Business Development

The U.S. job market is experiencing significant shifts, with steady employment gains counterbalanced by widespread layoffs and government workforce reductions. Recent data shows resilience in private-sector job growth, yet federal buyouts and agency restructuring are affecting thousands of workers. Job seekers and professionals navigating these changes must stay informed about industry trends, workforce reductions, and […]

By Stephanie Renk, MBA, CPCC, CERW, CPRW   The U.S. labor market closed out 2024 with impressive growth, signaling continued economic resilience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest report released on January 10, 2025, the economy added a remarkable 256,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in December, far surpassing economists’ expectations of 155,000. This growth […]

Seven years ago last month, my brand was born – with a dream and a crappy clipart barbell to signify helping people “shape their careers.” It was as literal a brand as any former engineer could develop. While it makes a great joke now, that clip art logo launched Career Benders into the world. It […]

Happy 2025! We made it!  We’ve reflected, renewed our commitments, and set new goals for the coming year, but I have one more challenge to throw at you as you plan for the next 365 days of business growth.  How will you innovate this year?  Goals are great, but pushing yourself is even better. We’re […]

I was recently having dinner with my wife at a high-end ramen restaurant, and it struck me how much my life had changed. Back in college, I, like many others, lived off of $5/1 packets of ramen. While I’ve since learned that I need to live off more than sodium and starch, the lesson that […]

My business model is going to change dramatically in 2025. Not because of the economy or artificial intelligence or the new administration or the increasingly large number that defines my chronological age. My perspective has changed, and I need a business model that supports it. The old one is a coffee-stained T-shirt that I adore, […]

In any managerial space, there’s going to be talk about change. Sometimes this is recognizing the fear of it that many people hold, but more often, the common wisdom is that organizations need to evolve or die. Organizations set up entire departments for the purpose of facilitating change – as well as buying books, putting […]

It’s often said that we’re the average of the five people we spend the most time with. While not based on science, there is some social truth to the influence of those we surround ourselves with, especially as entrepreneurs, career coaches, and résumé writers who impact others’ lives.  Let’s face it, while we excel at […]

Two months to go in 2024!  Did that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up!? With 61 days to go until the new year, we’ve got a great opportunity to reflect and set ourselves up for success in 2025.  Our clients have performance reviews to prepare for and résumé to update, […]

Let’s face it. Life moves at the speed of light these days, and if you’re a business owner, it can feel like it’s moving even faster. Patience may seem like a luxury you can’t afford, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The Rarity of Patience in Modern Business Why do we lack patience? […]

I find it fascinating that so often people will come up with a great idea or product, put all of this time and effort and consideration into making it the absolute best that it can be…and then they watch it fail because they never gave it a good name. And I don’t mean that they […]