Dan Chait’s Post

What is family to you? This week, I learned a valuable lesson from Starrlites Creative Agency that I'll carry with me for a long time: the power of family in the workplace. In an industry where burnout and competition can be rampant, Starrlites showed me that success is sweeter when achieved together. They taught me that building brands isn't just about profit margins and marketing strategies, but about the people behind them. You can’t market what you don’t have; it comes from within. By treating each other like family, we create a safe space for creativity, vulnerability, and growth. We learn to support each other's strengths and weaknesses, and to celebrate each other's wins as our own. I'm reminded that the most impactful brands are built on the foundation of teamwork, empathy, and trust. So, let's prioritize building each other up, rather than tearing each other down. To my Starrlites family, thank you for showing me that work can truly feel like home. And to my network, let's strive to create workplaces that feel like a warm embrace, rather than a cold competition.

I have the great and absolute pleasure to work with fantastic humans as a Fractional Coach. Tracie Sponenberg is one of those humans. Spectacular, phenomenal, and awe-inspiring- she just forgot it for a second. If you want to step out and try #fractionalleadership like she did, I’m here to guide, help, and remind you that you not only have support but that you are amazing. #fractionalexecutives #fractionalcoach #fractionalhr

I reconnected with John Winsor and his Open Assembly group in 2023. He--and they--are doing so much interesting thinking about the future of work and how we will all--companies and talent--will operate within it. John and his co-author Jin Paik say, "In the new world of work, one thing is clear--the war for talent is over-- and talent won." They go on to explain that you can't actually hire the best person for your open role, because they are working for themselves. 🧠 For a perspective-shift on how the future of work is already here today, and how both talent and employers can benefit from this new reality, the book is available Jan 16th!

For the last 6 weeks, I decided to go all in with LinkedIn It feels surreal, but here's what happened 👇 A quick look at the numbers: → I’ve gone from ~700 to 3.7k followers → My content reached ~300,000 impressions 🤯 300,000 impressions. Sorry, what?! But here’s what the numbers don’t show: → The wonderful messages and comments I’ve had → How I felt when my post went a little bit viral → How I felt when I was invited on a podcast → How much I’ve discovered I love to write → The incredible people I’ve met → The amount I’ve learnt It’s a short amount of time, but what a rollercoaster. Lots of firsts, lots of mistakes, but a whole lot of excitement. It looks easy to write. With the amount of content out there, it must be, right? As a serial overthinker, it’s been harder than I thought With every post, there’s been the same little voice:
 “Does it say what I’m trying to say?” “Is this actually valuable?" “What will people think?” I'm not sure if that little voice will ever fully go away But, I want to help as many designers and businesses as I can So, if you're interested, I write about: → Bringing business and design closer together → Designing for emotion (going beyond delight) → Reducing risks to users and businesses - thinking about what can go wrong, preventing them, and see them as opportunities Thank you SO much to everyone that's engaged with me so far! I’ll keep trying to write things that hopefully you’ll want to stick around for Design for people, always 💛

Idioms Metaphors Similes I'm not an expert in picking which is which, let alone determining which word is appropriate in which situation. Not the biggest reveal, or shocker, for a Wednesday, but maybe this resonates with you as well. However, what I am constantly reminded of, is that oftentimes there are at least (emphasis added) two ways that one can achieve the same goal. Reference point? I just did multiple two-day business planning sessions with different Implementors/Coaches/Facilitators. They were wayyyyyy different in their personalities, but achieved the same thing. Better Vision, Better Clarity, Better Team Health, Better Traction (IYKYK), Better Better! For all of you who continue to do things your way, and I believe I'm one of you, keep doing it. The world appreciates not just what you do, but how you do it, and I am here to say Thank You.

Dayuuum, I reached 10 000 followers 🌈 ! Quite the number, but what does this really mean? For me, LinkedIn has been THE platform for networking, building relationships, marketing, and sales. By the Numbers 📊 : - 200+ global partner-oriented calls every year - 100+ opportunities converted into deals each year (personal track record). - 90% reduction in talent acquisition time, speeding up hiring cycles from 6 months (historically) to just 2 weeks. - 350K yearly cumulative impressions from articles, news, announcements, and inquiries, helping me spread the word like wildfire 🔥. In words 🔠 : LinkedIn has allowed me to connect with amazing people worldwide, start meaningful conversations, and build lasting relationships with partners I now work with daily. From technical C-suite to executive producers, product owners and engineers, the connections I've made have been invaluable and I couldn't be more grateful to have you all in my network. To all of you who have connected with me on LinkedIn, thank you for the opportunity to engage in conversation 🙇♂️, for the many laughs and unforgettable experiences. Mat - out 🤘

