As a small business owner many things are out of our control. As daunting as this seems, I attended an event here in D.C. a few weeks ago that challenged small business to think about their brand in relation to the perception of their CEO. Big companies manage this perception, but as big business the CEO's are somewhat removed from the process. Small business don't … [Read more...]
Why Taking a Chance Matters
This week I had the opportunity to attend an event for the Center for Women in Business, sponsored by the US Chamber of Commerce here in the District. There was a wonderful conversation that took place amongst our distinguished panel of female Fortune 500 executives; the topic was “who took a chance on you?” As that topic was discussed it struck me, as entrepreneurs every … [Read more...]
The 5 Friends Every Entrepreneur Needs
We entrepreneurs are an optimistic set; some would even say we have our head in the clouds. Some of us are cautious, some bean counters by nature and some of us are the dreamers. We are the people that can actually visualize the dream happening. With this near foolish optimism, there are 5 friends that every kind of entrepreneur should have. The Cheerleader This is the … [Read more...]
The Success of Failure
Entrepreneurs are created for a variety of reason, but the most pressing question is 'have you been successful because of skill or luck?' Most entrepreneurs will be very offended at this question, but it has merit and whether we like it or not every story of success is tinged with the luck. You were at the right place, with the right product and you met the right person. Just … [Read more...]
When the Student is Ready, a Teacher Appears
As I listen to the stories of the business world and how many mistakes CEO’s make, I think about how no one talks about the lessons that they learned on the way to that success. There is a tendency to hold out successful business owners as gurus, when the reality is that they were blessed with good teachers and the ability to learn from previous failures. For some of us no one … [Read more...]
That Grand Lady at the Harbor
Ladies, let’s continue to celebrate our freedom by underlining the importance of The Statue of Liberty and the role of women in our society. In her poem about the statue, Emma Lazarus called it “The New Colossus”. The beginning of the poem refers to the Colossus of Rhodes which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was a statue of the Greek God Helios, who, in … [Read more...]
Women Leadership Lessons and Tackling Tension
Long plane rides often bring me fresh ideas, or at least give me time to think in fresh, new ways. Flying from Newark to San Francisco is perfect. Just about six hours with little distraction from my writing and musings. Sometimes! On this particular plane were a brother and a sister, two or so years apart, I guessed. They were attractive, well behaved children whose parents … [Read more...]
The Chicago Network Releases ‘Women Mean Business’ Census Report
Yesterday, The Chicago Network released its 2007 Chicago Network Census report, Women Mean Business. The Chicago Network is an organization of the Chicago area's leading professional women, and their annual Chicago Network Census report tracks the representation of women in key leadership positions (e.g., board members, executive officers and top earners) based on prior … [Read more...]