About The Blog.
I started writing late in life. I was 40 years old and an Associate Partner at IBM. I felt an extreme need to let the voices out of my head and wrote a 5-part series on LinkedIn I called “The IBM Seduction”. The response was so satisfying that during a sabbatical I took from my corporate career a few years later, in 2018, I created The Voices Collection.
It’s literally a collection of voices. Mostly mine. About my travels and my experiences and my passion for discovering places and people. About my career and about the leadership I thrive for. It’s a creative experiment, where I practice what I preach. It’s a place where I showcase my purpose: to be the facilitator of experiences that connect and boost people’s lives.
And others have also lended their voice. Because we believe in the power of sharing emotional stories to provoke thought, enhance connection, empower individuality, encourage dialogue, break some rules and spark some change.
ALL POSTS
- Europe: Travel In Real Life
Last week, I got a text from a former client turned friend: “Jeez! Are you at a super-spreader event?!” I immediately responded with a selfie from […] - Paris: Happy 46th Birthday!
February 2021. It’s my half-birthday. As is customary, I take a moment to reflect on the year so far and begin to plan for what […] - Slalom: Au Revoir
It’s difficult to leave a good place and its terrific people so in my final Slalom story, I give you 5 reasons to love Slalomers. <3 - The CXO: With Sabine Scheunert
Preamble. Rejoice, it’s June! Summer is here. And it’s almost time for the Women Automotive Summit! It’s been nearly 2 years since Stuttgart for the […] - Hilton Head: Working from Everywhere
It’s been a few months since I started coming out of my COVID/Corona induced coma (I call it my Co-Co coma). Like I imagine many […] - One Slalom: With _build
I got back from a road trip to a box waiting for me at home Saturday. My first thought was “Oh he diiiiid!” Joel Forman, […] - At the Table: Using my Voice
Something pretty magical happened to me yesterday. It actually started a couple of weeks ago, when I got a Teams ping from one of my […] - March: Women’s History Month
Rejoice. It’s Women’s History Month. Not to be confused with International Women’s Day, which, with origins dating back to 1901, is celebrated everywhere around the […] - The Studio @ Club1670
The nesting in 2020 and so far in 2021 has been serious. And it’s happening all over the globe. We are spending more time than […] - TMB: My Last Business Trip
I miss traveling so much. For work. Sure, there was a time when I had had enough of the weekly beat to NYC. It’s not […] - Love: My One Word for 2021
It seems appropriate that leading up to the annual celebration of love that occurs on Valentine’s day, I would make this declaration. My word for […] - The Beginning: I Am Sober
On January 1, I shared on all the socials the one year anniversary of my freedom from alcohol. I admit that I originally hesitated about […] - 2020: My Review in 20 Hairstyles
This year is bound to be one that all of humanity looks back on as an unforgettable moment in time, in history. As December has […] - 2020: Wo-Men Automotive Summit
Last month, I participated and attended the Wo-Men Automotive Summit (WAS) virtually. This story is a reflection of my journey getting there, experiencing the conference […] - Breasts: I’m Scandalous!
Once a year, I get to be scandalous on social media. I take a selfie using the mirror in the dressing room right before my […] - Healing: Begin, Again.
I’ll say it right away: I was scared. Shit, I am scared! As I age, I am beginning to recognize my fragility, my temporality. I […] - Being Thankful: It’s 2020
As I commence the reflection discipline that is the end of the year, on Thanksgiving morning 2020, I find myself emotional. What else is new? […] - 2020: Creative Mornings & DC Design Week
… My 30 second pitch. — A kaleidoscope of polarities make up my intersectionality. Citizen and immigrant. Daughter and Matante. Lover and fighter. Serious and […] - One Action: VOTE
Some observations from my recent road trips and a call to action: vote. - May 2020: Empathy’s Moment
Empathy is having a moment. It’s been around for a while. The word originates from Greek and was translated in English for the first time […] - May 2020: You are Not Alone
Actually, I am. I’ve been alone for 57 days. Everything I do is alone. — May is Mental Health Awareness month. Respect. I hear and […] - Theatrics: A Quarantine Struggle
This is a self-portrait. Despite the pep talks and the energy I give, these times are extremely difficult, also for me. I barely kept my […] - Slalom: What Does Digital Mean To You?At Slalom, We Believe Digital is in the Eye of the Beholder Two Days. Four Cameras. 107 People. 9,000 Words. At the turn of the […]
- Everything is Canceled. And Now, You Are Working From Home.
