Latest Star Sightings

Zero Club from Pink

2009-10-22T10:43:00.001-07:00

In the August/September/October issue of Pink, you'll find a list of companies with Zero women officers. Among them, such consumer brands as: Apple, Blockbuster, DirectTV, McGraw Hill, Tribune Co., and Whirlpool. Just thought you'd want to know.
http://www.pinkmagazine.com/career/leadership/zero_club.html

Monday Monday

2009-09-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

Monday is the traditional beginning of the work week. Today's economy calls for a 24/7/365 "on" button. What does this mean for the way we tend to our business that isn't "business" or for which we aren't paid? For whom does the hourly rate apply and at what point will it invade all of our lives? Complaining customers can be put on hold. Does the same hold true for feeble elderly, crying children, and other dependents that don't have an on/off switch?

SCORE's Annual Women in Business Event

2009-09-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Thank you to those who attended SCORE’s Annual Women in Business event today. I was honored to moderate and inspired by the stories and audience questions. Congratulations to all the women who are on their path to success and thank you to their advisors. You can learn more about the panelists businesses at:

Laurie Crow
Sinful Wine and Spirits7949 Southtown Center, Bloomington, MN 55431, 952-888-9463 (WINE), http://www.sinfulwine.com/

T Lee T Lee Fine Designer Jewelry 18 University Av. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413, 612-789-2656, http://www.tleegold.com/

Adria Richards
Organic Technology Consultant
612-246-4568, http://butyoureagirl.com
Twitter: @adriarichards

Julie Moore Rapacki
Polish Your Star
6800 France Av. S., Ste. 120, Edina, MN 55435, 952-929-1722, http://www.polishyourstar.com/

Thank you to my advisor Judy Murphy and event organizer Caryl Sharp. Don’t wait until next year’s Women in Business Seminar to connect with SCORE!

Minneapolis Chapter
The Bremer Bank Bldg, Ste. 103
8800 Hwy. 7, St. Louis Park, MN 55426
http://www.score-minneapolis.org/

Do women make better bosses?

2009-09-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

The New York Times asked that question on 8/2/09. To what end? If not, no promotion for you? If yes, move over boys? Please.

Contrast Oprahs Most Powerful Women with Forbes Most Powerful

2009-09-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

Forbes puts a list out of powerful women out every year. Oprah started one this year. The difference? The Oprah version didn't focus on money, media exposure or title/scope of influence. I don't get it. Isn't power power? The ability to command resources and make a change in the world?

According to Webster, the definition of power is:
1 a (1) : ability to act or produce an effect (2) : ability to get extra-base hits (3) : capacity for being acted upon or undergoing an effect b : legal or official authority, capacity, or right
2 a : possession of control, authority, or influence over others b : one having such power; specifically : a sovereign state c : a controlling group :
establishment —often used in the phrase the powers that be d archaic : a force of armed men e chiefly dialect : a large number or quantity
3 a : physical might b : mental or moral efficacy c : political control or influence.

Can women who don't have independent financial resources, exposure to others and a large reach, make as significant impact on the future as the woman who does? I don't think so. Case in point: Oprah.

Recent studies

2009-08-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

A couple of recent studies have come out with interesting results relating to women. One in Canada indicates that women tend to get less on the job training but when offered it, are more likely to take it then men. Another in New Mexico, indicates that women may rank themselves higher than they believe their boss, peers and colleagues would.

My advice: Ask for training and don't assume others don't share your opinion of how hard and well you work. In both cases, your boss or company may not say it but training is available and your work is valued. Don't forget to ask and promote yourself.

http://www.demodirt.com/index.php/world-demographic-trends/142-corporate-culture/276-more-like-a-plexiglass-ceiling

http://ebn.benefitnews.com/blog/daily_diversion/

Business Cards

2009-08-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked what information should go on your business card. I say as much information, if not more, than you would put on your resume header. Include your name, title or expertise, company (if any), phone number, email, linkedin profile page and other helpful information that will remind the person of who you are and why they should be in touch.

Women and Money

2009-08-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about women and money lately. It seems me a central dilemma of increasing the economic and leadership of women has to do with asking for money for oneself and knowing that you are worth it. (It's not just a gift, luck, good fortune or a mistake.) While we have so many female leaders in non-profits asking for money on behalf of others, how can we at the same time be comfortable asking for money for ourselves and using it to fund what we believe is valuable. Why do we set a double standard when we know that so much of what gets funded really depends on who has the money?

Women in Business

2009-08-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking about women in business recently. When I think business, I think products/services for sale, pricing, volume but also resiliance, risk taking, innovation, cost saving. What does the successful business person see that other's don't? How do they continue to go after it when others don't? Here are some elements I think are critical:

Tough skin
Stick to it-ness/stubborness
Good team player, listener
Supported and supportive
Willingness to ask for help

How would you test these elements? What do you see in people you consider to be "successful" in business?

Super women or martyr

2009-08-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to react?

2009-07-28T09:52:00.001-07:00

How often are you advised to count your blessings or feel lucky you have what you have? With all due respect to a higher power, when you're a woman waiting for others to recognize your contribution you can wait a long time. You can turn into a victim of circumstances you ignore. What's a wise woman to do? Be ready to react to what life hands you so that you can make your own blessings and luck.

Perhaps you want to be blessed with a great job that changes peoples' lives and brings you the ability to control your money and give to causes you care about. What are you doing today:

to create that job?
to be in the right place for that job?
to let others know you want it?
to let others know you're the right person to do the job?
that communicates you're worth every $ you ask for?

Will you be ready to react when it comes or will you let it pass you by?

Do you say "yes" or "no" to the possibilities?

2009-07-21T16:57:00.001-07:00

I had meetings with 2 very different women today. One that says "yes" to opportunities that come her way and another with a woman who's immediate response to any idea is "no" or who will take on the work (because it won't be her, is implied.) The first meeting was full of information sharing, general collaboration, hope and moving forward our mutual agendas. The second was hard to get through. It was as if our work together was useless and didn't matter. Which was not at all the case. Like pulling teeth.

