Filtra per genere
Hey, Marie-Claire here ~ Call me MC (ehmcey)! I was born and raised in Gabon in Central Africa, grew up immersed in both French and Gabonese cultures. I currently live in Montreal, Canada. From moving countries, across continents, traveling the world and navigating adulting (!!), my natural curiosity turned into a love for cultures, languages, food and people. In this space, I will share my career experiences, productivity hacks and maybe some personal bits(faith, travel, etc.) that you will hopefully relate to. Welcome and have a seat at the parley tree!
- 18 - Off-season: Ciao 2023! Hello 2024!
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
Happy New Year!!!! I am grateful we all made it to 2024 and I am equally excited about what the year has in store for us.
I am passing by to drop a few info:
Why I went AWOL in 2023 What I'll focus on in 2024 What you can expect on the podcast---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com --- Don't forget to subscribe ^^
And if you haven't written a 5-star review yet - don't be shy: it's painless and free!
Mon, 08 Jan 2024 - 10min - 17 - S03 E05: Rags to Riches Series 5/5 - How I bought a house!
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
Disclaimer:
The Kaizen Gal Podcast should not be taken as an investment or financial advice. I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend or intend to be one.
I am sharing what works for me, that is specific for me and for the stage of life that I am in.
--> Always make sure to do your own research and due diligence before making any investment or financial decision.
---
The goal of the Rags to Riches series is to share tips and habits I picked up in order to help me manage and automate my personal finances. Financial anxiety is real while scarcity mentality will hinder you from expanding the reach and ROI of your money. So here is my rags to riches story, except I am not that rich...yet ^^
---
There we go: the last episode of the series Rags to Riches!
Context: In early 2019, I started to think about taking a sabbatical year. To take a break from life.
My plan was to buy a house upon my return. Then the pandemic happened.
---
The last episode of the series is about BUYING A HOUSE.
There are a few things to know and think about, in my opinion, before even starting to look at houses:
- Where you stand regarding typical wealth ratio Where you can afford to go Reverse Engineer cost to budget AND budget to cost
This will lead you to ask yourself many questions. A sample of the ones I asked myself:
What is the ratio of my cost of housing against my budget? What is the ratio of my cost of housing against the cost of housing in my neighborhood? Where do I stand against benchmarks/recommendations of specific personal finances ratios: 1) Price to rent ratio and 2) Housing expenditure ratio What is the impact, over 5 years (the loan term I was looking for) and 25 years (the amortization period I was interested in) of putting down a 5% down payment VS. a 20% down payment on my 1) Monthly payments and 2) Short-term and long-term goals What is the minimum price of the house I can afford with my current lifestyle without making crazy sacrifices and/or altering my savings objectives?---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^ Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Mon, 11 Jul 2022 - 24min - 16 - S03 E04: Rags to Riches Series 4/5 - Travel Smarter!
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
Disclaimer:
The Kaizen Gal Podcast should not be taken as an investment or financial advice. I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend or intend to be one.
I am sharing what works for me, that is specific for me and for the stage of life that I am in.
--> Always make sure to do your own research and due diligence before making any investment or financial decision.
---
The goal of the Rags to Riches series is to share tips and habits I picked up in order to help me manage and automate my personal finances. Financial anxiety is real while scarcity mentality will hinder you from expanding the reach and ROI of your money.
So here is my rags to riches story, except I am not that rich...yet ^^
---
This is the4th and second to last episode on the series Rags to Riches: basically the story of habits I built that led me from being broke and in debt to being a homeowner and financially stable in 7 years.
The 1st episode of the series covered how to manage or pay down debt In the 2nd episode I talked about paying yourself first And in the 3rd one, I suggested ways to get the most out of the expenses you have make anywayThis episode is about TRAVELING.
I love to travel and I did not want to sacrifice it in order to save more money. For me, it’s about going at it strategically in order to enjoy it without breaking the bank. Main points:
- Ways to save money while traveling Tips for planning your trip Personal examples
---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^ Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Thu, 07 Jul 2022 - 38min - 15 - S03 E03: Rags to Riches Series 3/5 - Spend Smarter With Loyalty Programs!
