Tuesday, January 31, 2006
RE: Yeah, But Will These Women Commit To Crossover Dribbles?
JUSTT Us, a group of women entrepreneurs, are set to launch a men's pro basketball team. The Marietta Storm (www.mariettastorm.com) will be one of the few in America predominantly owned by women. "As entrepreneurs, we are always looking for good opportunities," says team co-owner Jennifer Lester. "When the chance to own a sports team presented itself, we had to jump on it. Not only did it seem like a fun thing to do, it also gives us a great opportunity to be involved with the community and further our individual endeavors".
Could this indeed be THE Jennifer Lester, founder of
www.lovepersonally.com? The other members of JUSTT Us, LLC - 3 females (Una Snipe, Stacy Beverly, Tiphanie Watson) and 1 guy (Tommy Lester, Jen's husband).
-
MORE. Hmm. I tend to prefer behind-closed-doors contact sports, with the exception of
four-walling Polarbear Paddleball. Wonder if these wild women know the
secrets of basketball dominance? There ain't nothing like watchin' that kind of action from the sidelines....
Technorati tags:
Osolind JUSTTUS women basketball www.mariettastorm.com
Monday, January 30, 2006
RE: Business Rituals - Coffee Breaks.
Monday means its time for Business Rituals. re:invention believes Business Rituals are an intriguing, sacred ingredient for enduring business success. MORE ABOUT BUSINESS RITUALS.
Business Ritual #4: COFFEE BREAKS.
This morning over sugar-free vanilla Starbucks lattes, my friend and I mused about today's business ritual. My fierce-with-facts friend relayed that Arabians in the 13th century used roasted coffee beans to ease menstrual cramps (that's the kind of special knowledge you have access to when you hang out with a doctor). Much later in London (1674), the Women's Petition Against Coffee issued a scandalous pamphlet declaring: "Coffee leads men to trifle away their time, scald their chops and spend their money." BE SURE TO READ THE MEN'S ANSWER.
Onto the 20th Century. NPR credits the Barcolo Manufacturing Company with the first official coffee break in 1902. Entrepreneur Magazine attributes the origins of the coffee break to the Larkin Company, a hybrid soap manufacturer and mail order company.
Brewed black by perk or drip or whipped with frenzy into milk, the coffee break is more than mere caffeine dependency...it is habitual business ritual.
Some Nifty Coffee Break References For Your Amusement:
- The Congregational Coffee Litany. "It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of java that the mind acquires speed."
- "Coffee or booze on your break?" asks Dr. Pat Farrell over at WebMD's Blog.
- For ethnologist Jean-Pierre Jardel, the coffee break is "a fundamental rite of corporate culture, a ritual that offers us access to an important social sphere." In Jardel's study of 2 banking agencies (one of which eliminated company coffee breaks), absenteeism, tension, and internal conflicts all shot up in the company without the coffee break and employee productivity fell to a new low.
- In breaking news today from Canadian medical researchers: women who drink six or more cups of coffee a day can slash their risk of developing breast cancer by a startling 75%. Raise your hand if you are willing to drink 6 CUPS A DAY to lower your risk factor. Gotta think that level of consumption causes other health complications.
- During your next coffee break, check out the Starbucks Gossip Blog, where Jim Romenesko is "monitoring America's favorite drug dealer." The first Starbucks opened in Seattle in 1971.
- Stake a del.icio.us tag for the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), dedicated to "improving coffee and changing lives." How's that for brand promise? Pura Vida! First find God, then Coffee! CQI also spawned the Women in Coffee Leadership Program, planned for March 3-5. I'm INTO coffee...can I come?
- Coca-Cola filed 5 U.S. patent applications in 2005 for coffee and tea pod designs, single-serving brewing machines, and a system to steam milk to make hot espresso and cappuccino. Coke also plans to launch Coca-Cola Blak, a coffee-flavored cola, and a ready to drink indulgent coffee drink with Godiva Chocolate later this year.
- WWW.COFFEE.COM is owned by Peet's Coffee & Tea. The site ranks 67% evil/33% good on the Gematriculator scale, a nifty service that uses the infallible methods of Gematria to determine how good or evil a web site or a text passage is. Guess coffee really is bad for you. BTW, re:invention, inc.'s site ranks 99% good. Good golly, that's gotta be a Gematriculator goodness record. re:invention's site even beats www.vosgeschocolate.com - a mere 94% good. Too bad I'm not that good in real life, right Hedy Ratner? :)
Business Ritual #4 - Benefits Summary: In lieu of a benefits summary, I'll serve up this childhood rhyme: "C-O-F-F-E-E. Coffee is not for me. Some people drink it to wake up with. That it makes them nervous is no myth. Slaves to a coffee cup. They can't give coffee up." Ahh fugettaboutit! Fill me up with frothy goodness.
Business Rituals Archive-
Business Ritual #1 - Expressing Appreciations
-
Business Ritual #2 - Team Meetings
-
Business Ritual #3 - Goal Setting & Business Planning
Technorati tags:
Osolind business rituals coffee-break Coke Starbucks WebMD
RE: Shiksa Goddess Spirit Sets Sail
Wendy Wasserstein, Pulizer Prize winning playwright known for The Heidi Chronicles and more recently, Third, died of lymphoma today at age 55. She was known for her sharp, feminist writing portraying women suceeding in a world dominated by men. Wendy "almost went to law school, and business school, and medical school" (the first two turned her down, she bailed on the third after 2-weeks of physics). Her mother cautioned: "girls shouldn't work so hard." So Wendy almost married a law student, then didn't ("I knew I would get angry with him"). She chose to become extraordinary instead.
- "Women have always been oppressed by society, but sometimes it is the choice of women to let themselves be oppressed."
- "No matter how lonely you get or how many birth announcements you receive, the trick is not to get frightened. There's nothing wrong with being alone."
Wise women will miss you,
Wendy. You were never alone.
Technorati tags:
Osolind wasserstein women spirit
Thursday, January 26, 2006
RE: To Whine Or Not To Whine
Thursday's blog feature, Business Shoulder Story Bag, relates stories of people in business that received help in a time of need. This week, we have a reader who asks for your advice.
Anita Campbell, author of the respected Small Business Trends Blog, poses 3 questions. First, do women bloggers support and cross-link to one another? Second, is there a shortage of women bloggers? Third, are the topics women write about, versus men, appealing or business-worthy? Controversial questions. Anita also asks: what we can do instead of whining?
Well, in my opinion, the blog gender gap has narrowed, and both men and women write about substantive material and fluff. Look at all the superbowl comments these days! To answer these questions with statistics, I surfed for info. Examples of women bloggers cross-promoting other women bloggers are few and far between. To identify if this is due to a shortage of women bloggers, I found two interesting sources. A May 2004 survey by Henry Copeland (BlogAds) identified that only 21% of respondents to the blog survey were women, suggesting that there are fewer women online. Pew's report findings estimate that 66% of women go online, with 8% creating blogs, while 68% of men go online, with 11% of them creating blogs. According to Pew, women slightly outnumber men in the internet population because they make up a greater share of the overall U.S. population. So, the gap has closed in 1 year.