I know which of these two women I want to follow and is a leader.

When will we be worth it?

2009-07-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

I was talking with a stressed out friend today. She's gone months from one grueling project after another without a break to reflect and appreciate what she's accomplished. I asked her to step back and consider whether anyone really wants her to feel as crappy is she does or if she is just not asking for help. Turns out, she hasn't asked for help.

I (and she) know she's an extremely bright and accomplished individual. She works for one of the rare companies that is leading edge in this economy and is on course to make money hand over fist. It seems as she's buying into a reality that just isn't hers. I encouraged her to step back and embrace the energy of the possibilities she is creating, ask for what she needs to make those possibilities a reality (even sacred/carved out time during the day for her own strategy and management reflection) and then move forward. She deserves as much help to pull the economy forward as the rest of us. It's a big job and we need bright, energized leaders who aren't exhausted and feeling punished to bring us forward.

Jack v. Katty & Claire

2009-07-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

I received 2 interesting article today about women in business. Compare and contrast:

"Former General Electric Co. Chief Executive Jack Welch has some blunt words for women climbing the corporate ladder: you may have to choose between taking time off to raise children and reaching the corner office."http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124726415198325373.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

"While the pinstripe crowd fixates on troubled assets, a stalled stimulus and mortgage remedies, it turns out that a more sure-fire financial fix is within our grasp -- and has been for years. New research says a healthy dose of estrogen may be the key not only to our fiscal recovery, but also to economic strength worldwide." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/10/AR2009071002358.html

Clearly, the questions of women in leadership is a hot topic. Where do you stand?

Tesla for $106K ?!?!?

2009-06-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

I was listening to MPR this morning and heard discussion about the Tesla roadster, selling for $106,000 and which goes from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. What percentage of female customers do they have? My mind immediately leapt to the assumption that there isn't any product/service comparable in price and frivolity targeted at women that a woman buys for herself. As with all assumptions, I'm probably wrong. Do you know of any products/services for which women pay that much money?

Gloria Steinem - One of Kind

2009-06-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of hearing Gloria Steinem present to 1200 women at the Depot last week. (Womenwinning's 27th Annual Luncheon.) Here are the notes I took:
* Advocate for tax change to recognize dependent care. A tax deduction or refund would be so easy to do, if we had the will. I agree and wish we could go further and create a social security place holder to recognize this "job."
* We are in a dangerous time, politically. Those addicted to white supremacy will react. She analogized it to a woman trapped in domestic violence. The most dangerous and likely time for violence is when the woman tries to leave.
* When you're feminist, you're for racial and sexual equality as well. Like sexism, racism and homo-phophia are just ways to control others bodies through male dominance.
* There is logic in the "Right's" stand against choice and pro-death penalty. They want the state to control the body, not individuals.
* Don't waste time - seek out those places in which you find joy, humor, sex, and audaciousness.

Goals - Writing them is the first step

2008-12-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

So why am I such a fan of setting goals? Because I've seen, heard and felt the impact. With a goal, you create a foundation upon which you:

Move with direction and focus
Avoid being side tracked by urgent but unimportant matters
Develop a brand that others can recognize
Communicate effectively
Help others help you

But setting a goal is just the beginning. Here are some goals you may recognize:

Pat: My goal is to become VP at XYZ.
Sam: My goal is to own my own company.

Here's some goal statements you probably hear less often:

Terri: I'm excited about working with teams and tackling huge challenges like helping a faltering business get back on track. I'm currently doing that at XYZ pharmaceuticals, a ## employee business with $$ revenues. Our goal is to increase revenue by #% in 2009. Once I've achieved that goal, I hope to take on an executive role there or at a bigger company, say ABC, DEF or GHI.
Jan: I work at XYZ in sales. In my off time, I've also been working on developing a business plan and proto-type for a new product. The product is designed to help parents teach their children to self-manage their diabetes. I've always had a passion for business, health management and technology. I'm excited to create my own company and bring on others that share this passion.

Pat and Terri have essentially the same goals, as do Sam and Jan. What makes the differences?

Terri and Jan moved beyond just setting a goal to creating a strategy for communicating it
Terri and Jan helped you understand how they are working toward that goal (doing the work already)
Terri and Jan tell you how they help others (help faltering businesses get back on track, help parents of diabetic children)
Terri and Jan told you the types of organizations and the level that they are interested in (an executive role at XYZ, ABC, DEF or GHI, owner of her own company)
Terri hasn't told you she has limited her goal to VP at XYZ. Jan has told you precisely the type of company and work she’s passionate about.

Ask yourself, if you met these women, which would you:

Be able to help achieve her goals?
Feel most comfortable referring?
Want to call to discuss opportunities? (if you were an executive at a faltering business or knew one)
Expect to be most successful in reaching her goals?

I'm pretty sure I know the answer.

Goal Setting - Where did I go wrong?

2008-12-04T08:21:00.001-08:00

Ok, it's admission time. I set goals in 2008 for myself and achieved only one - continue to build Polish Your Star. What made the difference between achieving one goal and not the other 2 (eating 3 fruits a day and attending weight watchers every week)?

I didn't have an outside accountability for 2 of the 3 goals - No one kept me on track to eat 3 fruits a day & attending weight watchers every week. They were relatively SMART RRR goals but were not ones that I told others about or for which anyone held me accountable. In contrast, I set goals for Polish Your Star and relied on quarterly meetings with the Polish Your Star Advisory Board to keep me on track and honest. As a result, we've expanded our customer base, increased our revenue and are building a strong foundation for success.
I created 2 goals because others told me I "should," 1 goal for me based on my purpose. Don't get me wrong, I did continue to exercise regularly and eat healthier. I had regular check ups and maintained my overall health. (Turns out I have the genetic disease hypothyroidism and I'm getting treated for that.)
I neglected to practice what I preach - Get a good coach and involve others in helping you succeed.

