He knows people.  He knows what makes people happy and satisfied in their professional and personal lives.  And he knows how to help people reach inside to reach up to that level of happiness and satisfaction.

Through his complementary websites – Pittsburgh Career Coach and Future Design Studio – Neal offers a unique blending of personal counseling, professional networking, and holistic engagement that brings his clients to a new and higher plateau of peace, contentment, and fulfillment.  Because when it comes to improving the lives of his clients, there’s one thing everyone agrees upon.

Neal Griebling knows.

When I first begin working with clients, I find many of them worried sick about their finances. While such worry is understandable, if left inchecked, it sharply hinders their ability to engage with the Life-Work Discovery process.

So I ask them if they have a financial advisor. While most have IRAs and many have investments, I’m astounded to learn they do not have a financial advisor. Some say they have one, but have not consulted him or her for years! I then ask my clients to collect and review all of their  financial information and to put together a personal/family budget.

Throughout the years, I have been fortunate to have met a number of financial planners with whom I’ve developed relationships and find to possess the highest integrity. I give my clients a short list of advisors and tell them meet with several. That first consultation is free. In almost all instances, they come away with renewed hope and strategies for managing their finances.

If you have been downsized, are worried about your fiancial situation, and lack a trusted advisor, don’t hesitate to contact me. I can provide you with my short list of individuals who possess  the compassion and competence to address your concerns.

Mark Sullivan is a dear friend and a fine attorney who cares deeply about people in general and his clients in particular.  I continue to be amazed at how some employers treat their employees during and following the termination process. After meeting with a string of prospective clients who had been so treated, I asked Mark to put together an article on what employees should be aware of when facing a termination.

Mark has written a very cogent and informative article that will soon appear on this website’s Special Reports page. Please check it out and tell your friends. It should be must reading for any employee or job seeker. Stay tuned for the report. Mark can be reached at 412-415-5202 or mark@sullivanservices.com.

Many people come to me burned out in their present careers. They may want to get off the demanding fast track of corporate life. They may want to leave a nonprofit organization and sign on with an entrepreneurial start up. They may want to start a consulting practice or buy a franchise business of their own. Any of these transitions inolves trade off decisions.  No career is without its particular challenges.

A minority of these clients ultimately opt to stay in their current career. Why? They have a limited toleration for risk and ambiguity. Their choice is not a matter or right or wrong. They simply feel more comfortable staying with the known, even if that path is filled with boredom, frustration or whatever brought them to my door. They are making the right decision for themselves and we proceed to find them a company or organization where there is a better fit for their personalities and skill sets.

With those who choose to break away from their current career, however, I find these individuals are willing to embrace change and take calculated risks. Moreover, the are willing to fail! Their urge to identify and find a career they love is stronger than their fear of failure. I help them create a robust vision of the new career, counseling them to take on only so much risk as they can comfortably handle. (No jumping off of cliffs or tall buildings, mind you!)

A glowing example is Rick Behr. Rick was a driver for a company that dispensed bathroom supplies to comercial business establishments. However, for the past nine years, Rick worked as a massage therapist with a small but devoted number of clients. Rick applied for loans to bankroll his massage practice, but was unable to secure financing in this difficult financial climate. Undaunted, he quit his day job, partnered with a another massage therapist and launched his full time massage practice. Although he has only been practicing full time for several months, he is already acquiring many clients. Rick is a master therapist and his clients are singing his praises throughout Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. He faced his fears, took a risk and it’s paying off. To schedule a massage with Rick, please call 412-956-7415.

When I work with clients, I’m continually amazed by how creative many of them are. Yet these same individuals often don’t think they are creative at all! They think that creativity means coming up with original ideas or finding a cure for cancer. I must remind them that creativity takes many forms. I take them through a specific exercise where they must identify the many facets of creativity and how many of these facets resonate within them.

When we study the work of artists, writers, and sculptors, for example, we find they tap into their intuition to find the source of their ideas that enable them to create. Many people believe there is a universal storehouse of creative ideas and impulses which those dedicated to the Artist’s Way are able to access. Jung, for example, spoke of a Collective Unconscious which he believed served as just such a storehouse. I personally believe that most people can draw upon this rich resource and employ it in their daily lives. We don’t have to be artists per se; rather, we just need to trust in an inner power, whether we call it intuition, our unconscious, or a Collective Unconscious, and draw upon it to design our own lives and careers.

I admire the thought and writing of New York Times columnist David Brooks immensely. While he eschews easy labels, he probably would not object if the public viewed him as a conservative. His writing for the Times is a well considered blend of reflection, balance, and  realism. You may not necessarily agree with him, but he will make you think and encourage you to let go of your knee-jerk responses to complex issues.

