Tag Archives: Joanne Guidoccio

Growing Your Life Garden

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts series!

Today, we have Jackie Yun talking about her extraordinary shift from the corporate world to her “next big thing.”

Here’s Jackie!

jackieyun“Fantastic Journey” was the subject line on my good-bye email and indeed, it had been.  As Senior Vice President of one of our Information Technology divisions, I tackled things like turning a tech center scheduled for shut-down into a revenue generating center, beating out external consulting firms for a rewrite of one of our systems, merging organizations that weren’t on the same path into a cohesive purposeful whole.  By any corporate yardstick, these were significant and had positive impact.

So, what would be my next big thing?  I could re-live all that I had lived on a bigger scale (CIO, COO, CEO, anyone?).  But, what is the point in a “repeat” when time is precious?  And time is precious when you’re at the doorstep of retirement, even if it is early retirement as it was for me.

In my “Fantastic Journey” email, I did not write about the corporate accomplishments.  I wrote to the people who made those milestones possible and recounted the extraordinary feeling of community, the can-do attitude, the camaraderie, and the caring support.

Jackie Yun's Garden

Jackie Yun’s Garden

I realized a bountiful garden had rooted in my life (this is my hat tip to Louise L Hay: “You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens”).  I wanted to tend this garden and grow it into a vibrant, lush, uplifting ecosystem.   

My tools in the past had included the corporate mantra of “it’s not enough, do it and prove it again”.  As part of my next big thing, I’m replacing those tools with the perspective of abundance and paraphrasing William Wordsworth, hoping to “fill my life with the breathings of my heart”.

To help these seedlings of breathings, I’ve tilled the soil with yearly #threewords to live by, augmenting my usual annual goal-setting passed on from my corporate life.  These #threewords help me to “do” in a more heart-spacious way.  For 2013, I am living by these words: 

  • Awesomeness > Owning it within, appreciating it in others and in the world
  • Art > making a point to look at things differently, be creative, curate a bit of beauty into everyday life
  • Jump > be bold, enjoy the feeling of flight, and a much needed reminder to exercise

Professionally, my next big thing meant becoming an Integral Coach ®.  Here I help people tend to their life gardens with coaching and advice on Executive Leadership, Career Direction, Life Challenges.  Like gardeners who share their harvests, I blog and enjoy sharing via Twitter and LinkedIn.  As the fantastic journey continues, I’m hoping to grow into a wise-old gardener, a caretaker of the ecosystem.  As Reginald Farrer wrote back in 1909:

“I think the true gardener is a lover of his flowers, not a critic of them. I think the true gardener is the reverent servant of Nature, not her truculent, wife-beating master. I think the true gardener, the older he grows, should more and more develop a humble, grateful and uncertain spirit.”

So, tell me, what is the next big thing for you?  What are your #threewords to live by?  And as the time approaches for your next big thing, please …

#TakeThisMoment to uncover that which will nourish and make your life garden bloom! ~ Jackie Yun

Where to find Jackie…

Website:  www.jackieyun.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JackieYunTweets

LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackieyun

Joanne here!

Thank you Jackie for sharing your “Fantastic Journey.” As Integral Coach, you are well suited to the role of wise gardener and in an excellent position to help your clients grow their life gardens.

A Millennial’s Second Act

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

When I started the Second Acts series, I didn’t think that millennials would be part of it.  Having taught many of these children, born between the early 1980s and early 2000s, I assumed they would be in school, looking for a job or in the early years of a first career.

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But  after meeting with fellow GWIN member Leanne Ballard, I changed my mind and decided to feature her in this series.

Passionate and organized—not the usual combination of adjectives, but they certainly fit this busy mom of three who is running a local franchise.

Trained as a veterinary technician, Leanne secured employment at a small vet clinic in Mississauga where she was later promoted to office manager. While she enjoyed working with the animals, she found the job physically demanding and realized it would conflict with motherhood.

