Erin Treacy Coaching

10/10/2026

I had the pleasure of interviewing Mike Ditka when I was in college. It wasn't planned, and it certainly wasn't my beat, but I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity.

He had come to watch Randy Moss work out. I was leaving the training room after soccer practice and popped into an office to watch out the window. And there he was, Mike Ditka!

He was so nice. He asked me to sit down, and we started talking. Of course, the journalist in me kicked in, and I asked if I could interview him.

Then I asked him something he probably didn't hear very often. Could we call my mom so he could say hi?

He gave me a funny look and said usually people wanted him to call their dad.

I laughed. I wasn't sure my dad would even know who Mike Ditka was, but I knew my mom would! She was the one I grew up watching football with every Sunday.

He was kind enough to make the call.

What made the day even more memorable was how much time he spent talking with me. He let me sit and listen as he watched the workout, explaining what he noticed and what he was looking for in a player.

It was one of those unexpected experiences I'll never forget.

RIP, Coach Ditka. Thanks for being so generous with your time and for giving a college kid a pretty great story to tell.

10/07/2026

Most of us say sorry like it's good manners. But every unneeded apology quietly hands someone else's feelings to us and lets the real owners off the hook. At home, at work and with our friends.

So here's my question for you. How many times did you say sorry today? How many of those were yours to own?

This week on the blog, I'm digging into over apologizing, when sorry actually matters and a simple buddy trick to break the habit. The link to the full article is in the comments. 👇

10/06/2026

A bigger job title can feel like recognition for years of hard work.

Before accepting, look closely at the responsibilities. Will you supervise a team? Be available after hours? Cover staffing gaps? Have the authority to make decisions, or need approval for everything?

Those details shape your daily life.

Ask about the expected hours, compensation, training and support. A position may sound appealing until you understand how much it requires.

This matters when you’re making a career change or returning to work. It’s also a useful conversation with an adult child offered a first leadership role.

At Erin Treacy Coaching, I work with professionals and new managers to clarify expectations and prepare for the responsibilities ahead.

What do you wish you had asked before accepting a job?

10/05/2026

Starting a new job can make an experienced person feel like a beginner again.

The software is different. The processes are unfamiliar. You’re learning who handles what while trying to make a good first impression.

Before accepting a position, ask about training and expectations for the first month. Find out who will guide you and when you’ll have a chance to discuss your progress.

If your adult child is starting a professional career, encourage them to ask these questions, too. They may assume they’re supposed to arrive knowing everything.

At Erin Treacy Coaching, I work with people starting careers, returning to work and stepping into leadership. We build clearer communication and practical ways to approach unfamiliar situations.

10/01/2026

A new job affects more than your workday. It can change your commute, family schedule and household budget.

So when the interview conversation and the written offer don’t match, pause and ask about the difference.

Maybe you discussed working remotely, but the offer says fully in office. Maybe the hours or salary changed.

Try:
“During our interview, we discussed a different arrangement. Could you clarify the difference and confirm the terms in writing?”

Whether you’re returning to the workforce, changing careers or talking with your adult child about a first professional job, this is a conversation worth having before accepting.

Career coaching is part of my work at Erin Treacy Coaching. We work through decisions, clarify priorities and practice conversations you may feel unsure about starting.

Share this with someone considering a new job.

09/30/2026

She applied for a solid entry-level job. By the time the offer letter showed up, the title had changed completely, and so had the math on the paycheck.

She didn't sign it that day. What she did instead is worth knowing before your next offer lands in your inbox, whether you're the one applying or the one writing the offer.

Read full article in comments.

09/23/2026

New job, bigger paycheck meant more trips, at least for one person I know. Problem is, they never checked how many PTO days they actually had.

It's easy to call this irresponsible. I don't think it is.

Fewer teens hold a job today than at any point in decades, and this gap in early work experience is showing up everywhere, new hires who don't know how to ask for a day off, and managers who were never trained to explain it either.

None of this closes overnight. It closes one written expectation, one asked question, and one honest conversation at a time.

I wrote the full piece on the blog this week, with one practical step for leaders and one for anyone just starting out: https://erintreacycoaching.com/gen-z-work-readiness/

What's one unwritten rule at your workplace nobody ever explained? Tell me below.

09/16/2026

Quick question: how much miscommunication in your life is actually a tool problem, not a people problem?

Slack works great, if everyone's actually in it. A detailed email works great, if the person reads past the subject line. A text gets seen fast, but it strips out every bit of tone you meant to include.

Most of us never actually choose a channel on purpose. We default to whatever's easiest in the moment, then wonder why something important got missed or came across wrong.

New post breaks down a simple way to think through call, text, or email, and why the wording still matters even once you've picked the right one. Read it here: https://erintreacycoaching.com/call-text-and-email-at-work/

Where has this tripped you up, at work, with family, or somewhere in between?

Choosing between a call, text, and email at work shapes how your message lands. Learn a simple framework to get the platform right.

09/07/2026

Labor Day started as a demand for rest, not just a day off on a calendar. Here in West Virginia, this fight was not abstract.

This view above is Babcock State Park in southern West Virginia. This is me on the bench, not a stand-in for rest, an actual afternoon spent doing nothing but looking at trees.

In the closing days of August 1921, thousands of coal miners marched across the southern coalfields of our state in what became the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest labor uprising in American history. They were fighting for something simple. A fair wage, a safer mine, and the right to say no when the demands on them stopped making sense.

A century later, most of us are not marching on a mountain. But many of us are still saying yes past the point of reason, quietly proving how much we can carry instead of asking whether we should have to carry it alone.

This Labor Day, I am thinking about rest as something earned by generations before us, not something to feel guilty about taking. Wherever you are this weekend, I hope you actually get some.