A whole calendar year is 365 days, about 52 weeks, and 12 months. From a high level, it looks like a whole lot of time, yet at the end of every year I find myself saying, “Where did the time go?” It’s already the end of 2024.  

Year ends can impact everyone differently. While some feel the pressures of things they didn’t get to throughout the year, some celebrate reaching milestones. No matter if you’re anxious, excited, celebratory, or self-blaming, in this Your Brilliant Difference Podcast [https://finkainc.com/podcast/] episode, I guide you through how to reflect on your 2024 year and set manageable, tangible goals for 2025.  

I share some of my own key takeaways, personal and business-related, and as I share my discoveries, I coach you through sets of questions to help you uncover your own. 

My biggest takeaway this year was realizing that there’s no space for transactional workshops because that’s not what my clients truly need. It’s easy to look at others and see what they’re doing, straying from your own style and integrity, and sometimes I’ve felt myself wandering too. Especially with corporate leadership development training, you can fall into the pattern of copy and paste. But my intention for this year is to stay true to my customized, personalized leadership development program model that’s backed by data. I want to continue delivering white-glove service that’s intimate and makes each leader feel like the content is being delivered right to them, even in a group setting. This approach is only being re-emphasized, and I am looking forward to delivering for my clients in the coming new year.        

Now, it’s time for you to discover your biggest takeaway! 

The Agenda for Today’s Episode: 

 * How to reflect on your 2024.  
 * Finka’s biggest priorities: family, relationships, and faith. 
 * A focus on transformative workshop experiences. 
 * How to set intentions for 2025 with manageable, tangible Edge Moves. 

Get Career Clarity and Direction for 2025: Download the Finka Inc. Career Advancement Forecast 

Surveying over 100+ corporate leaders and professionals, Finka Inc. has the pulse on what’s top of mind for people at work in 2025. What should your priorities be? What is the workplace landscape going to look like? What are career advancement critical skills you need to help you soar? Find out by clicking the button below to download your copy.  

[Grab Your Finka Inc. Career Advancement Forecast]  [https://finkainc.com/2024-report/]

Episode 185: End of Year Review: Your Guide to Reflecting and Setting Intentions for 2025

Public relations can be a powerful tool to help you elevate your brand, thought leadership, and credibility. In fact, it has a key similarity to personal branding. They both involve engaging and tailoring your message so that it best resonates with the audience/public. With personal branding, this is often done through avenues of conferences and social media posts, while PR includes press releases and articles. PR can be a guiding lens to look through for developing your personal brand, helping you know exactly what to say and what not to say. 

Who better to light the way than PR veteran and CEO of Greenrose Communications, Abbie Sheridan. She lives to connect people. Pairing her passion for connections with her love of storytelling, Abbie has been working in public relations for nearly 15 years. She initially found and pursued her dream job through a college internship where she pitched tech gadgets and colored toilet paper at New York Fashion Week (which was as fun as it sounds). But she knew she wanted to do something more impactful. When she found financial services, she realized it was where she was meant to be. For close to a decade, Abbie has worked with RIAs, asset managers, custodians, and fintech companies in the wealth management industry. Today, she and her team represent more than a dozen industry leading firms, with a specialization in ESG, SRI, and green investing.    

How lucky are we that Abbie is now sharing her insight and experience on the Your Brilliant Difference Podcast [https://finkainc.com/podcast/], helping you tailor and build your brand with a PR twist.  

In Episode 184 You Will Learn: 

 * Exactly what PR is and isn’t.  
 * How to leverage PR to boost your brand credibility.  
 * How to achieve PR with a limited budget.  
 * The power of engaging with media for personal branding.  
 * How the media landscape is evolving and the implications of AI. 
 * How to start approaching the possibilities of PR to enhance your personal brand.   

Connect with Abbie Sheridan 

 * Abbie Sheridan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbiesheridan/] on LinkedIn 
 * Greenrose Communications [https://www.greenrosepr.com/] 

Career Advancement Report Coming December 13th!