After her son was born, Leanne became a member of momstown, an organization focused on connecting neighborhood moms. She enjoyed the experience so much that she decided to buy the Guelph franchise.

That was three years ago.

Since then, the local group has grown and provides over twenty local events for moms with tots aged 0-6 years old.

As momstown mama, Leanne’s schedule is jam packed, but she still manages to exude a calm and competent air. Her eyes, however, sparkle when describing the different activities and benefits of momstown.  It is not surprising that the organization has flourished under her tender loving care.

momstownguelph

A Bit of History…

Momstown began as a small mothers’ group in Burlington, Ontario. Three moms (Christi, Ann-Marie and Shannon) wanted to provide events and encouragement for all moms–working moms, expectant moms, mat leave moms and stay-at-home moms.

There are weekday, evening and weekend programs that can fit in even the most hectic of schedules. While Momstown uses the Internet to connect, the primary goal is to get moms off the computer and out of the house.

To date, there are twenty franchises across Canada.

Where to find Leanne…

Blog: http://momstown-guelph.blogspot.ca

Twitter: https://twitter.com/momstownguelph

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/momstownguelph

Book Review: Freud’s Mistress

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

freudVery little is known about Minna Bernays, the other woman in Sigmund Freud’s household.

While she was speculated to have been his mistress, this controversial claim was dismissed by Freudian scholars.

All that changed during the summer of 2006.

A German sociologist discovered proof that Sigmund Freud and Minna Bernays had spent two weeks in August 1898 at a fashionable resort in Switzerland. An old ledger clearly showed that they occupied Room 11 on the third floor.

In Freud’s Mistress, authors Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman present a fictionalized account of that affair. Using Freud’s biographies, letters and scholarly texts as source material, the authors succeed in creating a corset-ripper set in Victoria-era Vienna.  

Overeducated and often underemployed, Minna is abruptly fired and finds herself practically destitute and out of options. In desperation, she writes her sister Martha and asks for help.

Determined to stay only for a short while, Minna looks forward to the “uncomplicated and intellectual” relationship she had previously enjoyed with her brother-in-law. But she quickly discovers that “the Freud she had known for years had transformed into someone else.”

As their lively late-night chats become more intimate, Minna finds herself torn between an explosive love affair and loyalty to Martha. She also has to deal with Sigmund’s mercurial moods. It was shocking to read just how aloof and dismissive he could be.

More devastating was the effect on Minna: “The distress of his cold shoulder was constant. It took away her appetite and her ability to appreciate anything. Sometimes she would feel it throbbing in her neck and traveling down her arm. Other times, she clenched her teeth so hard she gave herself a migraine. Even reading was no respite. It could be her imagination, but more often than not, she worried that perhaps he was tiring of her.”

Eventually, the sexual side of the relationship wanes, but Minna, Martha and Sigmund continue to share a household.

An excellent read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Make That Mental Shift

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Emelia Sam talking about the dismantling of her first act and the mental shift that enabled her to start an exciting second act.

Here’s Emelia!

emeliasamcroppedFor most of my life, I’ve fallen in line. I did the “right” things. Said the “right” things. Pursued the “right” things. I followed the script that society dutifully laid out for me. “Pick something,” it said. So, I did and I made a practical decision to become a dentist.

There was only one problem.

Two years into dental school, I found out I abhorred general dentistry. But the script was written so I followed it to the end. In an attempt to escape, I entered a residency in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

There was only one problem.

It didn’t resonate with me. I found it extremely interesting. I was initially captivated by the newness, but somewhere along the line, I realized I wasn’t enjoying it in the way my colleagues were. I thought to myself, “I have a right to be happy, too, don’t I?” But, I suppressed and finished the script.