In a recent article, Brooks brought some measure of sanity to the fierce argument going on between diverse economists regarding what to do to improve the nation’s sluggish economy and create more jobs. He identifies the two warring camps:  those who favor additional stimulus spending and those who want to significantly cut spending to reduce historic debt levels. Brooks is wary of additional stimulus spending. He correctly ponts out that we don’t know how many jobs would have been lost without stumulus spending. The stimulus did pump up job creation in the public sector but the private sector’s response was tepid at best. Within that sector a lack of confidence in the value of stimulus spending was pervasive. It remains so today.

What to do? Given the political divide between Democrats and Republicans, Brooks advocates a limited course of action for the short term:

• First, extend UC benefits “because that’s a foolish place to begin budget balancing.”
• Second, provide federal money only to those states who provide evidence of balanced budgets and strategies ”that will reduce spending and pension commitments.”

Brooks summarizes his position in a typcially balanced way: “Don’t be arrogant. This year don’t engage in reckless new borrowing or reckless  new cutting. Focus on the fundamentals. Cut programs that don’t enhance productivity. Spend more on those that do.

Brooks believes our political system does have “the ability to lay some foundations for long-term growth and stability.”

On this past Sunday’s New York Times op-ed page, Paul Krugman makes a persuasive case for extending UC benefits for the nation’s unemployed. On the face of it, this would seem to be a no brainer. Stimulus dollars are running out, thereby undermining support for job creation in the public sector. Private sector job creation is tepid. There are five unemployed workers for every job opening. The case for extending UC benefits would seem to be very clear. Yet the divisive political climate has made case-making a much more difficult task, with even centrist Democrats clearly worried about running up more government debt. That’s why it was heartening to read Krugman’s thoughtful response.

To a key question: Do UC benefits reduce the motivation for the jobless to continue their search. Krugman cites recent economic research that indicates UC benefits have far less impact on job seeker motivation than previously believed; in good economic times worker reluctance to pursue jobs is a big problem; in the current economic climate it has far less impact given the enormous loss of jobs during the current Great Recession.

Weak consumer demand contributes to a weak economy because it limits job growth.  Extending UC benefits puts money into the pockets of the unemployed and thereby increases consumer demand because the target audience is able to purchase more goods. Extending benefits is actually a very cost effective stimulus. Allowing benefits to lapse now is actually a prescription for further job loss.

Will extending benefit raise the deficit? Yes, Krugman concedes but, again only slightly. In his view, it’s a small price to pay to ward off a deeper recession that could further extend the current joblessnes rate for another 30 months or more. He asks centrist Democrats to put aside their fears and join their liberal friends in the party to override Republican rhetoric and pass new legislation to extend the much needed UC benefits.

In my last post, I mentioned I’m holding a Spring Fling. Let me expand on why it would make good sense for you to attend.

• You will find the latest products and services available through Future Design Studio.
• You will learn how to make Social Media Networking work for you.
• If you are looking for work, you will meet potential employers.
• If your are looking to grow your business, you will meet both prospective clients and valuable business resource consultants.
• If you are looking to meet some of the most creative people in Pittsburgh, you will meet them there.

Join us for wine and cheese at 7:00 pm at the Chatham Village Clubhouse, Monday, April 19th. To reserve your place, please contact Linda Schumacher at linda@adminhelpnow.com.

Spring has sprung! It’s time for a Spring Fling!

I’m hosting just such an event and I’m inviting Pittsburgh Creatives: those friends, clients, business asoociates and others who are designing innovative careers, producing exciting new products, and offering services of the highest quality. The event will be held 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Monday, April 19th at the Chatham Village Clubhouse, 655 Pennridge, Pittsburgh, PA 15211 on Mt. Washington.

The agenda:

• New developments at Future Design Studio — Neal Griebling, 10 minutes
• Making the Most of Social Media Marketing — Jennifer Stockdale, 10 minutes
• Open networking with wine, chees and soft drinks

Please register as space is limited. Contact Linda Schumacher at linda@adminhelpnow.com to reserve your space.

I hope to see you there!

While there are a number of indicators that the economy is recovering, we know that job creation is the last indicator to turn around. However, there are still jobs to be found in The Hidden Job Market. The committed job seeker must learn to penetrate that market to idenfity opportunities that are not posted on the Internet. But I encounter so many people who are blocked in their search efforts. In some instances, it’s a lack of information. In others, it’s a matter of fear and resistance. How long has it been since you received that dreaded pink slip? What strategies are you using in your campaign? What are the biggest challenges you face? Please contact me and schedule a free no-obligation session where I can learn more about you and share how I work with clients. Also, please consider purchasing my special report “What’s Holding You Back?”  It may provide that little push to get you back on track!