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
Disclaimer:
The Kaizen Gal Podcast should not be taken as an investment or financial advice. I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend or intend to be one.
I am sharing what works for me, that is specific for me and for the stage of life that I am in.
--> Always make sure to do your own research and due diligence before making any investment or financial decision.
---
The goal of the Rags to Riches series is to share tips and habits I picked up in order to help me manage and automate my personal finances. Financial anxiety is real while scarcity mentality will hinder you from expanding the reach and ROI of your money.
So here is my rags to riches story, except I am not that rich...yet ^^
---
In the first 2 episodes of this 5 part series, I talked about paying yourself first and paying down debt (or like I like to say it “managing debt”).
The third episode of the series is about loyalty programs.
You see, I am part of numerous fidelity programs. Many of us are actually: reports say that North Americans have an average of 13.5 loyalty cards in their portfolio/wallet. Main points:
- A quick rundown of how they work (different ways to accumulate points or dollars, to spend or redeem those points/dollars, etc.) How to choose the right one My own experience
---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Mon, 04 Jul 2022 - 20min - 14 - S03 E02: Rags to Riches Series 2/5 - Pay Yourself First
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
Disclaimer:
The Kaizen Gal Podcast should not be taken as an investment or financial advice. I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend or intend to be one.
I am sharing what works for me, that is specific for me and for the stage of life that I am in.
--> Always make sure to do your own research and due diligence before making any investment or financial decision.
---
The goal of the Rags to Riches series is to share tips and habits I picked up in order to help me manage and automate my personal finances. Financial anxiety is real while scarcity mentality will hinder you from expanding the reach and ROI of your money.
So here is my rags to riches story, except I am not that rich...yet ^^
---
First and foremost, before diving into today’s episode, make sure you listen to the previous one on “paying and managing debt” and that you implement or at least understand what I suggested there.
The second episode of the series is about the importance of paying yourself first. You are your FIRST employee.
- Use different accounts for different types of transactions, or transactions of different purposes. Save for retirement! Invest, no matter how small. What matters is consistency and time, rather than temporary intensity. Set up an emergency fund For any plan or dream you have for the year, set up a separate automated transfer
Combining and revisiting my different accounts, I regularly save between 38% and 52% of my net income each month.
External factors may impact that % month over month but my savings ratio for the year is 41%.
---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Fri, 01 Jul 2022 - 32min - 13 - S03 E01: Rags to Riches Series 1/5 - Pay Down And Manage Debt
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
Disclaimer:
The Kaizen Gal Podcast should not be taken as an investment or financial advice. I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend or intend to be one.
I am sharing what works for me, that is specific for me and for the stage of life that I am in.
-->> Always make sure to do your own research and due diligence before making any investment or financial decision.
---
The goal of the Rags to Riches series is to share tips and habits I picked up in order to help me manage and automate my personal finances. Financial anxiety is real while scarcity mentality will hinder you from expanding the reach and ROI of your money.
So here is my rags to riches story, except I am not that rich...yet ^^
---
The first episode of the series sets the stage of my financial journey and briefly details my main tools, dare I say weapons, on that journey.
In a nutshell:
- Budget Negotiate Understand credit cards Track your expenses Set up an emergency fund Automate bill payments
The resources I mentioned in the episode
Patricia Bright’s Youtube episode about budget: https://youtu.be/CC5dXZYTO1A Patricia Bright’s budget template, if you’d rather pay for it than make it yourself: https://www.thebreakresources.com/products/budget-planner One Big Happy Life One Year Spending plan: https://onebighappylife.com/the-one-year-budget/ Steph & Dennis budget planner: https://stephandden.com/resources---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Tue, 17 May 2022 - 20min - 12 - S01 E03: I am burning out from university, what's next?
