The Downtown Women's Club womensDISH blog

Entrepreneurship: Do you have the spirit? Guest Post by Nicole Williams

Nicole Williams is the author of Girl on Top: You Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success, and provides us with three things you need to be a successful entrepreneur.

To go it alone or not to go it alone? That is the question. Actually the real question is: Are entrepreneurs born or made?  This one has been making the rounds for years and there are no definitive answers.  I grew up with a father who’s an entrepreneur so I’m not entirely sure what I was born with and what trickled down from watching him bust his ass, but I’m going to guess there’s more born than made. If you’re not able to grasp (or able to grow into) what I’m talking about below, you’re asking for trouble.  

• The belief that rules are written for other people:  I was speaking at a television industry conference and before everyone was let into the room, I listened to a guy tell us how hard it is to sell a TV show, “the chances are one in a million”.  After sharing my story of selling 13 episodes of a show concept upon first pitch, the guy came up to me and asked how it happened.  I didn’t say it aloud, but in my mind I’m thinking…because I’m not you…or the 999,999 others out pitching their show.  

It may sound egotistical (and maybe it is) but to be an entrepreneur you need to believe that the odds, the statistics and the rules don’t apply to you. Nine out of ten start-up businesses fail in the first five years. You’d be screwed walking into this reality not believing you’ll be the one who will defy the odds. This rules-are-for-others concept is also essential from the perspective of looking for new ways of doing things. The name of the game is innovation and some of the best businesses have been built around taking a tried-and-true idea or rule and turning it on its ass. Are rules for you or not?   

• A sense of fearlessness:   Leaving the comfort of the warm, comfortable cocoon of ‘the man’ is not for the faint of heart. As I actually think about it here, it’s not that as an entrepreneur you don’t feel fear – you do – but you become not only immune to it, you learn to actually thrive off it. If your idea of being out on the limb is ordering pork rather than chicken, you’re in for a rude awakening. To put your name, money, reputation on the line is a big, fat, exhilarating deal. You’re going to be scared, and the question you need to ask yourself repeatedly is: Can you handle it? I’ve met a lot of failed business owners and one thing that most have in common is that they become paralyzed in the face of the fear.  

• A refusal to lose:   I’m not just saying this for the sake of bravado and it’s not that I don’t question myself or want to give up, but at the end of the day I know I will not let myself lose. There’s a certain kind of stubbornness that comes with entrepreneurship. On the outside it might look like you’re crazy to be holding on for dear life when other sane, rational people would have walked away. As an entrepreneur you have to be willing to fail (trust me, you will make mistakes—embarrassing ones) but you can’t let yourself lose – huge difference. One of my very favorite business books is called Many Miles to Go by Brian Tracy. His message is one of perseverance and dedication and I use it as a constant reminder that the greater your vision, the longer it will take to build.  

For more about Nicole, visit: http://www.nicolewilliams.com/.

Tap your passion for your career: Guest Author Post by Allison Maslan

Ever wonder how you can incorporate a passion into your career?  Check out the Blast Off! Dream Career Questionnaire based on my new book, Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan To Launch Your Dreams Into Reality.

 1. As a child, what did you dream of being when you grew up? It’s helpful to get in touch with your earlier fascinations. In early childhood, it was easier to live from our imagination without all of the interference from our adopted limiting beliefs.

2. What are some of your favorite hobbies or activities—in the present and in the past—and why? Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn your favorite pastime into your dream career? We choose hobbies and activities that most likely resonate with our unique personality as well as our physical, mental and emotional nature. They are an extension of our inner voice and a blast off to your dream career.

3. What do you do or have you done in your life that makes you the happiest? What is it about this that you enjoy so much? What does it mean to you? When you are in a state of joy or bliss, you are in complete alignment with your purpose. And when you’re in complete alignment with your passions, intention and actions, success is sure to follow.

4. What things have you always wanted to do, but were afraid to try? These could be activities or ideas related to your personal life or career that you have seen on television, in books, or heard of others experiencing. List anything that comes to mind that seems interesting, stimulating, exciting, meaningful or fun. Many people self-impose limiting choices and circumstances on themselves and their lives. Once those obstacles are removed, the possibilities are boundless! People often fear change, even if their current circumstances are not up to par with their capabilities. The hardest part of change is the first step. Once you get through that, creating your new and successful career becomes so much easier. The fear will be released the more you practice taking action.