To identify if women write appealing or business-worthy blogs, I have a theory: what blog readers are looking for should naturally correlate to what bloggers are writing about. I delved further into Pew's study. Women value the internet to get hard-to-find news and to keep in touch with family and friends. Men value the internet to get hard-to-find news and to pursue hobbies or interests. What I found most interesting: the types of online groups and other communities of interest that wired men and women belong to. Women, with statistical significance, sought out online groups that offered support on medical issues and personal problems. Men searched for trade, hobby, sports fan and team participant, pop culture fan, lifestyle (go figure!) and personal belief groups. Hmmm...
Back to women then. We need to cross-promote one another. We need to support one another, mentor each other, provide interesting news and STOP WHINING! There are tons of women bloggers out there, many writing appealing and business-worthy material. A good way to start cross-promoting woman bloggers is by placing our blog on your site!:) Women need to help women win.
Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D. suggests that whining is an attitude that blocks spiritual and psychological development; and it makes genuine communication impossible and extorts what then cannot be freely given.
We want to feature you in a future blog! Send me your personal business story - tell us about someone who lent a helping hand, renewed your faith, or helped you overcome a business obstacle. Do you need a business shoulder for support? Ask us a question and we'll try to give you an answer. Click here to send me an EMAIL.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
RE: Hey Babe. Ready for Business Stencils?
For those of you who are new to our blog, every Wednesday re:invention features a new Business Stencil. We define a Business Stencil as something which provides a framework guide to measurable results, a tool that can be incorporated to design business tasks. READ MORE ABOUT BUSINESS STENCILS.
This Week's Business Stencil: SMALL BIZ TECHNOLOGY STENCIL
Recommended For: Increasing Online Communications and Marketing Effectiveness
Ease of Use: Easy to Read, Expensive to Implement
Pattern 1: Yesterday SmallBusinessComputing.com revealed their reader picks for the best small-business hardware, software and services, e-commerce and security products. Quick and productive read. Poignantly disappointed that the "New 5.0 Stencil-Cad" did not make their list.
Sample Stencil Reference 1:Consider this stencil your "online guide to small business technology products." Should you strive to keep up with the tech-savvy Joneses? Yes, absolutely.
Here's to Business Stencils! Happy Stenciling.
Business Stencil Archives:-
Business Stencil #1 - The Anemone Stencil Series
-
Business Stencil #2 - Business Magic Stencil Series
-
Business Stencil #3 - The Business of Revenge Stencil Series
kindly,
kirsten
Technorati tags:
Osolind business stencils marketing smallbusinesscomputing.com
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
RE: Personal re:invention
Kirsten, Circa 1990 (Michigan State grad photo)
Kirsten, Circa 2006 (Business headshot)
Can people really change? I say yes -- inside and out -- given the right motivation.
Monday, January 23, 2006
RE: Business Rituals - Goal-Setting and Business Planning.
Monday means its time for Business Rituals. re:invention believes Business Rituals are an intriguing, sacred ingredient for enduring business success. MORE ABOUT BUSINESS RITUALS.
Business Ritual #3: GOAL-SETTING AND BUSINESS PLANNING.
The beginning of the year is often associated with resolutions...thinking about and writing down your business and personal goals. Let's face it ladies, New Year's resolutions can be well-intentioned but vague and often fail well before January ends.
The fact remains: research on goal-setting in the worlds of business and sports consistently shows that it leads to enhanced performance. Written goals are more likely to be achieved. Significant performance improvements demand smart goal-setting. Smart goal-setting means identifying long term and short term milestones, breaking down tasks into a series of smaller steps, setting meaningful and realistic targets, and allowing flexibility for re-evaluation.
But to avoid setting business goals or forego writing a business plan? Well that's just plain crap.
POOP-Y ADVICE - A QUOTE FROM THE POST:
In Sunday's Washington Post, Victoria Colligan, founder of Ladies Who Launch, is quoted as stating: "writing a formal business plan too soon can be too constricting...(don't get) discouraged that your business doesn't get rolling quickly...Make the call you dread the most first."
Women who sell pipedreams like this should be tarred and feathered. Women deserve better than this kind of hoo-hah (no offense to esteemed reporter, Mary Ellen Slayter).
Women entrepreneurs and executives -- let me tell it to you straight -- you need to learn to keep score! Like it or not, the score in business is kept in dollars and the system of accounting provides the rules for keeping score. If you cannot develop a bare minimum business plan with an outline of your operating costs, your customer acquisition costs, and revenues forecast, you may not be in business next year nor do you deserve to be in business. Nor will you be allowed to continue reading re:invention's blog. Take a hike! Smart chickie readers only allowed in here.
While I agree that a full-blown traditional business plan may not be in order for emerging businesses, you still need to begin with the end in mind. If you want to build an enduring business, one that you can be proud of -- get off your lazy a** and write a barebones business plan at launch. Set a few goals. Play with the numbers. YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO DO THE WORK AND PAY THE PRICE TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS. Call re:invention if you need help or visit your local Women's Business Development Center. You cannot spend a dollar on your business or marketing unless you know you can make more than a dollar. Anyone who tries to sell you anything different deserves a big thump on the head.
Hey - I empathize with you - I hated math classes too but I've learned that a good idea is not enough, and sticking my head in the sand will make everything worse.
So you can tell Victoria Colligan over at Ladies Who Launch that I said that. You might also mention to her that "cold calling" rarely generates new business. I double dog dare you. I BET I CAN TAKE HER.
General Guidelines For Goal-Setting and Business Planning:- Every business needs a planning process. EVERY BUSINESS.
- Begin with dreams and desire. You have to really want it. But realize that really wanting something to happen ain't enough.
- The mere process of planning can become a management tool. "Each year you develop a plan, and each month you compare your actual results to the plan, you can note the difference between plan and actual performance."
- Know your financial goals. Projected revenues and profits are the yardstick by which you can measure your business success.
- Know thy competition, understand your strengths and weaknesses, and identify your point of difference -- for instance, re:invention leverages women's credibility and empowers women but doing so requires us to razor through the nonsense crap. You want fluff and fairie dust? You won't find it here.
- Commit yourself to your goals by writing them down. Lee Iacocca once said, "The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen."
- Make sure your goals are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely).
- Visualize the dream. If you can't picture yourself achieving it, chances are you won't.
- Avoid the 3 Goal-Setting Traps: unrealistic goals, not being clear about the cost of attaining a goal, and not being willing to do enough work or pay the price to achieve the goal.
- Review your progress regularly and be flexible. Analyze yourself fairly if a goal is not being met. And assess what you can do differently. Goals can change over time. That doesn't mean you shouldn't set them.
