Hi, I'm Hetali!

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 + 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫
• Former Accenture consultant with deep expertise across healthcare operations and strategy
• Trusted advisor to execs at Rare Beauty, Oracle, Planoly & beyond
• Mentored dozens of high-performers in executive presence, career elevation, and personal brand building

𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 + 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫
• Founder of Inner Wealth Collective - a media brand helping people build confidence, influence, and inner wealth
• Partnered with Notion, Beehiiv, folk & more to spotlight smarter ways to live and work
• Creator of high-impact leadership, mindset, and lifestyle content - reaching 1M+ professionals on LinkedIn

Industries of Interest:
Health tech, AI in healthcare, and digital transformation, though I’m always open to exploring new opportunities and challenges.

___

→ For inquiries/sponsorships: DM me or email CollabwithHetali@gmail.com

All views are my own and do not reflect that of my employer.

Hetali Mehta, MPH, CAPM

15 habits that actually prevent burnout:

1. Protect your energy by prioritizing sleep.
2. Reset your mind by going for walks.
3. Reduce overwhelm by saying no.
4. Stay focused by blocking out distractions.
5. Recharge by scheduling breaks.
6. Boost creativity by starting with creation.
7. Regain clarity by avoiding your phone in the morning.
8. Avoid crashes by not skipping meals or breaks.
9. Release stress by trying journaling.
10. Feel supported by talking to good listeners.
11. Set direction by defining weekly intentions.
12. Preserve energy by tracking your leaks.
13. Stay nourished by prioritizing what fuels you.
14. Protect deep work by batching meetings.
15. Prevent burnout by slowing down now.

Burnout isn’t solved by a 2-week vacation.
It’s prevented by habits that put your mind and body first.
Which habit do you need more of right now?
___
♻️ Save this post for your next reset
💬 Share it with a friend who needs this today

Hetali Mehta, MPH

Strategy & Operations Manager | Founder of Inner Wealth Collective™ | Follow for Leadership, Mindset & Growth

The most successful people do these 3 things:

You don't need to have all the answers to be successful. 

It comes from being brave enough to ask the right questions, take the leap, and figure it out along the way. 

So many of us wait for the perfect moment, the perfect plan, or the perfect answer. 

But here’s the truth: you’ll never have it all figured out from the start.

Real success is about being curious, taking action, and learning as you go. 

It’s about trusting yourself to make bold moves, even when the path ahead isn’t fully clear.

👉 Here are 3 ways to start moving forward today:

1. Ask better questions: Instead of asking, "What if I fail?" try asking, "What can I learn from this?" 

2. Take imperfect action: Waiting for everything to be perfect only leads to missed opportunities. Make that call, pitch the idea, or start the project. 

3. Embrace uncertainty: Success isn’t about having a foolproof plan. It’s about trusting yourself to adapt, grow, and figure it out along the way.

👉 What’s one brave step you can take today? Drop it in the comments and let’s move forward together.

___

♻️ Reshare to inspire someone to take the leap of faith. 
✨ Follow me, Hetali Mehta, MPH for more growth & leadership insights.

This Is What Separates the 1%

Most people wait for the perfect moment but the 1%?

They don’t wait, they act.

A great curation by Cesar Solis.

👉 It’s not about luck.
👉 It’s not about resources.
👉 It’s about MINDSET.

While others focus on why they can’t, the 1% focus on how they will.

🔑 Relentless consistency: They show up when it’s tough, when they don’t feel like it, and when no one else is watching.
🔑 Unwavering vision: They stay laser-focused on their goals, blocking out distractions, and saying no to anything that doesn’t align with their future.
🔑 Continuous learning: They’re always evolving. Every setback is a lesson.

Success isn’t reserved for the chosen few, it’s for those who choose it.

Every. Single. Day.

Ready to think like the 1%?

