Real Women -- Real Careers

Friday, September 26, 2008

ATHENA International 2008 Northeast Ohio ATHENA Awards Honors and Encourages Women to Reach their Leadership Potential

ATHENA International honors those who support and encourage the leadership potential in women. Shown here are the two Finalists of the ATHENA Award with Norma Rist (center) who is chairman of the board of directors of ATHENA International.

Susan Berger (left) Development and Community Relations Director of Positive Education Program was the 2008 Cleveland Recipient and Ilene Shapiro (right) Vice President Summa Enterprise Group of Summa Health Systems was the 2008 Akron Recipient.

Eleven women were honored with a banquet of over 300 and a 7-minute video describing their professional achievements, community service and leadership roles in assisting women. They each received a framed article from Inside Business magazine that described their devotion to helping other women in Cleveland, Akron and throughout Northeast Ohio.

The ATHENA Award finalists for Northeast Ohio were Vivian Celeste Neal, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Marie Covington, Covington Communications, Inc.; Laura Culp, Brockman, Coats, Gedelian & Co.; Dr. Giesele Robinson Greene, UnitedHealthcare; Terri Hamilton Brown, National City Corp.; Janet L. Miller, University Hospitals Health Systems, Inc.; Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett, Rise Sally Rise, Inc./Kent State University; Carole Sanderson, Herschman Architects, Inc.; and Chris Yuhasz, Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority.

Founded more than 25 years ago, ATHENA International is known for building women leaders and recognizing leadership initiatives among women. The organization is headquartered in Chicago and is well known for its award programs that honor women leaders in more than 220 locations throughout 5 countries. For more information, visit the organization's website at www.ATHENAInternational.org or call 312.580.0111.

Don't miss the Women's International Leadership Summit in March 2009!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Women Gain Valuable Tools From PowerLink

I saw an interesting article in Entrepreneur magazine recently that talked about a great program for women called PowerLink -- it matches women-owned businesses with a custom team of advisors who help them achieve growth objectives.

The progam helped one young woman reach a sales goal of $80,000 which may seem small by most business standards, except the business owner was 14 years old. She was paired with a seasoned business woman who had experience in the same industry and had also received the benefits of an advisory board.

For more information about this PowerLink success story, follow this link: GIRLS' CLUB - Club Power Lunches Aren't Just for the Guys Anymore.

To learn more about the international program of PowerLink, visit the ATHENA International website.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Interviewing Tips to Get that All Important First Job

Yesterday I talked with a recent graduate who is job hunting. He did several things right at the interview:

Showed up on time
Shook my hand, smiled and seemed pleasant
Wore a suit
Brought work samples from school projects
Brought an extra resume
Had a few prepared questions to ask the interviewer

Although before we even set the interview appointment, I told him we didn't have any openings, he was still very nervous. Being shy is a fact of life for some people. But there are still three things he could have done to improve his interview, which would help him feel less nervous and more confident:

Prepare answers to the "standard" questions at a networking interview: tell me about yourself, what was your favorite class, what type of work are you looking for, what part of this project did you work on, how can I help you in your job search?
Practice the interview by role playing with a trusted friend. Visualize the potential room. Practice answering the questions out loud. Three sentences is a good length generally for an answer. Saying "that's a good question" buys you some time.
Practice presenting the work he completed in school by saying one or two statements about what he learned by doing the project.

Interviewing is an important job hunting skill just like writing the cover letter and sending a thank you note following the interview. If you aren't sure about interviewing questions, check out some of the websites that have sample questions and examples of good answers.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Question

What's the one question that is missing? Many job seekers forget completely to ask this important question

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Marketing Strategies For Women to Help Career Advancement

I have found that when women begin their work career they often think about "just getting that first job" instead of planning a real marketing strategy for their career.

Each job will become a stepping stone in your career advancement, so if you plan it out with a bit of strategy you may find that getting to the next level doesn't take as long.

Questions to ask yourself as you plan your marketing strategy:

What skills do need to I learn that could help me advance?
How can I get visability with people who could connect me?
How can I help other people who are looking for advancement?
When people think of local "superstars" in my field, who do they mention?
What groups or organizations do those superstars belong to?

This link Women's Networking Organizations has a list of many women's organizations that may be helpful. Volunteering, getting on a committee and working hard to prove your value will help you to get visability. Try to select an organization that someone who is considered a superstar in your field is actively involved with and begin to build your reputation as a solid team player.

Remember "what goes around, comes around". Be sure to thank the other members of the team, send handwritten notes, and follow up.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Mapping Out Your Career

Where do your interests lie on this colorful chart? Perhaps this will help you when considering a career selection or a transition from one career into a new field.

You can find out more about each of these careers by researching at the Department of Labor's website.

Another way to explore your options is to look into the Career Exploration Resource Center that breaks various jobs into categories of interest. This chart is outlined in what is called Holland Codes. For example "E" stands for Enterprising which has jobs like

banker
salesperson
business executive
buyer
financial planner
lawyer

This may be helpful too.

Chart courtesy of: Hudson High School Guidance Dept.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Elephants Can't Change...

