Acknowledgments

Truly, it took a village. We garnered help from many wonderful “villagers” who cared about the authors and the message of this book. Many came to the village square often, to sit by the fire and exchange ideas.

We started with a small team—we three authors and our sales muse, Donna Kohlbacker. With twelve years of experience in our organization, Donna was with us from the start, bringing us stories from the clients she served and helping us to clarify our message. The team grew with the addition of Lindsay Western, our wonderful, tech-savvy MBA student, who challenged us continually from her millennial point of view, with her honest, no-holds-barred feedback.

Ann Jordan, our VP of Product Development, joined at our fireside often. She brought her experience of working on prior books and an ear for listening to the learning tools we would soon begin to think about. We were also lucky to have the magician Nancy Breuer and her “Clear Magic” editing skills. Nancy was able to helicopter up over the entire project and give us clear and workable feedback in the gentlest of ways.

We truly appreciate the support and help from our many colleagues at Career Systems International. Cile Johnson, our VP of Global Sales, challenged us with some great questions. Beverly Crowell, Senior Consultant, added wisdom, and Richard Aldersea, our fearless leader, kept us thinking bigger and better.

Our CSI colleagues, located far and wide, also responded to our calls for mobility moments and helped us stay tuned to the global audiences that would be the readers of this book. They were supportive through thick and thin and always offered advice, counsel, and a listening ear. Lorianne Speaks and Lindsay Watkins were steadfast, helping us to stay continually in touch with one another. Our clients around the globe gave us their time, thoughts, insights, stories, and feedback.

The experience of meeting the Berrett-Koehler team, and presenting to them on our Author Day, was nerve-racking but wonderful. Steve Piersanti was a straight talker from the start and pushed us in ways that we never would have gone. He stretched us and, in the process, our work with him and with his organization became another significant step in our own career development.

Finally, we deeply acknowledge one another. We each brought something so different to the writing team. We realized that we were meant to do this together, because the project demanded that we meld our skills and make this a true learning experience.

Lindy’s ability and ease with language, her experience leading a Fortune 100 global career effort from the inside, combined with twenty years of delivering learning solutions from the “outside,” gave her a strong hand in conceiving what would speak to readers. Lynn’s experience as a senior manager inside another Fortune 100 company enabled her to keep us on a PERT chart track, and her position at CSI as the leader of our team of global consultants kept us grounded in the delivery work we were doing. Bev’s never-ending quest to learn more, and to share her learning with us, made our dialogues rich. It also enabled us to be in a state of constant collaboration. Of course, Bev’s experience with prior books and her amazing network of friends and colleagues kept our learning on the edge. Finally, her enthusiasm and “Isn’t this exciting?” kept us smiling, even when we were all totally exhausted.

FROM BEV

I’ve had wonderful support through a fantastic network of colleagues, owners, and founders of companies like mine, and longtime girlfriends who continue to nourish me when I’m up as well as when I’m down. (You know who you are!) I also have the support of a wonderful family, my brothers (Alan and Jeff) and their families, and my rocket scientist-turned-CFO husband, Barry. I am blessed with two daughters, Lindsey and Jill, and (my third daughter) Roxy, who, at the writing of this book, is 107 in dog years!

FROM LINDY

Thank you to the many colleagues and friends who helped by reading rough cuts of Up and commenting and offering suggestions along the way. And thank you to my husband, Bruce, my sons, Chris and Matt, and my grandson, Seamus, who listened when I was stuck on a word or chapter or deadline and who helped me laugh and relax just when I needed it. And thank you to Bodhi, my four-legged, devoted office companion, all eleven furry pounds of him, for keeping me company during the early-morning rewriting time.

FROM LYNN

Thank you for the love and support of family. My children, Shelbie and Justin, the loves of my life, who have a favorite quote: “Mom, don’t use that coaching stuff on us, please.” Duly noted. My mom and dad, who were there to listen to my celebrations and tales of woe every step of the way—and loved me just the same. . . . I could not have done it without you all, and I am eternally grateful. Thank you also to the Lunch Bunch, who would challenge my professional (and personal) thinking through the years; my Buffalo and Atlanta friends, who are stuck with me forever (sorry, not sorry); and my CSI colleagues, who have supported this effort throughout. Always appreciated, and never forgotten