📺 Watch these 7 Netflix documentaries for a mindset shift:

1. The Mind Explained
2. The Social Dilemma
3. Working: What We Do All Day
4. The Playbook: A Coach's Rules for Life
5. Get Smart With Money
6. The Minimalists
7. Inside Bill's Brain

___

♻️ Repost to help others shift their mindset to the 1%.
✨ Follow me, Hetali Mehta, MPH for more personal growth and leadership insights.

7 Netflix Documentaries to think like the 1%

6 Ancient Greek philosophies for modern success

👉 1. Practice Self-Discipline (Stoicism)
Control what you can, and let go of what you can’t.
↳ Use routines and habits to guide your daily decisions.
——
👉 2. Embrace Lifelong Learning (Aristotle)
"The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know."
↳ Seek knowledge not for a title, but for growth.
——
👉 3. Find Your Purpose (Plato)
True fulfillment comes from aligning your actions with your values.
↳ Ask yourself: “What impact do I want to leave behind?”
——
👉 4. Strive for Balance (Epicureanism)
Avoid extremes; find joy in the simple things.
↳ Balance ambition with rest and gratitude.
——
👉 5. Build Resilience (Heraclitus)
"The only constant is change."
↳ Embrace change as part of growth instead of resisting it.
——
👉 6. Seek Wisdom from Others (Socrates)
Surround yourself with people who challenge and inspire you.
↳ "An unexamined life is not worth living."
——

Timeless wisdom for today’s challenges.
Which of these philosophies resonates with you most?

6 ancient greek philosophies for modern success

"Later" is the biggest lie we tell ourselves.

We always think we have more time but...

The truth is, “later” is a thief. 

It robs us of the now, those opportunities right in front of us that we keep putting off. 

Whether it's a dream you’ve been wanting to chase, a conversation you’ve been meaning to have, or a simple moment of joy...

Don’t wait.

📌 Take action today with these simple steps:

1. Break it down: That big goal you’ve been postponing? Break it into small, manageable steps and do the first one today. Momentum builds from the tiniest actions.

2. Schedule it: The conversation you’ve been meaning to have? Put it in your calendar now. Don’t leave room for “someday”, make it today.

3. Prioritize joy: Even small moments like that cup of coffee or taking a walk can bring joy. Don’t put off the little things, they add up to a life well-lived.

The things you keep postponing could be the moments that change everything.

Don’t wait for “later” to become “too late.”

What’s one thing you’ve been putting off that you can act on right now? 👇

Let’s make the most of today.

___

♻️ Reshare to inspire someone to take action today.
✨ Follow me, Hetali Mehta, MPH for more insights.

Your network is your net worth.

It’s not about the number of connections or how full your contact list is.

It’s about the quality of those relationships.

When you invest in meaningful relationships (the kind where trust, support, and mutual growth thrive), you create opportunities that are far more valuable than any transaction.

Here are three ways to invest in your network:

➡️ Give more than you take. Share insights, lend a hand, or celebrate someone’s wins without expecting anything in return.
➡️ Seek depth over breadth. Focus on nurturing a few meaningful connections instead of spreading yourself too thin.
➡️ Be genuinely curious. Take time to understand people’s goals and passions, it builds trust and fosters stronger bonds.

Some of the best opportunities in my life, professionally and personally, didn't come from cold outreach or sheer luck. 

They came from the relationships I've nurtured over time.

Ask yourself: What’s one way you’ve invested in a meaningful relationship recently? 

___
📌 Want more tips like these?
💚 Join 10,000+ others and get free, weekly insights straight to your inbox on building lasting inner wealth.
Link to sign up below 👇
https://lnkd.in/eFSskmyH

Your year won’t be defined by everything you try.
It will be defined by the one thing you don’t back out of.
__

That’s why the most powerful way to create a year-defining year
is to choose one commitment.

Some people call this a misogi.

A misogi is:
 ↳ deliberately hard
 ↳ slightly scary
 ↳ meaningful enough that if you do just this, you’ll know the year mattered
—
So how do you find yours?

