Empower Work Volunteer Spotlight: Ashley Camenzind
Ashley is a career and leadership coach and founder of the coaching practice Unstuck Collective. She brings 10 years of experience in Human Resources, with a strong background in organizational dynamics, performance strategy, and systems thinking. Through her coaching, she helps people navigate difficult workplace challenges, recognize their own agency, and make intentional changes to build the careers and lives they want.
Q&A With An Empower Work Help Seeker: Dawn’s Story
Ever wonder what it’s like to text Empower Work? Meet Dawn. Dawn was struggling with long-term unemployment for two years when she reached out to Empower Work for support. She is a caretaker, a mother, and now a CNA who found light at the end of the tunnel of a long and harrowing job search where she’d felt like she’d tried everything. Our writer, Mackenzie, met with Dawn to get a sense of what her job search was like, and what it was like to text Empower Work.
Empower Work Volunteer Spotlight: Emily Cunningham
Emily Cunningham is a people leader and audit professional that has volunteered with Empower Work for 5 years and almost 400 conversations on the line. Her superpower is adding structure to the unstructured through project management, cross-collaboration, and communicating with transparency. She currently lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two adorable cats, Pika & Zuka.
Empower Work Volunteer Q&A with Daniela
This post is part of our peer counselor Q&A series, which shares perspectives of our dedicated and talented volunteers about why they joined Empower Work.
Daniela is a creative professional with a background in marketing, currently working as a freelance designer and photographer. She volunteered with Empower Work for two years, drawn by the organisation’s power of making an impact. For Daniela, every project is an opportunity to make a human difference, and volunteering with Empower Work became one of the most meaningful chapters of her journey.
Empower Work Volunteer Spotlight: Jenifer Child
This post is part of our peer counselor Q&A series, which shares perspectives of our dedicated and talented volunteers about why they joined Empower Work.
Jenifer Child has volunteered with Empower Work since November, 2021 and has reached 378 hours on the text line! Her work history has included leadership roles across various tech companies all working with program management teams and organizations. Currently she is focused on creating digital art and illustrations.
What it’s like to text Empower Work: A step-by-step guide
At Empower Work, 90% of people report feeling better about their work issue after a conversation with a peer counselor. Volunteer peer counselors are here to listen, ask questions, and help you move forward and take your next steps. Sometimes, you just need to talk to someone who gets it.
If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens when you text Empower Work, this guide walks you through the experience, step by step.
Creating more positive, supportive pathways at work
At Empower Work, we’re focused on creating more positive, supportive pathways at work.
One of my favorite podcasts, NPR Politics, has a segment called “Can’t let it go” where they discuss a story they can’t stop thinking about. For me this week, it’s the new Pixar short that’s been making the rounds, directed by Kristen Lester and produced by Gillian Libbert-Duncan. It depicts Purl, a vivacious ball of yarn, trying to fit in at a toxic, male-dominated office, aptly named B.R.O. Capital.
How to be a more supportive co-worker
We’ve all been there. A team member tells you they’re stressed out about an upcoming performance review. A direct report approaches you about a conflict they’re facing with another employee. A work friend pulls you aside to fervently vent about their boss. Navigating these complex issues — particularly in environments where people don’t feel heard and respected — can feel confusing and isolating. During those challenging moments it’s more important than ever to show up for each other. While we can’t change the culture of a company overnight, there are a few simple things you can do to create space and help co-workers feel supported and heard.
How I navigated the aftermath of a salary negotiation that left me feeling undervalued
Chris, one of our incredible volunteers, has generously chosen to share their story about reaching out to Empower Work as a texter. In this post they explore what the outcome was, and how it has changed they way they think about work.
Their issue: “I had just started a new job in a new industry and basically did a really bad job negotiating. I didn’t realize how much it was bothering me until a couple of months in. I feel like I struggle with salary a lot in several directions. Money should not be the way that people are valued. But also, in the world today, salary unfortunately represents the way your work is valued. I was struggling with feeling like my work wasn’t valued or respected.”
Who are Empower Work Peer Counselors?
Empower Work peer counselors are working professionals who support people through tough work situations and workplace issues. They work across a range of fields and industries and cover a spectrum of geographies.
A number of volunteers say they’ve experienced a difficult work situation at some point in their own career. Many have benefited from mentorship and support during those challenging moments. Others didn’t have someone to turn to, and want to change that reality for other people. Despite their experiences, the motivation is the same: to be there for people when they need support at work.
Volunteering changed how I interact with colleagues and friends
This post is part of our peer counselor Q&A series which shares the perspectives of our talented volunteers. Rachel is an Empower Work peer counselor and nonprofit professional in the Bay Area.
From Rachel: I saw an ad for Empower Work at a bus stop in San Francisco and went online to learn more. I was looking for a regular volunteer opportunity and was intrigued by the concept. After talking with Empower Work’s founder, I was truly excited by the opportunity to be a part of a mission-driven startup to see something grow from its early stages.
