Hooray - I'm 50!

What an incredible time it's been! My husband completely surprised me. All I knew when we left at 5:30 AM on September 6 was that we were heading north, I needed hiking boots, and I'd never been there...

It was Bar Harbor, Maine, and Acadia National Park!

I didn't love the six-seater plane, but I'm alive and made it with some help from a prescription ?? We loved the walkability of Bar Harbor, and Acadia quickly became one of our favorite parks (and we’ve been to several!). I even had a “tour de Brussels Sprouts” with five days of different dishes—starting with the one named after me at Mookie's New York Deli in Cary.

One of the best gifts I’ve ever received was a video compilation from 17 friends sharing how I’ve impacted their lives. Cue the waterworks! It was 24 minutes of pure love, and _Lisa Veronica Wood created a 4-minute trailer for a quick pick-me-up when I need it—huge thanks to @Judith and @Elisabeth Galperin for organizing it all. Acts of Service are my love language; this was the ultimate gift.

In Bar Harbor, I was drawn to three pieces of art with such a strong emotional impact that I couldn’t stop thinking about them—even losing sleep! After a few days, I told Kevin I had to have them. It turns out I ruined his surprise—he was already planning to get them for me. I have no complaints; they've arrived in the mail and are on our walls!

Lisa and I spent a couple of days at the lake—walking, eating lemon cake, drinking coffee, and then watching our husbands perform with their band Medium Heat.

The birthday week ended with a bang at the High Vibe dance party and a recovery Sunday binge-watching Billions. Pro tip: I set my Alexa timer for 25 minutes to move while watching shows—stretching, foam rolling, or hula hooping keeps me from sitting too long.

The fun didn’t stop there. I also went solo to see Jewel and Melissa Etheridge in concert. I laughed, cried, and sang my heart out!

I also attended the Afrocare CLT Gala to raise money for the Work Meaningful Foundation, which is building a middle school in Ghana. I’m at 92% of my $3K goal—hugs to everyone who donated! If you’re feeling generous, give here.

What have I been up to work-wise? I’ve rescued 456 people from their inboxes and 379 from distractions as part of my Work Well Remotely program. I’m also helping a company reset its meeting culture . We champion asynchronous communication through Loom videos to avoid unnecessary meetings. Look out for an entire chapter on meetings in my next book, coming in 2025.

"Most speakers are pretty good through CPAacademy.org , but Marcey was amazing!! Including showing pictures of things she does to improve the WFH situation. Was able to take away many options for improvement." Lara Fett, Finance Manager/Auditor/Tax Manager (thanks, Lara!)

The Decline of Blogs & Rise of AI: my decision to stop writing

Are blog posts losing their impact in the AI age? I share my thoughts about SEO's shifting focus, the rise of zero-click searches, and how AI affects content creation. Power Tip: AI is like Botox. Too much, and it's unnatural and noticeable. AI should enhance, not replace, your voice when you write. Please don't leave it all up to AI.

GO DEEPER IN THE BLOG (2-min read)

GO DEEPER IN THE PODCAST (14-min)

Unwritten Book Summit

I’m part of an upcoming virtual event where 5 Experts Reveal Their #1 Tip for Writing a Business Boosting Book. We’ll talk about everything from what writing a book can do for your business to the best way to publish and promote your book.

JOIN HERE - https://the-pocket-phd.ck.page/4f3464af53

How to Be Awesome At Your Job podcast

I was SO excited to be interviewed by Pete Mockaitis for this well-known podcast where I talked about how to declutter work and life to make time for the things that truly matter.

LISTEN HERE

Thanks for reading!

Marcey