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
___
I share some personal experiences with burnout in work, school, and other professional and personal settings in life. We can often hold ourselves to unachievable or impossibly high standards, but there is a better way to navigate our goals and professional lives.
Main Points:
1:40 - My burnout 5:15 - Compulsion 13:50 - Fighting Compulsion___
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at: info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Tue, 29 Mar 2022 - 23min - 11 - S02 E08: Time Management Series 8/8 - Managing the unexpected
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
Today's episode is the 8th and last of the series on time and priorities management.
The goal of the series was to help you effectively prioritize and adopt consistent time management strategies. I will expand on these strategies but they include:
Learning to reconcile time management with that of your personal or professional environment Identifying your strengths and weaknesses and build a time management strategy adapted to your personality Optimizing time and energy management Maintaining and increase your credibility and control in managing demands and priorities.---
Today I want to talk about the root of all derailments : the unexpected.
In Agile project management, we call it “unplanned work”. Work that takes away resources from what was planned. And we try to mitigate the impact of these interruptions by planning provisions for it.
Life works the same way: however hard we try to manage our time, it always throws curveballs at us. So today I’ll give us ideas to help manage these curveballs and continue forward towards our goals.
Main Points:
Four skills to manage the unexpected – 1:10 Saying no – 3:15---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics, you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Fri, 06 May 2022 - 08min - 10 - S02 E07: Time Management Series 7/8 - 3 ways I messed up and 3 ways I'll improve!
A little interlude in the series on time and priorities management to explain how me being MIA for close to 10 days could have been (and will be) avoided in the future. God willing 🙏🏾
I messed up. Not a big life-and-death situation mess up but it is worth mentioning
....Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
Today's episode is the 7th of the series on time and priorities management.
The goal of the series is to help you effectively prioritize and adopt consistent time management strategies. I will expand on these strategies but they include:
Learning to reconcile time management with that of your personal or professional environment Identifying your strengths and weaknesses and build a time management strategy adapted to your personality Optimizing time and energy management Maintaining and increase your credibility and control in managing demands and priorities.---
Today’s topic is…a story time of how I failed at managing my time and energy well.
Because NOBODY, including me, gets time management right all the time. So today I will share three mistakes I have made around time management and how I intend to fix them; at least do better next time.
Main Points:
3 Mistakes – 0:30 3 Fixes – 9:27---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics, you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Sat, 30 Apr 2022 - 16min - 9 - S02 E06: Time Management Series 6/8 - A Few More Hacks to Organize Work
*** Note to self *** Do not record using your computer's microphone EVER again, the sound quality is so bad! Will keep using my phone from now on!
---
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
Today's episode is the 6th of the series on time and priorities management.
The goal of the series is to help you effectively prioritize and adopt consistent time management strategies. I will expand on these strategies but they include:
Learning to reconcile time management with that of your personal or professional environment Identifying your strengths and weaknesses and build a time management strategy adapted to your personality Optimizing time and energy management Maintaining and increase your credibility and control in managing demands and priorities.---
Today’s topic is specifically about tried-and-true hacks to organize work.
Much of our communication occurs over emails, phone or video calls for our work and school careers. I will share guidelines and ideas for organizing phone calls, emails, and meetings.
Main Points:
Managing emails – 3:10 Managing phone calls – 9:18 Managing In-Person Meetings – 12:35---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics, you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Mon, 18 Apr 2022 - 21min - 8 - S02 E05: Time Management Series 5/8 - Tactics to Organize Work
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
Today's episode is the 5th of the series on time and priorities management.
The goal of the series is to help you effectively prioritize and adopt consistent time management strategies. I will expand on these strategies but they include:
Learning to reconcile time management with that of your personal or professional environment Identifying your strengths and weaknesses and build a time management strategy adapted to your personality Optimizing time and energy management Maintaining and increase your credibility and control in managing demands and priorities.---
Today’s topic is specifically about the basics of time and priorities management.
Organizing work is tough, as our host can tell you from experience. However, not doing so can lead to more inconveniences down the road. Today we can learn how to organize our work and manage our time effectively.