Today marks my last week at C Space and it’s fair to say I’ve been feeling quite emosh. It’s quite hard to fully comprehend the impact that this company has had on me. I joined almost 10 years ago, having never opened a PowerPoint. Coming from politics, I looked down on everything marketing-related. I started most of my emails with "Dear Sir/Madam." I knew nothing, really. Fast forward 10 years, and as I leave, I am filled with so many memories, so many relationships, so much knowledge, and such a clear understanding of myself and what it takes to lead in our profession. C Space is an impossible place to leave. I felt at home from day one. I’ve been taken care of and guided by a series of highly intelligent, highly empathetic, vulnerable, and authentic leaders. I have worked with the most brilliant minds who have taught me so much about psychology, research, innovation, and how to tell stories, how not to never be boring. I’ve built teams with the most ambitious, intelligent, and caring humans who have taught me so much about being a better leader through their honesty and talent. C Space is an impossible place to leave. Thank you to everyone at C Space and to the people I’ve worked with day in and day out: you have had such an impact on me. For anyone thinking about joining C Space, I’d recommend you stop. And you do it. You will never look back. It is the organisation to join to learn and thrive in the most caring AND demanding environment. I’m off to a new venture simply because I want to be in an uncomfortable place and stretch myself more. But it’s been a really hard decision to make, because C Space really is an impossible place to leave. Love you all.

Sometimes, there’s that one call, that one meeting, that one handshake that changes everything. I was lucky enough to have one of those moments in the last few months, and it’s revolutionized how I do business. In the past 25 years, I’ve hired thousands of people across dozens of companies. Some were good, some were bad, some were great. But only a few have been true game-changers. I’ve always respected Whit Norrad for and considered her a top-five talent in the automotive space. Usually, my expectations for people are sky-high (we set the bar high)… But in this case, they’ve been shattered. Rarely do you find someone so impactful that they change how you conduct business. God blessed me. By answering a single phone call, I’m now able to accelerate the velocity of my company. Whit, we are blessed to have you at Dealer Blue Sky Thank you. PS: For all you business leaders out there when you get the chance to have an All-Star on your team, your job is to give them the ball, let them run with it, and block for them.

Reflecting on the past 12 years of my professional journey feels like a rollercoaster ride filled with challenges, triumphs, and everything in between. From navigating the unprecedented challenges of COVID to the shifts between remote, hybrid, and in-person work, it's been a true test of adaptability. Let along Retention & Hiring During COVID??!! UGH. For the last 8 months, I landed back into the world of consulting, and let me tell you, it's pushed me beyond my wildest imagination. Dealing with instances of plagiarism, completing a consult & watching them use MY strategies' w/o contract , all while managing the complexities of mom life with 2 young sons & one of them being Neurodivergent, wife life, and being an integral part of my husband's growing business – it's been a lot on my plate.... But through it all, I've made incredible strides. Watching my clients' businesses grow and prosper has been immensely rewarding. To those who doubted, I say thank you; you've only fueled my determination. Challenges only make me go harder, and I'm here to prove that resilience triumphs over adversity. From being "Booked and Busy" to achieving the state of being "Paid & @ Peace," it's been a journey of learning, adapting, and always being in solution mode. Here's to continuous growth, new challenges, and the unwavering spirit that propels us forward. Cheers to the journey, the lessons, and the victories that lie ahead! 🥂💼

Get to know Soujit Ghosh, Practice Director, who recently joined us! Soujit, we are so thrilled to be working with you. What is your favorite part of your job? "Delivery and pre-sales is my favorite part however, there are other things, too. Always focus on positives instead of negative. I myself push harder with each project until it reaches success. I enjoy the challenge of solving complex problems as well as the sense of accomplishment that comes with finding a solution. I love the flexibility that comes with my work. I love that I can work from anywhere, especially when I travel." What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? "I am enjoying listening to songs and watching movies, reading books and mostly like to travel." What do you think are your best assets/strengths in your role? "I think my greatest assets/strength is my leadership quality; I am open-minded, detail-oriented, curious to know anything or learn anything with flexibility and I help motivate our teams." We look forward to great things, Soujit!