Business Ritual #3 - Benefits Summary: The Great Eleanor Roosevelt once quipped: "
It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan." Gloria Steinem later proclaimed, "
planning ahead is a measure of class." Goal-setting and business planning is an essential business ritual - one that boosts business success. Even happiness benefits from goal-setting.
Business Rituals Archive-
Business Ritual #1 - Expressing Appreciations
-
Business Ritual #2 - Team Meetings
kindly,
kirsten
Technorati tags:
Osolind business rituals goal-setting www.ladieswholaunch.com
RE: Leveraging Women's Credibility
We're focused this week on annual strategic planning at re:invention. Why? Our new SVP of Client Services, Lynn Switanowski started today (her photo appears on the right nav bar).
We've determined that our core competency at re:invention is "leveraging women's credibility." According to Answers.com, "leverage" means positional advantage; power to act effectively. This marketing mantra allows us to target corporations (who are looking to better understand and connect with women executives and entrepreneurs) and high-growth women business owners. Finally -- we've cut our 5 word mantra (marketing for women-led businesses) down to 3 words (thanks, Guy Kawasaki!)
One of the best ways to build your credibility is through marketing and public relations. Are you a corporation looking to build relationships with women entrepreneurs and executives? Begin with smart key messages, meaningful marketing programs, and highly targeted media outreach. Are you a woman business owner who needs to increase sales and generate new client leads? Begin your efforts by getting listed on ProfNet. Profnet, the leading experts network, connects you with 12,000 journalists looking for commentary on topics that you - the expert - can address. ProfNet helps reporters connect easily and quickly with expert sources. All re:invention clients are posted and positioned as ProfNet experts. Are you an independent marketing professional? Once you join re:invention's certified associates network, you will be posted as one of our preferred marketing experts. Contact us to learn more.
Technorati tags: women credibility clients associates marketing
Sunday, January 22, 2006
RE: It Isn't Chutzpah We Lack, It's Contacts.
There are very many women out there who are keen to set up in business right now, she added. It isn't chutzpah they lack, it is simply contacts.
- Gaye More, Owner, The Wedding Shop
MORE.
What's that tagline for 1-800-Contacts? Oh yes. "We deliver, you save."
Technorati tags: women contacts networking chutzpah
Saturday, January 21, 2006
RE: Our Saturday Feature - 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM.
Welcome to the re:invention 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM Saturday Feature. Every Saturday throughout 2006, we once again feature a woman entrepreneur and her personal 10 tips for success. We hope this feature will be a powerful example of "women helping women win." Our goal: a wisely-stocked toolbox for women entrepreneurs, with practical business and marketing ideas you can use today to turn your million dollar dream into a profitable and actionable reality.
This week's featured woman entrepreneur is Anna Belyaev, CEO of Type A Learning Agency (Chicago, IL), a company that offers custom e-learning development, consulting in learning services, and a line of off-the-shelf products.
about Type A
Type A Learning Agency (www.typea.net) was founded in 1999 to help the folks who lead the world's greatest organizations move the masses and make a difference. The company specially designs e-learning courses, campaigns, and communities to the cultural, technical, and strategic needs of its clients, which have included such prestigious brands as Walgreens, Pfizer, Motorola, and the American Lung Association. Founder of the Chicago Learning Council, Type A's CEO is on a mission to reinvent Chicago as the Silicon Valley of Learning and to use her influence to create 10,000 fantastic jobs where our nation's best and brightest can leverage their talents to make a difference for others.
CLICK HERE FOR ANNA'S 10 TIPS
Share YOUR knowledge, WISE WOMEN! Submit A REQUEST to have your company featured along with your 10 Tips For 10 Million Women.
Technorati tags: tips women entrepreneurs business saturday
RE: Here's To Impossible Women!
"These impossible women! How they do get around us! The poet was right: Can't live with them, or without them."
- Aristophanes
Remember, love conquers everything, even karma.
Technorati tags: women karma aristophanes
Friday, January 20, 2006
RE: Soapbox Girls Are Hot (Dontchya Know It, Rachael Ray?)!
Dear Rachael Ray:
112 e-signatures on the Kick Rachael Ray Off The Food Network soapbox petition. No P.R. response = bad crisis management. Don't I have you shaking in your boots yet? I double dog challenge you to convert me and cook me dinner (1.0001x better than late nite Lean Cusine in the office).
Kindly,
Kirsten
Other Misc. News & Reviews
- "
I love beautiful girls who get up on their soapbox about women. My 3 daughters do that too." - Dr. Charlie. Note from KO: Swoon!
- "
We here at Soapboxgirls have a dream...In this dream, gals who are taking the time and energy to put their creative ideas into practice, in the service of making awesome stuff, are able to make enough money from the sweat of their brows to live like princesses - or at least pay the rent...Make that dream a reality by spending your hard earned cash supporting some of the hard working and entrepreneurial ladies out there among us:
The Soapbox Girls Buying Guide- BellSouth recognized with
Outstanding Corporate Suppler Diversity Award from the National Minority Business Council. Congratulations to Chief Diversity Officer
Valencia Adams.
- U.K. women report their recipe for happiness is "
a family, a job and a man who knows how to load and unload a washing machine," according to a £160,000 taxpayer funded research project.
-
Two new female political leaders to be reckoned with: the first woman elected head of an African state, Liberia's President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and the first woman chosen president in a major Latin American country, Michelle Bachelet of Chile.
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Autodesk's CEO Carol Bartz steps down to "focus on her personal life." Sigh.
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James Governor likes soapbox girls - especially if they are geeks. He "loves being in conversation about new ideas with women and men." Woo-hoo.
- Black Enterprise Magazine announces their 2006 list of the
50 Most Powerful Women in Business.
- "
Marketing is the key reason to get certified," says Susan Bari, president of the
Women's Business Enterprise National Council. "It's a tool, like any other marketing tool."
Technorati tags:
rachael ray certification women news bellsouth WBENC valencia adams
Thursday, January 19, 2006
RE: Business Shoulder Story Bag
Thursday's blog feature, Business Shoulder Story Bag, relates stories of people in business that received help in a time of need. This is a story about someone who needs your help now.
Cindy is an intelligent professional with high aspirations. She claims to have more than one mentor and she herself tries to mentor and help others with her sage advice and personal assistance (62% of women have mentors). Today, Cindy is at a crossroads. She is viewed as highly successful and well respected, yet she is in trouble financially. She started her business with her personal life savings and has taken on one small loan. For some reason, which Cindy is unable to articulate, she is not acquiring enough business to stay afloat. She has gone to her "mentors" for advice and receives conflicting feedback. One tells her to "give it up, you're not meant for this - why don't you stay home and take care of your family." Another says "you have developed a subpar team and you need to surround yourself with superstar employees" (which she thought she had already done!). And still another says "you need to completely redefine your business strategy and target market."
