How to (actually) see obstacles as opportunities 💡

Hey there! The other day, somebody asked me the other day: Why do you love Excel so much? 

I get it. At first glance, Excel seems boring at best and intimidating at worst. But when you learn how to use Excel, it opens up your entire world. It…

• Saves you hours each week

• Helps you secure your dream job 

• Makes you more confident at work 

This is why I love Excel and why I do what I do. On that note: I’m rolling out free Excel classes this June about my most highly-requested topic yet. Stay tuned! 

Seamlessly Return Multiple Columns in Seconds  

Here’s how Excel users at different levels would handle this request: 👇

“Can you find Garcia’s sales numbers for the year and Q1?” 

Excel Beginner: ➜ “I’ll just manually scan the spreadsheet.” 

Excel Intermediate: ➜ “I’ll use basic filtering to find Garcia’s sales.” 

Excel Pro: ➜ “I’ll use a VLOOKUP formula to return multiple columns.” 

Want to be on the Excel pros’ level? Of course you do (you wouldn’t be here otherwise)! Here’s how you’d do it:

All done. Now you no longer have to run several VLOOKUPs to return multiple columns and are *this* 🤏 much closer to becoming an Excel pro. 

How to (Actually) See Obstacles as Opportunities 

You’ve heard it a million times: Obstacles are opportunities in disguise. 

But let’s be real: It’s hard to see the silver lining during tough times—like getting ghosted by a recruiter, a client pitch gone awry, or being let go from your dream job. 

But something that’s always helped me see the bigger picture? 

This analogy from life coach Marie Forleo: 

When I first heard this, I realized: 

Obstacles are normal in the main character’s journey. Imagine if your favorite character never went through any hardships, or worse, gave up the second they ran into setbacks. That’d be a terrible movie, right? 

So to see obstacles as opportunities, see yourself as the main character. 

And you do that by asking yourself: “If I were watching my life as a Netflix movie, what would I want my character to do?” 

For example: Does your character… 

• Forgo the job search after a recruiter ghosts them…or keep going? 

• Never present again after pitch goes awry…or learn how to present? 

• Quit after not getting a promotion…or use it as a catalyst for growth? 

“Setbacks” are just one part of your story. By seeing your life as a movie (and adopting that ✨ main character energy ✨), you can turn your next scene into something great.

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• Have zero idea what to do with your life? There’s a guide for that. 

• I’m looking for a man in finance: 6’ 5”, blue eyes: Excel version. 

• How I navigate perfectionism, people pleasing, and imposter syndrome. 

• The most common mistake I see in Excel–and how to fix it. 🔧

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Thanks for being here! Are you looking for a summer read that’ll help you grow? I got you. Here’s a list of my favorite books (plus music, podcasts, and documentaries!) that have been huge contributors to my personal growth. 

Stay Exceling,

Kat