5. What is a cause that you could get behind? Is there a cause or charity that you’re passionate about? There may be some career ideas that will support and reflect the charities or causes that have meaning to you.

6. What values do you hold most important in your life? If you can incorporate some of the most important values of your character and your life into your work, you will be truly living a life of value and purpose. For example, I have always felt a calling to help people in need. At some point, I finally reconnected with my deeper values and life purpose to support and inspire others on their path. Life coaching was a natural evolvement because it matched my inner values and purpose.

7. What are your strengths and talents? By tapping into the special abilities that you were born with, you can consider translating them into your dream career.

8. What movies and books have inspired you over the years, and why? We are often drawn to books and movies that reflect our personalities and interests. For example, history books may reflect your interest in travel or research. Action/adventure books and movies may mirror your desire for a career in an outdoor setting rather than being office-bound.

9. What does success mean to you? Success can have many different connotations and can represent different things to different people. What does the picture of success look like to you?

10. If you had plenty of money at your disposal to invest in your own dream career, what kind of business would you start? Often the fear of not having enough capital, or an inheritance, or just-accepting-poverty thinking can dissuade people from reaching for their dreams. By putting your dreams on paper, sending your strong intention out into the world and following up with action, the necessary avenues to remove these supposed limitations will appear. This is intention in action.

Don’t let the financial aspect stop you, because there will always be a solution if you actively look for it. The secret is to profess your dream, and then start taking action toward it today. You may even begin to receive checks in the mail. Stranger things have happened!

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Upon completion of Blast Off! Dream Career Questionnaire look at each of your answers. Do you see a common theme throughout? This is a very good clue for your winning dream career. For instance, if all your answers have to do with creative activities, you may fit with a career in the arts, such as landscape design, interior design, fine art or graphic design. If you see travel dominating your answers, a career as a travel agent, excursion director, or editor of a travel magazine may be the fuel for your inner passion. These answers will reflect your inner purpose. A dream career that expresses your values, hopes, loves and dreams is a winning recipe for life of passion and meaning.

Allison Maslan, HHP, CCH is the president of The Blast Off Life and Business Coaching. www.myblastoff.com and author of Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan To Launch Your Dreams Into Reality.

Top Book Picks for 2009 by Diane Danielson

One of our Downtown Women's Club members just tagged me on a Facebook note re: my favorite book picks for the year.  "Favorite books" is sometimes tough to decide.  However, I use this term when I find myself referring to a book or recommending it to others long after I've read it. (As opposed to a few books that I might have stayed up way to late to finish ... but a week later can't remember the name or author.)

This year there were seven books that met this standard.  So, just in case you are looking for last minute gifts or something to read in the airport next week, here you go:

Fiction Picks:

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbary.  Set in Paris, this book won numerous awards in France.  It follows the lives of a "prickly" concierge and a handful of tenants in her building. Definitely for the "literary-minded".  I liken it to almost a modern-day Jane Austen novel.  Click here for my full review. 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larrson (and the two sequels).  Set in Sweden, this smart "who dunnit" trilogy follows a journalist and a computer whiz kid through several adventures which expose corrupt public officials, sex trafficking, abuse and instances of extreme brutality against women.  

Non-Fiction Business Picks:

Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith.  Of all the social media books, this was the best for both "newbies" as well as the more experienced social media user.  Click here for my full review.

The Facebook Era by Clara Shih - Still think Facebook is for kids or a fad?  This was one of the first books to look at business marketing on Facebook and give some insight to the future of Facebook in a business context. Click here to read my full review.

Twitterville by Shel Israel.  For anyone who can't see the point of Twitter, this is an engaging read about the founding of the company as well as providing concrete examples of the many ways companies are using Twitter to improve their customer service, marketing research and bottom line. Click here to read my full review.

Non-Fiction Miscellaneous Picks:

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis.  This is the book that launched the movie and possibly Sandra Bullock's best shot at an Oscar.  I haven't seen the movie yet, but what I liked best about the book were the chapters on the evolution of football as a business.  It gave me a whole new appreciation for the game.  Click here for my full review.

Bad Mother by Ayalet Waldman.  For any mom who has ever felt like a total failure for not living up to some ridiculous standard of motherhood perfection, this book is a nice dopeslap to the head to remind you that it's ok to sometimes drop the ball ... the world (and your kids) won't be irreparably damaged.  Click here for my full review.

Do you have your own book recommendations for 2007?  Please share them below!