Although I've been out of corporate America for more than 10 years now, I sure appreciated all the stories in "Elephants can't change... but Leopards Can" by Michelle Griffin. Lots of familiar stories that I think anyone who has experienced life in a large corporation can relate to -- a real life study of organizational dynamics.

My suggestion for "Real Women -- Real Careers" readers? Trying to whip an elephant who is stuck in his ways can be really difficult and will sap your energy. When you're in career transition look for organizations that are nimble, forward thinking and quick -- not slow, lumboring and in the "that's the way we do it here" rut.

If you get a chance, read thru Michelle's book - I think you'll like it.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Inspirational Leadership - How My Mom Inspired a Whole Troop of Girls

My Mom was my brownie leader. She organized the crafts. She volunteered to pick up the patches at the scout shop. She still isn't much of a singer, but she taught us all those special brownie songs. She helped us recite the brownie promise at the close of each meeting.

She got all of us girls to really believe in ourselves that when we chanted the phrase "twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the water and saw... myself!" When we glanced down at the pine branches laid around the mirror, we really were transformed into someone who can do anything. She gave us the confidence to try new things and make a difference.

And over the years, our troop did. We cleaned up the overgrown corner lot in our town, throwing away trash, trimming back all the weeds and planting petunias. We visited the shut-ins in the nursing home. We camped in the woods and cooked on buddy burners made of 3 lb coffee cans and tuna cans with cardboard and wax.

As we grew from Brownies to Juniors to Cadettes, so did our activities. We traveled to the capital. We helped organize events for the younger scouts. We saw plays. We earned badges. We took photos and cemented friendships. We created scavenger hunts for the younger scouts with watermelons as the prize at the end. We learned leadership skills like mentoring, planning, encouraging and collaborating.

My mom volunteered hundreds of hours to the girls in our troop. She taught us leadership by letting us try it on one step at a time. And now, many years later, if you surveyed those dozen girls, you'll find women who have grown up to become leaders in a wide variety of roles including business, government and health care (and scouts too.) And now we are passing it on to the next generation.

Thanks Mom, for igniting the spark of leadership in all of us!

Check out more stories of how moms have inspired leaders the week of July 28th at Workplace Wisdom

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Women's Role & Progress in Careers

British Museum
Originally uploaded by vividBreeze

This is an interesting story about Women in Traverse City, Michigan as profiled on CBS Sunday Morning on May 14, 2006.

Read about Women - smashing the glass ceiling or watch/listen to the video - Smashing the Glass Ceiling.

In the video and the transcript, the survey conducted in April 2006: WOMEN: WORK, FAMILY AND FEMINISM is refered to with work/life balance issues like:

DO MOST WOMEN WORK BECAUSE THEY NEED TO OR BECAUSE THEY WANT TO? (Among women)
Need to -- 75%
Want to -- 13%
I find that hard to believe... but maybe because I would have selected "want to" instead of need to... What do you think? Do most women work because they need to or want to?

Monday, June 30, 2008

Northeast Ohio Women Owned Businesses Crain's Directory

Are you looking for a Women Owned Business in Northeast Ohio?

Crain's Cleveland Business recently published a directory of women owned businesses in the Cleveland, Akron and Northeast Ohio area to help those who want to work with Women Owned Businesses.

My company, Marketing Resources & Results, is listed about halfway down this list. Click on the hyperlink to see the profile of each business.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Woman of Note - Susan Williamson

Susan Williamson, President of C-Trac is a business friend of mine, so you can imagine how delighted I was to read that she was recognized as a Woman of Note by Crain's Cleveland Business.

You'll want to take a look at the Woman of Note Profile Video of Susan Williamson to learn how she got started and what she does to build her career.

She has two kids and her husband travels, so like so many successful women, she's learned how to manage and balance her life and work together.

Never feel like your stuck in anything, there are alternatives out there... I share with my friends, just make the best of every circumstance that your in...

I met Susan years ago and worked with Ctrac in the early 90's. I highly recommend their services. Her company is really expert at what they do. -- You can learn more about them at their website: Ctrac Information Solutions: Database Marketing and Direct Mail Marketing in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Thinking about a Freelance Writing Career?

If you've ever considered a career in freelance writing, you probably realize that it takes more than a love of writing to make a go of it.

Here are some resources I've found that will help you get started and grow your freelance writing career:

4 Part Series "SO, YOU WANT TO BE A FREELANCE WRITER" This series includes Learning about the Business, Chosing What to Do, Finding Gigs, and Advice from the Pros.

Most freelancers work from home. This is the best suggestions I've found for top tips for productivity while working from home. Stephen Smith assembled this post after asking the question to his LinkedIn contact group -- a great resource of many minds!
When you're developing your freelancing career, think "product" rather than "service" to allow your business to let you take vacations, to grow beyond a one person always on business and to give you some FREEDOM FROM FREELANCE. Written by one of the the great writers at Copyblogger, James Chartrand.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Career Focus: Graphic Design and Web Developer

Career Advice about Graphic Design and Web Design

Today's interview features Ashley Vincelli and Rachel Martin of Marketing Resources & Results. I interviewed them about how they got started in their careers. In this 9-minute career-focused podcast they offer advice and insight into the careers of Graphic Design and Web Design.