For the first time ever, Finka Jerkovic is publishing her first Finka Inc. Career Advancement Report, informing you about what to focus on in 2025 to rise and shine at work. Join her Find Your Brilliance community newsletter and get a copy delivered right to your inbox as soon as it’s released.

[Sign Up for Release Day [https://finkainc.com/newsletter/] Delivery] [https://finkainc.com/newsletter/]

Episode 184: Build Your Brand and Credibility with Public Relations: Get the Inside Scoop from PR Pro Abbie Sheridan

Whether you’re pitching an idea to leadership, leading a meeting, or delivering a keynote at a conference, they’re all forms of presenting. Within each method, you’re presenting your ideas, guiding other’s ideas, and aiming to inspire action within people. All of it can be stressful. Whether you speak to 5 people,15, 50, or 500, your palms may clam up and suddenly you’ve lost your train of thought, derailing from your perfectly crafted script. But here’s the thing — you don’t need a script to efficiently communicate. What you do need is your authentic, confident voice, which Julie Johnson will teach you to hone in this week’s Your Brilliant Difference Podcast [https://finkainc.com/podcast/] episode.  

Julie Johnson is the CEO of XY Communication [https://www.xycommunication.com/] and a leading authority on intergenerational and gender communication. As a current member of the esteemed Forbes Coaches Council and a former Barron's winning SVP with UBS (CFP & CIMA), she has devoted her career to helping professionals and teams build trust, engagement, and loyalty. Specializing in psychological safety and conflict navigation, she is a Certified Behavioral Finance Trainer, a Certified Facilitator in Adam Grant & Ray Dalio’s PrinciplesYou program, a Certified Brene Brown Daring Way Facilitator, a Globally licensed member of the International Coaching Federation, and a Certified Global Speaker through The National Speaker Association. 

Listen to this episode and learn from Julie as she teaches you how to tailor your communication to meet people where they are. You’ll also learn how to apply techniques to help you refine your big idea and voice it with confidence, authenticity, and influence.  

The Agenda for Today’s Episode: 

 * What exactly is an authentic, confident voice?  
 * PrinciplesYou Assessment overview and how it informs workplace communication. 
 * How to overcome presentation anxiety. 
 * Presentation tips and best practices. 
 * How Julie’s public speaking and presenting experience has impacted her career. 
 * How to leverage LinkedIn to amplify your authentic, confident voice and build a brand that drives your career. 

 Connect with Julie Johnson 

 * Julie Johnson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-johnson-xy/] on LinkedIn 

Career Advancement Report Coming December 13th! 

For the first time ever, Finka Jerkovic is publishing her first Finka Inc. Career Advancement Report, informing you about what to focus on in 2025 to rise and shine at work. Join her Find Your Brilliance community newsletter and get a copy delivered right to your inbox as soon as it’s released. 

[Sign Up for Release Day Delivery] [https://finkainc.com/newsletter/] 

Episode 183: How to Present Your Authentic, Confident Voice with Julie Johnson

Many people face the challenge of a job transition, whether it be from a reorganization or their own choice. When it comes your time to move into a new industry, role, or company, how can you ensure you approach the process the right way and acquire a job that’s aligned with your Brilliant Difference? 

Jeff Brown has the answers. Jeff has been through several job transitions and Edge Moves in his career. Born and raised in Toronto, his love for the city drives his work. His experience in human resources and operations was honed on Bay Street, leading transformational real estate projects in banking. This then led him to join The Heaps Estrin Team Real Estate Team, Royal LePage’s #1 Residential Brokerage in Canada for the past five years.  Jeff’s focus on developing and growing teams is a hallmark of his leadership. 

From entering banking during a financial crisis in 2009 to working in travel and hospitality when COVID-19 hit, Jeff shares his stories about not only how he successfully transitioned jobs, but the resilience he developed during times of adversity. He expands on honing his Brilliant Difference and transferrable skills and offers three strategies you can apply when thinking about making a job change.  