So what am I going to do about it? I'm going to hire a coach to help me set the goals I help others set.

Tomorrow's Your Day!

2008-11-03T18:02:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to exercise my constitutional right tomorrow and I'm excited to bringing my 5 year old so that she'll begin to see the democratic process in play. What ever your political leanings, I encourage you to do the same.

Don't know where your polling place is? What is required for id or if ID is even required? Some one telling you can't go? Check out http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/

See you at the polls!

Happy Women's Equality Day!

2008-08-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Women's Equality day!

This day, formerly known as Woman Suffrage Day, marks the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1920), granting women the right to vote. Hard to believe we've had that equal right for less than 100 years. Now, if we could just share the leadership of our country, our institutions, our organizations and corporations equally...

How appropriate that we follow this important day with the 1st ever Polish Your Star Executive Leadership event - encouraging women to embrace their equal share. It's almost here...less than 24 hours. The program has evolved from it's original inception as a parallel program (Leaders & Emerging Leaders separated) to a fully integrated program. I can't wait to see its evolution next year! (And there will be a next year!)

I'm very excited to meet each of the women I've been learning about. To hand her a Leaders' Books hot off the presses tomorrow. To see her appreciation of , learning and connecting with each woman there. To watch the connections being made and the start of a network like she never thought possible.

I've been gratified and honored to work with the women who've helped make this 1st ever event a reality: Sponsors Jennifer Hauschildt at Thomson Reuters & Tina Decker at Best Buy and our Facilitators Betty Albitz of Integrated Inc., Karen DeYoung of DeYoung Consulting Services, Gwen Gierke of Emerging Leaders Association, intern & advisory board member Elise Peterson and Rita Webster of WiseLeader. And our friends Sandy Johnson at Presentation Wiz (event designs) and webhosts Webblake, president Tami Coalwell (online registration.) Thanks too to Paul Hinderger, Catering Director, at the Womans Club of Minneapolis.

Let's make history again!

How to fix capitalism - Don't forget women

2008-08-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

I was scanning the Time article "How to Fix Capitalism" by Bill Gates earlier today. (TIME, 8/11/08.) The only picture of a woman in the brief history of creative/capitalism was the Statue of Liberty. I'm not sure she really counts. [Don't get me wrong - there were women's photos later in the article. Women in poor countries benefiting from corporate good deeds and scantly dressed female model used to promote the PRODUCT (RED).] Oh, thank you capitalism for all you've done for little old me.

What ever happened to ads like that one from Coke that showed how sexy it is for a man to be a good parent? I'd personally help finance a company that helped solve the problems women face today. Perhaps some targeted specifically at the adult male who wants to contribute to making a difference?:
* "There is no cleaning fairy" products & services for men- products and training on how to run a house hold (wash dishes, organize, calendar school activities, clean a toilet; wash, fold & iron clothes)
* "Dinners with Dad" self bake stations- How to shop for healthy food for everyone in the family (dietary differences between kids, men & women), preparing meals, serving & cleaning up too.
* "Ask how you can help" training to move men from self to other centered
* "I practice what I preach" donation drop boxes for men who say they've seen the light and believe in pursuing good works later in life (after they've already hit it rich, ignored their 1st families and divorced multiple wives.) Surely they'd be willing to part with all that excess cash, right?
* No princess allowed toy & clothing stores
* "I spent it growing my company" low cost, practical clothes, shoes & purses for women.

Gender Fairness Impl Committee & Executive Compensation

2008-07-18T13:47:00.001-07:00

I was honored to attend my 1st meeting as a member of the MN Supreme Court's Gender Fairness Implementation Committee earlier this week. Follow that with another spectacular day celebrating women at the Annual Mpls/St. Paul Business Journal's Women to Watch awards luncheon, and its been a full week. Tying it all together, I thought you'd find the following interesting:

http://www.mncourts.gov/?page=1842 (OK, I'm an attorney but even I know 32 pages isn't a summary ;0) The report was published in 1989. It's 20 year anniversary will be upon us soon. Sample findings: Family law - while property was divided equally in most divorces, the nature of the property division, with the husband receiving the majority of the liquid and income-producing assets, can create inequities; Child support guidelines were too low and looked at as maximums and not minimums. The standard of living of the custodial parent and children (read mom) decreases substantially after divorce, while that of the non-custodial parent (read dad) often improves.
report by the OESW (Office of the Economic Status of Women) of the state legislature http://www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/oesw/fs/WomenPov.pdf. While women are participating in higher education and in the workplace in high numbers, the report suggests that women are still the largest percent of low income workers because women are (1) paid less than men; (2) more likely to be a single parent; (3) more likely to be victims of violence.
Mpls/St. Paul Business Journals' Highest Paid Women Executives, 7/11/08 insert: Only 4 women made it on last years top 100 Most Highly Compensated Executive listings. The highest paid woman in this year's listing of Highest Paid Women Executives this year would just make it to 36 of the 100 most highly compensated men. (35 men, and then your first women breaks onto the list.)

Money and the ability to negotiate and network (for information) still matters.

Awards - Love them/Hate them

2008-07-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

When I look in the local business publications, I'm always looking for names & pictures of women business owners and executive management. They are often few & far between. I came across the upcoming Hall of Fame award winners for Minnesota Business and, not surprisingly, there wasn't a woman's name among them. When Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal published their top newsmakers of 2007/2008, Marilyn Carlson was the only woman who made it. To get recognized and appreciated, it seems that annual special sections or awards need to be created just for Women. (Although we are a 51% "Minority.") I love to attend the events to support these inspiring women but wonder where the media coverage and influence goes after the big event. Are they simply honored that day by the people who know them and then simply set aside for the next year's story? Why do they so rarely make it into the general Top Business lists?