Here are a few questions I’ve used in the past to find mine:

1. What’s the one thing you’re avoiding because it would require becoming someone new?

2. If you couldn’t quit halfway through the year, what would you commit to?

3. What effort would make this year feel unmistakably different from the last few?

4. If success wasn’t guaranteed, what would still feel worth attempting?

5. What single commitment would simplify your decisions all year long?

—
And if you’re looking for inspiration, here are a few real-world examples:

↳ Publish 100 pieces of content in 100 days
↳ Have uncomfortable conversations you’ve been avoiding
↳ Pitch yourself to 50 people you admire
↳ Complete 75 Hard
↳ Train for and compete in HYROX
↳ Travel solo to a country you’ve never been
—

Most people spend the year chasing momentum.
The ones who change their life choose one brave thing,
and stay with it longer than feels comfortable.

♻️ Repost if this helped you reflect.

8 habits that take 5 minutes or less

(But Will Transform Your Day) 👇

1️⃣ Start with a 5-Minute Planning Session
➤ Begin your day like a boss, not a firefighter.
➤ Write down your top 3 priorities. Simple but powerful.

2️⃣ Time Block Your Calendar
➤ If it’s not scheduled, it’s not happening.
➤ Block time for focus and breaks.

3️⃣ Use the 2-Minute Rule
➤ Stop overthinking. Start finishing.
➤ If a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it now.

4️⃣ Practice Daily Gratitude
➤ Gratitude rewires your brain for positivity.
➤ Write down 3 things you’re grateful for every morning.

5️⃣ Set “Tech-Free” time
➤ Give your brain a break from doom-scrolling.
➤ Unplug during meals or before bed for better focus.

6️⃣ Take Movement Breaks
➤ Your body wasn’t designed for desk marathons.
➤ Stretch, walk, or just move for a few minutes each hour.

7️⃣ Delegate One Task a Week
➤ You’re not a superhero. You don’t have to do it all.
➤ Hand off one repetitive task to a teammate or tool.

8️⃣ Review Your Day in 5 Minutes
➤ Reflection fuels improvement.
➤ Write down one win and one lesson from today.

The Bottom Line:
Productivity is built on simple habits done consistently.
Which habit are you trying first? 

♻️ Save this post as your personal productivity cheat sheet.
👋 Follow me, Hetali Mehta, MPH for more actionable tips that actually work.

8 Tiny Habits for Big Productivity Wins 

Getting in the room with the right people is step one. 

What you do next is what actually matters.

Here’s my simple 5-step framework to confidently interact, provide value, and make a lasting impression in high-caliber rooms.
___
Step 1: Ask insightful questions that make them think
Super successful people love talking about their ideas, experiences, and challenges, but they’re tired of surface-level questions.
___
Step 2: Offer unique insights (even if you're not the expert)
You don’t have to be a billionaire to contribute, just bring fresh perspectives.
___
Step 3: Be the connector for them
The most powerful people remember those who make their lives easier.
___
Step 4: Own your energy & presence 
It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it.
___
Step 5: Stay on their radar
Getting in the room is one thing but staying in their network is another. The goal isn’t a one-time impression, it’s about building quality connections.
___
📌 Want more tips like these?
💚 Join 10,000+ others and get free, weekly insights straight to your inbox on building lasting inner wealth.
Link to sign up below 👇
https://lnkd.in/eFSskmyH