Happy People are Productive People: 3 Tips for Maximizing Workplace Performance

This month's guest author post is by Cathy L. Greenberg, Ph.D. and Barrett S. Avigdor, JD, co-authors of What Happy Working Mothers Know: How New Findings in Positive Psychology Can Lead to a Healthy and Happy Work/Life Balance (Wiley, September 2009).

Every business, regardless of your industry, has to learn to do more with fewer resources.  On the people side of the business, that means you need to get the best performance possible out of your employees.  And, you need to do that without an outlay of cash for incentive bonuses, training or team meetings at 5 star resorts.

The secret to maximizing performance is to create an environment in which your employees are happy.   A happy employee is highly engaged, flourishing and has achieved an acceptable work life balance.

We know that high employee engagement leads to high performance.  Recent studies by the Corporate Leadership Council, Towers Perrin and Development Dimensions International, show that a highly engaged work force results in a 20% improvement in employee productivity, a 50% reduction in unplanned attrition and a 23% increase in customer satisfaction.  But employee engagement is just part of the answer.  To truly maximize the performance of your work force, you also need to create an environment where they can flourish.

1.  Create a positive environment

Human flourishing, according to Dr. Barbara Fredrickson of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is “to live within an optimal range of human functioning, one that connotes goodness…growth and resilience”.  When a person is flourishing, they are thinking with their entire brain and make more ethical and creative decisions.  In order for employees to flourish, they need a highly positive environment.  They need frequent positive feedback, an environment in which ridicule and gossip are not tolerated and they need to know that they will not be punished for making a well intentioned mistake.

2.  Manage based on expanding strengths

A strengths based approach to management can unleash tremendous productivity, creativity and enthusiasm in a work force.  As described in “Go, Put Your Strengths to Work” and other books by Marcus Buckingham, the strengths based approach empowers employees to shape their job into their dream job.  It begins with the employee identifying those activities at work that energize him (strengths) and those activities that drain him (weaknesses).   He then discusses those strengths and weaknesses with his team and his manager and together, they find ways to gradually give him more of the work that energizes him and to find strategies to shrink the amount of time he spends on activities that drain him.
 
3.  Be flexible wherever you can

Many employees, especially those with young families, put a high premium on flexible work schedules and feel loyal to employers who provide it.   We recently did a survey of over 1000 women around the world for our book, “What Happy Working Mothers Know”.  In answer to the question “If you make one change about your work environment, what would it be”?  26.3% said they would increase the flexibility in their work schedule.  Men crave flexibility too.

Happiness in the work place comes from positivity, working to your strengths and having the flexibility to find an acceptable work life balance.  And happy employees are high performing employees.

DWC Guest Post: From Fired to Hired

DWC Guest Post by Tory Johnson, author of Fired to Hired: Bouncing Back from Job Loss to Get to Work Right Now.

1) When you tried to go from fired to hired after losing your job at NBC News, what obstacles did you face?

When I was fired from NBC News from a job I loved and a place I considered heaven on earth, I was stunned. I thought my world had come to an end. I was embarrassed. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I stayed in my apartment for weeks and weeks. Ultimately I had to accept that the job was over, but my life and career could continue just fine. I had come out of hiding, pick up the phone and reach out to all of my contacts. I had to hold my head and realize that the skills and successes were still mine—and nobody could take those away.

2) If I get laid off today, what’s the first thing I should do?

Two things simultaneously: Indulge in a pity party--give yourself a moment to let your emotions run wild. You'll no doubt feel scared, frustrated, angry, and maybe a tinge of relief. Acknowledge those concerns, but don't allow them to consume you. After all, you've got a lot of work to do. Focus on your finances. If you've lived paycheck to paycheck, it's time for a reality check. What are your monthly obligations and which ones can you lower? How much money do you have in reserve? File promptly for unemployment, with an emphasis on accuracy and honesty so your claim isn’t delayed or denied.

3) What are 3 mistakes you see jobseekers making most often?

