Have you ever considered how luck and timing impact your career? In this episode of True Stories at Work, meet Norah, who worked VERY hard but also showed up in the right place at the right time with the right skills.

From her serendipitous encounter at a smoothie shop to landing her first formal HR role at a bank during the 2008 financial collapse – she shares the moments that changed her career. We also discuss the challenges of office romance, return-to-work strategies, and how assuming positive intent could transform your workplace.

At the end, you’ll hear a workplace confession about the awkward moment when you accidentally send a text message complaining about a co-worker directly to that annoying co-worker, and how to recover if that ever happens to you.

From Smoothie Bar to HR Star: Luck, Timing and Hard Work

00:00 Introduction

02:14 About Norah

14:58 Norah’s Stories

30:39 Workplace Confession

40:14 Culture + Strategy Lab

40:48 Haiku for Norah

Resources

Curious about finding or being a good mentor + how to apologize, here are some links to get started:

What’s the Right Way to Find a Mentor?

The best way to apologize (according to science) (youtube.com)

Stories are what we remember and how we connect, so please share yours with me

Let’s talk about your people strategy

Tell a story!

Make a Workplace Confession

Host: Michelle Aronson

Editor: Bella Hutchins