Cindy is confused and overwhelmed. Is there such a thing as too many mentors? And too much advice? How do you know which mentor to place your trust in? There is a site that identifies if you are "mentor capable". Should Cindy require her current mentors to take this qualifying test? Bob Norton suggests, for a fee, that his program can "help guide your business and help you develop into a world-class CEO more rapidly". I wonder if he has a deferred payment plan for Cindy? Any suggestions for Cindy from you "sage or wanta be mentors" (perhaps you should take the aforementioned test first)? Does she need to rethink business, angel money, or VC dollars? Or is it time to pack her bag? Decisions, decisions.
Want to share your Business Shoulder Story with re:invention blog readers next Thursday? Send me your personal business stories - we prefer stories about someone who offered a hand, renewed your faith, or helped you overcome a business obstacle. Do you need a business shoulder for support? Ask us a question and we'll try to give you an answer or find someone who can. Click here to send me an
EMAIL.
Technorati tags:
Reinert mentor women management bag VC success
RE: re:invention withdraws a proposal
In addition to our Business Shoulder Bag story today, we want to share a lesson learned experience with our readers....
Yesterday, we withdrew a proposal for a large, well-respected corporation. We had issued an initial proposal, in response to which the prospective client had expressed disappointment, suggesting we had not done enough work "on spec" in our submission. Before we had time to revamp and reissue a revised proposal, this prospective client posted a bounty hunt for cheap, hardworking freelancers on their website with a subtly snarky remark about the agencies that had pitched the business.
It was their privilege and right to do so. Late yesterday afternoon, the prospective client called to extend us the opportunity to improve the level of blueprint detail in our proposal. I am sure this prospective client felt as if they were going out of their way to extend an olive branch - and in a way, perhaps they were.
I made a tough call: re:invention withdrew our proposal.
Now it is hard for me to walk away from things I have invested time in, cash flow opportunities, people and things I care about and opportunities that I have brought to my team. I don't do so without serious consideration. When it comes to business, I do the math and work hard as is appropriate to get the job.
The reason I declined to continue with the RFP is simple. It's always better to minimize losses on losing hands. Losing cards don't become winners -- at least not until they are added back to the deck, shuffled and recut. You have to be willing to walk away. This particular client and their project were not a good fit for re:invention -- and more importantly, re:invention does not compete on cost. There was significant risk that this client could take our ideas and hire a cheaper freelancer to execute them. And the impact this prospective client project was having on our team's motivation was significant. My taking a leadership role with my team and making sure that they remain motivated was more important to me. There is no honor in taking every job.
Many of re:invention's readers have wrestled with this, and shared their stories. We welcome you to share yours.
EDITOR K.O.'S NOTE: THIS IS A REPOST OF A POST THAT WAS ERRONEOUSLY DELETED.
Technorati tags: Osolind proposals clients RFP
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
RE: The Role of Revenge In Business.
This past week Nature released research study findings about a significant new brain gender difference. Men are more prone than women to schadenfreude (malicious joy at another's misfortune), and they express greater desire for revenge.
Ahh sweet revenge! So timely based on today's events at re:invention. So let's honor that groundbreaking research (as if it was a surprise at all) as part of our Wednesday weekly Business Stencils feature. Wednesdays are dedicated to Business Stencils.
For those of you who are new to our blog, re:invention defines a Business Stencil as something which provides a framework guide to measurable results, a tool that can be incorporated to design business tasks. READ MORE ABOUT BUSINESS STENCILS.
This Week's Business Stencil: REVENGE SERIES
Recommended For: GETTING EVEN
Ease of Use: DOES AN IMP WORK HARD?
Pattern 1: Begin with a Getting Revenge Psychic Spell. If you have time rent the MOVIE. What the hell - it can't hurt. Or CAN IT?
Pattern 2: There's always a book... "How to Get The Competition Fired." Learn how to avenge the competition, unseat entrenched suppliers, and make their customers yours. Mixed reviews to date and I haven't read it myself yet. If you've read it, kindly share a comment.
Pattern 3: Wouldn't you know it, there is also a Revenge Ethics Code authored by RedBoxChiliPepper back in 1992 (long before WOMMA's Code Of Ethics).
Pattern 4: Never avenge empty-handed. Bring a gift. Revenge-Gifts is owned by woman entrepreneur, Tara Cole. Show her the love. Expect gift-giving to appear as next week's Business Ritual.
Sample Stencil Reference 1:Thomas Browne once wrote, "women do delight most in revenge." Robert Kennedy quipped, "don't get mad, get even." I agree with
Scott Adams on this one: "nothing inspires forgiveness quite like revenge." I pose the question to you:
what role does revenge play in business? According to Ellen Hancock, a former Fortune Magazine most powerful woman in business: "
In Silicon Valley, it's every person for herself."
Interesting stuff to mull over... Here's to Business Stencils! Happy Stenciling.
kindly,
kirsten
Technorati tags:
Osolind business stencils tools revenge revenge-gifts.com books
Monday, January 16, 2006
RE: Not Nice? Me Neither.
Back in 2004, Margaret Cho profoundly declared: "I Am Not Nice."
Me neither, Margaret!!!!!!!!!!
Margaret simply says it BETTER.
RE: Looking To Reach Women Entrepreneurs and Executives Online?
Women don't often brag, but this is worth a mention.
re:invention's blog is ranked the #1...
- women entrepreneurs blog
- blog for women entrepreneurs
- woman ceo blog
We're also the #1 site for women-led businesses, the #1 place for women entrepreneurs seeking marketing, and the #1 site for Chicago women entrepreneurs:
- women-led businesses
- women entrepreneurs marketing
- chicago women entrepreneurs
Hmm. re:invention blog advertising might be an interesting way for you to reach women decision makers. Contact us via
EMAIL.
Technorati tags:
Osolind marketing adsales SEO
RE: The Business of Rituals - Now On Mondays!
We're reprogramming a bit on re:invention's blog. We'll now feature Business Rituals on Mondays. We believe Business Rituals are an intriguing, sacred ingredient for enduring business success. Business Rituals are not rocket science. They are far from revolutionary and new. But they can have profound impact as they touch head, heart and soul...and busy business owners often overlook them.
And with that, onto this week's Business Ritual.
Business Ritual #2: TEAM MEETINGS.
A good friend of mine is leading a quarterly team meeting at his office HQ this week. Much planning and hoopla has gone into the meeting. Sometimes the only decent parts of an all-hands, week-long team meeting are the alcohol and the food. Fast Company once declared team meetings to be: "the business world's most universal ritual."
Debate sparks when it comes to assessing the value of team meetings. Dilbert creator, Scott Adams, for instance, has depicted damn funny dysfunctional team meetings. Some say meetings are the bane of modern corporate culture. Team meetings are grounded in rich history - the Druids held secret "team meetings" at Stonehenge. Team meetings are undeniably a "Business Ritual."