5 tips to help you get ready and maximize your productivity. Most of us make an intentional decision to take a remote job. I made […] - Slalom: The First 100 DaysIt’s already been a crazy and good ride. Reflecting on my first 100 days at Slalom DC, one statement summarizes it all: I came out […]
- My Dry January: The Results
My last drink was a whole bottle of Veuve on New Year’s eve. If that was going to be my last drink, I wanted it […] - 2020: More Writing
I need to write for The Voices more. It’s a 2020 goal. Writing for myself. And for the 2 or 3 fans who read everything […] - E71: Slalom X Fleurt Beauty Company Collab!We are back from our Holiday 2019 hiatus with a catch up episode. We jump into 2020 by discussing an official collab between the Gloss […]
- TMB: Missing Munich
Nostalgia for Germany I am having massive FOMO. My BFF and Gloss Over podcast co-host, Meaghan Whalen is in Munich, vacationing, closing out 2019 and […] - E66: My First Month @ Slalom DCThe First Update About My New Job I answer the question I’ve been getting a lot lately: “How’s the new job?!” This episode is about […]
- Slalom: All The DeetsJoining Slalom Consulting September 18, 2019. It’s my first day at Slalom Consulting. I am so thrilled to be joining this company, its people and […]
- E60: I Have a New Job!
Caroline Joins Slalom Consulting You heard it on the Gloss Over Podcast first! Tune in to get all the details as I prepare for my […] - September 2018: A Real Coaching Conversation
This morning, I met with coach Jason Shine. On a gorgeous Monday morning in Arlington, Virginia, we collaborated on some content for his upcoming second […] - Learning German: Finding Joy
Last week, I completed the first of what will be many levels in my journey to learning German. For now, its beginning is officially over. […] - Coaching (4 of 4): DART Your Way to Achievement – Work Over TIME
Over the past three articles, we have been learning how to DART our way to achievement. As a quick recap, we have learned how to […] - Learning German: Finding the Beginner In MeYesterday morning, I got confirmation that the intensive German class I had thought of signing up for upon my return to the US from Munich […]
- Coaching (3 of 4): DART Your Way to Achievement – REFLECT
In the first installments of the DART series, we talked about dreaming big. We learned that you have to get to a place of internal […] - Women Automotive Summit: A Global Event Like No Other
In May, I was invited to attend the inaugural Women Automotive Summit. Put on by a team of passionate professionals from Worldwide Partnerships, a […] - Lost in Translation: I Got a Facial in Munich
Prelude Several weeks ago, I saw an interesting job opportunity come through in one of my LinkedIn searches. It was at the Paris-born boutique […] - Gloss Over: Since the Funk Episode…
A few weeks ago, I got real vulnerable with Meaghan on the Gloss Over Podcast about being in a funk. As I listened to […] - Learning to Listen & the Power of Place
Sometimes I refer to myself as an accidental developer because I didn’t set out to create a real estate business when I started flipping […] - Germany: One End to the Other, by Train
While in Munich for business this late January, I planned to conclude another German adventure with a pleasure trip to Hamburg. For my first […] - GDW: I am “Woman of the Week”!
On a gloomy Munich Friday, last week, I got a note from Sabrina from Global Digital Women that brightened up my day. It read […] - TMB: My Writer’s Block
In doing some maintenance on The Voices Collection today, I realized that I haven’t written anything for the blog in almost a month. Thoughts […] - Best of 2018: The Gloss Over Podcast
As we wrap up 2018 and our second season of the Gloss Over Podcast, Meaghan and I had the brilliant idea to serve you up […] - Back @ Home: Forced Self-Care
I’ve been back in the US for 10 days. I’ve only been out of the house 5 times total since I got home. Three […] - TMB: Being 40 – Something…
I love it. I love being 40-something… Here is why: I am neither the oldest nor the youngest in the room. I’m in the […] - #DFLA18: So Much More than an Award
I pick up the Digital Female Leadership Award story where I last left off in early August, after publishing a blog post in which […] - The House of Beautiful Business: A Poem
In Las Vegas, a meaningful conversation under the January sun. A book recommendation that should be for everyone. Voluminous research and following ensued. The […] - TMB: From Fear to Freedom
When I started using my voice to express who I am and stand in my truth, without the constraints of an establishment’s rules dictating […] - Lisbon: Lively and Lovely
I’ll kill 2 birds with one stone with Lisbon: visit another city on that Condé Nast 20 best European cities list, the original source […] - TMB: Listening to Language
I’ve just arrived Cascais, a small resort town some 30km west of Lisbon. Reflecting on a week of inspiration and mental stimulation at a […] - TMB: The Glamour of Travel
I’ve been a traveling fool. Since 2012, I’ve preferred an airplane ride to Detroit, San Francisco, Dallas, Munich and a train to NYC/NJ to […] - TMB: Why I Love Germany 1A couple of women approached me today at an S-Bahn stop. One of them began speaking to me in German. Surely, they are looking […]
- Introducing: The 10-Minute Blog (TMB)
Last month, as part of my networking trip to Munich, I was lucky enough to go on some 30 blind dates with the women […] - London: Highs and Low
I came to London at the end of my visit to Munich. I hadn’t originally planned on it but an opportunity to pick up […] - Munich: My German Healthcare Experience
I woke up on Saturday morning with a poofy right eyelid. Surely, I thought, I’ve been overdoing it. After a long week of conference-going, networking, […] - Munich: Thoughts on Diversity
Some 5,000 people’s arrive at Munich’s International Congress Center on Sunday morning. During the Bits & Pretzels Founders Festival grand opening presentation on Center Stage, Andy […] - Munich: My Dirndl Shopping Experience
It’s was raining Friday night in Munich. I had planned on meeting up with one of the ladies from the Global Digital Women network […] - Salzburg: A Tourist Again
Ever since I started coming to Munich in early 2017, I always wanted to visit Salzburg. On my very first trip to here, I had […] - Munich: Without My Laptop
I came to Munich to interview, network and job hunt. I had a brilliant plan to meet with as many of the Munich women […] - Washington, DC: A Mobility Experiment
The last time I commuted for work in Northern Virginia, I traveled 1.9 miles or 3 km one-way from my home in Reston, VA to […] - Coaching (2 of 4): DART Your Way to Achievement – ACT
We’ve been looking at the acronym DART, and how to use it as a tool for achievement. In my previous post, we talked about dreaming […] - Living Dharma: I Learn. I Teach.