The Agenda for Today’s Episode: 

02:25 — Career Transition 1: From Banking to Hospitality 

12:18 — Cultural Shifts in New Work Environments 

18:37 — Crisis Management During the Pandemic 

23:23 — Career Transition 2: Embracing New Opportunities in Real Estate 

25:12 — Navigating Job Descriptions and Interviews: 3 Strategies 

31:48 — Embracing Change and Risk in Career Moves 

36:47 — Reaching Out and Building Connections 

39:57 — Jeff's Current Endeavors and Future Plans 

Connect With Jeff Brown 

 * Jeff Brown [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffclarksonbrown/] on LinkedIn 

Share Your Voice, Forge a Brilliant Workplace 

I’m on a mission to build a brilliant workplace where everyone thrives and career dreams turn into reality, but I need your help! Fill out a quick anonymous, 7-minute survey to contribute to my first-ever Career Advancement Report (coming end of year). Share what’s top of mind for you at work and inform a resource that will help you rise and shine at work in 2025. 

[Access Your Survey] [https://finkainc.com/report-survey/] 

Episode 182: Job Transition Plan with Jeff Brown: 3 Strategies to Apply When Interviewing for a New Job

‘Tis the season for performance reviews. I can picture it from my corporate days, gathering questions and scheduling meetings to have performance discussions with my employees. But with that comes nerves, excitement, worry, doubt. So how can managers prime the environment to ensure a safe and productive conversation happens for both parties? 

Psychotherapist of 40 years and author, Steven Kessler, will teach you how by applying the five personality patterns. Kessler is the author of two books: The 5 Personality Patterns [https://www.amazon.ca/Personality-Patterns-Understanding-Developing-Emotional/dp/0996343903] and How to Have Better Relationships [https://www.amazon.ca/How-Have-Better-Relationships-Personality/dp/1961678047/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=rXLan&content-id=amzn1.sym.292e2174-5767-4018-85e7-6b1a9086d346&pf_rd_p=292e2174-5767-4018-85e7-6b1a9086d346&pf_rd_r=146-2575070-3697365&pd_rd_wg=v5SUE&pd_rd_r=9d16d5a5-fa9b-4a96-83b5-e5b3394ae77e&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk]. In his first novel, Kessler explains the five personality patterns: Leaving, Merging, Enduring, Aggressive, and Rigid. They don’t depict who you are, but rather what you do. They’re safety strategies we lean on. In his second novel, he explains how these safety strategies and patterns can impact relationships.  

Specifically, in this Your Brilliant Difference Podcast [https://finkainc.com/podcast/] episode, we’ll be diving into how these patterns can impact a manager’s performance review conversation with an employee. We walk you through a workplace scenario and give managers tips on how to detect their employees’ personality patterns, as well as how to handle them.  

The Agenda for Today’s Episode: 

00:00 — An Introduction to the 5 Personality Patterns 

03:03 — Understanding Safety Strategies and Personality Development 

05:58 — Exploring the Leaving Pattern 

09:04 — The Merging Pattern Explained 

11:51 — The Enduring Pattern and Its Implications 

14:51 — The Aggressive Pattern and Its Dynamics 

17:56 — The Rigid Pattern and Its Characteristics 

21:06 — Self-Awareness and Patterns in Relationships 

24:03 — Utilizing Patterns as Gifts in Professional Settings 

26:51 — Navigating Difficult Conversations in the Workplace 

32:41 — The Power of Connection and Feedback 

39:03 — Understanding Different Patterns in Communication 

46:45 — Managing Energy in Interactions 

55:11 — Grounding Techniques for Different Patterns 

01:03:02 — The Importance of Presence in Life 

Previous Episode with Steven Kessler 

 * Episode 136: Exploring the 5 Personality Patterns with Steven Kessler [https://finkainc.com/portfolio/episode-136/] 

Connect With Steven Kessler 

 * https://the5personalitypatterns.com/  

Share Your Voice, Forge a Brilliant Workplace 

I’m on a mission to build a brilliant workplace where everyone thrives and career dreams turn into reality, but I need your help! Fill out a quick anonymous, 7-minute survey to contribute to my first-ever Career Advancement Report (coming end of year). Share what’s top of mind for you at work and inform a resource that will help you rise and shine at work in 2025. 

