JMsquared | Just Jessica

Jul 25th, 2010

Chevy Malibu–Week 1

It’s been an entire week driving and enjoying my 2010 Chevy Malibu. And overall, I have been extremely impressed especially since my husband and I are in the market to buy a new vehicle in the next 6-8 months. For all of our married life (4 years), we have been single car owners so we’re [...]

Jul 19th, 2010

Saying NO to the Rat Race

Have you ever felt like you were running just because? Because you can. Because it’s the “in” thing, or because you’re running, sprinting just to keep up? That’s the rate race. According to Wikipedia, the rate race is described as endless, self-defeating or pointless pursuit. It conjures up the image of the futile efforts of a lab [...]

Jul 12th, 2010

Mentors & Remembering Kathleen

As someone who has worked in the field of HR for a while, we (HR) often forget the affect we have on others and how we can impact the lives of others both positively and negatively. In fact, just after Ryleigh was born, I visited my home town of Topeka, Kansas, where I ran into [...]

Jul 3rd, 2010

Finding MY Place

From our first day on this earth we’re working and learning about finding our place where we feel comfortable, most ourselves. While I feel comfortable in my own skin, I’m facing a new and old kind of advisory which I thought I had left behind. While I’m a shrewd competitor, I’m also one who is [...]

Jun 23rd, 2010

Like Diamonds Comments Are Forever

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and reflecting this week around social media comments and conversations. I’m always surprised by what people actually do and say on the internet via blog comments. Sometimes they are hurtful, malicious, angry, and just plain ridiculous. Other comments are inspirational, encouraging, relevant, and fun. All internet activity is [...]

Jun 21st, 2010

Remembering Dads

Tonight I got off the phone with my dad after telling him late Happy Father’s Day and told him I loved him. For the past two Father’s Day I get especially teary eyed, not only because I have a great dad because this day is particularly hard for family members who have lost their fathers [...]

Jun 18th, 2010

Bloggers–We’re Media but Better

Blogging is an important part of my own personal branding strategy. It’s therapeutic for me and part of my business strategy at Xceptional HR. Bloggers like myself who work hard to write interesting and relevant content about news topics are being looked to as a form of media, and we absolutely should. We’re Media but [...]

Jun 14th, 2010

I’m a Consultant Not Your Pimp

I just wanted to make that clear to the blogosphere. As I’ve gotten popular and I have more blog readers and social media followers, I’m receiving a new type of request and they are something that I didn’t expect. When I made the decision to start consulting, I dreamed of phone calls and emails inquiring [...]

Jun 9th, 2010

Navigating the Airport, Children, & Travel

Last week Ryleigh, my 18 month old and I took our first plane ride to Philadelphia, PA. Since I would be flying solo with Ryleigh on our first plane ride, I did my research to try to make it as easy as possible for the both of us. What Worked– An inexpensive umbrella stroller saved [...]

May 28th, 2010

I Became Me.

I’m reminded of my Junior High Advanced Reading class in 7th grade. Mr. Holthaus was my teacher. I’ve always loved reading, and I remember him lecturing on the four different types of conflict in fictional literature–man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society, and man vs. self. Exactly why I remember things like this, [...]