I was fortunate enough to work in private practice combined with academia for two years. There was only one problem. I was dying little by little, day by day. As Maya Angelou has said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

emeliasamspiritualityThat’s when it began. The dismantling of my life as I saw it. All of a sudden, the set seemed foreign. I didn’t understand my supporting characters. And I was more than ready, to relinquish my uncomfortable role. The unraveling of the costume I had donned years before had begun. The First Act was coming to a close.

This was scary. Terrifying really. For the first time in my life, there was no set pattern to follow, It was up to me to make my own way. To improvise. To flow.

It took some time, but I have found my way to authenticity and continue to do so. I’ve returned to my creative core I once tried to ignore. My love of writing and contemplation have made their way to the forefront. This is the work I am supposed to put out into the world. The more I do it, the more aligned I feel with my true purpose.

I encourage others to shift from practicality to purpose. I’ve been there and I can attest to the fact that once you make that mental shift, life opens up.

I respect the lessons that I’ve learned along the way. Wherever I have been has been necessary for my evolution. I haven’t rejected my past because it has shaped who I am. I lived coloring within the lines and now I’m learning to paint my own pictures.

This time, there will be no script. I’m accepting the fluidity of life and eagerly awaiting the next plot twist. Yes. The Second Act is firmly underway…and I’m loving it.

emeliabook

Where to find Emelia…

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Joanne here again!

Thank you for sharing your amazing  journey, Emelia. I look forward to our online chats and take special note of your remarkable insights and advice.

I would encourage anyone reading this post to follow Emelia online. You will be inspired!

Writer or Author?

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

writer

Fellow GWIN member Lisa Ivaldi asked, “Do you want me to add Author to your profile?

Author with a capital A.

My heart beat faster as I considered the implications of that particular title.

According to the dictionary, a writer “expresses ideas in writing” or “is engaged in literary work” while an author is an “originator or creator of written work.”

The definitions appear similar, but there is a definite difference, one clearly articulated by many English teachers: “You become an author when your books are published, but if your writings never publish, you remain a writer.”

Best-selling author Dean Wesley Smith has a different take on it.

He strongly believes that “a writer is a person who writes, an author is a person who has written.” According to Smith, writers focus on the process of writing and as soon as they publish one book they’re onto the next. On the other hand, authors devote their energies to promoting their book instead of writing the next one.

It is no surprise that Smith considers himself a writer as opposed to an author, having written more than 100 novels and 200 short stories. And his final advice is sound: “Authors are missing the best promotion tool there is for their old books. Their next book.”

While I agree with Smith’s advice, I tend to gravitate toward the more traditional definition of an author. The word has a more professional ring to it, declaring  that a writer is finally taking his/her craft seriously.

A fact that wasn’t so apparent when I first launched my second act as a writer.

For three years, I dabbled. Travel writing. Business articles. Blogging, Poetry. Cozy mystery. Angel stories. Memoir.  Fantasy. Depending on which online course or workshop I attended, I immediately embraced the new genre and tried my hand at it.

I met with modest success and  enjoyed seeing my articles, book reviews and short stories in newspapers, magazines and online. Interestingly enough, most editors included the following short bio: “Joanne Guidoccio is a Guelph writer.”

With the launch of my debut novel, Between Land and Sea, close at hand, I feel confident and ready to call myself an Author.

author2

Never, Never, Never Give Up!

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

The theme of my upcoming novel, Between Land and Sea, is one of reinvention. Over the next two months, I plan to devote at least one post a week to this topic. In addition to sharing my own experiences, I will also feature other successful second acts.

joannefromcindyI am honored to welcome my first guest, JoAnne Myers.

Here’s JoAnne!

My adulthood began like many young women’s do; I became a wife and mother. I loved that role, but children leave the nest. I found myself with much too much time on my hands and sank into my first passion–art.