Weigh in on Polish Your Star's Guiding Principles

2008-07-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

When I created Polish Your Star, I set out to take an entirely different approach to breaking the gender divide. As I share the Polish Your Star vision, women often ask me what we do and how she would benefit from our services. What we don't do is promise easy answers or provide the answer. What we do is work with our clients:

to identify old beliefs that may be holding her back;
to believe her person goals and aspirations are just as valid and worthy as anyone else's
to take risks;
to know that she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to
to seek advice from others who have been there before
to understand that she won't get a different result by using the same old methods
to develop new methods that align with her vision and
to share information freely and collaboratively

When I developed our Friends of Polish Your Star networking sessions and Women's Leadership Networking Circles, when I connect mentors, peers and resources, and when I work to support our clients, I do so keeping the guiding principles below in mind. Our products and services are right for you if you adhere to at least one of the principles:

Guiding Principles

To be recognized as a Friend of Polish Your Star, the woman must meet at least one of the following criteria:

□ I have or aspire to a leadership role in my community; corporation, institution or other organizational body

□ I recognize that it is my responsibility to identify and vocalize my personal aspirations but that it is equal important to help others identify and vocalize their personal aspirations

□ I believe that neither I nor any woman is no more/less entitled to financial compensation for her work than a man;

□ I do or aspire to recognize and positively acknowledge an individual’s skills, abilities, and aspiration regardless of age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion or creed, sex or gender, sexual orientation, or veteran status;

□ I do and aspire to affirmatively act to place women in positions which represent her aspirations, regardless of perceived or actual societal limitations;

□ I commit to giving each woman the benefit of the doubt, to assuming her positive potential and to taking risks in allowing her to expand her experience base;

□ I commit to actively attempting to refer or consider at least one woman for any position for which I am hiring (whether as an employee or contractor);

□ I commit to mentoring and helping other women in their career development

□ I commit to becoming knowledgeable about whether the organizations to which you provide financial support (through payment for goods or services or donations) employees at least 30% of women in leadership and/or the most highly compensated positions.

Let me know what you think. Are these guiding principles you live by? Have we missed an important guiding principle? Are you ready to change the world?

Would you find value in joining a LinkedIn group that agreed to abide by these guiding principles?

Recessions' Impact on Women?

2008-06-06T12:06:00.001-07:00

I recently asked advisory board member Andrea Lindgren if she'd seen anything about the impact on an economic recession on women. My assumptions were that:

more women would lose their jobs (in part because they may not be hooked in enough to internal business networks to recognize or react to signs to get out before layoffs) and/or
remain in lower paying jobs rather than take a risk during the down term.

Turns out, like most things, there is a lot more to it. At least according to the article Andrea referred me to - "The Slump It's A Guy Think: Men, concentrating on the weaker sectors, are losing jobs in the downturn - while women make gains" by Peter Coy in the May 19th issue of Business Week.

According to the DOL stats Coy sites, from 11/07 - 4/08, women gained nearly 300,000 jobs while men lost nearly 700,000. Good news, sort of. Turns out that "while they are getting more jobs, their pay is stagnant," and "even though men have done worse on jobs lately, they continue to earn more than women on average" with men making up 75% of the people who make over $100,000 last year. And the pay gap "actually widened a bit over the past year."

Business Book Club

2008-04-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

In the last year, we’ve considered instituting a study and business book club. Unfortunately, we had limited amount of interest to support the efforts and will put our energy else where. We will continue to retain compensation survey data and hope to build a base of research to share with you in the future. We’d love to hear if you read any of the books in the schedule for 2008-2009 and to post your reviews here. Here's the proposed schedule:
July— “How She Does It”
September -“Blue Ocean Strategy”
November—Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever’s new release “Ask for It.”
January - “Firms of Endearment”
March -Gale Evan’s “She Wins: We Win;”
May- Dee Dee Myers “Why Women Should Rule the World.”

Women on Boards - US lags behind

2008-03-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

On a related note, a friend of mine provided this snippet about women on European boards...

Norway is a land of strong female figures. So it seemed natural, when Norway passed a law in 2003 requiring companies to fill 40% of their board sets with women by 2008. The country has met the goal. Some companies were less than enthusiastic so the law did include a big stick. Companies could be shut down for not complying. Spain has followed Norway's lead. Its parliament has passed a law calling for 40% board participation by women by 2015. However, Spain's law does not have the enforcement measures included in the Norwegian law. In the Netherlands, an organization called TopBrainstorm is preparing a voluntary charter for companies to sign. Companies would be committing to targets for getting women into senior executive positions to make it possible for them to become board candidates. And in Britain, 123 women hold 11% of the board seats on FTSE 100 companies. Twenty percent (20%) of new FTSE 100 director appoints went to women in 2007. (The New York Times, 22-Mar-2008, National ed., p. C4)

Compare this to the figures in 100 Facts on the Status of Working Women: the total number of women holding board seats in 2003 was 779, up from 735 in 2001. (If we assume 12 members per Fortune 500, this is approximatelyl 7 percent.) It is estimated that in 20 years, women will still not be one-quarter of boards of directors if the current rate of change remains constant.

The title of a recent article in the Wall Street Journal by Carol Hymowitz says it all "On Diversity, America isn't Putting Its Money Where Its Mouth Is."

Female Heads of State - US lags way behind

2008-03-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

It’s an exciting time in our nation’s history—the first ever viable female candidate for President is still in the race. If it doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, consider this:
· While there are currently over 30 female heads of state around the globe, the US has never had one.
· only 33 women have served in the US Senate over the last 80 years.
· In the House of Representatives, only 216 women have served over the last 115 years, compared to 11,489 men (no, that’s not a typo.)
No matter your party affiliation or voting preference, take steps for positive change and greater gender equity:
· Point out the positive, not the negative. As a woman, your critique of another woman may be used by others to support their belief that women aren’t suited to leadership roles. If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all.
· Watch for “potential” in women. Take a chance on a woman. So what if a woman has never held a position or done the job before or the last one failed. If she wants to do it, give her a chance. We don’t stop hiring or electing men just because one of them lets us down.
· Watch out for expecting more from women or holding them to a higher standard. Women can be their own worst enemy. Don’t hold yourself to unreachable standards or criticize women for aiming high and taking a risk.
· Learn what your friends do and toot their horn for them. (And let them know what you do so they can send business your way.)
· Vote for and hire your friends. Your friends are the people with your best interest in mind, who lead with integrity and courage, right? Who better to work with and entrust?