General Guidelines For Team Meetings:
There are many different meeting facilitators who proselytize how to run effective team meetings. I find intellectual pedagogues tedious, so don't expect a prescriptive list from me. Instead, below follows a running list paraphrasing advice offered by various esteemed meeting planners. The list serves to demonstrate how this Business Ritual has well-defined "best practices." Surprisingly few companies have written policies on the importance of team meetings, or why, how, and when they should occur.
- To begin, consider that meetings can be formal or informal, onsite or offsite, effective or ineffective, long or short, open or stealth.
- Recognize that meetings are work and you need to make your meeting a priority.
- Identify key stakeholders and invite them to attend.
- Set ground rules to guide discussion - who will take notes, how to handle conflict, time per topic.
- Determine meeting objectives so you will know how to measure meeting success.
- Distribute an agenda in advance of the meeting. Agendas serve as meeting guides.
- Lay out the room properly.
- Break the ice and begin with humorous opening lines.
- Assign roles - traditionally facilitator, note-taker and timekeeper.
- Manage time.
- Never forget that flip charts and multi-media can sometimes be handy.
- If you want a serious meeting, hand out toys.
- Food can also be a meeting motivator.
- Be patient and encourage full team participation.
- Never rebuff a creative "out of the box" idea.
- Integrate appreciations and praise.
- Create action items and assign accountability.
- Keep track of meeting minutes and distribute them post-meeting.
Business Ritual #2 - Benefits Summary: Plain and simple, team meetings rarely meet your expectations. Hate them or love them, you can't escape them. Done well, they can provide opportunities for communication, collaboration, and coordination.
Business Rituals Archive-
Business Ritual #1 - Expressing Appreciations
kindly,
kirsten
Technorati tags:
Osolind business rituals
Saturday, January 14, 2006
RE: Our Saturday Feature - 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM.
Welcome to the re:invention 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM Saturday Feature. Every Saturday throughout 2006, we once again feature a woman entrepreneur and her personal 10 tips for success. We hope this feature will be a powerful example of "women helping women win." Our goal: a wisely-stocked toolbox for women entrepreneurs, with practical business and marketing ideas you can use today to turn your million dollar dream into a profitable and actionable reality.
This week's featured woman entrepreneur is Lynne Marcus, CEO, Marcus + Company (Boston, MA), a boutique awards and recognition agency.
about Marcus + Company 
Boston-based Marcus + Company (www.marcusco.com) specializes in developing awards and recognition programs for organizations and corporations including the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (MITX), the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge Clean Energy Group, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and Sun Microsystems to help them honor their members, customers, partners, suppliers, employees, or other constituencies. Since 1986, the company has helped companies win more awards and managed creative and effective awards submissions programs. Marcus + Company maintains the Marketing with Honors Directory, an online database with detailed descriptions of over 750 awards competitions.
CLICK HERE FOR LYNNE'S 10 TIPS ABOUT WINNING AWARDS
Share YOUR knowledge, WISE WOMAN! Submit A REQUEST to have your company featured along with your 10 Tips For 10 Million Women.
Friday, January 13, 2006
RE: Dear Rachael Ray, Other Rants & Reviews
Dear Rachael Ray:
EVOO. YUMMO. LMAO. HMM. I stumbled across a nifty site today (mmm..better even, than extra virgin olive oil). RRSC (The Rachael Ray Sucks Community). Ahh mecca and purpose in life! Seems other women also detest your giggle and your White Castle style, heart-attack evoking Mini-Cheesburger Salad. Hey - can we help it if we are concerned that the men in our lives like you? We're watching their waistlines.
Kindly,
Kirsten
Other Misc. Rants & Reviews
- Rosabeth Moss Kantor quips: "
Women want to create as well as procreate." She and Kathy Korman Frey (
friend to re:invention) refer to these women as
Hot Mommas. Sounds a hell of a sights better than 2004's buzz phrase: "
The New Trophy Wife." Rings better than Gail Sheehy's
"Women Married Dammit" and "Lowered Libidos." Did I mention that I am still single?
-
Post-Salad-Days Women Agree: They Want What She's Having. Uh - ok. Note to Dinita Smith (of the New York Times):
dear me, you didn't.
- Safeway Inc. (SWY) is 1 of 3 corporations to win the
2006 Catalyst Award for its recruitment, development, mentoring, and advancement of women in the workplace. Let all women business owners aspire to this.
Here's to mentors!
- Jeep will launch a
campaign for their new Compass vehicle, targeting young, urban, hip women business owners and professionals. Their last association was with sPITT-fire Angelina Jolie.
- Dove is planning a
Superbowl Ad, based on their successful "all shapes, all sizes" Campaign for Real Beauty. No Playboy models, no farts, no talking monkeys. Hope it doesn't kill the party for you boys. Now all we need to do is
convince more women to drink beer.
- And in global news, they are still saying
Right Is Wrong For Women. Per last night's YWCA Board Meeting, we live in a rape-women culture -
1 in 4 women across the world (yes, even in the U.S.) will be raped or suffer attempted rape in their lifetimes. That one is especially for the men who really dislike it when I get on my soapbox about women. How insipid of me.
Watch your steps today, ladies. It's the day before a full moon and Friday the 13th. "Think positive!"
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Thursday, January 12, 2006
RE: Business Shoulder Story Bag
Thursday's blog feature, Business Shoulder Story Bag, relates stories of people in business that received help in a time of need. Typically we hear about men mentoring women in business. Stories about business women mentoring men are not always as top of mind. In light of this week's blog theme of appreciating gender differences and similarities, it only seems natural to share a story today about a man and his mentor. She's one good woman.
Ron Koller is an independent consultant. He believes strong mentors are one of his keys to success. Ron relays a story of wanting to be an entrepreneur back in college, and how he was unsure about how to accomplish that without any experience. His mentor: Kathleen Dannemiller. She was a renowned consultant with the desire to educate and support consultants that had a common vision. Her shoulder of support engaged Ron and strengthened his drive to succeed on his own. He observed. He took notes. He listened. From the "best." And one of the "best" just so happened to be a woman. That is how he grew - personally and professionally.
Sadly, Kathleen passed away 2 years ago. A quote from Kathleen which we take to heart graces her tribute website: "Stand on the shoulders of the pioneers who went before you...honor and learn from us...and then spring into the future with new and robust concepts that will be more than we old-timers ever dreamed of. "
A mentor by definition is a trusted counselor or guide. Their purpose is to advance a protege's interests and goals. Mentoring isn't a gripe session. It can be a formal process, with regular meetings and a system for reviewing progress and performance. Other times it is less formal. There is
value for both the mentor and the mentee.
An interesting
fact: Women with businesses of $1 million or more are twice as likely as male counterparts to seek advice from a mentor and they want to be taken seriously.
Want to be featured in a future blog? Send me your personal business stories - tell us about someone who lent you a helping hand, renewed your faith, or helped you overcome a business obstacle. Do you need a business shoulder for support? Ask us a question and we'll try to give you an answer. Click here to send me an
EMAIL.
