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Karen Leland

Bio:Karen Leland is a passionate foodie, mixed media photography artist and freelance writer. The best selling author of six books, she is also the President of Sterling Marketing and Consulting Group which helps authors, entrepreneurs and small business owners build their brands through pr and social media.

Over the past 25 years Karen has been an executive coach, workshop leader and keynote speaker to Fortune 500 companies including American Express, AT&T, Oracle and Marriott Hotels.

Karen is co-author of the bestselling book Time Management In An Instant: 60 Ways to Make the Most of Your Day and Watercooler Wisdom: How Smart People Prosper in the Face of Conflict, Pressure and Change.

In her capacity as a freelance journalist Karen has written for such publications as the San Francisco Chronicle, Women’s Day, Self, The Los Angeles Times, Entrepreneur, Hemispheres, and many others.

She is a regular contributor to media and has appeared on over 100 radio and television programs including: The Oprah Show, CNN, ABC View By The Bay, Good Day New York, Bloomberg and many more.

Karen provides expert quotes on the topics of time management and productivity to a wide variety of publications including The New York Times, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, Pink Magazine, Fortune, Kiplinger and others.

To keep her own work-lifestyle balance she enjoys cooking, photography and belting out show tunes to any of her friends who will listen.

My Focus

Productivity, Time management, Business

Recent Posts

Why Face-to-Face Meetings Still Matter

By Karen Leland Mar. 15, 2010, 7:00am PDT 6 Comments

On Tuesday, I left my desk and made the short, yet scenic, drive from Marin County into San Francisco. I went into the city to meet a client — an editor I’d been working with mostly via email for the past six months. Read More »

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5 Tips for Getting a Better Night’s Sleep

By Karen Leland Mar. 8, 2010, 7:00am PDT 6 Comments

Sleepless nights, it seems, are becoming a regular gig. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia each year. And that sleeplessness can have a devastating impact on our productivity. Read More »

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How to Handle a Narcissist

By Karen Leland Mar. 1, 2010, 7:00am PDT 47 Comments

Years ago, I worked with a woman who scared me silly. What I found the most frightening was the way she would cheat, control, charm and cajole to get what she wanted, and she had to be the center of attention at all times as well. Read More »

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New Poll Shows Most Productive Time of Day

By Karen Leland Feb. 22, 2010, 7:00am PDT 4 Comments

I have encountered executives who were balls of fire mid-morning, but turned into stone by 4 p.m.; I’ve coached creative types who rocked the house in the early a.m. but were slackers at lunchtime; and I’ve seen consultants whose best work got done after dinner. Read More »

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How to Productively Handle a PR Crisis

By Karen Leland Feb. 15, 2010, 12:00pm PDT 3 Comments

I will never forget the vice president pulling me aside and saying, “We need to talk.” As I listened to his concerns, I kept raising my objections and saying, “But that’s not us, that is some other company with a similar name.” Read More »

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New Book on Business Planning Helps Productivity

By Karen Leland Feb. 8, 2010, 6:00am PDT 3 Comments

Every December, I sit down to write my business plan for the upcoming year. Invariably, however, the lure of pumpkin pie and the continuous playing of Christmas music take me off track. I find that I’m just too distracted to seriously focus on the business planning… Read More »

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Public Speaking Demands Productivity

By Karen Leland Jan. 31, 2010, 11:59pm PDT 13 Comments

“If I had a gun, I’d shoot myself,” I scribble on the note I pass to my friend Chester. “If I had a gun, I’d shoot them,” he scribbles back. It is, without doubt, one of the single worst presentations I have ever had to sit… Read More »

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More Must Reads

7 Ways to Find Your Focus

By Karen Leland Jan. 25, 2010, 9:00am PDT 8 Comments

Constant interruptions can kill your concentration and put a crimp in your productivity. And according to recent research, you are probably suffering the tyranny of interruptions much more often than you realize. Read More »

Sometimes Less Really Is More

By Karen Leland Jan. 18, 2010, 7:00am PDT 24 Comments

At first glance, my office looks like a neat and tidy den of well-organized supplies, electronic equipment and an in-control inbox. So much so that visitors to my work area often blurt out an astonished, “Does your office always look like this, or did you clean… Read More »

6 Sales Skills to Supercharge Your Productivity

By Karen Leland Jan. 11, 2010, 9:00am PDT 6 Comments

About six months ago I was asked to submit a proposal on a branding project for a multi-national company.  I, along with several of my colleagues, put in at least week’s worth of preparation time, sat in on countless conferences calls and finally flew to the… Read More »

5 Great Productivity Goals For 2010

By Karen Leland Jan. 4, 2010, 7:00am PDT 2 Comments

Sure you want to lose 20 pounds, and earn twice as much money. But it makes sense to pursue some productivity-enhancing pledges as well. Here are five good goals, ranging from internal auditing to spreading your goodwill. Read More »

New Authors Look At New Year’s Resolutions

By Karen Leland Dec. 28, 2009, 9:00am PDT 5 Comments

I’m sorry, lo siento, prastee meenya pozhalosta, and mea culpa. Please don’t hate me, but I had to do it. I know you are probably sick of the subject, but no self-respecting time management/productivity expert could get away with not writing about New Year’s resolutions on… Read More »

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