OG Tuesday Issue #227

💼 Ready to stand out? These personal branding tips will help you make your mark.

💰 Why Millennials are planning for retirement now.

🥴 Toxic productivity is so 2024.

👩‍💼 Career tips to empower and inspire women in the workforce.

TA Reader Nicole’s biggest challenge is unfortunately not an uncommon one:

“I’m struggling with back-to-back meetings and no time to plan or prepare.”

There you are – Monday morning, chai tea in hand, staring at a calendar packed tighter than a carry-on for a two-week trip.

Sound familiar?

Full calendars are an exhausting reality for many women in leadership. A Harvard study found that people in Executive roles spend nearly 23 hours a week in meetings (not including follow-ups or actual work). And in fact, 67% of senior leaders work extra hours just to keep up with excessive meetings.

The problem? It’s both draining and painfully counterproductive.

Constant meeting overload leaves you little time for preparation. Being unprepared can lead to ineffective communication, rushed decisions, and a laundry list of fruitless outcomes, ultimately causing your leadership efficacy to tank.

How to reclaim your time?

1. Prioritize With No Mercy

Not every meeting deserves your attention. Identify high-impact discussions and delegate the rest. Ask yourself: Could this be an email? Can someone from your team attend instead? Freeing yourself up for what matters most is a time-management game-changer.

2. Block Buffer Zones

Protect your calendar by scheduling 15 – 30 minutes between meetings for preparation or decompression. This isn’t irresponsible or indulgent – it’s strategic. Being prepared helps you show up focused and confident.

3. Delegate or Decline

Empower your team to step in when appropriate and don’t hesitate to say “no” to meetings that don’t align with your priorities. Every “yes” to a meeting is a “no” to something else, like your actual to-do list or a few minutes of much-needed rest.

4. Leverage Technology

Use shared agendas, pre-meeting briefs, and project management tools to streamline communication. Whenever possible, opt for asynchronous updates, like shared drives or collaborative documents, to save time and keep things moving along smoothly.

5. Lead the Change

As a leader, you can model better meeting habits. Schedule shorter, more focused discussions and challenge unnecessary meetings. Encourage efficiency and preparation to shift the culture.

Your time should reflect your priorities. Setting boundaries and managing your schedule with intention is an intentional act of self-care. Block that prep time, say ‘no’ when needed, and show up as your best self.

Psychological safety isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the backbone of high-performing teams. When employees feel safe sharing ideas, taking risks, and asking questions, the results speak for themselves: better collaboration, sharper problem-solving, and bold innovation.

Without it? Ideas stay bottled up, progress slows, and mistakes become costly.

Traliant’s 20-minute Psychological Safety at Work training helps HR leaders and managers build environments where teams can:

• 💡 Share bold ideas without fear
• 🔄 Navigate change with confidence
• 🧠 Make smarter decisions by embracing diverse perspectives
• 💪 Bounce back stronger from setbacks

If you’re looking to create a culture that fuels creativity and resilience, this training is your starting point.

👉 Access the free course trial and see how simple it is to build a thriving workplace.

I went to brunch with my girlfriends this past weekend, and as we caught up on our careers, we all landed on the same truth: most of our biggest opportunities came from someone we knew or a connection we made (even if it was through 6 degrees of separation).

The event manager role that broke me out of minimum wage? It came through a mom I was nannying for—she had connections at the company I was applying for.

The marketing role that eventually catapulted me into a 6-figure salary? A friend I’d known since 8th grade made the introduction.

How I met my current co-founders and ended up launching The Assist? A former teammate (shoutout to my old marketing team!) connected me to one of them.

On the flip side, I’ve also helped friends land jobs through referrals. Studies show that HR managers often prefer referrals because they come pre-vetted—think of it as cutting through the noise of hundreds of resumes.

But beyond job referrals, joining professional groups has been game-changing for my career development. Last year, I invested in a mastermind group specifically for newsletter operators—a mix of newly launched and multi-million-dollar businesses. When I have a question or hit a roadblock, I can post in the group and get thoughtful, actionable answers almost instantly. It’s saved me hours of research, frustration, and potentially costly mistakes.

That $1K annual membership? It feels like a steal considering the doors it’s opened: speaking at the Newsletter Marketing Summit in Austin next month, guesting on industry podcasts, and receiving job offers (though I’ve politely declined—The Assist is my baby).

Here’s how I keep my networking game strong and make sure the magic continues:

1. Provide value first. Whether it’s jumping in to answer someone’s question, sharing my expertise, or offering to connect them with someone in my network, I always try to lead with, “How can I help?” When reaching out cold, I keep the other person’s WIFM (“What’s in it for me?”) in mind—nobody likes feeling like they’re just being asked for favors.
2. Support their work. Whether it’s resharing their LinkedIn post, subscribing to their newsletter, or sending a quick message to say, “You crushed that presentation!” small acts of support go a long way in building rapport.
3. Stay in touch. Relationships need maintenance. I make it a habit to check in with people—even if it’s just a quick “thinking of you” message or sending them an article I think they’d enjoy.
4. Say yes to opportunities that expand your circle. Speaking engagements, virtual coffee chats, professional meetups—anything that gets you interacting with new people is a chance to grow your network. Sometimes the best connections happen in the most unexpected places.
5. Be intentional. It’s not about collecting hundreds of LinkedIn connections; it’s about meaningful relationships. Focus on quality over quantity and don’t be afraid to prioritize those relationships that align with your goals and values.

Networking isn’t just about landing the next job—it’s about surrounding yourself with people who challenge and inspire you, opening doors to opportunities you didn’t even know existed. So here’s your friendly nudge: reach out to someone today. You never know where one conversation might lead.

 Joanna (TA Co-founder)

P.S. Are you in the Austin area? If so, reply to this email — I’d love to try and meet up while I’m there next month.

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“Find each of your employee’s superpowers. Help them tap into that superpower for their current role and utilize their greatest strength.”

— Kelly Bell (Operations Director)

🤢 Motion sickness patches are a must-have for cruisers (and these ones really work!).

💸 Plenty is a free money app for couples — track, budget, save and invest all-in-one place.

🍽️ Get clean dishes with a clear conscience.

💼 ATTN: Senior HR, talent, and marketing leaders—get paid to review websites and marketing materials.

🚨 Open Jobs: Visit our job board here.

⭐️ Answer to the riddle.

👉 See all of January’s OG Tuesday Riddles.

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