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Wednesday, January 11, 2006
RE: Boy/Girl Talk
When I Was a Boy Lyrics
Dar Williams
I won't forget when Peter Pan came to my house, took my hand
I said I was a boy; I'm glad he didn't check.
I learned to fly, I learned to fight
I lived a whole life in one night
We saved each other's lives out on the pirate's deck.
And I remember that night
When I'm leaving a late night with some friends
And I hear somebody tell me it's not safe,
someone should help me
I need to find a nice man to walk me home.
When I was a boy, I scared the pants off of my mom,
Climbed what I could climb upon
And I don't know how I survived,
I guess I knew the tricks that all boys knew.
And you can walk me home, but I was a boy, too.
I was a kid that you would like, just a small boy on her bike
Riding topless, yeah, I never cared who saw.
My neighbor come outside to say, "Get your shirt,"
I said "No way, it's the last time I'm not breaking any law."
And now I'm in this clothing store, and the signs say less is more
More that's tight means more to see, more for them, not more for me
That can't help me climb a tree in ten seconds flat
When I was a boy, See that picture? That was me
Grass-stained shirt and dusty knees
And I know things have gotta change,
They got pills to sell, they've got implants to put in,
they've got implants to remove
But I am not forgetting...that I was a boy too
And like the woods where I would creep, it's a secret I can keep
Except when I'm tired, 'cept when I'm being caught off guard
And I've had a lonesome awful day, the conversation finds its way
To catching fire-flies out in the backyard.
And so I tell the man I'm with about the other life I lived
And I say now you're top gun, I have lost and you have won
And he says, "Oh no, no, can't you see
When I was a girl, my mom and I we always talked
And I picked flowers everywhere that I walked.
And I could always cry, now even when I'm alone I seldom do
And I have lost some kindness
But I was a girl too.
And you were just like me, and I was just like you
special thanks to Sir E.C. for the reminder.
Technorati tags: Osolind boys girls
RE: WEDNESDAY IS BUSINESS STENCIL DAY.
Stencil \Sten'cil\, n.
A thin plate of metal, leather, paper, or other material, used in painting, marking, etc. Designs are created by cutting through the stencil and forcing ink or paint through the openings onto a surface to be printed.
Continuing with our weekly programming, Wednesdays are dedicated to Business Stencils. re:invention defines a Business Stencil as something which provides a framework guide to measurable results, a tool that can be incorporated to design business tasks. MORE ABOUT STENCILS.
This Week's Business Stencil: MAGIC STENCIL SERIES
Recommended For: MUSTERING UP MARKETING MAGIC
Ease of Use: FUN, BUT NOT FOR THE SLEIGHT OF HAND
Pattern 1: Begin with a sound working definition of MAGIC. Don't believe in magic? Here's inspiration: Disney's Magic Kingdom parking lot was filled to capacity this holiday season despite disruptions and closures caused by hurricanes. Wanna know why? 50th Anniversary Magic.
Pattern 2: Read Terry Parrett's Month by Month Magic Marketing Guide. Marketing Magic 101 For Magicians. Be kinda scared that you can apply Terry's approach to absolutely any industry. Then check out this list of Brownie Locks Bizzare Holidays and plot how you and your company can "own" one. Remember, to own is not enough.
Pattern 3: Nothing like a little Dark Magic. MindComet, has launched VOODOO -- 7 Internet Marketing blogs and a weekly podcast to C-level executives and marketers. Check it out. Give brief consideration to buying a Doll...but don't.
Pattern 4: End this craft project with a quick read of B. L. Ochman's FairyGodmother Marketing Syndrome. Muse about how B.L. reminds you of a Magical FairyGodmother herself, in a good way.
Sample Stencil Reference 1:Remember when it comes to Magic -- especially Marketing Magic -- there must be some end goal in sight, some lasting connection with your audience, some greater impact... or else the audience is merely fooled. Merely fooling the audience is no measure of greatness. Magic is a means, not an end.
Happy Stenciling!
kindly,
kirsten
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Osolind business tools stencils
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
RE: SEO. It's not pronounced SEW!
And today a bit about SEO (search engine optimization). FYI: SEO is not pronounced SEW. So say "no" to needle & thread. You actually have to spell out every single letter in the acronym like this: S-E-O. Major pain in the a**. Of course a MAN (Danny Sullivan) coined the term in 1996. P'Shaw. We bloggers don't need SEO. Right, Sir Scoble? Who cares about the Google SEO contest? BUT back to the business at hand...
A study from the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) reports that North American advertisers spent $5.75 billion on search engine marketing in 2005, a 44% increase over 2004. 4 out of 5 advertisers engaged in SEO.
... less than a quarter (24%) track or measure branding impact. Rather, the overwhelming majority (80%) track increased traffic volume, three-quarter (74%) measure conversion rates, and 69% track click through rates. For the most part, advertisers are still extremely focused on immediate, demonstrable ROI rather than longer-term metrics ...
SEO is a valid tool as long as you plan for random tweaking for new trends and the organic acquisition of links from "established" sites.
At re:invention, we're big fans of establishing site guidelines for pages to make them more search engine interpretable, and letting nature take its course. Our philosophy: should your site be too stilted towards attracting visitors via search engines, it might not be too useful when somebody finds it, and that defeats the purpose. Some helpful ideas, compliments of Todd Allen, re:invention associate, former Chicago Tribune Technology News writer, and adjunct eBusiness professor at Columbia College:
1) Build out your brand and your site according to how the information flows, but tweak certain elements (title tags, header tags, etc) to reflect desired keywords and key messages. Begin with the right messages. Regardless of how the rules of the various engines get tweaked, the common elements will always be covered.
2) Find the exact formula of the month. Program around it. Try and switch to the next solution before search engines catch on and wipe out your ranking. This can work very well if the time is managed properly (and has to be done for certain hotly contested search phrases if you want to be on the first page), but is expensive as hell and has consequences if your SEO is doing anything the engines would construe as cheating (link the old link farm sites).
P.S. Yes indeed, we have men around here at re:invention. Great men exist. Besides, we need someone to teach us dumb blonde jokes.
How can you tell if a blonde has been using your computer?
There's whiteout on the screen.
How can you tell if a blonde used your computer twice?
There's writing on the whiteout.
Quit laughing, Melissa. You're distracting me. I'm trying to paint a pretty little flower with my whiteout.
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Osolind marketing SEO associates tips blondes
Friday, January 06, 2006
RE: Dear Rachael Ray (& Other Rants)
Dear Rachael Ray,
I'm sorry I mouthed off about you the other day on re:invention's blog. Please accept my apologies, Dear Food Network Queen. You do have redeeming qualities, Rachael, for instance, you are LOW MAINTENANCE. P.S. my friend Sadie says you are a horrible tipper. Is that true? Share the wealth, girl.
Kindly,
Kirsten
Hmm. I'm guessing that apology won't go over so well...