Editor: Caroline Trudeau A Learning Journey I’ve always been motivated by learning… Declared Majors: Accounting, Biology, Dietetics, Home Economics Degree: […] - Help: I’m Nominated for an Award!
Growth and comfort do not coexist -Ginni Rometty How I Got Here It’s no secret, I’m in job search mode, full effect. […] - A Career With Intention
A person with goals in life knows no obstacles. -Nuccio Bertone I unknowingly embraced my career with intention in elementary school, when I started […] - Traveling “Locally”: Asheville, NC
Vacation this summer was different than the previous 16 years. Normally, Labor Day weekend, I head to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for an […] - Since The IBM Seduction: I’m Ready
“Caroline, what have you been up to?!” This question comes up more and more as time passes since I put my corporate career on pause. […] - The World Cup: My Football Experience
I never paid attention to the World Cup before this year. While I had awareness of its existence, I didn’t really have any interest in […] - The Stanley Cup: What It Means to Me
“I am confused: she is wearing the wrong jersey”. Let me explain… I’ve been watching and going to hockey games for as long as I […] - Coaching (1 of 4): DART Your Way to Achievement – DREAM
I often use the analogy of the game of darts when coaching business professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs. There are many different ways to play the […] - Arlington: Memorial Day 2018
One of the luxuries of being on sabbatical I’ve experienced since landing at home in Northern Virginia in early April is the opportunity to reconnect […] - I (Finally) Made a Website…
In January, five weeks into my 2018 sabbatical, I started working with a business coach, Jason Shine of Real Smart Consulting. With his help, I […] - Once Upon A Goal: To The LPGA Tour And Beyond
Editor: Caroline Trudeau Prologue to a Dream I grew up on the LPGA Tour. My mom, Myra was a professional golfer, my dad, Worth, a […] - Persistence: To Create My Career
Co-Author: Caroline Trudeau Warm Up “I’ve been reading your blog. I’m inspired by your stories”, Cécile shares as our annual meeting to review of my […] - The Cosmetics Industry: My First Look
My Make-Up Story I’ve been interested in make-up pretty much for as long as I can remember: I started wearing eye shadow as a young […] - Dear Future Employer: Please Don’t Tell Me You Are Busy
Here is why: I already know you are. We all are busy. Especially in this day and age: society is encouraging us to tell the […] - London: Intimidating Yet Intimate
I was so glad I decided to arrive Paris’ Gare du Nord for my train departure to London 90 minutes early. My intent was to leisurely […] - On The First Date: To Tell or Not?
I recently started saying yes to recruiters. Soon, I will (have to) go back to work; I’m actually looking forward to it! So I’ve turned that LinkedIn feature on […] - Paris: Simply Always a Good Idea
Paris was the only city on my European tour I had been to before. I have so much love for this city, I’ll take any chance I […] - Lyon: For Love
I came to Lyon 100% because my friend Chris threatened me. Several weeks prior, in a moving phone conversation about career and living abroad, he […] - Vienna: Classically Fancy
Public transportation systems intimidate me. There, I said it. I don’t think it’s because I am afraid to get lost – what’s the worst that […] - Prague: Eye Candy Everywhere
Get your mind out of the gutter… Not that kind of eye candy!!! I’m talking about the kind of eye candy that made me see […] - Munich: So Long
My European adventure begins here. I arrived in Munich on January 29, 2018. I picked to start there purposefully, because of its familiarity: I know the airport, […] - Mexico: What I Really Found
When my sister Cat’s best friend Jodie Becker, a Toronto fitness professional and fellow triathlete, announced her inaugural fitness retreat in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, I […] - Mexico: I Didn’t Go Down…
I’m not gonna lie: I was scared. Scuba diving was never a bucket list item. I just knew I would be intimidated by the vastness […] - From CES 2018: What’s in an Experience?
For nearly 40 years, the most wonderful time of the year has traditionally been followed by CES season in Las Vegas. Quickly after setting their resolutions, some 200,000 humans […]