Get in the room with people of ahead of you

Most people focus on big dramatic changes.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
The real transformation happens through tiny, specific habits ⁣
⁣
That compound over time.⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
7 Secret Habits That Will Change Your Life⁣⁣
⁣
1: The 2-Minute Rule Reversal⁣⁣
↳ Delay gratification by exactly 2 minutes before indulging to build willpower.⁣⁣
↳ This micro-delay breaks impulsive patterns that sabotage your progress.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
2: Reverse Networking⁣⁣
↳ Ask people what they need help with instead of pitching what you want.⁣⁣
↳ This makes you the valuable connector everyone remembers and trusts.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
3: Micro-Adventures⁣⁣
↳ Take different routes or try new places weekly to break routine thinking patterns.⁣⁣
↳ Small novelty sparks creativity and prevents you from operating on autopilot.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
4: Constraint Creativity⁣⁣
↳ Deliberately limit your options to force more innovative thinking.⁣⁣
↳ Too many choices paralyze progress.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
5: Teaching Integration⁣⁣
↳ Explain one thing you learned each day to someone else.⁣⁣
↳ Teaching reveals gaps in your knowledge and solidifies new information.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
6: Future Self Visualization⁣⁣
↳ Make decisions by asking "What would me in 5 years from now choose?"⁣⁣
↳ This perspective shift immediately elevates your decision quality.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
7: Energy Auditing⁣⁣
↳ Track what activities and people drain versus energize you.⁣⁣
↳ Energy is the real currency of high performance, not just time management.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Which change will you implement first?⁣⁣
Tell me in the comments!⁣⁣
⁣⁣
💚 Follow Hetali Mehta, MPH and share this with your network. 
👇Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eFSskmyH

7 Secret Habits That Will Change Your Life (Fast)

You sleep 8 hours but still feel exhausted.⁣
⁣
You take breaks but never feel refreshed.⁣
⁣
Here's why: sleep isn't the only type of rest your body and mind need.⁣
⁣
Most people only know one type of rest while ignoring the other six that are equally crucial for restoration:⁣
⁣
1: Physical Rest⁣
↳ Your muscles and joints need passive recovery and active recovery.⁣
↳ Physical exhaustion compounds when you ignore your body's signals.⁣
⁣
2: Mental Rest⁣
↳ Your brain needs breaks from problem-solving and information processing.⁣
↳ Mental fatigue creates brain fog and poor judgment.⁣
⁣
3: Emotional Rest⁣
↳ Being authentic with trusted people instead of people-pleasing constantly.⁣
↳ Emotional exhaustion happens when you suppress feelings too long.⁣
⁣
4: Spiritual Rest⁣
↳ Connect with your goals and why on a deep visualization level.⁣
↳ Spiritual depletion creates emptiness and lack of direction.⁣
⁣
5: Social Rest⁣
↳ Distinguish between relationships that drain versus restore your energy.⁣
↳ Wrong social environments exhaust you.⁣
⁣
6: Sensory Rest⁣
↳ Give your eyes, ears, and nervous system a break from constant stimulation.⁣
↳ Sensory overload creates irritability and difficulty concentrating on simple tasks.⁣
⁣
7: Creative Rest⁣
↳ Expose yourself to beauty and wonder instead of constantly producing content.⁣
↳ Creative burnout happens when input becomes purely functional.⁣
⁣
Which type of rest do you need most right now?⁣

___
💚 Follow Hetali Mehta, for more. 
📌 Share this with your network.⁣⁣⁣⁣
👇Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eFSskmyH