• Trotting out the “nobody’s hiring” excuse. By assuming “there are no jobs out there,” you’re looking for an easy excuse—a crutch—to throw in the towel and give up on your search. When I appeared on Larry King Live earlier this year, a caller phoned in to ask how he could possibly find a job when 90 percent of the local employers in his area weren’t hiring. My answer is always the same: Focus on the other 10 percent. You don’t need 100 percent of the employers to be in hiring mode. You only need one to say yes.
• Talking mainly about your needs. It's not about what you want, dummy. It's about what they want. No employer will hire you because of what you want—such as an “opportunity for growth in a progressive company.” Forget that nonsense and recognize that you’ll only be hired based on what the company wants. Figure out what they want and position yourself as an ideal match. (Ultimately you have to want the same things for yourself, but as a jobseeker, sell yourself based on their needs first, not your own.)
• Spraying and praying. Only a fraction of online time should be spent on the giant job boards because they lead to a false sense of accomplishment. You submit hundreds of resumes and you feel pretty good about yourself. You assume someone out there will respond to at least one, if not more, of your submissions. All logical assumptions—and all wrong. Job searching in a recession is more about quality than quantity. If you’re not following up and proactively reaching out directly to decision makers, your chances of being discovered in that big black hole are slim.

4) Where do jobseekers say they’re spending most of their time online?

Sadly, the sites they turn to most often are the giant job boards. That’s fine for finding job leads and getting a sense of who’s hiring and what’s out there. But it’s hardly enough. I steer them to social networking sites. Anyone looking for a job should be on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. It’s not good enough to simply have an account and amass a slew of contacts, friends and followers: you’ve got to work those connections to make them work for you. Embrace the 60/40 rule: 60% of your jobsearch time should be spent offline, with just 40% spent online using job boards, social networking sites, blogs and industry sites.

5) Give us a few quick tips that are easy to apply:

• Enhance your digital identity. When we want to find out about someone or something, we google it. If nothing comes up, it must not exist. Don’t be absent in cyberspace. When a prospective employer or contact googles you, make sure something comes up—ideally information that enhances your professionalism and touts your credentials. Online social networks—Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn—can help you do just that. Create a free digital resume at VisualCV.com. Start a blog. Post comments on influential industry blogs to tout your knowledge.
• No typos, duh. Three out of four (76%) executives surveyed by staffing firm Accountemps said just one or two typos in a resume would remove applicants from consideration for a job. Ask 3 people to proof a hard copy—don’t rely on spell check. Read it backwards too.
• Don’t blame your age. Resist the urge to blame the one thing you can’t control—age. Even though workers age 45+ are disproportionately represented in the long-term unemployed, it’s not impossible to get hired. You’ll no doubt encounter “over-qualified,” which is often code for “too old,” but keep plugging away.
• Spend 3 to 4 hours a day devoted to your search. If you’re not working on it daily, it’ll take longer to get hired. If you’ve been struggling for months without success, wipe the slate clean and start over.
• Mind your credit. Poor credit, which is more and more likely for some people in a recession with prolonged unemployment, can prevent you from getting hired. Don’t bury your head to mounting debt and unpaid bills. Be proactive about addressing this if it’s an issue for you.
• Ask for feedback. If you’re going on interviews but never hearing back, ask for candid comments on why you weren’t selected. Don’t get confrontational; just make it clear that you’d greatly appreciate the benefit of feedback to help you going forward.

About the Book

At just 22, Tory Johnson was fired from her dream job as a publicist at NBC News. What followed is an all too familiar story—days of denial, Häagen-Dazs, and daytime TV. Tory’s pity party turned into a misery marathon until she decided to own up to her new reality and move forward. After writing a cathartic “Dear Andy” letter to the boss who arrogantly sent her packing, Tory made a cognitive shift—vowing to get going on the next chapter of her life, learning valuable lessons along the way. After a few intermediate jobs, Tory founded Women For Hire, a leading provider of comprehensive career services for women, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this fall.

The end of life as we know it

In keeping with my pledge to be optimistic, the statement “the end of life as we know it” is not really a bad thing when you look at it the way author William Draves of Nine Shift:  Work Life and Education in the 21^st Century does.    Draves is a futurist who joined us for a Downtown Women's Club (DWC+) Teleclass to spotlight the trends that are going to affect us in the next decade.  Some of the trends he spotlights:

• By 2020, thanks to computers, 75% of how we work and live will change, much in the same way it did 100 years ago when cars/tractors caused people to leave the farm and head to the cities/manufacturers.

• Draves predicts that in the next 10 years, companies will discover that having a virtual workforce

is more economically viable than having offices, thus the work at home trend will dominate.  (hmmm. Maybe there is opportunity for those who can figure out what to do with the empty office parks that may end up as white elephants on the suburban landscape).

Some advantages of working at home:

• More outcome focused.  The only way to measure success with a virtual workforce is through deliverables.  Face time and supervising how people spend their time becomes less important – everything will be outcome-oriented.  This should be much better for women and result in more gender equity.