Main Points:
Introduction – 0:26 5 Things to Organize Work – 2:37 Supporting Principles (rhythm, time, guilt) – 8:36---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Sat, 16 Apr 2022 - 20min - 7 - S02 E04: Time Management Series 4/8 - Down with Procrastination!
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
The goal of the series on time and priorities management is to help you effectively prioritize and adopt consistent time management strategies. I will expand on these strategies that include:
Learning to reconcile time management with that of your personal or professional environment Identifying your strengths and weaknesses and build a time management strategy adapted to your personality Optimizing time and energy management Maintaining and increase your credibility and control in managing demands and priorities.---
So far, we’ve tackled the basics of time management and how to channel them into your time planning and your prioritization process. Today’s topic is about the killer of all that hard work: PROCRASTINATION.
I share 12 ways to fight procrastination in our efforts to pursue our goals. It is very difficult to stay on top of our busy schedules, but there are ways we can motivate ourselves to complete our tasks and achieve our goals without putting them off.
Main Points:
What is procrastination? - 0:49 The styles of procrastination - 1:32 2 things happen during procrastination - 4:12 12 Procrastination tips - 5:32---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Sun, 10 Apr 2022 - 22min - 6 - S02 E03: Time Management Series 3/8 - Prioritization Tips
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
Today's episode is the third of the series on time and priorities management.
The goal of the series is to help you effectively prioritize and adopt consistent time management strategies. I will expand on these strategies but they include:
Learning to reconcile time management with that of your personal or professional environment Identifying your strengths and weaknesses and build a time management strategy adapted to your personality Optimizing time and energy management Maintaining and increase your credibility and control in managing demands and priorities.---
Today’s topic is specifically about the basics of time and priorities management.
We have many responsibilities calling our attention. There are many urgent and important things we need to accomplish in any given day, week or month. Learning to prioritize these responsibilities is key, and there are many methods that will help us do just that.
Main Points:
Introduction – 0:45 What is Prioritization? – 3:01 4 questions to consider when prioritizing – 4:30 Importance vs. Urgency – 5:56 Your priorities will get challenged every day – 10:48---
I hope this will help you to effectively establish your priorities and stick to them.
Here is the link to the Linkedin article by Michele Romanow (the co-founder and CEO of Clearco): https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-things-i-always-say-michele-romanow/ - She explains how she applies “value-based prioritization” to define her personal list of things she doesn’t do. There’s a great article on Mind Tools that elaborates on the difference between Importance and Urgency: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_91.htm---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Thu, 07 Apr 2022 - 14min - 5 - S02 E02: Time Management Series 2/8 - Planning Strategies
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
I just noticed how tired I sound. Yes, it is 12:30AM. I think (I hope!) I still manage to somewhat English well. Hopefully, you still get value out of this episode!
---
The goal of the series on time and priorities management is to help you effectively prioritize and adopt consistent time management strategies. I will expand on these strategies that include:
Learning to reconcile time management with that of your personal or professional environment Identifying your strengths and weaknesses and build a time management strategy adapted to your personality Optimizing time and energy management Maintaining and increase your credibility and control in managing demands and priorities.The first episode of the series about priorities and time management was about the basics:
In a nutshell:
- Stop and reflect Organize Take action
---
Today’s topic is specifically about thePLANNING part.
I cover ways to plan for our long term and short term goals by breaking them down and compartmentalizing them into more manageable plans/tasks/goals. And how this plays out into a monthly and daily planning.
Main Points:
Time Management summary - 0:32 What is planning? - 0:56 The 2 timelines - 5:25---
Knowing where you are going Anticipating obstacles to achieving your goals - don’t be overly optimistic Prioritizing the tasks to be done Setting your schedule
What does PLANNING mean in the first place?In summary
- You have to be ruthlessly realistic about the resources you need in order to accomplish your goals. Whether it is time, other people’s inputs or material, do not be overly optimistic but rather adjust and plan a minimum of 1.5 what you think you’d need. Don’t forget that other people are not at your disposal either so notify them ahead of time regarding what you’ll need from them and when!