7 Types of Rest That Actually Restore Your Energy

Bad decisions aren't just costly ⁣
⁣
They compound over time.⁣
⁣
The difference between happy people and everyone else isn't luck.⁣
⁣
It's their ability to consistently make choices that align with their goals⁣.
⁣
Not their current emotions.⁣
⁣
Here are 8 decision-making frameworks that eliminate regret:⁣
⁣
1: The 10-10-10 Rule⁣
↳ Ask how you'll feel about this decision in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years.⁣
↳ This time perspective reveals if you're making an emotional or strategic choice.⁣
⁣
2: Values-Based Filtering⁣
↳ Every decision should align with your core values.⁣
↳ When your choices match your principles, regret becomes impossible.⁣
⁣
3: Reversable Choices⁣
↳ Distinguish between decisions you can easily change and permanent ones.⁣
↳ Move fast on reversible choices but take time with irreversible ones.⁣
⁣
4: The Regret Minimization Framework⁣
↳ Imagine yourself at 80 years old looking back at this moment.⁣
↳ Choose the path that minimizes regret from your future self's perspective.⁣
⁣
5: Opportunity Cost Analysis⁣
↳ Every yes is a no to something else - choose the best value option.⁣
↳ The best decisions aren't just good, they're better than all alternatives.⁣
⁣
6: Energy and Intuition Check⁣
↳ Notice how your body feels when you imagine each option.⁣
↳ Decisions that align with your authentic self create energy.⁣
⁣
7: Stakeholder Impact Assessment⁣
↳ Consider how your decision affects everyone important in your life.⁣
↳ Great decisions create value for multiple people.⁣
⁣
8: The Advice Test⁣
↳ Ask what you'd tell your best friend if they were facing this exact same decision.⁣
↳ We often give others clearer guidance than we give ourselves.⁣
⁣
Which framework will you try?⁣
⁣⁣⁣
💚 Follow Hetali Mehta, MPH for more.
📌 Share this with your network.⁣⁣⁣
👇Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eFSskmyH

8 Ways to Make Decisions You'll Never Regret

This is what happens when organizations create space for employees to show up as themselves.

Encouraging employees to post doesn’t dilute a brand, it multiplies it.

This is a perfect example of how employee advocacy fuels both personal growth and company visibility.

Congrats on 10k Aston!

Senior QA Automation Engineer @ Resilience | 3M+ impressions helping testers land automation roles

🎉 10,000 Followers!
 
Here’s How It All Started

Exactly 1 year ago, I was sitting in a quarterly planning meeting at Planoly when something clicked.

We had invited Hetali Mehta, MPH to speak about growing your personal brand on LinkedIn. She broke down the fundamentals of consistent posting, and I was hooked. I’d already been watching peers like Truett Bloxsom post more frequently and wondered if I could do the same.

That day, I posted my first piece of content. I haven’t stopped since.

Here’s what 1 year of posting 6 days a week has brought me:
→ ~9,000 new followers in the QA automation space
→ More than 3 million impressions
→ Countless connections with incredible QA engineers worldwide
→ A full content business process that supports my education platform
→ More learning than I could have imagined from this amazing community

The real win? It’s not the follower count. It’s the conversations, the questions you’ve asked, the wins you’ve shared, and the incredible QA professionals I’ve had the privilege to connect with.

To everyone who’s engaged, commented, shared, or simply followed along: thank you. You’ve made this journey worth every single post.

Here’s to another year of growth, learning, and building together!

The Strategically Selfish Coach | Helping overlooked people pleasers become strategic players | Follow for weekly tactics to put YOUR career first

If you’re a mid-career high-performer in a large organization, this will feel familiar:

You do excellent work.
You’re trusted.
You’re relied on.

And yet…
You’re overlooked in the rooms where promotions are decided.

I help mid-career pros turn reliability, trust and emotional intelligence into professional equity instead of career ceilings.

Most of my clients aren’t underperforming.
They’re over-functioning.

They hold back ideas to avoid friction.
They over-explain to sound prepared.
They quietly absorb work to keep things running smoothly.

Those patterns get rewarded early in your career.
Mid-career, they quietly stall you.

The moment everything changed for me

For years, I believed the same thing my clients do now:
Work harder and it will pay off.

It didn’t.

What did change everything was being invited into C-suite talent discussions inside a Fortune 100 company.

I wasn’t in the room as “high potential.”
I was there because I was trusted.

That meant I heard the unfiltered truth behind closed doors:

-who gets fast-tracked

-who gets labelled “solid but not quite ready”

-why hard work alone stops being the deciding factor

That’s when it clicked.

Being "visible" isn’t enough.
Doing great work isn’t enough.
Even being trusted isn’t enough.

You have to be strategic on purpose.

What I help you do differently:

I don’t help you become louder, harsher, or political.

I help you:

-shift how decision-makers interpret your behaviour

-name your ambition without apologizing for it

-stop being indispensable in the wrong role

-make promotion the path of least resistance

This isn’t about ego.
It’s about positioning.

