We really are different. Our brains are different, as well as the outlook on what is important. I believe we can help each other see new and critical points of view. I also believe we need to give each other space to be ourselves. Often the best way to say “vive la difference” is through humor. Stephen Kapustin, a lawyer in Philadelphia is a graduate of our Total Leadership … [Read more...]
3 Rules for Business
There's a popular saying that goes, "Rules are meant to be broken!" After all, isn't that how one breaks out of the proverbial "box?" How could you possibly think outside the box if you're constantly following all the rules that demand you stay in the box? In the art classes I've taught, many times students would ask me about the "rules." The "you should always" things. … [Read more...]
Leadership and “Process till you Puke”!
In every business, in every life, it is vital to process all information and even emotional content to make sure that you are making the best decisions you can make. Yet, there are extremes and when you get caught at one end point of the spectrum or the other, there is a tendency to either deny what is going on, or indulge in over-thinking the process. One of our best … [Read more...]
Consistency is one part of a healthy business
What stands as the infrastructure of your business? If you are a solo-preneur, a home-based business owner or even just a small business with a partner, then the infrastructure isn't an organizational structure, rather it's how you do your business. Something holds your business together and keeps it going. I posit that one of the underlying structures for tiny businesses is … [Read more...]
Leadership and a Cup of Tea
The next six weeks of winter are the challenging ones with the flu, colds, and general challenges for all of us until those first green shoots of spring brighten the day. A vital question for all of us, and especially women in business who tend to be caretakers and pleasers is “What do you do to renew your spirit?” I’d love to hear responses that can give all of us some new … [Read more...]
Being in Business is Risky Business
Having a business of your own is a bit like being a creative writer. A creative writer loves to ask and answer the question: what would happen if....? What would happen if: the title character were a woman instead of a man the title character were 75 years old and slightly deaf the title character had a side-kick who was independently wealthy all the action took … [Read more...]
What Kind of Brand Do You Have?
If you were to act with conduct that causes extensive negative public relations, would your entire company disintegrate? How closely tied are your individual actions to your company’s brand and well-being? In general, if an individual at a corporation caused trouble, that position in the company would be replaced, the company would manage the bad PR, and everyone would move on. … [Read more...]
Healthcare and Women
One of the most well-run and informative meetings I went to last year was the HBA conference in San Francisco. The Healthcare Businesswomen Association is a class act. What impressed me was the juggling act done to show the strong side of women in a mostly male dominated industry, as well as the feminine side that we, as women, need to maintain for our own sanity. The women … [Read more...]
Top 10 US Cities to Capture Small Business Recovery Act Dollars
Uncle Sam wants small business entrepreneurs to lead the nation to economic recovery--and has billions of dollars to make it happen. Small business owners are in line to receive low-interest loans and government contracts through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). To secure your little corner of the recovery, you'll need to be at the right place with the right … [Read more...]
Leadership Partnership and Business Possibilities
Clearing out the old to make way for the new is a wonderful practice as we enter a new year. This time, as we graduate into a new decade, the teen years of the century, we have an amazing opportunity to find a better balance and create a different kind of partnership between men and women. I believe that female leaders in the work world can lead the way in positive and … [Read more...]