---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Mon, 04 Apr 2022 - 15min - 4 - S02 E01: Time Management Series 1/8 - Back to Basics
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
Today's episode is the first of a series on time and priorities management.
The goal of the series is to help you effectively prioritize and adopt consistent time management strategies. I will expand on these strategies that include:
Learning to reconcile time management with that of your personal or professional environment Identifying your strengths and weaknesses and build a time management strategy adapted to your personality Optimizing time and energy management Maintaining and increase your credibility and control in managing demands and priorities.---
Today’s topic is specifically about the basics of time and priorities management.
Managing our to-dos with the constant bombardment of interruptions and distractions is difficult, but there are ways we can find balance between completing our tasks and being present for our friends and family.
Main Points:
Goals of time management series - 0:52 Basics of time management - 2:00 3 diagnosis questions to ask yourself - 13:35---
Our time is not a commodity and we must know how to fight against the culture of urgency by taking the time to stop and
analyze your reaction and change your reflexes take a step back and refocus on the right prioritization techniques not to let the ambient confusion reach us and confuse usTime management is a matter of attitude, analysis and behavior.
Managing your time well is first and foremost a question of attitude. It is a state of mind that consists of thinking, analyzing and understanding your tasks, projects and objectives and constantly re-evaluating your planning.
---
Ask yourself these 3 diagnosis questions and really think them through:
Do you take time each day to think about what you are doing or what you are going to do during the day compared to what you are trying to accomplish? Are you able to reduce recurring interruptions in your work periods? Whether it's from colleagues, family or your phone. Are you able to say no without feeling guilty? If so, congratulations.If not, why not? What compels you say YES to others and NO to your goals?
---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Wed, 30 Mar 2022 - 19min - 3 - S01 E02: Bring your Vision to Fruition
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
___
Today I want to talk about Vision and Fruition, in line with Performance Fatigue and Perspectives.
I will guide you through the process of identifying and building your personal vision. It can be difficult to find our visions in life, but learning to see what brings us joy and purpose can help us better understand our vision and actively pursue it.
Main Points:
1:04 What is a Vision? 2:45 How to Build a VisionA few takeaways:
According to the Harvard Business Review, “vision” is an aspirational picture of future success. Vision is out of reach but not out of sight. Don’t confuse “vision” with:
“mission”/PURPOSE = why an organization exists, “values” = the principles and moral beliefs by which the organization chooses to operate, or "strategy" = the decisions about where and how to compete that bring a vision to life___
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have any question or comment, email me at: info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Mon, 28 Mar 2022 - 14min - 2 - S01 E01: Performance Fatigue & Perspectives
Welcome back to the Kaizen Gal Podcast!
---
The pandemic required all of us to make some major adjustments, especially when it came to the change in work and employment.
Today, I am discussing how these changes may have led to an increase in performance fatigue and how you can keep your mental health up at work.
Main Points:
1:27 - Burnout 6:34 - Bondage to Your Goals 9:27 - Mental RestAre you in bondage to your goals? Addicted to productivity? What does it even all mean?
Here are a few tips your productive self won't like but we all need to be reminded that running on empty is not a lifestyle. The complete opposite actually.
A productive lifestyle also means embedding self-care (mental, social, physical, etc.) into your schedule. It is critical. The same way we're told that we should pay ourselves first, well when we plan our time, we should plan for ourselves first. You might be among the people able to push themselves to the limit but hitting the limit does not need to be the ultimate timestamp for rest.---
Want to learn more? Take a seat!
If you have questions or topics you'd like me to address, email me at: info@thekaizengal.com
Don't forget to subscribe ^^
Last but not least leave your a 5-star review anywhere you're listening to this podcast.
Wed, 23 Mar 2022 - 14min - 1 - Introduction to the Kaizen GalSun, 20 Mar 2022 - 04min
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