Product Therapy: December Updates 🎁

Tis the damn season

I spent my birthday in Lisbon this year. My husband snapped a moment of peace and gratitude as I watched the sunset over the Tagus.

In the sea of end of year content, one final update from yours truly.

I’ve been at this solopreneurship thing for six months now and I can’t believe how the time has flown. Though I’m still working through to-do list items (no rest for the wicked), I’m incredibly proud of the journey I’ve been on and what I’ve achieved in six month’s time since coaching full time.

Since I started down this path I’ve…

• Ran 1 group coaching circle

• Coached 15+ clients

• Networked with 40+ builders 

• Mock interviewed 50+ product people

• Taught 140+ students at Cornell Tech

• Felt 1000% better than last December

I am so grateful for everything that has happened over the past year to get me to this point in my career and in life. And, I’m more energized and hopeful going into 2024 than any year in recent memory. 💫

If you’ve followed along, offered support, let me support you - THANK YOU. The people I’ve reconnected with and met this year have absolutely powered this adventure. I could not have done any of this alone. While there’s so much reminiscing I could do, I’ll finish this month’s update off with lots of click bait to dig into. 

I hope you have a restful end of year. 

I can’t wait to drop into your inboxes again in January. 🎇

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• I wrote a lot of new content this past month…

  • a checklist for career development season

  • my experience with literal and metaphorical cliff jumping 

  • Reflections from my time at Cornell Tech this semester and 

  • lots of LinkedIn soundbites – yes, i’m one of those people that writes on LinkedIn now 

    • my favorite things on LinkedIn despite it being a weird place

    • About staying customer focused

    • Using your professional development budget

    • a brief reflection about my group coaching facilitator experience

    • 2 product job drops part 1 and part 2 

• A mini year in review

  • This continues to be one my top viewed posts 

  • this was one of my favorite pieces to write

  • I did my first podcast year and it was so fun

• I loved reading about…

  • Slowing down from Couples Coach Cristina Celis who writes great pieces about romantic relationships

  • How to land at a fast paced startup by Deb Liu, just one of many memorable pieces from her this year

  • Why i quit full time roles by Elena Verna, some true solopreneurship inspo

  • Company culture for 1 by fellow coach and new friend Sarah Ing, really speaking to my soul

  • Internet Math by my bff Nicole Garelick who has a knack for comedic writing

• Coaching Boosts

  • My cousin Kristin Demafeliz is breaking into coaching and consulting. She’s looking to learn more about leadership. Help her out and get some free leadership coaching from her here. 

  • One of my first networking calls this year was with Fractional PM/Coach Kayla Doan. Kayla was so generous with her time and is now offering sessions for other product people to learn about fractional work. I loved this idea, so I wanted to share it here. 

  • With so many PMs looking for roles, I’ve been posting product job drops on LinkedIn (part 1 and part 2 ). New friend and fellow coach Bosky Mukherjee knocks it out of the park surfacing hot new jobs. If you’re looking for a new product role in 2024, you’re going to want to follow her on LinkedIn!

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Last but not least, here are some of the non-product things that fueled me this year -

• 🌋 Jungle’s latest album Volcano played on repeat since the day of its release. 

• 🧳 Suits on Netflix, a more simple time for everyone involved (actors included) 

• ☕️ Devotion Coffee from Cafe Volkan, my home away from home

• 🏨 The Ace Hotel Lobby in Boerum Hill was my pseudo co working space

• 💡 A happy light to keep the sun shining all year round

Cheers

10/10 would recommend visiting Europe in the off season :-)