It was recorded on my Branding & Marketing channel on BlogTalkRadio. Marketing Resources & Results is the company I formed in 1998 to provide a marketing department to companies in Northeast Ohio that wanted to grow but didn't have the marketing resources they needed to get the sales results they wanted.

Thanks so much to Ashley and Rachel for sharing their information. Click on the hyperlinked copy or the BlogTalkRadio logo above to hear the Graphic Design & Web Design podcast play on your computer.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Entrepreneur Conference Ticket

BREAKING NEWS! Win a 3-day entrepreneur conference ticket! Announcement scheduled for Friday June 13th!

Thought you -- or some entrepreneural woman you know -- may be interested in entering to win this ticket valued at $1497.

In the meantime, I want you to gather together your best, most passionate and thoughtful response to the following question (hint: it’s how the winners will get picked…)

The entry question: What inspires you to be an entrepreneur?

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Can This Elephant Curtsy on Cue? Life Lessons for Women in Business

"Life Lessons for Women in Business Learned on a Film Set. " I'm reading this at lunch today! Just skimmed the first and last chapter, so I'm looking forward to more.

It is written by Danielle Weinstock, TV & Film Producer

Some of the valuable career lessons:

How to find and follow your passion
How to successfully change career paths
When to take your peers' advice and when to ignore it
How to manage others by finding and fostering their strengths
Why if you don't find value yourself at work, no one else will
How to work with difficult people
What works and what doesn't in achieving work-life balance

Yummy!

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Examing the Leadership Styles of Women as Mentors

Do women have a different leadership style than men do? Some people say yes, others hesitate.

You may enjoy a recent post at Mark's LeaderLog by Mark Sheffler, executive director of Leadership Akron, where he gives examples of his growth during the mentoring of six women leaders. Although he prefaces his remarks with this statement:

One risks becoming stereotypical in making general statements about what is unique among women leaders. I tend to think that all that I’ve learned from women colleagues/superiors I learned from dynamic individuals who happened to be women, rather than from women leaders per se. Research indicates that personality differences far outweigh gender differences when it comes to one’s leadership style.
I think that there is plenty to be learned from watching and learning the various ways gender differences manifest in leaders. This is one of his observations:

I have also come to appreciate the “Relational Intelligence” of women leaders. The supreme importance of relationships among people and among organizations are critical to success in any enterprise.

I met Mark several years ago at AMAkron Toastmasters. Toastmasters International is a communication and leadership organization. Most people think of it as where you learn to give speeches, but it is much more than that. It's where you learn to mentor, coach, evaluate to motivate and develop leadership practices that work.

What I have observed from the mentoring program in Toastmasters is this:

Most people don't often characterise themselves as a mentor, but often want to help others.
Those who have a mentor progress much much faster than those without a mentor.
About 1/2 those who are mentored, become mentors themselves.
The ones who are mentors become superstars -- in that they often mentor 3 to 5 others and become awesome speakers and even better evaluators.
Men are often more direct with their suggestions than women are when they coach others. Women "don't want to hurt" some one's feelings, so they sometimes go very lightly over the coaching.
On the flip side, sometimes men can be too pointed with their coaching, finding much more to criticize than points to encourage.
Practice makes sone better. A beginning mentor is good. A seasoned mentor is better. Doesn't matter if it is a woman or a man, leadership - coaching - mentoring, all improve the more you do them.

If you have a local Toastmasters group near you, I encourage you to visit it -- several times.

Try to identify the mentoring and coaching skills you see in action. Is there are difference in the way women and men present their skills?

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Interview with Vicki Flaugher, Entrepreneur

Smart Woman Guide's author and publisher Vicki Flaugher was gracious enough to be interviewed about becoming an entrepreneur.

Download and listen to this 10 minute podcast to hear her thoughts, ideas and words of advice.

Interview Audio: Smart Woman Guides -- Vicki Flaugher discusses entrepreneurship, business marketing, and getting started in business.

Vicki is a very motivational person: "There's a million reasons not to do it... but there's a million and ONE reasons to do it."

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Entrepreneurship as a Career Choice for Women

Are you getting started in business? Ben Jones at Ben Means Business identifies 44 resources that he describes as the "best blogs for Entrepreneurship and Small Business."

Among them are famous ones from Anita Campbell, Seth Godin, John Jansch and Guy Kawaski. (And I was happily surprised that he listed my Branding & Marketing blog on the list as well!)

A women wired for entreprenuership?

According to the Center for Women's Business Research: For the past two decades, majority women-owned firms have continued to grow at around two times the rate of all firms (42% vs. 24%).

You might ask what are the differences between women and men at starting and running a business? The Small Business Association released a 61 page white paper in September 2007 called Are Male and Female Entrepreneurs Really That Different? Turns out that in some ways, yes they are different.

Are you considering starting a business? What is holding you back?