Where you live shapes more than just your daily routine—it influences your happiness, health, and overall quality of life. In this guest post, Mackenzie Cottles from the Shoals Economic Development Authority (Shoals EDA) explores how remote work has opened the door to choosing lifestyle over location. If you’re weighing the decision between returning to an office in a place that doesn’t feel like home or working remotely in a community that truly fits your values, what would you choose? The right move could lead to a more balanced, fulfilling life.
When you think of a sabbatical from work, what comes to mind? I took a few minutes to write the first words that came to my mind. They were: breather, time off, soul rest, work-life balance and creative restoration. As the newest member of the Horizon Point team, I was not as familiar with the term sabbatical like the rest of the ladies. Rumor has it that in 2021 everyone was on Mary Ila’s back porch in a Monthly Mingle meeting, distracted, busy and burned out. A couple of our team members had been to the hospital with chest pains,
Last week I joined Mary Ila at the AARC Annual Conference and had the opportunity to speak to leaders about recruiting and retaining talent in today’s workforce. Recruiting has changed drastically over the last few decades, from candidates having to convince an organization why they’re the best person for the job, to organizations having to convince candidates why they’re the best company to work for. Candidates today aren’t just interested in the money, but are looking at the employer’s overall Employee Value Proposition (EVP) or what the company can offer them that makes them an employer of choice. An EVP
I’m speaking today at AARC’s Annual Conference. We’ve had the privilege of speaking at this annual conference for the last several years. We love all of the Regional Council on Governments and Planning Commissions that partner with us across the state. As I speak on “Leading in the New Normal,” I’m reminded of all that has shaped this “new normal”. Shifts in the economy and technology, the pandemic, generational differences. Even Surgeon General’s warnings. But as I begin to unpack these influences imparting a new workplace paradigm, has leadership gotten easier or has it gotten harder? Most would say
As I take in my daily dose of news fed to me via email by the New York Times on Saturday, August 31, I’m surprised to see the title: Opinion: Surgeon General: Parents Are at Their Wits’ End. We Can Do Better. Saturday’s Times email blast usually features a more lighthearted piece, especially on a holiday weekend. But as I opened the article, I couldn’t help thinking, “No sh*t!” to what the Surgeon General was saying. You see, I have literally just cleaned up sh*t (Or wait, was it vomit?) off the floor of our bathroom as child number two