Interview with Jenny at Chased by Children

Sometime last week, Jenny over at Chased by Children put out a request for bloggers who were interested in swapping interviews with her. I quickly volunteered, as I love Jenny’s blog and I had never been lucky enough to do a blog-interview before. Additionally, I consider Jenny my long-lost twin. Well, besides her kick-ass high profile HR job in Chicago, the law degree, her exquisite taste in designer handbags, her ability to convey in two sentences what takes me two paragraphs, the book she's currently authoring, and her Stepford-like neighborhood. Yes, otherwise, we are exactly alike.

Jenny sent me a series of questions that I will be answering here today. Go here to see the questions I asked Jenny. Let the fun begin!

When your parents named you Lyndsay do you think they knew you'd have a lot to "say"? Do they approve of your blog? What do they say about it?

I’ll never live down the “say” now, thankyouverymuch. We can probably add that to the list of nicknames that will haunt me. No, I think they enjoyed cursing me with a name no one can spell correctly. It also allowed them an excuse to deprive me of the personalized goodies that all of my friends enjoyed growing up. I will be sure to keep your theory quiet, since my mother can’t be trusted with ammunition that could publically humiliate me. Ask the attendees of Kate’s 3rd birthday party, who heard all about the time I ate dog food as a toddler and also the knack I apparently had for refusing to remain clothed in my younger years. Good times.

My father is no longer alive, but I have full confidence he would enjoy my blog and heckle me on a regular basis. My mother still does not know my blog exists, which I should work on changing soon. Every time I run into someone, the conversation starts with, “Oh my gosh, I read your blog …”, so I am guessing it’s only a matter of time before she hears about it. I didn’t “not” tell her intentionally, but truthfully, I’m notorious for starting a million new things, with only one of the million really going anywhere. I would have bet money this blog wouldn’t have lasted a month. Shows what I know.

You are in Human Resources. When did you realize that you were brilliant, creative and mentally tough enough for that career choice? Any regrets? Anything you love about human resources that people wouldn't guess?

Not a single regret, I love the HR field. I think I have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. Now I just need to wait to grow up. I do think it takes a certain person to be successful in upper-level HR jobs. I’ve been told that I am “tactfully mean”, “have a delivery that makes someone not realize what hit them until after they walk away”, and “can fire someone and still have them hug me and say thanks before they leave”. Apparently in the HR field, those are desirable characteristics that make me successful at my job. As far as a surprisingly enjoyable part of my job … I love mediating challenging situations and helping a manager resolve conflict, or deliver bad news to an employee. While not fun, I have a knack for it and I’m able to provide teaching moments to the manager who ultimately needs to learn how to do it themselves. Plus, I love a good challenge and there is nothing more challenging than getting an employee to agree with your perspective, is there?

Why blog? What's in it for you Lyndsay? I mean besides the gobs and gobs of money?

Well, the gobs and gobs of money certainly help my Starbucks habit. Really, I never expected to become a “blogger”. I love the connections I’ve made and the blogging community in general. Since I am tied to a computer for hours upon excruciating hours a day, I love that it provides an avenue for keeping documentation of these moments with Kate. Surprisingly, I’ve rediscovered my long-lost love of writing, so it’s become a creative-hobby for me. That is much better for our household than my shopping-hobby.

What's the best advice you've ever gotten? Was it about blogging?

I’m typically an advice-giver, not an advice-getter. Now, does that really surprise anyone here? Honestly, the best advice I ever received was in response to a panic about becoming a new mother and my desire to execute it to perfection. A very wise lady told me, “All you have to do is remember what it was like to be a kid. If you put things in their perspective, and can see things from their point of view, you will always make the right decision.” Initially, it did nothing for me. However, now, I rely on that advice daily.


I've done several interviews lately and its been a lot of fun. Would you consider doing a series of interviews on your own little blog?

Jenny, I’ve loved reading your series of interviews and I think it was a fan-tabulous idea. I would love the opportunity to do my own series of interviews. In fact, if any of my readers would like to participate in a blog-interview exchange with me over the next couple of weeks, leave a note in the comments of this post, or send me an email.

Thanks for allowing me to participate Jenny! I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and your blog.