What my clients actually experience:

Some get promoted. Many do.

But more importantly, they stop:

-shrinking themselves

-leaking energy into proving their worth

-waiting to be noticed

They feel grounded.
Visible.
In control.

They’re finally seen as strategic thinkers, not just dependable doers.

After 15 years in a Fortune 100 company and coaching 100+ professionals, here’s what I know for certain:

• Your boss is thinking about their career, not yours
• HR protects the company, not your ambitions
• “Team player” is often a ceiling, not a compliment
• Being liked doesn’t move careers forward
• Being strategic does

If you’re tired of doing visible work while feeling professionally invisible, you’re in the right place.

I share what decision-makers actually respond to and how careers really move behind the scenes. Feel free to DM me for career strategy session (or book a time at the link in featured section).

Cassie Lincoln

"I hate that I can't trust the company to protect me the way I protect it every day."

A client said this to me recently.
It stopped me cold.

That sentence holds so much quiet grief.

Not anger.
Not entitlement.
Just exhaustion.

It's what happens when someone...
• Shows up consistently
• Carries more than their share
• Acts with integrity, even when no one's watching

...And slowly realizes the loyalty is one-directional.

Here's the reality of the situation:

Companies are built to protect the system.
You are responsible for protecting yourself within it.

That doesn't mean becoming cynical or doing the bare minimum.

It means:
• Building leverage, not just goodwill
• Creating visibility, not just value
• Developing options, not just loyalty

You can be committed and self-protective.

You can do meaningful work and manage your risk.

You can care deeply without outsourcing your safety.

That's not selfish...
It's professional maturity.

When did you first realize the loyalty wasn't mutual?

💫 Save this for the moment you need the reminder.

🌻 Follow Cassie Lincoln for career strategies for people who care deeply but refuse to be expendable.

Career Strategist for High-Performers who get overlooked | Helping mid-career professionals position trust & reliability for advancement

The scariest employee isn't the angry one:

It's the loyal one that goes quiet...

Loyal people don't rage-quit. 
They don't threaten. 
They don't make ultimatums.

They explain. 
They adjust. 
They give the benefit of the doubt.

Again. And again. And again.

Until one day… they stop caring.

That's when leaders get blindsided.

"She didn't say anything was wrong." 
"They seemed fine last week."
"He never complained." 

What actually happened:

Their loyalty went unnoticed.
Their effort went unrecognized. 
Their boundaries went unprotected.

And eventually, caring became too expensive.

For leaders: 

Loyalty isn't infinite. It's built- or depleted- by how people are treated when they do care.

For professionals: 

If you've reached the point where you no longer care, it's not a character flaw.
It's data.

And it might be time to listen to it.

Have you ever reached that point? 
What finally made you stop caring? 👇

💫 Repost to help a leader see this before it's too late
🌻 Follow Cassie Lincoln for bold career honesty

Career Strategist for Mid-Career Professionals | Insider moves to build bankable professional equity | Follow for tools, scripts & AI prompts that get you promoted

Being endlessly accommodating feels noble.
It’s also career-limiting...

One of the biggest career myths I see high performers fall for:
Thinking helpful = promotable.
It doesn’t.

The people who advance fastest aren’t the most available.
They’re the most intentional.

They’ve learned how to disappoint strategically.

Not by being careless.
Not by being difficult.
But by being clear about where their time creates the most value.

That intentionality shows up in:

-how they protect their calendar
-which projects get their best energy
-what they say no to without over-explaining

And:
where they choose to be exceptional instead of everywhere

Meanwhile, people-pleasers do the opposite.

They avoid disappointment at all costs and quietly pay with focus, energy, and visibility.

Here’s the reality of the situation:

You don’t get promoted for being available to everyone.

You get promoted for being exceptional at something that matters.

Strategic disappointment isn’t unkind.
It’s how you signal that your work has purpose.

