Hello Reader,

Here's some of what I've been talking with clients about this week...

BR13 Issue 12 - August 13, 2025

Article 1: The Under-Appreciated Importance of Operational Skills

Source:eatyourcareer.com​

Career expert Chrissy Scivicque identifies operational skills—the ability to execute reliably with quality and discipline—as the overlooked third pillar of professional development, alongside technical knowledge and interpersonal abilities.

Key Takeaways:

• Operational excellence drives performance: Time management, attention to detail, follow-through, adaptability, resourcefulness, and workflow awareness quietly separate strong performers from those who struggle despite good intentions.

• Small habits create significant impact: These skills manifest in meeting deadlines without reminders, catching errors before they escalate, and understanding how individual work fits into broader systems—behaviors that build trust and reliability.

• Career advancement requires operational rigor: As professionals progress, self-sufficiency and proactive precision become increasingly critical, often determining who breaks through career plateaus versus who remains stuck.

Discover how to audit and strengthen your operational skills to become the colleague others trust to deliver excellence at eatyourcareer.com.

Article 2: I had a six-figure salary and high-flying career when I suffered a midlife breakdown and nearly died

Source:dailymail.co.uk​

Media executive Cally Beaton’s journey from MTV boardroom to comedy stage reveals how perimenopause, burnout, and a near-death experience sparked radical reinvention at 47, transforming crisis into creative empowerment.

• From breakdown to breakthrough: Misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder during perimenopause, Beaton secretly attended psychiatric day treatment while maintaining her executive role and parenting facade—discovering many women share this hidden struggle of managing mental health crises while meeting family obligations.

• Dismantling age barriers: Despite initial resistance from security guards and hecklers assuming she couldn’t be a starting comedian in her 50s, Beaton built a thriving career with 234,000 Instagram followers, Live at the Apollo appearances, and sold-out arena shows.

• Creating abundance from adversity: Rather than accepting traditional midlife limitations, Beaton channeled Joan Rivers’ encouragement and her own near-death wake-up call into five years of relentless gigging, ultimately achieving her Hammersmith Apollo dream and proving reinvention has no expiration date.

Article 3: Why I quit a million dollar program

Source:cultivitae.com​

Career coach Emily Liou pivots from a million-dollar job search program to address a deeper need: helping professionals overcome misalignment burnout and reconnect with their authentic selves.

Key Takeaways:

• From success to soul purpose: Despite building a thriving career coaching business and achieving LinkedIn Top Voice status, Liou recognized the importance of supporting clients’ whole-being wellness beyond just career advancement

• Addressing the root cause: The shift focuses on helping professionals identify and break free from nine key patterns that keep them stuck, emphasizing alignment between internal values and external achievements

• Holistic transformation approach: Rather than solely focusing on landing dream jobs, the new direction integrates self-love, authenticity, and life purpose to create sustainable career satisfaction and personal fulfillment

Discover how aligning your career with your authentic self can transform both your professional success and personal joy at CultiVitae’s original article.