OG Tuesday Issue #261

🗣️ Decode the 4 work styles before they derail you.

⛰ Top CEOs reveal the secrets behind their sustainable success.

🧠 These top-rated online course platforms are worth a bookmark.

📝 Track performance without the paperwork headache.

The last quarter of the year is stacked with conferences designed by and for women who want to grow, connect, and lead with impact.

Whether you’re aiming to sharpen your leadership skills, expand your network, or gather fresh perspective before 2026, these events deliver more than inspiration. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to invest in yourself, this is it.

Here are the ones worth circling on your calendar before 2025 wraps:

• CREATE Conference 2025 (October 11–14 | Salt Lake City, UT)
  This women-led AI conference blends leadership, innovation, and community. Hosted by She Leads AI, it features women and underrepresented voices shaping the future of responsible AI. Expect bold ideas, skill-building, and serious inspo.
• SHRM Women in Leadership Conference (September 27–30 | San Diego, CA & Virtual)
  The SHRM Women in Leadership Conference is built for women leading people and culture. Four days of keynotes, breakouts, and networking with HR pros who care about advancing women in the workplace.
• Texas Conference for Women (October 29 | Austin, TX)
  The Texas Conference for Women is a one-day power surge of speakers, workshops, and career strategies. Leadership, advancement, and work-life balance are front and center—plus, Austin makes it an easy meet-up spot for women across the Southwest.
• Los Angeles Women’s Expo (October 18–19 | Los Angeles)
  The LA Women’s Expo mixes professional development with lifestyle and wellness. Two days of connection across tech, entertainment, and business (aka the industries that define LA).
• Business of Her: Women’s Conference (November 15 | Las Vegas, NV)
  The Business of Her is made for women entrepreneurs. If you’re building or scaling a business, Vegas is where you’ll find new strategies, new connections, and a network that gets the grind.
• Global Summit on Women’s Leadership and Empowerment (November 13–14 | Orlando, FL)
  The Global Summit pulls together voices from across industries and countries for two days of international perspective on women’s leadership.
• Massachusetts Conference for Women (December 3 | Boston, MA)
  The Massachusetts Conference for Women draws thousands each year. Expect sharp insights for women in healthcare, biotech, finance—and plenty that applies to every career path.
• Atlanta Fall Women’s Expo (December 6–7 | Atlanta)
  The Atlanta Fall Women’s Expo closes out the season with a mix of professional development and lifestyle content. Perfect for women working in the Southeast’s booming industries.

Conferences are an investment of both money and time. Check the lineup, scan the sessions, and make sure the crowd matches your goals. Early bird pricing usually makes the decision easier. Tip: See if your company will cover the cost. Many have budgets for professional development, you just have to ask.

Your year-end calendar can be packed, but these events are where growth, inspiration, and connection collide. Pick the one that fits your 2025 vision, and go soak it up.

Most businesses don’t stall out because of bad ideas. They stall because the systems behind the scenes can’t keep up.

Too many tabs. Too much manual busywork. Zero clarity on where time (or money) is going.

The fix? Smarter tools that take the weight off your plate and give you breathing room to actually grow:

🧠 Automate the repeat stuff

Pipedrive handles deal stages, reminders, and follow-ups so sales don’t slip while you’re sleeping.

📊 Know where the money’s going

Ramp flags odd expenses and sets smart limits. No more “mystery audit” surprises.

🧾 Payroll without the panic

Patriot makes paying people (and taxes) easy, even if you’re not an accountant.

📬 Email that doesn’t eat your week

iContact helps you segment and automate campaigns that still feel personal.

🧰 One login. All your work.

Zoho keeps projects, clients, and team convos in one place.

🛟 Customer support that doesn’t drop the ball

Zendesk puts every channel in one view, so your team sees the whole story without tab-hopping.

📉 Insurance without the headache

Biberk gets you covered quickly, before “what if” turns into “oh no.”

👉 Clean systems = fewer fires = more focus.

Pick one tool to upgrade this week and watch how much lighter everything feels.

Ashley recently wrote to us with this biggest challenge: “Wearing all the hats and prioritizing my work to get it all done—and at a fraction of the pay my counterparts are making.”

First off, I’m sorry. It’s incredibly frustrating to be in your position, and your feelings are completely valid.

As someone who’s now 15+ years into my career, I can say there were definitely times early on where I was working harder, smarter, and better than some of my senior counterparts. But now that I’m older, I also understand there’s genuine value to expertise and wisdom that only comes with time. The early grind was necessary to learn and gain experience to become the seasoned professional I am today.

Boomers and some Millennials will call this “paying your dues.” Gen Z will roll their eyes and call it exploitation. They’re probably half right. What I know for sure is that all of your experiences have value, despite how difficult they feel right now.

Okay, now for the tangible advice.

How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Urgent

Start with the 3-bucket method. Every task goes into: Must Do Today, Should Do This Week, or Nice to Have Done. Be ruthless. If your boss says everything is urgent, ask them to help you rank the top three priorities. Make them choose.

Create a “visibility matrix” for your tasks. High-visibility work that impacts revenue or key stakeholders gets priority over behind-the-scenes work that only you notice when it’s not done.

Quiet Advocacy That Actually Works

Document everything. Keep a weekly wins email to yourself noting what you accomplished, problems you solved, and initiatives you led. This becomes your promotion ammunition.

Share credit strategically but claim your contributions clearly. Instead of “we figured out a solution,” try “I identified the root cause and worked with [team] to implement the fix.”

Speak up in meetings. Even if it’s just to say “I can provide context on that since I’ve been managing the X project.” Make your involvement known.

Setting Boundaries Without Looking Difficult

Use the redirect method: “I can absolutely take that on. To make room, should I deprioritize X project or push back the Y deadline?” This shows you’re willing but forces a conversation about capacity.

Batch similar tasks and communicate your schedule. “I handle all vendor communications on Tuesdays and Fridays” sounds more professional than constantly saying you’re too busy.

Asking for Help Without Seeming Incompetent

Bring solutions, not just problems. Instead of “I’m overwhelmed,” try “I’ve identified three areas where additional support could increase our output by 30%. Could we explore a part-time coordinator role or a paid internship program?”

Frame requests around business impact: “With dedicated support for administrative tasks, I could focus on the strategic work that drives results.”

Sometimes the request gets denied, but bringing your workload concerns to your boss can spark creative solutions. Maybe there’s budget for a virtual contractor, or another team member could take on one of your “hats.”

You’re not asking for special treatment, you’re advocating for sustainable productivity and better resource allocation. There’s a difference, and smart managers recognize it. Keep at it!

Thania (TA Content Mgr)

The Only Fresh Dog Food that Includes a Health Hotline

“Be curious and learn all you can. If you do the work before you get the title, you will eventually get the title.”

— Galarina (Director of Administrative Operations)

🗓 This week: Join Scott Galloway and top AI leaders for Section’s annual, free AI:ROI Conference.

🗞️ Mindstream delivers essential AI news and actionable insights to 200,000+ readers daily—join the club and level up your AI knowledge.

💰 Speak with a financial advisor who listens, answers your questions, and simplifies planning.

🔪 This magnetic knife block is the countertop glow-up your kitchen didn’t know it needed.

• Briarlake Partners is hiring for a Strategic Sourcing Specialist (Oakland, CA).
• Blue State is hiring for a Media Strategist, Buying (Hybrid).
• KellyMitchell Group is hiring for a Financial Analyst (Chesterfield, MO).
• Career Group is hiring for an Executive Assistant (Hybrid).
• Cassidy is hiring for a Product Support Specialist (New York, NY).

⭐️ Answer to the riddle.

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