Mae Salinas

Do you remember when you joined X? I do! #MyXAnniversary

In some workplaces, communication becomes routine - emails, reports, and scheduled touchpoints. But real connection happens in the small things: - a ping clarified before it causes confusion - a tone softened before it sparks tension - a “we” added where a “you” could cause distance That awareness does not come from tools. It comes from intention, from caring enough to make your word count. ━━━━━━━ What I’ve learned over the years 1. Trust grows when people understand what’s expected of them. 2. Tone sets the energy of the team. How you speak shapes how others respond. 3. Language is a bridge. When used with care, it makes human connection even stronger. ━━━━━━━ We don’t need new tools to make people feel heard. Chat works just fine. As long as we keep - listening, - speaking with empathy, - building trust so people feel safe to share what’s really going on. ━━━━━━━ If you could give one rule for good, effective communication, what would it be?

Raising a pre-teen in a foreign land? Hard. Figuring out a daily routine to build a digital business while staying present for your child + hubby? Hard. Finding meaning, purpose, and absolute joy while making a living out of them? Hard. BUT! There’s nothing more beautiful than going out of your way to make life better for yourself, your family, and those you're impacting. That’s what would keep you going. It’s worth every "working-from-a-bench-while-waiting-for-a-cake-shop-to-open" moment, every drop of blood + sweat + tear, every highly emotional Monday. Because, being true to yourself and still moving forward, - that's living + a major flex! ---------- What’s one thing you’re doing right now that’s hard but worth it?

Staying in the corporate world for more than half your life is like coloring inside the lines for so long, you forget there’s even an outside. You forget you can go outside. But of course, you can. And when you do, the joy you feel spills everywhere.

If this resonates - I write about mindful productivity, tech boundaries, and reclaiming time in my newsletter, subscribe here: maesalinas.substack.com

Biggest truth? You're not failing. You're surviving a system designed for burnout. Let’s build better.

10 truths from Brigid Schulte’s Overwork every professional needs to hear: 🧵