Rant on fashion

2008-03-03T07:13:00.001-08:00

To get it off my chest and move on, I have to stop to point out a recent Fashion + Style recommendation in a local magazine. The concept: Quick outfits to take on a tropical, weekend vacation get away. He can take off with $545 worth of clothing, she'll need $896 - nearly 60% more. Why? Not even getting into the pricing on individual pieces ($325 for sunglasses ?!?!?), I wonder what this says about us as "consumers" or them as "marketers". As a consumer, what are your reactions? As a marketer, how do you think about the pricing?

Re-entering the work force

2008-02-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

Whether you're returning to the paid work force after staying at home, unsatisfied with your current situation or out of a job due to layoffs, sticking to the basics will serve you well:
1.) Keep it simple; 2.) Be confident; 3.) Use your resources wisely; and 4.) Know the market.

1.) Keep it simple. It can be easy to see the job search data, advice and resources available and become overwhelmed. Focus your efforts on defining:

* 3 skills you excel at and love to use
* 3 special abilities you have
* 3 types of knowledge you have developed
* 3 ways you can help a company or organization increase its profits/proceeds or reduce its expenses by using your unique skills, abilities and knowledge and
* 3 employers or industries you are most interested in and want to learn more about.

Note: But, not too simple. Telling people you're good with people and like to organize things doesn't help them help you. What does is being specific - I'm a great people and asset manager that knows the commercial real estate industry in the midwest region well. I'd really like to talk to someone at XX, XX or XX to get their take on where the industry is at. Do you know someone that would be willing to talk to me?

2. Be confident. If you're not confident in your ability to do the job, why should an employer be?

Going through a job search can be demoralizing if you're not taking pro-active steps to maintain and/or increase your self confidence. You can do this by educating yourself, preparing and practicing.

Remember the move from kindergarten to grade school, from high school to college? These transitions seem daunting and exhilarating when you approach them. But before you know it, you're teaching new students the ropes and moving on to the next big challenge. Educate yourself about the employers or industries you are interested in and plunge in. This will decrease your anxiety while increasing your self confidence and excitement about opportunities available.

The first college application you completed may have felt like completing a novel, but the next few were a breeze. You had the basics pulled together, you just needed to customize them to the next school's forms. The same goes for interviews and resumes. Pulling together all the information you need for a resume and interviews can take a while if you haven't kept it up. Approaching friends and re-engaging your network after an absence may feel overwhelming or awkward. Working through that ackwardness with people you know and trust will be easier than and prepare you for submitting your resume and interviewing people you don't know at all.

3. Use your resources wisely. For example, when your creating or updating your resume, take advantage of the great information out there at your local library, job placement office, your alma mater, and great online resources. Ask your friends in the field to share their resume with you as a model. It can be as simple as naming a few jobs you are interested in and then doing a google or other online search for "resume computer analyst", "resume sale association," "resume VP Marketing." Don't recreate the wheel when there are plenty of resources out there to help you.

4. Know the market for the job you're after - If you don't already have a pulse on this information, check out online resources such as www.salary.com and www.cbsalary.com, and ask a trusted advisors or trade association representatives. If you don't know the value of the job to employers and the marketplace, the employer may question whether you really have the skills, ability and knowledge you claim.

Being proactive during times of layoffs

2008-02-05T12:59:00.000-08:00

Although they may be appearing more frequently of late, news of layoffs is nothing new. With the rumor or notice of layoffs comes:
§ uncertainty about who will be immediately impacted;
§ uncertainty about who will be next;
§ knowledge that colleagues or direct reports will be impacted before they do;
§ loss of resources and information sources;
§ work load increases and re-distribution, either for the health of the organization or to appear productive during times of change.

Is it any wonder knowledge of an impending lay off may be as stressful as the actual layoffs?

Tips for planning ahead if you know you’re part of a layoff:

Update your resume, focusing on the value you bring to your current and past employers;
Activate or begin networking today – let your network know you’re considering new opportunities. Help them, help you by being specific about the opportunities and industries you’re interested in;
Assess your financial situation;

Tips for discussing with prospective employers:

Focus on what you bring to the prospective employer. They care more about what you can do for them then they do about your concerns.
If asked, be honest but don’t elaborate or talk negatively about your current employer. Model the type of professional behavior they can expect from you when you work for them.

Tips for dealing with the emotional side of being let go:

Don’t minimize the impact of job transition. Give yourself time to grieve and accept the support of others;
Join a transition support group. Check with your local unemployment office or place of worship to locate groups;
Journal to uncover your emotions and help focus on what you envision for your next role.
Some great books to read during times of transition are “Transitions” by William Bridges; “Embracing Uncertainty” by Susan Jeffers and “the Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruez; and “Empowering Women to Change the World: Career and Life Strategies for Women” by Julie Moore Rapacki and available at www.polishyourstar.com)

Resumes - You need at least 3, probably more

2008-02-03T13:54:00.000-08:00

As the new year begins, many of us update our resume. Here are some tips:

Focus on what your target customer/employer is looking for. Look at the job description or ad and circle the words they use to describe job responsibilities and experience. Make sure your resume shows that you have the identified skills, knowledge and experience and that language matches their job description or ad verbiage. Don’t just leave it to the cover letter or to the hiring manager to assume that, for example, your “extensive computer experience” means that you have used and are proficient with the software product they specifically list as a job requirement.

This means, you're likely to have multiple resumes. Each one tailored to the job you're after. I recommend maintaining 3 versions, depending on the industry/target company. Then you're ready to update, as necessary, for each individual company or organization.

