#MakingChoices

May 24, 2019
2 min

Detours: Short Cuts or the Long Way?

I got a message from a friend this AM saying that the one of the main roads that I use to take my children to school was closed due to an accident. She recommended I take a different route. I was glad that for the heads-up and was able to shift my plans and get my girls to school on time. However, on the way home I decided to get SMRT (and yes, I’ve spelled that correctly) [1], in part due to curiosity and in part due to wanting the most direct, quickest route home, so I deci

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Blowing away the winter blues | Get cozy & explore HIP’s top 5 blogs of 2018

Angie McLeod

Feb 21, 2019
2 min

Blowing away the winter blues | Get cozy & explore HIP’s top 5 blogs of 2018

If you are finding yourself cocooned in your house because of the winter wonderland that has descended upon us, now is a great time to explore some of our favourite blog posts from 2018. So cozy up with your tea, a blanket, and your computer and enjoy. Our Top 5 Blogs of 2018 are definitely worth a read, if you haven’t already, or a second look through if you have! #1) A leap of faith: from scarcity to abundance for non-profits What if we thought it terms of abundance … that

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Balance: Make Choices, Manage Expectations

Angie McLeod

Dec 26, 2018
3 min

Balance: Make Choices, Manage Expectations

As an entrepreneur and mother of two, I’ve occasionally complained that my life is out of balance; that I’m either doing so much family stuff that my business isn’t getting the attention it needs, or vice-versa and business is overshadowing family. After 15 years of this—and of hearing it from others in the community—I wonder if we are speaking less about “balance” and more about aligning our choices and expectations with our core values. After all, we make decisions about ho

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Non-Profits Can’t Make Profits | A Challenge: Rethink to see the bigger picture

Angie McLeod

Oct 1, 2018
3 min

Non-Profits Can’t Make Profits | A Challenge: Rethink to see the bigger picture

Working with non-profit leaders is rewarding and invigorating. It feeds my soul. These are my people. They are driven by their hearts and are passionate about serving others. We share many of the same values. Over the two decades (oops, I think that is creeping up on three now) that I’ve been working with non-profits, I’ve noticed that they are focused on serving those who mostneed their help. As a result, they can fail to see the bigger picture: that their services are of va

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Angie McLeod

May 16, 2017
2 min

The truth about "found time"

What is an entrepreneurial woman to do when suddenly faced with an evening free of children’s sporting activities? Write a blog post of course! I say this tongue-in-cheek, but it is the reality that I face—and that many of my colleagues face as well. We need to make the most of “found time” to build our businesses, expand our connections, and strategize about our next steps. Somehow, the ball field—as much as I love watching my daughters play—isn’t the right place for these a

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Angie McLeod

Apr 27, 2017
3 min

Can balance be achieved?

Balance. It’s elusive. It was elusive when I worked in the mainstream workforce, before I had children. Now, as an entrepreneur with two young daughters who play sports all year long, achieving balance is still a continual work in progress. Prior to launching my business, I’d dabbled in part-time entrepreneurial adventures. And I knew that one day I wanted to be an independent business consultant. Then in 2003, faced with a daughter going to daycare for 11 hours a day and a j

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Angie McLeod

Apr 4, 2017
2 min

What Batman taught me about business

Creativity. Fun. Laughter. All are easy to lose in the day-to-day-busy-ness of our lives, particularly when we are entrepreneurs juggling our business and our family obligations. However, I’m here to tell you that we need more creativity, more fun, and more laughter. Rarely do we take time to slow down, breathe, and take a moment to explore something a little different; something that might make us smile, giggle, or actually snort. There is great value in laughing so hard you

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Angie McLeod

Mar 2, 2017
2 min

Spring into Action

The crocuses are blooming in my yard. After a February filled with snow and cold weather, I am, as usual, grateful to see the first signs of spring. It reminds me that seeds are germinating and new growth is sure to come. In my business as well, changes are coming… I am currently wrapping up a long-term contract. While I know that I will miss the community leaders with whom I have had the honour of working and the direct work I’ve been doing with my community, I am looking fo