[Access Your Survey] [https://finkainc.com/report-survey/] 

Episode 181: How Managers Can Create Safe, Productive Performance Review Conversations (Backed by Personality Patterns) with Steven Kessler

Regardless of gender, everyone brings a mixture of feminine or masculine energy [https://www.pausemeditation.org/single-post/balancing-feminine-masculine-energy%23:~:text=Masculine%2520energy%2520is%2520characterized%2520by,sense%2520of%2520harmony%2520and%2520fulfillment.]. Some people lean on one more than the other. Masculine energy is described as “doing” and acting based on logic, knowledge, results, and reason. On the flip side, feminine energy is defined as “being,” acting based on intuition and emotions. Words that often describe masculine energy include confrontation, aggression, and control, whereas words related to feminine energy include oversensitive and co-dependant. So, you can see how these energies aren’t actually tied to a gender—a woman can be aggressive and a man can sensitive. Neither of these energies are wrong. In fact, there are several benefits to both. But it’s about finding a balance at work. 

In episode 180 of the Your Brilliant Difference Podcast [https://finkainc.com/podcast/], Finka shares a personal workplace story where, during a particular situation, there was a dominance in masculine energy and how leaning on her feminine energy as a Brilliant Difference created a meaningful change her workplace needed. Suddenly, people were more comfortable, had open communication, and shared their vulnerabilities, building trust and strong relationships. 

Remember, both energies are good, but consider: which should you bring at work? Apply this to situations as you experience them.  

Share Your Voice, Forge a Brilliant Workplace 

I’m on a mission to build a brilliant workplace where everyone thrives and career dreams turn into reality, but I need your help! Fill out a quick anonymous, 7-minute survey to contribute to my first-ever Career Advancement Report (coming end of year). Share what’s top of mind for you at work and inform a resource that will help you rise and shine at work in 2025. 

[Access Your Survey] [https://finkainc.com/report-survey/] 

Episode 180: Finding a Balance of Feminine and Masculine Energy at Work

With different personalities, professional and personal backgrounds, and communication preferences, you’re bound to experience conflicting conversations at work.  So, how can you handle situations where you don’t see eye-to-eye with someone, in a way that supports your career growth and relationship progression? Through the Simpatico Communication Method. 

Who better to talk about the Simpatico Communication Method than Arnie Buss, its co-founder. Arnie is also a Research Associate Professor, a relationship coach, and the co-author of Hear Here: Engaging With Our Aware, Loving Heart. [https://www.amazon.ca/Hear-Here-Lee-Garland/dp/1667813013] He is passionate about communication and how it impacts workplace relationships.  

In this Your Brilliant Difference Podcast [https://finkainc.com/podcast/] episode, you’ll learn about what the Simpatico Communication Method is, how to apply it, and how to become a stronger communicator to rise in your career, even when you don’t necessarily agree with people.  

The Agenda for Today’s Episode: 

02:38 — Arnie’s Journey in Academia and Military Education 

06:22 — The Concept of Vocation in Career Choices 

09:09 — Finding Purpose in Corporate Work 

11:22 — Communication Dynamics in Military Leadership 

20:27 — How Hear Here Came to Be 

26:44 — The Power of Empathetic Communication 

27:34 — Simple vs. Ease in Communication 

29:02 — The Role of the Sender and Receiver 

30:32 — Requesting Change: Language to Use 

35:25 — Energy Matching in Communication 

44:12 — Transforming Conflict into Connection 

Connect With Arnie Buss 

 * Arnie Buss [https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnie-buss-43a506b?miniProfileUrn=urn:li:fs_miniProfile:ACoAAAIIVu4B7ZKQOq0sEKirNCuTvDnHy0_OWro&lipi=urn:li:page:d_flagship3_search_srp_all;RTtaEK/SQByDq7GMH4BY6w==] on LinkedIn 
 * No More Arguments Report [https://aware-heart.mykajabi.com/no-more-arguments-report-get-it-here] 

Share Your Voice, Forge a Brilliant Workplace 

I’m on a mission to build a brilliant workplace where everyone thrives and career dreams turn into reality, but I need your help! Fill out a quick anonymous, 7-minute survey to contribute to my first-ever Career Advancement Report (coming end of year). Share what’s top of mind for you at work and inform a resource that will help you rise and shine at work in 2025. 