If this made you uncomfortable in a familiar way, it’s probably pointing at a boundary that wants your attention.

Which slide hit closest to home? 👇

💫Save this for when you need a reminder
🌻Follow Cassie Lincoln for career strategies

Strategic disappointment is a skill

My mentor pulled me aside after a meeting:
"You apologized six times in there... 
Only one of them mattered"

I was confused.
Wasn't being apologetic... polite?

He pulled out his notes:

"Sorry to interrupt, but..."
"Sorry for taking up time."
"Sorry, one quick question?"
"Sorry for the confusion earlier."
"Sorry, can I just add something?"
"I'm sorry, I missed the deadline..."

Only the last one was a real apology.

The rest? Self-sabotage disguised as manners.

I created these rules to banish my over-apologizing habit for good:

→ Stop apologizing for contributing
"Can I add something?" works fine.
You're not interrupting. You're participating.

→ Stop apologizing for asking questions
Questions show engagement, not ignorance.
Drop the "sorry" entirely.

→ Stop apologizing for existing in the room
Your presence has value.
Stop diminishing it with unnecessary apologies.

→ Save apologies for actual mistakes
When you genuinely mess up? Apologize clearly.
"I missed that deadline. Here's my plan to fix it."

That's the one apology that mattered in my meeting.
The other five just made me sound uncertain.

Three months after that conversation, I reflected on my progress.

My ideas started landing differently.
People listened more. Questioned less.

Not because I changed what I said.
Because I stopped apologizing for saying it.

Your expertise doesn't need an apology.
Your questions don't need permission.
Your voice doesn't need a disclaimer.

Save "sorry" for when it actually counts.

What unnecessary apology are you ready to drop?

💫 Save this for when “sorry” tries to sneak in again

🌻Follow Cassie Lincoln for career strategy that builds credibility

I once asked to change who I reported to....
And it changed my entire career:

I was running a critical department-wide project. But I reported to a team supervisor.

The challenge?

She was busy managing her team.
My updates weren't her priority. 

Plus, every decision had to get vetted through the department manager anyway.

So, I was constantly chasing her down. 

Getting last-minute feedback. 
Watching timelines slip.
It was frustrating for both of us.

I decided to propose something different.

I got my supervisor's support first. 
Then I scheduled time with the department manager and made my case:

"For the duration of this project, I'd like to report directly to you."

To make it easy for her to say yes, I proposed:

1. I would provide a weekly one-pager with updates and decisions needed.

2. She'd respond within one business day

3. I'd leave it to her whether we needed to meet

4. I'd return to my original reporting structure when the project ended

She agreed!

The project stayed on schedule. 
Everyone's time was protected. 
The arrangement was a success.

And here's the part I didn't expect:

When the project ended, I didn't go back to my old structure.

A new role was created for me- reporting to a more senior manager.

That one conversation became a turning point.

Here's the reality of the situation:

Your reporting structure isn't set in stone.

But if you want to change it, don't complain about what's broken.
Propose what could work better. 

Make it easy for leadership to say yes. 

And frame it as solving a problem- not creating one.

Have you ever negotiated who you report to? 👇

💫 Repost to help someone rethink what's negotiable

🌻 Follow Cassie Lincoln for career strategies that actually work

High-leverage careers aren’t built by accident:

Most people are taught to build their careers by being reliable, helpful, and saying yes.

That works… for a while.

But over time, effort stops compounding.

Burnout creeps in.

And you start wondering why working harder isn’t moving the needle anymore.

That’s usually when leverage becomes the missing piece.

A high leverage career isn’t about doing more.

It’s about building work that:
• compounds instead of resets
• scales beyond your personal capacity
• gives you more control, not less
• makes your expertise harder to replace

Here’s the reality of the situation:
Many high performers (especially people pleasers) delay leverage because it feels uncomfortable.

Asking for ownership feels risky.
Narrowing your expertise feels limiting.
Building a network feels political.