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The tug-of-war between the heart and the mind

Angie McLeod

Feb 17, 2017
2 min

The tug-of-war between the heart and the mind

February has been all about leading with love: Family Day, Valentines Day, Random Acts of Kindness Day. But it isn’t all about hearts, love, and kindness… with February 22nd being World Thinking Day, it’s also about using our minds to get things done. As a woman, I carefully balance the many roles that I play: mother, wife, friend, daughter, business owner, volunteer, etc. I get tugged this way, and that way – often with in the space of 10 minutes. I am constantly strivin

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Angie McLeod

Sep 8, 2016
2 min

Avoiding the podcast rabbit hole.

I’d started this blog post with the intent of finding 5 podcasts that I could recommend to you. What I determined after listening to a wide variety of different hosts, conversations, and topics, was that choosing my top 5 podcasts – while it might help you get to know me and my preferences – wasn’t going to be of great value to you as it’s all so personal. And on top of that, there are tons of great articles already available online that showcase great podcasts. Why create

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Angie McLeod

Aug 9, 2016
2 min

Is opting out ever the answer?

I recently made a promise to myself … I promised not to “opt out” and take the easy road when it came to developing my business and moving ahead towards my personal and professional goals. I promised not to “opt out” just because I was faced with having to stretch my comfort zone to move up to the next level; and, because my actions are not bringing results to me as quickly as I’d like (even though my progress is aligned with my five year plan!). Let me explain what I mean by

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Angie McLeod

Aug 6, 2016
3 min

Simplify: habits and follow-through.

When I started writing this article it was going to be about simplifying our work processes so that we could streamline our day to day work. I was going to give you a list of 10 tips and techniques to help you streamline your processes. BOOOORING and DONE! As I sat here looking at my desk pondering what to write, I realized that controlling my clutter on my desk was probably the best way to simplify my workload. I try hard not to collect paper. Really I do, but I’m like a

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Route finding in business: redefine your path and get to your goal.

Angie McLeod

Jul 6, 2016
3 min

Route finding in business: redefine your path and get to your goal.

In my mid- to late- twenties, I was part of a volunteer search and rescue ground crew on Vancouver Island. As someone who loved being outdoors and who wanted to learn new skills – and connect with others who shared my love of being outside – it was a perfect blend of volunteering and expanding on my knowledge base. A core element of any ground search and rescue training program in BC is learning how to read and use topographical maps to chart your path from point A to point

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Angie McLeod

Jun 13, 2016
2 min

Maintaining an opportunity mindset

Part 2 of 2 Following up on some seeds planted in the last blog post, I want to continue to explore the idea of requirement versus opportunity mindset that Scott Geller proposed in his TED Talk “The psychology of self-motivation.” The question that I want to reflect on is what strategies and habits can I put in place to keep myself in an opportunity mindset? After all, I now know that I am more energized and more driven when that is how I look at the work I do. So knowing th

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Angie McLeod

Mar 21, 2016
1 min

No more negative nelly

It’s 4:15 AM and I can’t sleep. I’m tired, but my brain is spinning… working out details for an upcoming event, worrying about whether or not it will get the uptake it deserves. My internal voice – let’s call her NELLY – is being negative and doubtful. And I’m being proactive. I’ve listened to what NELLY has to say… and I’ve replied to her ever so helpful comments: “Thank you for your thoughts and contributions, but I’m going to stay positive; I’m going to be proactive and

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Angie McLeod

Mar 2, 2016
2 min

Living life in the "uncomfortable" zone

For me spring is a time of renewal. A time when the seeds (or in my case ideas) that I’ve planted throughout the year… begin to take root and flourish. Like many entrepreneurs, I have lot’s of ideas. The challenge isn’t in coming up with them; it’s in nurturing them until they have time to take root, grow, and eventually blossom. This spring is no different. I’ve been planting seeds and inviting others to help me nourish these ideas since last fall when I set out to build

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Angie McLeod

HIP Strategic Consulting

Review > Revise > Revitalize