The Virtual PM

Are You Really Leading or Just Holding a Title?

Sorry, not sorry. But your title doesn't make you a leader... {The Virtual PM Newsletter}

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, We’ve all seen it: someone with a title, but no real leadership behind it. The meetings that go nowhere, the vague directions, the absence when the team needs them most. Early in my career, I learned a tough truth—having a title doesn’t make you a leader. Leadership is about more than being “in charge.” It’s about showing up, listening, and actively making your team’s challenges your own. I’ve seen both sides of this....

about 6 hours ago • 2 min read

Why Starting Your Day Like Oprah Will Change Everything

Why starting your day with gratitude will change everything ✨ {The Virtual PM Newsletter}

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hi Reader, With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on what we’re grateful for. If you’re feeling like you’re running on empty, this is your sign to take a step back. And gratitude is a powerful tool that can completely reshape how you see challenges and setbacks. It shifts our mindset from scarcity—focusing on what we lack—to recognizing and appreciating the richness already present in...

7 days ago • 2 min read

Steve Jobs and his blind spots 🕶️ {The Virtual PM Newsletter}

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Ever heard of Steve Jobs? Yeah, the guy who revolutionized tech, design, and pretty much how we live our lives today. Yeah you probably know who he is... During the early days of Apple, Steve’s confidence in his vision sometimes caused him to overlook his team’s concerns or misjudge what customers truly needed. Sure, his boldness brought innovation, but it also caused setbacks—because blind spots aren’t just for the...

14 days ago • 2 min read

Are You Double-Minded? Here's How to Tell 👉🏽 {The Virtual PM Newsletter}

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Have you ever felt like you’re stuck between two choices, questioning every decision, and worrying about which way to go? 😵💫 This “double-mindedness” is something we don’t talk about enough in leadership, yet it’s so common—and I’ve been there myself. It’s that feeling of second-guessing, of being unsure if you’re making the right call, and it doesn’t just affect you—it impacts everyone around you. I remember reading...

21 days ago • 2 min read

How to Make People Fall In Love With You 😍 {The Virtual PM Newsletter}

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Can I share something a bit personal? 🫣 For the longest time, I thought being a great communicator meant having all the right words, knowing exactly what to say, and basically being the star of every convo. I was that person who, mid-conversation, was already crafting my next brilliant response while the other person was still talking. Is this you too? It wasn’t until someone told me, “You’re such a good listener,”...

28 days ago • 2 min read

The Blueprint for Effortless Team Collaboration

Is Your Team ACTUALLY Collaborating or Just Winging it? 😏 {The Virtual PM Newsletter}

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, According to this article by Salesforce, 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication as a reason for workplace failures. That's HUGE. 🤯 And it's one of the reasons why I wanted to dive deep into it today. A while back, I was leading a project that seemed to have all the right ingredients: a talented team, solid objectives, and regular check-ins. But something wasn’t...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

How to Develop Self-Awareness As A Leader

A Special Invite for [FIRST NAME GOES HERE] 💌 {The Virtual PM Newsletter}

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Okay, real talk. Have you ever walked out of a meeting thinking, "I crushed that," only to later realize... "Wait, maybe I didn’t?" 🙃 Same here. I once worked on a big project with a CEO, and every meeting, we’d leave thinking we were on the same page, only to realize later that we weren’t even in the same chapter. I thought we were on the same wavelength, but turns out, I was totally off. The culprit? My own lack of...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

Are You Secretly Micromanaging? Here’s How to Tell 👉🏽 {The Virtual PM Newsletter}

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Ever find yourself constantly redoing tasks your team has completed because it’s not exactly how you would’ve done it? Been there, done that. For the longest time, I believed that if I didn’t have my hands on every little detail, things would fall apart. Spoiler: they didn’t, but my stress levels certainly soared!Let me be real with you—micromanaging is exhausting. And it doesn’t just wear you out; it holds your team...

about 2 months ago • 2 min read

The Learning Routine of the World’s Most Effective Leaders

Get Smarter in Minutes—Tips for Leaders and Aspiring Leaders 🤓 {The Virtual PM Newsletter}

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, In our last few newsletters, we’ve talked about the importance of continuous growth for leaders. But here’s the real question: how do you actually keep learning and evolving while leading a team? I get it—finding the time and energy to learn something new can feel overwhelming. That’s why I’m sharing five learning tactics I use to keep my mind sharp and drive innovation within my team. One thing I’ve found especially...

about 2 months ago • 2 min read

Stop Confusing Leadership with Authority

My First Leadership Role Was a Wake-Up Call ⏰ {The Virtual PM Newsletter}

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Let me kickoff today's email with a story. I still remember my first leadership role back in high school at Kroger. I thought having "supervisor" in my title meant I had it all figured out. But reality set in fast—I learned the hard way that a title alone doesn’t make you a leader. Just because you’re in charge doesn’t mean people will follow you.They follow you because they want to. The biggest lesson I took from...

2 months ago • 2 min read