In virtual meetings and on FaceTime, grooming is more important than ever, as the camera enhances flaws. Using a bit of lipstick and blush goes a long way. To enhance engagement virtually, individuals must be able to see the best in you. Do a quick check up before the meeting begins to see that everything is in place. I remember seeing my hair on the back of my head sticking up and it caused me to be distracted throughout the meeting.

Going gray instead of coloring one’s hair can, in the long run, be liberating. However, other elements need to be added for body. Color adds body to the hair if the hair is thinning. Going gray may make thinning hair more noticeable. Color with highlights often gives a look of fullness to the hair. If your hair is gray, look into products that will add body to your hair. Be sure the cut is one with an up to date contemporary style. Look at the color choices in your clothing and your make-up to ensure a contemporary impression.

In a recent television interview, a well-known international actor, politician, and respected activist did not appear to be aging well. The reason was that his hair color was very flat and unnatural looking. His facial hair was as gray as some sections of his hair.

He would have looked much sharper with just letting his hair go gray. Coloring hair becomes very difficult when it has been done for many years. Gray on men always looks better than a dye job.

A recent photo of Megan Markle wearing a dark nail polish at a formal event spurred the question- why not a neutral color? I believe she wanted to make a statement focusing on the nails rather than the dress.

However, for an accent, my preference tends toward a less dramatic color, maybe a gray a neutral one (OPI sells very popular nail polish in these color tones, for instance). This brings up the dramatic nail color changes from multicolor to dark to sparkles to even different nail colors on each finger of the same hand! If you live in a fashion environment, wearing dramatic nail colors are the norm, it works. Perfectly groomed, neutral color nails, always make an elegant statement in any setting.

Holidays can be overwhelming with additional events added to an already full work and social life. Businesses rush to end the year on a good note, individuals work diligently to ensure all the festivities and related activities are completed.

Recently, a client who is a also a friend, took his wife away for a long weekend. I thought, what a great move. When they returned refreshed, they might find the holiday stress a bit easier to handle. So, take a pause, go away, and just chill to ease the stress.

For those who cannot get away, outsource gift giving. Amazon is great for gifts, especially if you include the gift wrap and delivery in the purchase. Harry and David, with their wonderful pears and other goodies also make gift giving a fun task, not a stressful one.

In working with clients negotiating compensation, the question becomes what is more important, money, time, or title? The answer depends on where the client is in their life. For example, do they have family, are they self-supporting, and will the package provide staff support and travel flexibility?

Also, other than compensation, does this career move offer a long view of the career path? These answers are not easily answered but need to be addressed for a good work and life balance. Without that balance, the compensation will ultimately feel unsatisfactory.

Each of us need to find a way to stay motivated and open for fresh ideas and strategies to apply to our work or personal life. These are the five things that continue work for me:

1. Finding the fun element in a task
2. Taking a break (can be an hour or a day)
3. Doing something totally unrelated to the project
4. Rewarding myself
5. Seeking outside resources

In working with a client experiencing high stress and in a no-win situation, it became clear that a time out was needed for some personal care, a massage in this case. We let all the parties involved know that we would come up with a solution at the end of the week.

The client had the authority and the funds to ask team members to take the day off and send in suggestions by email for the client to review for the Friday meeting. The client and all parties needed to take a break from their 24/7 work schedule to ensure the decisions were the best for the project. The project was successful and all parties felt empowered by the outcome.