My Biography Written With The Help Of ChatGPT

Sheryle was born in the Philippines in 1977, in Angeles City nestled between the capital Manila and a volcano that would later destroy the old Clark Air Force Base that brought Sheryle’s father and many other G.I.s to the Philippines. Her mother, a strong and resilient woman, raised her alone in a small home without…

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Top That! A year in review.

2018 Highlights Sarah turned 18, graduated from high school and started college. Alli turned 16, learned how to drive and commands the first year cadets in ROTC drill. Michael and Sheryle celebrated their 20 year anniversary. Michael and Sheryle bought CauseLabs. Sheryle was on the front page of the Dallas Business Journal. CauseLabs won four…

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Will Your Job Continue To Exist?

CauseLabs Team Zoom 2017

Technology has vastly transformed the job landscape and companies that thrived for decades found themselves behind the curve or worse, bankrupt and destitute.

We are at the beginning of this crazy SciFi rollercoaster. Technology continues to evolve and the pace of it is exponential. Some of these new innovations disrupt entire industries. I keep asking myself, “Will my job be relevant in five years? How about ten years?”

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My relationship with water

Children smiling at a water well

One of my earliest memories is as a toddler. I was sitting in a large metal basin not quite half full of water. We were outside and my mother was bathing me. I don’t know why or how I remember this, but I remember it like a photograph even though there were no such pictures.…

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6 Ways I Manage My Emails

Image of a mailbox by daria-nepriakhina-6030

If you could eliminate emails completely, would you? Some have labeled email as the bane of our existence, but it is an amazing tool that transformed our communications. We no longer need to find an envelope, buy a stamp, and wait days or weeks for someone to receive and reply to our snail mail. Brilliant!…

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Is there a better way to assess our data?

Co-working on laptops around a table

As someone who works with and in the technology space to identify problems and inefficiencies, I am embarrassed at how infrequently I look at my own own tools and processes. Here’s an example and lingering challenges I have that others might help me solve. We use JIRA for project management. However, when a project is…

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The Women’s March is only the beginning 

"We are better than this" sign at a protest

The Women’s March on Washington was a resounding and united call to action to defend women’s rights, civil rights, human rights. Whether or not you participated in one of the nationwide marches, it was on our minds, part of the day’s conversations, and in the news. It was a monumental event as the largest protests…

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1840 Hours

A monkey silhouetted by the sun

Those of us that work a full time job of 40 or more hours a week, spend almost a third of lives at work. For years now, I’ve been driven by passion and purpose. Yet, despite enjoying my work and being proud of the positive change it makes in the world, I find myself weary…

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Capable of more

Headstone of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr

This Monday, we observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Shortly before his assassination in April 1968, Dr. King told a group of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee: “We’ve got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end.” Since then, we’ve seen huge changes, but we still silently suffer from our perceived differences. I want to…

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The Art of Negotiation

Women having a discussion

Last weekend, I gave a talk on The Art of Negotiation. When available, I’ll also post the video of my talk. Here are the biggest takeaways: Everything is negotiable. It’s all about the relationship. There are fears on both sides. Know your value and also understand what you do and don’t know. Stand your ground. Some…

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Building Connections

Life is about connections. We’ve been learning this since kindergarten. Connection is more than just knowing someone. It’s about recognizing the ways our lives intertwine. Some people are naturally adept at social interactions. While they may have a talent, it is a skill; it can be learned and perfected. Talents that are not recognized, used…

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Don’t just stand there.

Don't Just Stand There

Ideas lead to invention, thus, many of us are stingy with our ideas. We fear that if we share our ideas someone else will build it before we get the chance to build it ourselves. The problem with this thinking is that often times, we don’t build the majority of ideas we keep secret. An idea…

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Do it right.

CauseLabs Discovery Workshop

There’s great value in iteration and I’m a strong believer of building towards a minimum viable product, but I also strongly agree with the old adage “you get what you pay for.” The first time my husband deployed overseas, he asked me to mail him a CD player. Digital music was already on the rise and it…

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Let’s Get Uncomfortable

Magnifying a face

Does your company ask you to provide constructive criticism to your colleagues? It’s common practice and it’s a good one, but I find it challenging to put negative feedback into a happy sandwich. Honestly, I’m not sure the happy sandwich works on anyone past elementary school because we all expect it. In the end, all that…

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To Plan Or Not To Plan

Photo books

Last month, I begged my parents to write their wills. Dad’s response was disappointing, “I’m not dying yet.” Last week, Dad was taken to the Emergency Room after suffering from multiple small strokes on the left side of his brain. For the first two to three days in the hospital he couldn’t stand, walk or speak…

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You’re Gonna Find Yourself

Sheryle Gillihan

When I think about who I want to be when I grow up, I imagine myself as more than I am now. More generous, more focused, more relaxed, more tenacious, more compassionate, more inspiring, more humble… Then, as I think about who I was and how far I’ve already come, I wonder if I’ve arrived.…

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You Are Amazing

Sunset reflecting in the lake.

As a parent, I’m guilty of confining my children to a box of socially acceptable norms and each time they stray from those expections, I struggle to teach them what they should be doing and find myself further berating them with the rules and potential consequences of their actions. As a boss, I’m different. I push my…

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Do You Read Enough?

Kindle Reader

I’m told that successful people read habitually and their success is in part due to their intense consumption of knowledge. That all makes sense, but who has the time to read that much? I tried to read a book a week, but I failed because some books were bigger than others and some weeks were…

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Live on Purpose – Day 10

Sheryle at Queen Esther Orphanage in India

Read Live on Purpose if you have questions about the structure of this post or this 10-day challenge. Day 10 – Resolve to Live on Purpose We’ve made it to the end! Days 8 and 9 were like making New Year’s Resolutions. Some of your answers may have included “I will eat healthier” or “I will watch less…

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Live on Purpose – Day 9

Overhead view of people walking in a city square

This post intentionally short and challenge-based. Read Live on Purpose if you have questions about the structure of this post or this 10-day challenge. Day 9 – Remove Your Threats Yesterday we thought about the activities that would make our lives more purposeful. Now it’s time to make a list of things that you should remove so that…

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