Other Misc. Rants:-
Dylan took a loan from Daddy Ralph Lauren to play Candyland. 5 years later she still hasn't paid him back. That's ok, Dylan says, life is more than lollipops. The NYT reporter notes Daddy growling (rolling his eyes?) at that response. BTW, Dylan doesn't make any of her own candy, she's remarkably still unprofitable, and her overhead costs are high. At least she has Daddy's deep pockets and help with merchandising. Like me, Dylan is a
Duke grad. "Sure, there's pressure," Dylan says. "It's a lot of responsibility,
and we have to sell things."
-
Do you believe in Angels? Don't expect to find 'em in Chicago. This Crain's article features Nicole Loftus, CEO of Chicago-based
Zorch, and her struggles to find angel investors. "...potential Chicago investors hit her up for jobs, kept her at lunch for hours at a time and even asked her favorite color in order to determine her business partnership compatibility." Shout out to
Nicole (a semi-finalist for Springboard Enterprises Venture Forum 2005 and resilient woman entrepreneur). You go girl.
-
"Association for Men Wins Best Women's Association of the Year Award." Does anyone else find humor in this press announcement?
Feel free to sound off with your own rant & rave. Be our guest!
Technorati tags:
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Thursday, January 05, 2006
RE: Business Shoulder Story Bag
Let me introduce myself. I'm Melissa Reinert, SVP of Operations and Partnerships for re:invention and first-time blogger. In my role, I recruit, entertain and retain re:invention's nationwide network of associates; so it is fitting that I introduce our new Thursday blog feature - Business Shoulder Story Bag. Business Shoulder Story Bag entries will relate stories of people in business that received help in a time of need. On this inauguration day, I would like to share mine.
In my early days at Ameritech (now SBC), my husband was offered a great opportunity with his company in another state. My department did not want me to have an office there as they were very centralized (to the point of relocating people from other states including the one I was moving to). I decided to take a leave of absence to find another job either within my company in another department, or with a new organization. I wasn't having any luck with my current company and it looked like I was going to find a new job (which was exciting but sad because I loved my job). Two days before my leave expired and I would have to resign, my director, Deb Wozniak, said she made a few calls and I was approved (at a very high level) to work from a remote location. This was not something I expected or asked for because I was and still am an optimistic, things happen for a reason, I can do it on my own, kind of girl. She just provided a shoulder of support that I did not even know was there.
As a result of my proven efforts, I was able to lead remotely not from one, but from two different states, was promoted to Manager, and four years later to Director. It reinforced my belief in working virtually and that is why today I strongly believing in building a virtual team of independent marketing professionals for re:invention. After Deb provided that shoulder of support, she became a mentor of mine and I appreciate her investment in me when there appeared to be no hope. Thanks Deb!
So here's to celebrating business mentors, angels, and "sharing business shoulders" on Thursdays. Send me your personal business stories - tell us about someone who lent a helping hand, renewed your faith, or helped you overcome a business obstacle. Do you need a business shoulder for support? Ask us a question and we'll try to give you an answer. Click here to send me an EMAIL.
Technorati tags: Reinert management mentor
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
RE: BUSINESS STENCILS
Stencil \Sten'cil\, n.
A thin plate of metal, leather, paper, or other material, used in painting, marking, etc. Designs are created by cutting through the stencil and forcing ink or paint through the openings onto a surface to be printed. Like decorating around a window frame.
Every Wednesday throughout 2006 at re:invention, we will feature Business Stencils. re:invention defines a Business Stencil as something which provides a framework guide to measurable results, a tool that can be incorporated to design business tasks. It is best to stencil surfaces that are as smooth as possible (follow me literally and figuratively here). Just as there are plenty of different types of stencils, re:invention's Business Stencils may highlight business tips, strategic resources, breaking news, research studies, and/or sage sayings.
This Week's Business Stencil: THE ANEMONE SERIES
Recommended For: ANNUAL PERSONAL AND BUSINESS ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENTS & ASSESSMENTS
Ease of Use: DECEIVINGLY SIMPLE
Pattern 1: A quick read how-to guide on 10-minute attitude adjustments written for women, by a woman
Pattern 2: A task-centric uniform to don
Pattern 3: Stock inventory assessment of your business strengths and weaknesses. Once you've outlined a list, forget fixing your weaknesses. By design, it is an exercise in futility. Focus on your strengths and surround yourself with people who can compensate for your weaknesses instead. Begin with yourself. Adapt this stencil for employee motivation and business planning.
People don't change that much, so don't waste your time trying to rewire them or trying to put in what was left out. When it comes to getting the best performance out of people, the most efficient route is to revel in their strengths, not to focus on their weaknesses. (Source: Fast Company)
Sample Stencil Reference 1:All good stencils come complete with a sample design. After donning my designer Attitude Adjustment t-shirt and reading the 10 Attitude Adjustment Tips Link over a glass a wine, I'm ready to bravely outline my personal strengths and weaknesses to provide you with a jump start. I'll tackle the business list tomorrow - although for most of us women, business IS personal.
A short review of my personal weaknesses -
Emotional insecurities; a sharp-temper tongue; a gnawing dislike of
Rachael Ray from the Food Network (
248 folks agree!); a tendency to get on my soapbox about women (as if THAT isn't a statement of the obvious). Since I brazenly revealed each of these weaknesses during my recent weekend reinvention, I accept my share of the blame. I count myself lucky to have an incredbile team at re:invention, mentors, and friends who counsel and compensate for these weaknesses. They rise up and surround me with unfailing support, even when I lose my way.
A short review of my strengths -
A dedication to empowering women; a fearless ability to admit my weaknesses; strategic marketing skills; the willingness to be a boot-shaking bitch when it is warranted; the definitive ability to pick out shoes.
While all this may sound like the musings of a personal coach, let's not forget that this approach can and should also be applied to serious annual marketing planning.
Now it's your turn. Here's to Business Stencils! Happy Stenciling! And many thanks to the brilliant Scott Allen over at About.com for his
New Year shout-out. Scott's
Guide to Entrepreneurs covers much more ground than re:invention's blog and is a rich resource.
kindly,
kirsten
Technorati tags:
Osolind business tools
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
RE: THE BUSINESS OF RITUALS
A long flight fraught with delays from L.A. to Chicago today...
Surprisingly trivial tributaries trickle through your mind upon losing someone you have loved finitely. The basic six-senses memories come easy -- his French ocean seashore scent, the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the quiet still of his voice whispering I love you -- but the trifles surface forcefully without warning and haunt you. The way his jean pant leg broke awkwardly on the top of his tennis shoe. The five grey hairs on his right temple. The single word he used before his signature in closing his personal letters. His dedication to "Romance Rituals."
"Romance Rituals" are the distinct and memorable little acts of true love -- the consistent simple threads you establish in a relationship that bond you together after the initial physical chemistry subsides. The seemingly insignificant things you find yourself longing for long after.