Tell your story with numbers – Employers want to know the scope of the work you’re experienced at and results you’ve achieved. If they need someone to supervise employees, don’t just say you supervised employees. Tell them how long, how many, what caliber, (line level, professional, management) and the scope of dollars or results you or your team achieved.
Avoiding the circular file – Don’t let a recruiter dismiss your resume because of bad grammar, misspellings or disorganized information. Always ask a trusted friend or colleague to proof read your resume.

There are often excellent, free or inexpensive resume writing resources at colleges and unemployment offices as well as great tips on monster.com and other national career websites*. Most of the big outplacements firms are backing off of “retail” (individual paid) career advising. Look for mentors, career and business consultants (like Polish Your Star) and recruiters to help you fine tune your resume.

* http://www.careerexplorer.net/resume_assistance.asp, http://resume.monster.com/
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/CareerBytes/Articles.aspx

Updating your resume for the new year

2008-01-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

A few tips for updating your resume for the new year:

1. Show your results – Don’t use the space on your resume to list the duties of your job. Use it to highlight the results you achieved for your current and past employers in numbers (for example, number of employees hired or supervised, $$ of budget or increase in sales, % of new business increased or expenses reduce, major accomplishments.) Show them what you've achieved for your last employer. Let them picture you doing it for them.

2. Focus on the job you want, not the job you have. Check out some online job descriptions for the job you want. Make sure the words you use in your resume match the industry/organization's language. Use your resume to shows you:

have done your homework,
know the business and
can translate your current skills and abilities to make their company a success.

3. Count your words & tell the story in highlights. If your sentences are over 10-15 words long, make them more succinct and straight forward. See #1 above.)

4. Don’t rely on your resume to get you a job. Resumes may be lost, thrown away, deleted or missed in a data base search. A large percentage of hiring still depends on who you know and referrals. Make sure you spend the bulk of your time on informational interviews, making a positive impression on the hiring manager and demonstrating the ability and willingness to do a great job for the organization.

Learn Something New Every Day!

2008-01-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, scratch yesterday's suggestion. I've been reading Dr. Carol Dweck's book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," and learned that it's actually the trying, even when you fail, and following up to learn that leads to greater success. Practice doesn't make perfect (a fixed mindset would want that), but it does lead to more growth and learning (a growth mindset.) So how about this, write down three things you tried today and whether you succeeded or failed. It's the trying and practice that leads to growth that matters. Writing down successes is just patting yourself (myself) on the back for getting the easy stuff done.

I'm reminded of my favorite author Susan Jeffer's book, "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway." Successes that don't cost anything aren't really successes. They're just away to avoid the hard stuff. Now if I could just remember that each day a little bit more.

Have a great week!

Happy 2008!

2008-01-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2008! If 2007 went by in a blur and you can't recall all the great things you did and find yourself overwhelmed by the "to do" list for 2008, try this: (1) Buy or create a 2008 calendar. A small notebook or pocket calendar will do. (2) commit to writing down 3 of your successes each day. At the end of each month, you'll have nearly 100 successes. At the end of the year, nearly 1000 successes. (3) review your successes on a monthly basis and evaluate whether you want to keep on the same course or re-focus your priorities. My goals for 2008? To eat 3 fruits a day; visit weight watchers once a week; record 3 successes a day; and continue to build Polish Your Star. Feel free to help keep me honest.;0)

Happy Open House!

2007-11-12T18:23:00.001-08:00

It's come and gone and it was a Happy Open House! Thank you to all the great friends that stopped by. Let's hope I'm able to keep it as neat & clean going forward and find the sales and administrative support needed to grow to the next level.

As with all things, there is a time to transition. As we move into our great new space, I transition from my SCORE advisor, Judy Murphy, to our new Advisory Board starting 11/27. Judy has been a fantastic resource during the last year of starting up. Her sage advice has kept me moving forward and warned me of the obstacles so I didn't feel as bruised when something didn't go as I envisioned it. I wish her well as she works with the future clients that will have the pleasure of meeting her. Thanks, Judy, for hanging in there!

I'm looking very forward to assembling the Polish Your Star board of advisors for our first meeting at 11/27th Women on Boards event. They will be announced in detail closer to that date. In the meantime, I have the task of clearly setting out board roles and helping ensure that their valuable time is well spent. With their collective wisdom and energy, I'm positive that this will be a prosperous year for us all! The trick, in my mind, will be maintaining the trust of my female clients and not jeopardizing it with fast growth that runs counter to our values. Particularly, I think of all the advertising to women that plays to their fears, guilt or insecurities.

My clients all have exactly what they need in them. So why would they want a coach? Because they are wise enough to recognize the value of having someone remind us of our value when we forget, when we can't see the forest for the trees, or when work with others that minimize our value or play by different rules. Since the business landscape was created by and for men, the need to counterbalance that influence to be heard is even greater. Gosh, I love my job!

Looking forward to speaking to the Women's Leadership Network at 3M tomorrow, TTDC and Feed My Starving Children on Thursday. Have a great week!

My vision... What's yours?

2007-11-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

As I sit in the business office at the Woman's Club of Minneapolis and check emails, I find my self reflecting on the great women I've met here and about town as well as my vision for myself, Polish Your Star and women of tomorrow. First some of the women at the club:
* Maryna Chowhan, our fearless BNG committee chair and fearless business woman
* Cathy Clairmont, committee member and speaker at this mornings breakfast - truly a leader in her industry helping families dealing with memory loss
* Nicole Mittendorf - on channel 5 at 6 a.m. this morning at the same time she's working out - brings multi-tasking to a whole new level (Also winner of Top Women In Finance award, featured in Finance & Commerce along with another winner Karen Myers and new FWI president Regina Barr.)
These are but a few of the amazing women I am getting to know and admire. I look forward to meeting and recommend more in the years to come. We will be vibrant members of the business community only if we support each other. There is place enough for us all to succeed.

For myself, I want to live comfortably with a happy and healthy family, to travel, to use my talents, skills knowledge and abilities fearlessly to make this a better world, to be challenged and engaged by my life's work and to leave a financial legacy that continues to empower women world wide. What is your vision for your life? Writing it down, checking your actions against it and making decisions based on your vision are powerful steps toward achieving it.

