Mary Šajfar’s Post

Meet Penny the Dust Bunny 🐰 Penny has been living rent-free under my couch and I am finally okay with that! In the past, I would have dismantled the entire living room to deal with this tiny intruder. Now? I’m happy to let Penny chill for a bit. Giving her a name helped 😂 Turns out, life doesn’t always need to be spotless, and not everything has to be perfect. Sometimes, good enough really is good enough. In my latest article, I talk about how embracing a little mediocrity can actually save your sanity. It's all about balancing excellence, mediocrity, and learning to let go. Let me know if you've got your own "Penny" hanging around! #SelfCare #Mediocrity #PerfectionIsOverrated #DustBunnyLife

Let's add the next layer - Me to Maven (ChatGPT): What are my biggest areas you see for improvement? 🤖 Here are a few areas that could be opportunities for growth based on our interactions: Balancing Boundaries with Helping Others: You genuinely care about assisting others, but you’ve mentioned frustration when people don’t respect your time or boundaries. This could be an opportunity to further refine how you set and enforce boundaries, ensuring your time and energy are protected without feeling like you need to sacrifice your desire to help. Finding ways to communicate those boundaries in a clearer, more assertive manner could prevent future frustration. Allowing Flexibility in Structure: While you are highly structured and strategic, there could be room to allow for more flexibility or spontaneity in how you approach projects or situations. Sometimes, over-structuring can limit creative solutions or cause unnecessary stress when things don’t go exactly as planned. Leaning into that adaptability, which you already exhibit in certain areas, could enhance your problem-solving and make space for unexpected opportunities. Managing the Weight of Responsibility: You seem to take a lot of responsibility for both your own work and for helping others. This can sometimes lead to a sense of being overwhelmed or carrying too much on your shoulders. Learning when and how to delegate or release responsibility for things outside your control could improve your work-life balance and reduce stress. Striking a Balance Between Empathy and Directness: While you value being direct and ensuring clarity, it can sometimes be a fine line between delivering important feedback and ensuring it's received constructively. There’s always room to refine communication so that it resonates more effectively with different audiences, especially when balancing directness with empathy. It's something you're clearly mindful of, but continuing to develop this skill could make an even stronger impact. Letting Go of Perfectionism: You have high standards for yourself and your work, which drive you toward excellence. However, sometimes those high expectations can lead to stress or frustration when things don't meet your ideal vision. Finding moments where you can embrace 'good enough' or allow for imperfection might free up mental space and give you more bandwidth for creative thinking or bigger-picture initiatives. 💡 (Interesting as I am currently writing an article about this) These areas aren’t about fundamental weaknesses, but rather about refining what you already do well. By finding ways to protect your energy, delegate responsibility, and strike that perfect balance between structure and adaptability, you’ll likely continue growing in your leadership and personal satisfaction.

Okay - I will play along. ChatGPT (Maven) proof-reads almost everything I write, so she has a lot of info about me lol. She named herself Maven for my account. Me: Based on your interactions with me, what can you tell me about myself? Please be candid. No false flattery. 🤖 From our interactions, a few key themes about your personality and approach to life stand out: Driven by Purpose and Precision: You value clarity and purpose in both your personal and professional endeavors. Whether it's crafting training materials, refining messaging, or contributing to strategic initiatives, you’re deeply invested in ensuring every piece aligns with a larger goal. You also emphasize detailed planning and structure, evident in your work on frameworks like ROE³ and the T.A.L.E.N.T. model. Leadership with Compassion and Directness: You have a strong focus on leadership, not just in terms of project management, but in nurturing the growth of those around you. Your approach is rooted in clarity, fairness, and directness. You recognize the power of empathy but also emphasize the importance of action, as seen in your distinction between empathy and compassion. You don’t shy away from hard truths, especially when it comes to accountability and communication, whether that’s in feedback for others or in self-reflection. Boundaries and Balance: While you genuinely want to help others and lead effectively, you're aware of the challenges of maintaining boundaries, particularly in situations where assistance is not respected. You also recognize the need for balance in your own life, from energy management throughout the week to personal growth in fitness and health. Continuous Improvement: You’re committed to improvement, both for yourself and those around you. This is reflected in your attention to feedback, refining processes like performance evaluations, and in how you tackle organizational or leadership challenges. You consistently seek to grow, learn, and adapt your approach. Pragmatic, But Open-Minded: You’re pragmatic and grounded in reality. Yet, you also remain open to creativity and adaptive thinking, whether it’s exploring new leadership styles, refining strategies like ROE³, or even creating playful content like the Cinnamon Toast Crunch bacon rating scale. This balance allows you to innovate while keeping your feet on the ground. Contradictory, Yet Clear: You describe yourself as a "walking oxymoron," which highlights your ability to hold opposing ideas in balance. You're flexible in approach, yet firm in purpose. You can be skeptical but promote new ideas; you seek humor and fun in life while being deeply serious about achieving excellence. In summary, you come across as a thoughtful leader with a strong sense of direction, constantly refining your craft while remaining authentic and true to your values. You're not afraid of hard work or difficult conversations but still manage to find ways to inject lightness and creativity into everything you do.

Hope to see you there tomorrow!

