re weak. Not because they lack boundaries.
But because their nervous system is trying to create safety, approval, harmony, or avoid disappointment.

So the healing work is not just “say no more.”
It’s slowing the decision-making process down long enough to actually hear yourself. 🧠

Before answering:
• Pause
• Check your energy
• Ask yourself if you genuinely want to do it
• Notice if guilt is making the decision for you
• Give yourself permission to respond later instead of immediately

Because when you respond too fast, you often volunteer from pressure instead of alignment.

And over time, constantly saying yes to things you don’t want creates exhaustion, resentment, confusion, and disconnection from your own needs.

Slowing down is not selfish.
It’s how you stop abandoning yourself in real time.

Most people think finding a job is only about resumes, applications, and LinkedIn posts.
But careers are often built in the quiet corners of relationships. 🌱

The person who mentions your name in a meeting.
The former coworker who forwards your resume.
The mentor who says, “You should talk to her.”
The friend who remembers your strengths before you do.

Your network is not just a collection of contacts. It’s your circle of influence. And the strongest circles are not built through transactional networking. They’re built through consistency, trust, generosity, and visibility over time.

A few reminders if you’re job searching right now:

• Reach out before you need something
• Stay connected to people even when life gets busy
• Support others publicly and privately
• Let people know what you’re looking for
• Be memorable for your energy, reliability, and character
• Relationships compound just like investments 📈

Sometimes opportunities do not arrive through a job posting.
They arrive through a conversation.

The people around you can open doors, advocate for you, teach you the unspoken rules, and help you see possibilities you would never find alone.

Build your skills.
But also build your people. 🖇️

Welcome to Confession Wednesdays. 👀

As a business psychologist, executive coach, and professor, here’s something I probably shouldn’t admit…

I’m not always positive.

Sometimes it takes a tremendous amount of work for me to get back to feeling grounded, regulated, or hopeful. I’ve spent a large part of my life in survival mode, so my brain naturally scans for worst-case scenarios before it scans for peace.

The difference is not that I never struggle. The difference is that I use the strategies I teach. Constantly. I revisit them, rework them, and build systems around them so I can move from fear… to awareness… to gratitude and grace for myself.

Growth is not becoming positive all the time.
Growth is learning how to return to yourself when your mind starts spiraling.

So thats my confession Wednesday… what’s yours? 🤍

Confession Wednesdays: As a business psychologist, executive coach, and professor, I have to admit something… I cannot stand when people tell me how I feel based on my face. 😂

There are approximately 20 tabs open in my brain at all times. My face is just showing one screenshot, not the entire operating system. Sometimes I’m thinking about deadlines, strategy, dinner, a student situation, an email I forgot to answer, and whether I left my coffee in another room… all while apparently looking “mad.”

Not every serious face is anger.
Not every quiet moment is attitude.
Not every tired expression is negativity.

Humans are layered. Facial expressions are often just one shade of the full picture.

So now I’m curious… what’s your Wednesday confession? 👀

Question of the day: How do you deal with social anxiety?

It’s less about “just be confident” and more about building your own safety net before you even walk in. 🧠✨

• Get there early so the room doesn’t feel like a moving target
• Visualize the space ahead of time so your brain isn’t scrambling
• Anchor yourself to something physical… a seat, a drink, a corner, a routine
• Identify your people… even one safe face changes everything
• Have an exit strategy (this is power, not failure)
• Create a “code word” with a friend if you need backup

Preparation isn’t overthinking… it’s giving your nervous system a soft place to land.

Plan ahead → feel more in control → show up more like yourself 💬

How one thing can change everything. Make it small and make it a habit and be consistent. Things will shift drastically.

Here’s an easy activity to do for group coaching to reduce stress.

Question of the day: this is some advice on career insight and how to transfer your skills. Often time we don’t think about certain things we do as transferable from industry to industry.

Some support when things are difficult…remind yourself that you showed up. You did your best, with what you have. In that moment, the information provided to you is all that you could rely on. You made it through today and tomorrow without a doubt will be different. Then from thinking that it would be different start thinking of would it be nice if(insert what you want) happened. By reflecting and sitting as an observer of the situation, it helps regulate your body.

Here are some tips to keep you sane and mentally healthy