Volunteering lets me help others while developing interpersonal skills
This post is part of our peer counselor Q&A series which shares the perspectives of our talented volunteers. Deborah is an Empower Work volunteer and career counselor for college students. When she's not using her counseling skills to help others, she's usually spending time with her family or enjoying one of her creative hobbies.
Her comments include, “We've all had moments of frustration at work and needed someone to talk to. I was excited to find an organization striving to address this through the use of technology. The peer counselor role was a perfect fit—I get to help others with struggles they may face at work while further developing my interpersonal skills.”
From texter to volunteer: how Empower Work helped me at a tough moment
Laura, an Empower Work peer counselor, talks about how why she volunteers, and how she discovered Empower Work when she herself was in a difficult workplace situation.
From Laura: “The Empower Work peer counselor helped me realize that perhaps what I needed most was not necessarily leaving my job--but figuring out what I need to enjoy my job. The fact that the conversation was anonymous and via text allowed me to be more open. I was able to answer questions more honestly without fear of judgement or embarrassment. During such a difficult time, it was really helpful for me to use an anonymous platform to get it all out there to be fully supported in the best way possible for me.“
Volunteering helped expand my career coaching skills
This post is part of our peer counselor Q&A series which shares the perspectives of our talented volunteers. Sarah is a career counselor with nearly a decade of experience working in higher education. Her focus is on helping women build confidence in the workplace, leadership development, and salary negotiation.
From Sarah: “"We spend so much of our lives at work and unfortunately, it is all too common for people to feel stuck in a difficult situation with limited or nonexistent resources. Having a place to talk to a trained volunteer where you are free from judgment, potential retaliation, or other negative consequences is crucial for people to move forward in their jobs and careers. In my opinion, having accessible, confidential work support is integral in improving employee satisfaction, retaining great talent, and creating a healthier work environment for everyone.”
What's it Like to Text with an Empower Work Peer Counselor?
Facing tough issues at work can be emotionally draining, confusing, and stressful––like you’re stuck under the clouds. As the first confidential text line for work issues, Empower Work is on a mission to support people through their toughest, stormiest moments by helping them find a next step that feels right. If you have a non-legal issue that’s impacting your ability to thrive at work, the peer counselors with Empower Work can help.
I'm an HR professional and gained valuable insight through volunteering
This post is part of our peer counselor Q&A series which shares the perspectives of our talented volunteers. Tracy is an Empower Work peer counselor and a human resources professional focusing on engagement, development, and leadership.
What Tracy sees as some of the benefits of volunteering with Empower Work: “I’ve had the opportunity to directly apply some of the lessons I've learned through my volunteer experience in my career. For example, I incorporated a bias training across my organization. I've also changed my coaching approach when working with managers and employees––I now work harder to help them develop their own solutions rather than simply providing answers.”
Workplace Issues are Everywhere. Now What?
"Professor Says the Workplace Is the Fifth Leading Cause of Death in the U.S."
"Pregnancy Discrimination Is Rampant Inside America’s Biggest Companies"
"78% of Employees in Tech Report Experiencing Unfair Behavior or Treatment"
These are just a few recent headlines about the American workplace. From microaggressions and gaslighting to being groped by customers to HR teams that retaliate against employees for reporting issues, there’s no shortage of toxic and unacceptable behavior.
The headlines paint a bleak picture. And prompt a critical question: “now what?”
At Empower Work, we’ve seen that people have incredible ability to navigate complex situations if they have trained, informed support to talk through what they know of themselves, their employer, their boss, the players involved. Our text line provides a non-judgemental space to think through the implications, and if needed, get connected to additional resources from reporting tools to legal referrals.
That’s why we’re here. Workplaces challenges are universal. Support to navigate them should be too.
Five Reasons to Volunteer with Empower Work
Empower Work volunteers support people as they grapple with some of their biggest challenges at work. Sometimes that might mean navigating a difficult conversation with a boss; other times it might mean weighing the pros and cons of leaving a job. Hear why you might want to volunteer from Jennifer Habig Ph.D., Empower Work Board Member, and a coach, consultant, and trainer in leadership and organizational development.
It's Time to Reshape How We Support and Empower People at Work
It's Time to Reshape How We Support and Empower People at Work.
At Empower Work, we’ve been in semi-stealth mode testing a new model — free, immediate, anonymous support via text or web chat. Empower Work’s focus is truly on people. As a mission-driven nonprofit, we’re not trying to sell to your company’s HR or make a profit. Any revenue goes back to ensuring we remain free and accessible. Because of the scale of the problem, our approach focuses on both sides of the conversation.
Using My Executive Coaching Skills in a New Way To Help Others
Hear from Jennifer Habig Ph.D, who has been an executive coach, consultant, and trainer in the areas of leadership and organizational development for over 15 years. She has launched executive coaching programs in multiple countries, worked with clients like T-Mobile and Intel, and supported countless friends and family members through tough work situations, and has joined Empower Work training other peer counselors.
“When I started volunteering with Empower Work — an organization that provides free, anonymous, text or web chat for people facing challenges at work — I was looking for a way to use my skills to support underserved populations, people who may never have access to a coach, mentor or support at work.”