Over the years as my family grew, I wrote poetry and short stories–never completely severing my love for writing. I always had plenty of paper and pens on hand, and collected paints and brushes, anticipating the time I would be serious enough to actually start my painting career. My children and grandchildren knew of my love for the arts, and there was no surprise when I wrote seven books and decorated my home with dozens of paintings.

croppedpoetryI now have a four-book contract with Melange Books and my true crime biography, “The Crime of the Century,” is involved in a tug-of-war with four publishing companies interested in publishing it.

My advice for others is to never give up on your dreams. Life might get in the way, but keep your love for art always at arm’s length. No matter what heartaches life threw at me, I always believed in family values and following my dreams.

Where to find JoAnne…

Website | Blog | Amazon

Joanne here again!

Always enjoy meeting other Joannes or JoAnnes, especially creative ones.

Thank you for sharing your inspiring story, JoAnne. Best of luck with all your creative endeavors.

joannecroppedpix

Book Review: Signs and Wonders

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

signsandwonders

I agree with the reviewers who described this collection of sixteen short stories as a gift. And I would also describe the stories as gifts of unexpected love, love that does not appear in its usual wrappers.

While Alix Ohlin’s conflicted characters are struggling to make sense of their relationships, they are surprised to discover love in situations they thought they would never choose or even welcome into their lives.

In the title story, the protagonist suddenly realizes she hates her husband of 26 years. Ready to divorce him, an unfortunate accident turns her well-orchestrated life upside down, forcing her to face the prospect of tending him indefinitely.

While sitting in a hospital waiting room with her daughter and the second wife, a divorced woman discovers she still has feelings for her ex-husband.

Reena agrees to accompany her aunt on “The Cruise,” a post-divorce ritual that unleashes a torrent of feelings.

After connecting with the one who got away in “Who Do You Love?” Janet re-examines all her relationships and reaches an unexpected conclusion.

Alix Ohlin is gifted storyteller with an amazing eye for detail. Some of my favorite descriptions…

“She’d gotten married in a flurry of sex and promises, wearing a white dress so hideously confectionary that she felt like a parody of herself, a joke told in crinoline and lace, and even that made her happy, because it was silly and she knew they’d laugh about it later.”

“Our boss, Eric, was an elderly bohemian who wore pilled woolen cardigans and too-short pants, and spent afternoons in his office reading manuscripts while twirling his beard between his thumb and index finger, making a little curl that stood out from his chin. By five o’clock his beard would be a tufted mess of curls, all fluffed out like the feathers of some preening bird. Because of this, Sarah and I called him the titmouse.”

Book Review: The Burgess Boys

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

burgess3Elizabeth Strout likes populating her novels with difficult characters. A talent that was evident in her previous novels; in particular, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Olive Kitteridge.

In The Burgess Boys, we meet three conflicted siblings.

First-born Jim is the classic over-achiever and worthy of his birth order. From class president and football star to celebrity lawyer, Jim has that uncanny ability to always say and do the right thing. But his eyes never smile and many of his comments, especially those directed toward his younger brother Bob, border on bullying.

Laid back and liberally minded Bob accepts the casually tossed “slob-dog,” “knucklehead” and other put-downs from Jim. And he knows that his twin sister Susan doesn’t think too highly of him either. He stoically carries the burden of having accidentally killed his father when he was four years old.

While her brothers were able to escape small town Maine and move to New York, Susan is still stuck in Shirley Falls. The bitter, divorced optometrist is raising an emotionally fragile Zachary on her own.

When Zachary throws a frozen pig’s head through the door of a local Somali mosque during Ramadan, racial tensions in the small town escalate and force the return of the Burgess Brothers to Maine.

Their efforts, however, leave Zachary worse off and as the brothers shuttle between New York and Shirley Falls their own lives start to unravel. An unexpected disclosure from Jim forces Bob to question that “crust of doubt” he has carried for most of his life. Poor judgment on Jim’s part causes his well-orchestrated life to spiral dangerously out of control.

A natural storyteller with an excellent eye for detail, Elizabeth Strout has created a cast of characters who will linger in our collective memories.