[Access Your Survey] [https://finkainc.com/report-survey/] 

Episode 179: The Simpatico Communication Method: How to Communicate and Lead with an Aware, Loving Heart with Arnie Buss

For four years, you work through four levels of high school. With each new grade, you get more specific about who you are and what you want to do with the rest of your life. You graduate and choose a profession, dedicating another 2-4+ years to learning and growing. Then you graduate again, but this time into the workforce, without a roadmap to help you know how to make it all work and traverse to the destinations you desire. 

They don’t teach you how to advance in your career in school but feeling inspired after coming back from a client event, I’m sharing with you four strategies that will make your journey clearer and more successful. 

They key is using your Brilliant Difference brand, a personal branding method that flips the script from “me” to “we” so you can focus on how you make a difference, a meaningful impact, in the world.  

In episode 178 of the Your Brilliant Difference Podcast [https://finkainc.com/podcast/], here are the four strategies I discuss:  

1. Give yourself permission to shine. 

2. Invite others to shine with you. 

3. Bring your whole self. 

4. Make it personal. 

What do these mean and how can you apply these career advancement strategies to get noticed and rise along the corporate ladder? Tune in! I even share real-time workplace stories embodying each strategy in action.  

 

The Agenda for Today: 

01:30 — Leadership Development Program: The Inspiration Behind the Episode 

08:33 — What is Your Brilliant Difference? 

08:49 — Strategy 1: Give Yourself Permission to Shine 

12:27: — Strategy 2: Invite Others to Shine With You 

16:33 — Strategy 3: Bring Your Whole Self 

21:15 — Strategy 4: Make It Personal 

 

Want More Support in Elevating Your Personal Brand to Achieve Your Desired Career Results? Join the Your Brilliant Difference Bootcamp Waitlist! 

Your Brilliant Difference Bootcamp is a cutting-edge program for corporate professionals, like yourself. Within this program, you’ll discover how to excel in your career and leadership by learning and applying a personal branding method that actually works: Your Brilliant Difference.    

Through course materials, coaching, and community, you’ll uncover exactly what your Brilliant Difference is and how to leverage your personal brand at work to get promoted and noticed.    

[Join the Waitlist] [https://finkainc.com/waitlist/] 

 

 

Episode 178: 4 Strategies to Advance in Your Career Using Your Brilliant Difference Brand

The workplace is constantly evolving. In 2020, remote work was the norm. Shortly after, hybrid settings took over, and now full-time in-office may be the status quo once more. Artificial intelligence is starting to take over certain jobs in specific industries. People are no longer just tired—they’re burnt out. These are just some of the challenges standing in your way of advancing in your career.  

But don’t worry. In this Your Brilliant Difference Podcast [https://finkainc.com/podcast/] episode, you’ll learn exactly what the top 5 current career barriers are and how to overcome them to reach success. When you’re done listening, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to harness your personal brand (Brilliant Difference) to get noticed and promoted and shine in your work. 

The Agenda for Today’s Episode: 

00:00 — Embracing Your Brilliant Difference 

03:10 — Identifying Career Barriers 

05:53 — The Impact of Burnout and Disengagement 

09:04 — Navigating Remote and Hybrid Workplaces 

11:56 — The Importance of Digital Presence 

14:45 — Understanding the Role of AI 

18:13 — The Need for Continuous Skill Upgrades 

28:41 — Essential Skills for Career Advancement 

31:27 — The Importance of Personal Branding 

36:47 — Building Your Brilliant Difference Brand 

46:39 — Transformative Personal Branding Success Stories 

51:12 — The Path to Career Growth and Leadership 

Want More Support in Elevating Your Personal Brand to Achieve Your Desired Career Results? Join the Your Brilliant Difference Bootcamp Waitlist! 