So they keep over-delivering… without changing the structure of their work.

Leverage isn’t something you arrive at.
It’s something you design over time.

And the earlier you start thinking this way, the less likely you are to burn out trying to prove your value through effort alone.

Which of these feels strongest in your career right now? 👇

💫 Save this & use it as a gap finding tool
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*******

P.S. The first 2026 edition of my email newsletter goes out next Wednesday. I have so much planned for you all this year! Make sure you're subscribed. I share a career leverage tool in it every week.

I learned the rules AFTER I paid the price:

The coworker who took credit for my idea accidentally did me a favor.

I was angry for weeks.
Then I realized something irritating:

They could only take credit because I had handed the idea over quietly.

The real issue wasn’t their audacity-
(though… let’s be honest, it was a little).

It was my invisibility.

I shared ideas one-on-one.
They shared them in the room.

Guess whose contribution leadership remembered?

Here’s the reality of the situation:

Many people-pleasers avoid visibility because it feels like self-promotion.

So they give ideas away privately, hoping integrity will speak for itself.

But integrity without visibility doesn’t travel.

Helpful people get appreciated.
Strategically visible people get promoted.

Stop beating yourself up.
You weren’t naïve.
You were operating with integrity in a system that doesn’t always reward it.

Once you understand the rules, you get to choose how to play.

The slides break down practical ways to protect your ideas and make sure your work is attributed to you

(without becoming someone you’re not)

Has someone ever taken credit for your idea? 
One word: how did it feel? 👇

💫Save this to protect your next big idea
🌻Follow Cassie Lincoln for strategies that get your work seen

The co-worker who stole my credit did me a favor

People-pleasing wasn’t my problem.
Pleasing everyone was:

Everyone told me to stop people-pleasing. 
That advice almost stalled my career. 

I tried being “less helpful.” 
Speaking up more. 
Saying no reflexively. 

And it felt wrong...like I was performing a personality that wasn’t mine. 

Here’s the reality of the situation: 

People-pleasing isn’t the problem. 
People-pleasing with no boundaries or strategy is. 

I was giving my best energy to: 

Coworkers who never returned the favor 
Managers who would never advocate for me 
Peers who only remembered me when they needed something 

I was loyal to everyone which meant I was strategic with no one. 

The real shift wasn’t becoming colder. 
It was becoming selective. 

Now I’m intentional about where my best effort goes: 

My sponsor 
My manager’s manager 
A small number of peers who champion my work behind closed doors 

Everyone else still gets professionalism. 
They just don’t get my highest gear. 

Same warmth. Same instincts. 
Completely different career outcomes. 

You don’t need to filter out the people-pleaser in you. 
You need to aim them. 

The slides walk through how to do that without becoming someone you’re not. 

Who are you working far too hard to please right now? 
(No names needed.) 

💫 Save this for the next moment you feel the urge to over-give.

🌻 Follow for career strategy rooted in leverage, not burnout.

Start people-pleasing strategically

Not everyone wants you to be promoted...
Even if they like you-

That doesn't mean everyone is out to get you.
And it doesn't mean you should become cynical.

Here's the reality of the situation:

Workplaces are human ecosystems.

Sometimes resistance has nothing to do with the role itself.
It has everything to do with:

👉Identity:
Your rise might challenge how they see themselves.

👉Status:
Hierarchy shifts feel threatening.

👉Comfort with change:
Your growth disrupts their normal.

👉Influence:
Your advancement means someone else loses leverage.

You can outperform everyone and still get passed over.
That's not a flaw in you. It's a feature of the system.

Career growth isn't just about performance.
It's about understanding dynamics and navigating them with purpose instead of confusion.

Not everyone who blocks your path wants what you're going for.
Some are just invested in you staying where you are.

That's not a reason to hold back.
It's a reason to be strategic.

Do you agree? Let's talk in the comments.

💫Repost for those confused by workplace dynamics
🌻Follow Cassie Lincoln for career truths

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The Battle

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