For Polish Your Star, I envision a growing, profitable company with a mission to empower women by providing the tools that help women grow the economic pie. I hope through the process to also refocus business from marketing to women by holding up unrealistic and antiquated images of who they are and "should" be, to marketing to the intellect and emotion of what individuals can do to make this a world a more peaceful and vibrant environment for all to grow and flourish. Nothing in for-profit says don't do good in the world, but that's the way its perceived by many. You can make a profit and make this world a better place, they are not mutually exclusive. Let's lead the way! What is your vision for your business? Have you written it down, checked your actions against it and are you making decisions that match your vision? If you're not sure, ask your clients and business advisors.

For women of tomorrow, I envision a world in which we don't allow others to pigeon-hole our desires, don't pit women against other women who make different life choices, and don't excuse half of the population from responsibility for the care of dependents, whether children or elderly. I envision a world in which we value equally all contributions of effort and time toward making this a better world (whether its tied to a dollar sign or not.) I envision a world in which both genders have an equal place at the leadership tables - whether in for-profit, non-profit, academia, political, or government sector. And in which decisions are based on empowerment and growth, rather than guilt, obligation or fear. What is your vision for the world? Write it down, check your actions againsat it and make decisions that match it.

I can't wait to see what we create!

If a tree falls in the forest...

2007-10-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

As I continue my blog, I'm reminded of the question "if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" Similarly, if a blog is written but no one reads it, does it make a sound? I'm told by women I trust and respect that getting a blog out there is worthwhile, so I persevere. If you hear any of this, please do add a comment so that I know there are others in the forest.

Lots coming up for Polish Your Star this week - I'm speaking to the Life Leadership for Women Manager's at St. Thomas on Wednesday and hosting the Polish Your Star/Betty Albitz table at the Top Women in Finance event before heading to Appleton, WI for an alumni board meeting. (I just wish all the office furniture was in place as ordered so I could attend to all of this without distraction.)

Here are a list of upcoming events:

· November 1st—Co-hosting the Polish Your Star/Betty Albitz table at Top Women in Financing event put on by Finance & Commerce. Congratulations to Nicole Mittendorf, also a member of the BNG committee at the Woman's Club, and the other women leaders making their mark!
· November 8th—Polish Your Star sponsor’s the Breakfast Networking Group at the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis.
· November 12th—Open house at new corporate headquarters from 3—6 p.m.
· November 13th—Julie Moore Rapacki speaks to 3M Women’s Leadership Network
· November 14th & 28th—Friends of Polish Your Star networking lunch
· November 15th—Feed My Starving Children volunteer event.
· December 12th, 19th & 26th—Friends of Polish Your Star networking lunch
· January 11th (Fridays over lunch) and 15th (Tuesdays over breakfast) - When Stars Align Express series begin.

Hope to see you there!

Mavericks at Work

2007-10-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

I just saw a great presentation by Polly LaBerre about "Mavericks at Work" hosted by LifeScience Alley and sponsored by Larsen. I'm looking forward to reading the book. Polly LaBerre was a phenomenal speaker and great story teller. Her talk reminded me of specifically why I started this business - because business discussions often fail to acknowledge that collaboration, innovation, and right bright brain thinking is practiced by women leaders who often go un noticed or unrecognized because there numbers are few, they are not in your face with their "maverick-ocity" or, if they are, they make us uncomfortable and challenge our notion of what a leader is (A middle aged or older, slightly graying man who is over 6 feet tall.) As with Daniel Pink's book " A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers will Rule the Future," it distresses me that the mind sets described are stereotypically female and yet women are still not being called out as models for the behaviors, recognized for their contribution, calling out each other for their valuable contributions or supporting each other in an environment that requires them to take on at least two jobs - being a woman and a man. It's the elephant in the room.
What we aim to do at Polish Your Star is to call out that elephant and recognize the great contributions of women like Polly LaBerre (CNN), Liz Rammer (LifeScience Alley) and Catherine Gillis (Larsen). Because I don't know Polly, I can only guess that she is able to more easily recognize the Mavericks because she is as one herself. Like many women, she has to make her own way in a field highly dominated by men. Men who often want to ignore the differences in the way men and women are perceived in the workplace and pretend it's all "gender neutral" when all the evidence in front of us tells us it is not. We wonder why more women aren't leaders of organizations. We ignore that we raise them and expect them to be different than stereotypical leaders and yet punish them when they behave like women and when they behave like men. If you don't think that is still the case, check out Catalysts Foundations' recent study at www.catalyst.org - "The Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Damned if You Do, Doomed if You Don’t." It's my dream that calling out this elephant in the room will help other women recognize it, challenge it themselves, be their best self at work, and support other women being their best selves, whether it makes others comfortable or not.

Well wishes to California & Star sightings

2007-10-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

Heard from a couple of friends out in California today that they are impacted by the fires out that way. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone dealing with the uncertainty and turmoil the fires are causing!

I'm looking forward to seeing my friend Cheryl Leitschuh present at the MN CPA's Caffeinated Conversation tomorrow a.m.. Cheryl is not only a highly experienced executive coach but also the chair of the AICPA's Work/Life and Women's Initiatives coach. As I started Polish Your Star last year, I was fortunate to be introduced to her through a few network resources (from Betty Albitz to John Stavig to Floyd Adelman to Cheryl and from Calllie Camp directly to Cheryl.) Not only have I had the pleasure of meeting all of these wise people along my path but having met Cheryl has brought even more wonderful people into my life. Check out her great new website and blog at http://www.career-future.com/portal/. I just learned of the updated, swanky new site when I went to validate her website. What a pleasant surprise. Hope you enjoy it too.

If you're not already booked for it, check out this year's Top Women In Finance on November 1st, hosted by Finance and Commerce. I'm fortunate to have met a couple of this year's winners through my membership at the Woman's Club and sit on the Breakfast Networking Committee with Nicole Middendorf. Congratulations, Nicole Middendorf! www.helpingyouinvest.com. Stop by the Polish Your Star/ Betty Albitz table to say hi!