Your Brilliant Difference Bootcamp is a cutting-edge program for corporate professionals, like yourself. Within this program, you’ll discover how to excel in your career and leadership by learning and applying a personal branding method that actually works: Your Brilliant Difference.

Through course materials, coaching, and community, you’ll uncover exactly what your Brilliant Difference is and how to leverage your personal brand at work to get promoted and noticed.    

[Join the Waitlist] [https://finkainc.com/waitlist/] 

Episode 177: Top 5 Current Career Barriers and How to Overcome Them

You have ambitious career goals, and you deserve to achieve them. But let’s face it. Getting there and making them happen is easier said than done. Thanks imposter syndrome and self-doubt, to name a few.  

But in this Your Brilliant Difference Podcast [https://finkainc.com/podcast/] episode, Kisha Wynter, Founder of Wynter Rich Enterprises and Author of debut novel, Your Power Unleashed: How Savvy Women Use Courage to Get Promoted, Get Paid, and Find Fulfillment [https://www.amazon.com/Your-Power-Unleashed-Promoted-Fulfillment/dp/164704832X], teaches you her famous DIVA method and how it can help you get promoted and noticed at work, despite doubt and uncertainty.  

Wynter Rich Enterprises is a boutique leadership consulting firm where Kisha helps mission-driven companies create healthy coaching cultures where all talent thrives regardless of background. A leadership consultant, executive coach, author, and speaker, she’s a trailblazer in women’s leadership strategy. She has over two decades of corporate experience with a track record of developing and training leaders in over 50 countries.  

How lucky are you to be exposed to 2 decades of leadership consulting and executive coaching expertise? Kisha talks about the mindset blocks she’s experienced in her own career, and how her method and coaching can help you break through those blocks too, to finally own your power and make your career dreams a reality. 

Here’s What We’ll Be Talking About Today: 

00:00 — Unlocking Your Power and Potential 

02:32 — The Journey to Authorship 

06:47 — Overcoming Doubts and Embracing the Writer Within 

12:59 — The Writing Process: From Inspiration to Publication 

18:20 — Navigating Feedback and Building Resilience 

25:46 — Core Themes of the Novel, Your Power Unleashed 

30:36 — The DIVA Method Overview 

39:33 — Investing in Yourself: The Key to Growth 

41:55 — Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers 

Connect With Kisha Wynter 

 * Kisha Wynter [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kishawynter/] on LinkedIn 
 * Your Power Unleashed Website [https://www.yourpowerunleashed.org/] 

Find Your Brilliance Beyond the Podcast 

Diving into and honing your Brilliant Difference (personal brand) is a constant work in progress. While this episode is a great start, there’s more content to help support you on your career journey: Finka Jerkovic’s Find Your Brilliance Newsletter. 

Once per week, get a fresh content round up delivered right to your inbox with insight, stories, and collaborative expertise to help you rise and shine in your career. 

[Subscribe to Rise and Shine in Your Career] [https://finkainc.com/newsletter/]  

Episode 176: Your Power Unleashed: How to Get Promoted and Noticed with Kisha Wynter

The SELL FROM LOVE podcast is for coaches, consultants, and advisors who love their work, but don’t love selling it. You got into this business because you wanted to help people. Your product, service and expertise are meant to make a difference. But to get paid and have a viable business you need clients buying your services. You need sales. Selling can be uncomfortable, uneasy and at times awkward. Traditional, always be closing, crushing quota methods, only add to the pushy, icky discomfort of selling. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sell From Love is the other way. It’s the better way. Sell From Love is a three-step framework that is inspired by authenticity, empathy and purpose. In each episode, Business and Leadership Coach Finka Jerkovic will teach you how to sell with confidence, magnetically attract clients and build a business you love.