VeronicaParker.com

Excel Dryer Sheets!
Have you ever had a tool you rely on for nearly everything? I’ve taken many courses and learned various tools to stay competitive in the job market. Additional skills can certainly help you stay marketable and open up new job opportunities. However, no matter how many new tools and skills I learn, Excel remains indispensable to me.

In my professional life, Excel is my go-to solution for streamlining tasks. It helps me excel through monthly close processes, reconciliations, and summarizing large datasets. I’ve found countless uses for Excel in both my career and daily life. Yet, as I prepare for the new week, I can't help but wish I could use Excel to make household chores easier. Wouldn't it be fantastic if Excel could help streamline those tasks too? I mean, what's wrong with a little wishful thinking?

Imagine using Excel to wash clothes (excel dryer sheets!), simplify tasks like ironing, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, and even cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms, or stocking the fridge for school lunches and dinners. Excel is already indispensable in so many areas of my life. It's the ultimate multi-purpose tool that helps me excel in everything I do at work—why not in housekeeping too?

A Monday, a Meeting, and a Mirror

You’re deep in the trenches of work, deadlines approaching, when a meeting notification pops up. Yes, you forgot! So what do you do? Stop what you're doing, drop the volume on your latest podcast binge, and roll right out of your desk cave to clean up for that dreaded video call.

In our chaotic world of in-office clusters, hybrid huddles, and the mysterious state of 100% remote work, it's a daily gamble of whether I am going on-camera or not? I’ve become a queen at the quick-change act, with a mirror on my desk like a required office tool, next a rotating selection of shirts and cardigans, all to ensure I'm camera-ready for Zoom or Teams.

But here's the twist ... every time I manage to get dressed in record time, looking sharp and feeling comfortable, it turns out to be a phone call. No camera involved. Of course. So, I'm left considering life's big questions: How many shirts does one need to cycle through to not repeat an outfit on a video call? Is there an app to track this?

Maintaining a video-call-appropriate wardrobe feels like organizing a sock drawer during an earthquake. My wardrobe only consists of fleece wear. Let’s face it, nothing has really changed. I remain dedicated to not wearing the same thing twice—unless it’s an audio-only call, in which case, you'll find me rocking my favorite kimono or robe with my hair still in pinned curls.

Stay fly (or don't, I'll never know on a phone call) and familiar with your calendar.

Say My Name (or Nick's)

Nicknames: those unique spices sprinkled by friends, family, and colleagues throughout our lives, adding flavor and character to our personal stories. From the moment we enter the world, we're branded with labels that stick better than a Post-It on a refrigerator door. And just like that, before you can spell "identity," you're lovingly dubbed "boo-boo" by proud parents.

Growing up, I was affectionately known as 'Lady' by my parents, while my brother was their 'Man'. No royal lineage here, just parents who embraced regal titles for their kids. One of my dad's oldest friend recounts being amused about the love my dad had of "his lady". He said he thought “dane, this man really LOVES his wife.” Imagine the friend's surprise when he discovered that this "lady" was, in fact, his buddy's toddler daughter – me! I loved that story!

On the maternal side of my family, I’m called 'Pumpkin'—or "Punkin" in Southern drawl. Being the first grandchild, I suppose I was as round and plump as a pumpkin. On my paternal side, among the weeping willows and hydrangeas, I'm known as Roni and Runt.

The phenomenon of nicknames isn't confined to just family gatherings or neighborhood playgrounds. It follows us into our college affiliations and professional lives. Step into any workplace, and you'll find yourself in a parallel universe brimming with a fresh set of nicknames.

As a child, I was Veronica to my classmates, VP to my young adult friends, and in various workplaces, it's been a game of name roulette—Valerie, Vanessa, Victoria, but never Veronica!

Then there's my son, whom I affectionately call 'Boo-Boo'. As a toddler, he warmed my heart by calling me Mommy, until he declared that turning ten meant he'd start calling me 'Mom'. Yes, kids grow up fast, and with each growth spurt, their nicknames for you must mature as well!

This nickname conundrum extends into every crevice of organizational life. Ever noticed how each company has its own glossary of terms and acronyms? What's "telecommuting" in one office is simply "remote" in another. And the terms "sick leave" versus "medical leave," "lease" versus "rent," or "profit" versus "earnings" vary by the water cooler.

Despite being Veronica, Valerie, or Vanessa, I remain ‘V’. Just like those interchangeable job titles: Customer Service” versus “Client Service” or “admin” versus “executive assistant”, “billing analyst” versus “AR specialist” the essence of who we are doesn’t waver, even if our daily tasks fluctuate like stock market prices.

So, what’s the deeper story with nicknames? They’re like personalized badges of identity, given for traits, mistakes, or fond memories. They signify affection, humor, and sometimes just fill a space on a nameplate. The origins of nicknames might remain a mystery, but their impact is undeniable. They stick like glue and say more about our relationships than one conversation could ever reveal.

So wear your nicknames with pride—they’re not just names, but badges of honor, tokens of affection, and occasionally, perfect material for your next workplace anecdote.