A Few Effortless Romance Rituals:
- Holding hands;
- Kissing each other before going to bed (or after a quick mouth swish of Scope every morning);
- Morning text messages;
- Saying I love you;
- A lazy day, lounge in bed all Sunday, at least once a month.
A 2005 University of Pavia study found that romance (ala physical chemistry) was linked to a neurobiological chemical that fades after 1 year. The going hypothesis: if you and your partner have Romance Rituals in place you can overcome the biological ebb and tide.
Sure seems plausible. Catholicism, for instance, has survived the centuries in part due to powerful attention to rituals (mass, prayers, holy water, sacraments). Note to readers: I am not Catholic so please forgive me for oversimplifying. Just for the record, I am also not Jewish, Islam, or Wiccan.
Applying Romance Rituals to Business:As I see it, a business owner inevitably needs to love their customers, employees, partners, and vendors (see my May 2005 Entrepreneur Magazine column heralding
Customer Horticulturists).
So it stands to reason that business owners should consider the business of rituals an intriguing, sacred ingredient for their enduring business success. Business rituals are not rocket science. They are far from revolutionary and new. But they can have profound impact as they touch head, heart and soul...and busy business owners often overlook them.
On Tuesdays throughout 2006 we will feature a business ritual here on re:invention's blog. It's part of my effort to get back to basics and reclaim my positive energy.
So this first Tuesday we'll begin with...
Business Ritual #1: EXPRESSING APPRECIATIONS. During my days as Whole Foods Market's National Marketing Director, we would end meetings with a round robin circle of appreciations, each team member "giving a shout out" to peers for their efforts or support. At the time, my former Fortune 100 blue suit company self likened it to holding hands and singing kumbaya. I occasionally found myself rolling my eyes in the back of the room. Over time, the act of expressing appreciations as a business ritual kinda grew on me. In fact, we now encourage expressing appreciations at re:invention, closing each meeting or conference call with appreciations for one another.
If you aren't accustomed to expressing appreciations in a business setting, you will be surprised at how gratifying it is to do so. You'll see or hear people light up almost immediately.
General Guidelines For Expressing Appreciations in Business:- The best appreciations are specific and deliberate.
- Expressing appreciations is a wonderful way to begin or close meetings and conference calls.
- Appreciate publicly. Some might suggest that appreciations should be done in private so as not to embarrass the receiver. I say HOO-HA. While private appreciations are indeed wise and necessary, I believe it is incredibly valuable to appreciate people directly, publicly and vocally, rather than to a team about a person, behind closed doors, or in writing.
- A bit of formality and drama can make expressing appreciations seem more important (although it doesn't necessarily require WindEagle ceremony or candle burning ala Fast Company circa 1995).
- Appreciations can be for anything - for contributions to a project, stellar accomplishments, knockout ideas, even simply for attitude.
- Be authentic and sincere. People can sense manipulation and generally recoil from it.
Business Ritual #1 - Benefits Summary: Expressing appreciations may feel awkward at first, but can evolve into a comfortable business ritual if you persist. Appreciations are one business ritual that can amplify team building, morale, and performance. Bloggers instinctively "get this business ritual" - links, trackbacks, and mentions are indeed a ripe example of expressing appreciations. And appreciations should never remain in short supply.
Until tomorrow, good folks.
P.S. Sincere appreciations to you all for your welcome back and kind words! You really touched me, and after this weekend you've lifted my spirits. I will be sending email notes to each of you personally tomorrow. And to
Ethan,
Lori, and
Jennifer - thanks for the compliments (I'm blushing!). There you go - see how simple that was!
kindly,
kirsten
Technorati tags:
Osolind rituals business
Sunday, January 01, 2006
RE: Kicked to the Curb...and Landing Softly.
I was lost yesterday at noon.
By 3 p.m. I was found.
And as karma would have it, a woman business owner was the one to rescue me...
The man I had been caring for and dating flew me to L.A. and drove me to Palm Springs for our New Year's celebration. Not long after our arrival, he decided he no longer wanted me in his life and drove me back to L.A., leaving me curbside in the pouring rain in Venice, C.A. on New Year's Eve at noon. He explained dispassionately that he no longer enjoyed being with me. He told me I was overly emotional, bitter, and too frequently on my soapbox about women. My Mother Teresa ways were fruitless and I needed to help myself first, he chided. He left without saying goodbye...and drove home to San Francisco to kickoff 2006, wiping the residue of me from his life as would windshield wipers sweeping away the rain. "Sometimes things just happen," he told me. "There doesn't have to be a reason."
What went wrong or what went right with him is irrelevant. At his core, he is a good man. What happened NEXT has touched me and has inspired me to reopen my blog. And it is not about creating customer evangelists, generating ad sales revenue, leveraging our company's brand positioning, or earmarking me as pedantic marketing pedagogue.
My knee-jerk reaction to being kicked to the curb? To book a hair appointment (admittedly a girly thing to do, so unvery "Men Just Want Mommy" Maureen Dowd), to hope for the best, and to pause to catch my breath. Who knew what the coming evening could hold?
Upon an L.A. friend's recommendation, I selected the successful Santa Monica Main Street Dino/Clark Salon, owned by Dana Clark. And later that evening, a fashion-forward, kind-hearted Dana welcomed me into her home. She stocked her salon shelves with one my favorite hair products, Davines, and she had built a successful business over the years, like many of re:invention's clients, overcoming initial cash flow struggles and hardships with tenacity, a commitment to exceptional customer service, and hard work.
"Women need to have faith," Dana reassured me, leaning over her kitchen counter. Look forward, not back. Don't dwell on failures and rest assured that you are on the right path. "Even though it seems implausible, there IS rhyme and reason to this world."
And so I rang in the New Year with new friends, and later that evening with old friends...a former boyfriend who had immediately offered me a guest bed and yet another who had rushed to my side earlier that afternoon and over a light lunch gently pushed me to approach 4 men on the heels of their Gold's Gym workout (the former Mr. Canada among them. Oh Canada!).
And tonite, I have a date with one of the Fab Four -- a broadcast journalist turned consulting entrepreneur. And for tomorrow I have renewed faith in possibility and fortune. I find myself recommitted to affirming the goodness in women...and men. I'm inspired to share the kindness and encouragement I found during my moment of need.
The City of Angels lived up to its name. It delivered a soft landing in spite of unseasonable rain and hours of darkness.
I write today because I unfailingly believe in the goodness of people. Because I believe small business owners need to support each other and share and cache actionable words of personal and professional encouragement for those moments when there seems to be no shoulder.
Business requires head, heart and soul and it is time for an overhaul.
Throughout 2006 when time permits, I will blog about the good works of women and share the stories of positive role models, like Dana.
This marks Day 1.
kindly,
kirsten
ceo and kcc
re:invention, inc.
"marketing for women-led businesses & the companies trying to reach them."
Technorati tags: Osolind stories inspiration
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