Author Archives: Kenrick Vaz

Knowing Who You Really Are

I recently discovered a children’s book from 1946: “The Bear That Wasn’t.” A bear hibernates, and a factory gets built over his cave. When he wakes up, everyone, from the foreman to the CEO tells him, “You’re not a bear. You’re a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat.” He’s soContinue reading “Knowing Who You Really Are”

5 Mental Health Acronyms

Your stress response is sabotaging your success. These 5 tools will save your career 👇🏼 I used to think “staying calm” was a personality trait. Then I learned it’s actually a skill. Here are the 5 tools that changed everything: 🛑 S.T.O.P.Stop what you’re doingTake a deep breathObserve the situationProceed with intention 🌧️ R.A.I.N.Recognize what’sContinue reading “5 Mental Health Acronyms”

Noise From the Cheap Seats

There’s a quote that floats around a lot: You’ll never be criticized by someone who is doing more than you. You’ll always be criticized by someone doing less. I’ve seen it attributed to famous names, but honestly, I don’t know if any of them actually said it. What I do know is this—whether the quoteContinue reading “Noise From the Cheap Seats”

You Can Be Kind and Still

I used to think being kind meant saying yes to everything. Never disappointing anyone. Putting everyone else’s needs before my own. I was wrong. Kindness isn’t weakness disguised as virtue. Real kindness requires backbone. It means caring enough to have difficult conversations. It means protecting your energy so you canshow up fully for what matters.Continue reading “You Can Be Kind and Still”

Emotional Intelligence

Most leaders aren’t toxic. They’re just using outdated language that shuts people down instead of lifting them up. The difference between a burned-out team and a thriving one? It’s the words you say every day. Here’s how emotionally intelligent leaders create cultures where people stay, grow, and win: 💡 Instead of saying “Stop making excuses”→Continue reading “Emotional Intelligence”

10 Things No One Tells You About Being a Leader

Leadership isn’t just strategy.It’s humanity. You’ll think the job is about metrics and meetings.But what no one tells you is this: 1️⃣ You’ll have to deliver hard news while protecting trust.→ Layoffs. Reorgs. Missed goals. The delivery is the culture. 2️⃣ You’ll lose people you fought to develop.→ They’ll get poached. Leave. Outgrow the role.Continue reading “10 Things No One Tells You About Being a Leader”

The Weight You Were Never Meant to Carry

There’s a quiet shift that happens when you finally understand this: your life gets lighter the moment you stop trying to manage other people’s thoughts, reactions, and emotions. Most of us don’t even realize how much weight we’re carrying. We replay conversations in our heads, tweak our words to land a certain way, soften ourContinue reading “The Weight You Were Never Meant to Carry”

7 Client Touchpoints

Client touchpoints shouldn’t feel pushy.They should feel like what they really are: Building real relationships. But many client-facing professionals hesitate to followup, worried they’ll seem self-serving. But here’s the shift: When your touchpoints come from generosity, followingup feels: ✅ Natural✅ Helpful✅ Human Need to follow up with a client soon? Here are 7 of myContinue reading “7 Client Touchpoints”