Want to meet some of the great up and coming women in the twin cities? Join us at a Friends of Polish Your Star lunch. Get to know what great services and products other women are offering and support their businesses & careers. Register at www.polishyourstar.com or email to info@polishyourstar.com.

Have a great week!

Mothers going back to work

2007-10-19T15:05:00.001-07:00

Here are some tips for mothers going back to work:

1. Keep it simple. When you’re thinking about re-entering the work force it can be easy to see the job search data, advice and resources available and become overwhelmed. Focus your efforts on defining:
§ 3 skills you excel at and love to use
§ 3 special abilities you have
§ 3 types of knowledge you have developed
§ 3 ways you can help a company increase its profits or reduce its expenses by using your unique skills, abilities and knowledge and
§ 3 employers or industries you are most interested in and want to learn more about.
2. Increase your self confidence by educating yourself. Remember the move from kindergarten to grade school? It seems daunting when you approach it but before you know it, you’re teaching new students the ropes. Educate yourself about the employers or industries you are interested to decrease your anxiety and increase your self confidence.
3. Check out all the great online resources for writing a resume or ask your friends in the field to share their resume with you as a model. It can be as simple as name a few jobs you are interested in and then doing a google or other online search for “resume computer analyst”, “resume sale association,” “resume VP Marketing.”
4. Know the market rate for the job you’re after - If you don't already have a pulse on this information, check out online resources such as www.salary.com and www.cbsalary.com, or ask a trusted advisors or trade association representatives. If you don’t know the value of the job to employers, the employer may question whether you really have the skills, ability and knowledge you claim.

You can reach me, Julie Moore Rapacki, at 952-484-6461 or julie@polishyourstar.com, www.polishyourstar.com.

Sunday stop by

2007-10-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday - done with Yoga and off to the Art Crawl in St. Paul soon. Just stopped by to pick up my calendar for the coming week. (I'm trying to leave my lap top at the office for a while and keep it from home. Mostly because I don't want to carry it around all the time and so Mackenzie/Joe stop thinking I'm uninterruptable at home. I'm devoted to the business but they are my top priority when I'm with them.) Everything always to seem to take longer than I expect. Time to get out of here & enjoy the day, as soggy as it is. J

Busy Friday - Productive?

2007-10-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy Friday. Every day I ask myself, has it been productive? I can only hope and trust my instincts. As my friends remind me, it takes about 18 months to develop a customer base in this business. I'm doing a lot of fertilizing these days and hoping that this Spring's fields will be full. At the same time, the "magical thinking" me wishes I would just show up with the phone ringing off the hook and the blog comments a flying. I'm dreaming big and reminding myself that every "no" is one step closer to a "yes." My successes today: 1.) I connected with friends/former colleagues from Best Buy; 2.) I took advantage of the flexibility that my schedule allows to get some errands done; 3.) We sold a house and made a 25% return on investment - good even considering that the real estate market is in the dumps; 4.) helped a client with a solution to getting the care she needs and 5.) following up with potential clients. Have you taken the time to reflect on your successes today? this week? this month? this year? When you're a high achiever, you owe it to yourself to recognize where you've been and help it fuel you toward even more success. Enjoy the day!

I'm back...

2007-10-11T10:07:00.002-07:00

Ok, I just learned something new. If you hit the wrong button on my lap top, you can delete your entire blog entry. Argh...Day two, take 2...A friend mentioned that she found my comment
"wish i had something like this when i was just starting out" intriguing. Let me elaborate. When I first started my career, I began in an hourly job filing employment files. I heard a lot about the $40k starting salaries, back then a lot of money, but couldn't find one of those. So, like many things in my life, I just charged in and figured I could do it. My mom, a working mother, would advise me "don't stay late unless they see you doing it" and "don't expect them to recognize your work without your telling them." That type of advice just stuck in my craw. It wasn't until much later, after many books and experiences that I realized what she was getting at in her blunt fashion. In many cases, men and women come to work with completely different sets of beliefs and baggage about work and their roles. Being able to identify those beliefs, come from their point of view and work within or around them, can make you more successful and less stressed out. Regrettable, I also learned that this often meant that you were adapting your style to men and not the other way around. It also means that many women get used to being ignored, overlooked or resentful. Check out "Women Don't Ask" for great insight in to the research in this area. Reading it, was a catalyst that motivated me to start Polish Your Star and provide the tools to change the dynamic so many have come to accept. More later... In the meantime, check out my friend Wendy Blomseth of InBeaute's studio at the St. Paul art crawl this weekend. Tell her Julie sent you. Hope to run into you there!

Welcome!

2007-10-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the blog of Julie Moore Rapacki of Polish Your Star. This is my first entry and my first attempt at using this medium. I'm eager to start this adventure and look forward to hearing from you.

Here I go...We've moved into our new office at 6800 France Avenue South, Edina, MN. I'm looking forward to our open house - tentatively schedule for 10/17 and everything being in line for that to happen. It's been a rocky start - our furniture wasn't delivered and scheduled and then when it arrived it was missing pieces, panels, table legs and chairs. Thank goodness I'm a pretty flexible and patient person. My new friend Julie Ann Segal of Metro Interiors will be coming over Friday to help us with a design consultation before we invest in more pieces.

Our Friends of Polish Your Star lunch begins in a couple of hours over at the Women's Club. In the meantime, I'm busy making sure my current clients get the information they need to succeed while working on developing new business. I knew it would be a challenge to go direct to my customers - women - rather than their employers. The most difficult part is reaching them when they're working all the time, getting another degree, caring for their children or parents, and/or traveling the world and don't think they "should" need help or that they can spend money on a coach. Oh, how I wish I'd had a resource like Polish Your Star available when I was working in corporate America. As it was, I had to search out books and online coaching in Texas to help me manage it all. Thanks, Carol!

Enough, I have to get back to work. Look forward to seeing you at future events. News to follow.