• Better for communities.  People working at home will be spending more time in their communities.  Working becomes less structured and more about flow.  Taking out up to two or more hours of commute time each day will benefitkids and work.

• And, the kicker - the chaos of 100 years ago was good for women in the long run ... Draves expects we'll see the same here.

What can you do to prepare yourself?

• Get comfortable with the Internet.  When it comes to blogs, Facebooking and tweets - no hiding your head in the sand. 

• Build your networks.  When it comes to working at home, we need to work a bit harder to stay connected.

• If you are job hunting, seek out companies that understand these trends.  Those that fight it might not be prosperous in the long run.

Still not a believer that times have changed?  Well, that may mean you're a watch manufacturer and don't want to believe it.  Because Draves pointed out that young people are not wearing watches.  They have cell phones with the time on it, who needs a watch?  Personally, I used to be someone who felt naked without my watch, and when I lost it the other week - I was shocked to see it wasn't such a big deal.  The good news is that I did eventually find it.  But, the bad news for watch manufacturers is that I also considered not replacing it.

 

Times are changing, and those who can change with it will be in a position to enjoy the end of life as we know it.

For more about William Draves and Time Shift, visit the Nine Shift blog.    And for those who want to get with the times, tune in to our DWC+ Teleclasses.

DWC+ Teleclasses Teleclasses are free for DWC+ members.  Everyone else can participate for only $29.99.    3/11 at 12:00 noon EST - Communicating Up: How to Talk to the People Who Matter   3/18 at 12:00 noon EST - Networking for Professionals, Less Stress, More Success   3/26 at 12:00 noon EST - 9 Need to Know Negotiating Techniques    4/2 at 12:00 noon EST - Doing Your Best Marketing in the Worst of Times     4/8 at 12:00 noon EST - Branding Yourself for the Job Hunt   Click here to register or to purchase an individual class.

Do family patterns limit your success?

This month's DWC Indicator article is written by Sylvia Lafair, author of Don't Bring It to Work: Breaking The Family Patterns That Limit Success (Jossey-Bass, March 3, 2009)

 

I'm certain you've all had the experience of looking in the mirror and recognizing you have your father's chin or grandmother's blue eyes. We also inherit our ancestors' ways of thinking and behaving. Thus, our decisions are less totally "ours" than they are a collection of threads from our family tapestry. Thanks to advances in neuroscience we know that unconscious emotions occupy a different region of the brain than conscious perceptions and exert a powerful influence on our actions. The trigger is usually stress!

 

When a co-worker tries to one-up and makes you feel stupid, suddenly you are responding to your older brother who always put you down. When your boss demands that costs be cut, suddenly he is your single mom who could never make ends meet. Reactions happen in milliseconds. As the internal anxiety gauge goes up your ability to respond in a mature manner goes down. I am seeing more and more fear, anger, and defensiveness in offices as the current economy puts stress at a recent all time high.

 

Awareness that an old pattern is activated offers options for deactivation. However, if it stays underground I can guarantee it will be reacted to beyond what is called for in the present situation.

 

In my book I identify the 13 most common patterns in the workplace. Here are three that most women understand: 

 

Super Achievers must excel at everything. Not only do they achieve every conventional measure of career success, their families also must look picture perfect. "Happiness" is not a word used by super achievers; they just say "success." They tend to step over or on anyone and breed resentment at work. The good news is: super achievers who tackle the need to be "the one" become creative collaborators who include and cooperate. They put ego needs aside realizing greatness comes from a group effort.

 

Martyrs go above and beyond what is called for. Martyrs want to be "special" by being needed. They love to suffer and do this quite well. They also use guilt and silence to get across how hard they work. When a martyr changes they become integrators and can work wonders in an organization. Integrators have an amazing ability to help people learn to share the work and everyone feels they are being treated with fairness and respect.

 

Pleasers rarely offer an opinion and say "yes" to everything. They don’t set limits, are ineffective authority figures, and want consensus rather than real solutions. Being popular is key, their mantra, "so long as you are liked you are safe." When a pleaser becomes strong enough to change they become valuable truth tellers, unafraid to stand for what they believe. Truth tellers are transparent; you always know where you are with them. They are the leaders everyone wants to hang out with and learn from.

 

The great news about this work is that with a willingness to become pattern aware you gain tools to make changes that get beyond knee-jerk survival responses so you thrive at work.

 

Learn more about Pattern Aware Leadership at www.patternaware.com or www.ceoptions.com