The art of negotiating

By Sara Orellana   Like many, the art of negotiation is honed skill I had to learn. As a young entrepreneur, I worried that if I negotiated for a higher salary or something I wanted, it seemed as though I was ungrateful and/or I would lose the offer.

The not-so-dreaded tax season?

Tax season is upon us! And whether you do your taxes yourself or work with a CPA, accountant or bookkeeper, we are all facing one daunting task: organizing files. We know organization is key, and having a well-designed system makes tax season as easy as possible on everyone involved.

Investing in your work & yourself

By Sara Orellana   I was about 35 when I learned a very cold truth about the professional world: You can invest all of yourself into a job, devote 40+ hours each week, and give everything you have, only to learn that you are replaceable.

Conveying assertiveness

By Sara Orellana   As a woman in business, it is not easy to be assertive. The glass ceiling is as present as ever. As a professional who prefers to be direct, I am often seen as unemotional – a point that could not be farther from the truth.

Public officials should embrace transparency

We shouldn’t have to remind Oklahoma’s public officials about transparency in government. But every year, we have to. Every year, despite the pledges of transparency from many of those seeking office, our state takes another step backward when it comes to open records and public meetings.

Onboarding Employees

By Sara Orellana   How strong is your onboarding experience? Do you have one? Save these answers for just a minute. Think back to one of your first jobs. Maybe it was waiting tables in college or working as a pharmacy technician. How strong was the onboarding experience?

Finding positive solutions

By Sara Orellana   Challenges, problems and roadblocks at work can make me feel overwhelmed, and sometimes question decisions I have made. I mean, if I was where I was supposed to be, working in the field I was destined to find, or following my passion, I wouldn’t be facing so many challenges.

Creating Simple Strategies

By Sara Orellana   Have you ever faced a task at work that was so large, you had no idea where to start? And as you pondered your starting point, some smart mouth reminded you that you eat an elephant one bite at a time. I hate that saying.

If 1989 Oklahoma House episode is any indication, McCarthy’s issues with dissidents are just starting

OKLAHOMA CITY — A harbinger of what awaits newly elected U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy occurred 32 years ago in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

A New Approach to Marketing

By Sara Orellana   Marketing is continuously evolving.  In my years of owning a business, I have developed and tried more marketing strategies than I care to mention. I have read countless books, reviewed data, and tried every trend out there to discover ‘the secret.