Does anyone else think 'amd' and 'thr' should be resolved by now? Or does this just happen to me? 🤣

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon by Hormel Foods – Yay or Nay? This morning, three official baconassuers (N, M, and A) tasted the much-debated Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon. Shoutout to Jay Jones for the tip-off—at first, we thought it was a scam. Turns out, it does exist…but after tasting it, we’re still debating if it should have! 😄 Check out our ratings and decide for yourself: Taste – How well do the cinnamon and bacon flavors complement each other? 😋 "Surprisingly Good" 😐 "Meh, not bad" 🤨 "What was that?" (N, M, A) 🤢 "No, thank you!" Texture – Is it crispy, chewy, or somewhere in between? 🦾 "Perfectly Crispy" 🧇 "Soft but Crunchy" 🍬 "Too Chewy" 🧻 "Rubbery and Sad" (N, M, A) Aroma – Does the smell make you want to devour it or run away? 🥰 "Heavenly!" 👃 "Smells Good" (M, A) 🤷♂️ "Barely There" 🥴 "Weird Combo" (N) Sweet vs. Savory Balance – How does it score on the sweet to salty scale? 🍭 "Sugar Overload" 🎯 "Perfect Balance" 🧂 "A Bit Too Savory" (N, M, A) for something advertised as cinnamon-flavored 🛑 "Who added cinnamon to my bacon?" Aftertaste – Does the flavor linger nicely or overstay its welcome? 🍩 "Sweet Finish" 🥓 "Classic Bacon Vibes" 🧠 "Confused Palate" 🚿 "Time to Cleanse" (N, M, A) Novelty Factor – Did it live up to the hype? 🎉 "Exceeded Expectations!" 🍴 "A Fun Try" 🧐 "Better in Theory" (N, M) 😬 "Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?" (A) In summary: while the bacon did exist, we’re still debating if it should have! A strange, chemical-like flavor that was supposed to be cinnamon left us puzzled. Taste was inconsistent, texture baffled us, and the cinnamon twist made us ask, “Why?” 😆 What do you think—are you brave enough to try it? Or did this review deter you? Note: Cooking it was a bit of a challenge. The ends wanted to burn while middle would not cook. Never had this issue with Hormel bacon before.

"Mary, how is it that your projects always seem to run so well?" Beyond years of Change Management trial and error, one of my secrets is the ROE³ framework. When I’m preparing a pitch for stakeholder approval, I don’t just focus on Return on Equity (ROE); I built something more comprehensive—ROE³ (shhh, no one else knows 😉). In my latest article, I break down ROE³, which includes: 💵 Equity: The financial investment in a project or initiative. 💡 Energy: The mental effort and decision-making involved. 🔧 Effort: The work required to bring the decision to life—beyond just the man hours projected. It's about making sure the resources and processes are sustainable and effective. Check out my article to see how evaluating these three elements upfront leads to smoother, more sustainable project success. 

Full-Time Volunteer Needed in Raleigh, NC for Disaster Relief Intake Center! (Part-time volunteers needed as well) Democracy Green's disaster relief operation is expanding, and we need your help! We're opening a new location in Raleigh to provide essential support for communities affected by recent disasters. We are seeking a Full-Time Volunteer to serve as the lead coordinator for this location for the foreseeable future. Responsibilities include: -Coordinating other volunteers -Managing driver deliveries -Coordinating with donors -Overseeing inventory and packaging logistics -Record keeping This is a full-time commitment, Monday to Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM (with flexibility for time off as needed). Once enough volunteers are in place, we will train others to assist in leadership roles to prevent burnout. Also, if you have a limited window (example 1 month), we could use you in the interim as we get more permanent plans in place. Current locations: -Hillsborough -Asheboro -Coming soon: Raleigh If you’re interested or know someone who might be, please reach out to me directly and I will get you connected!

Have you thanked a stocker today? I’ve worked fast food, retail, grocery, factories, and even crawled through high grass and windows to get to not-so-clean foreclosed homes. (That is its own story) I’ve done 12-hour swing shifts, lifting 30-50lb rolls of fiberglass at a rate of 150+ rolls per hour. But this week, I gained a new appreciation for those who stock our supply shelves every day. Me thanking the stockers at Walmart today was super awkward for them. Pretty sure they thought I’d escaped from an institution. 😂 But seriously, we owe a lot to the people doing these physically demanding jobs that often go unnoticed and are very underpaid. Here's a shout-out to the unsung heroes keeping the shelves stocked—without them, we’d all be lost!

🆘Looking for a Drop, Storage, and Shipping Location in Asheboro City Limits for Disaster Relief (please share this) SwatchWorks, a family owned business in Asheboro, NC, has been incredibly generous in donating space to Democracy Green, but with all of your amazing support, we’re running out of room! While we can stay at SwatchWorks as long as needed, we’re looking for a space that better suits our growing needs. Here’s what we’re looking for: -At least 1,000 square feet of clear space that’s easily accessible to large transfer trucks. More is better! -Ideally, the location would include a bay/loading dock for easier intake and shipment of donations. -We need space to receive, inventory, box, and store donated items until they’re ready to ship. -This is an ongoing effort, so we prefer a location where we won’t need to move often—ideally, a commitment through the end of the year. Please check https://lnkd.in/e6BBpqYA to verify we are an approved and verified disaster relief organization (PLEASE always verify where your money and donations are going!). If you or someone you know has a space that might work, please reach out! Your help would make a huge difference in supporting these relief efforts.