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July 29, 2010

How a Bra and a Joint Venture Led to Nat

Posted by TaKeysha Sheppard Cheney under Uncategorized
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How a Bra and a Joint Venture Led to National Media Coverage : Nobody says no to Janet Powers, founder of the Diva … http://wp.me/pz7DH-yR

 

July 26, 2010

How a Bra and a Joint Venture Led to National Media Coverage

Posted by mliepelt under Uncategorized
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Nobody says no to Janet Powers, founder of the Diva Toolbox. When Janet asked Helen Reddy for an interview on her radio show, Across the Kitchen Table with Janet, Reddy agreed. Helen Reddy, as you may recall, is a ’70s pop icon whose hit song “I Am Woman” is enjoying a reprise in “Sex and the City 2.”

In the interview, Reddy makes some rather racy remarks about Madonna and seemed to blame her for not being able to find a bra.

When Philip Recchia, Director of Programming for BlogTalkRadio, found out about Janet’s interview with Reddy on her show which is aired on Diva Toolbox Radio Network and powered by Blog Talk Radio, he was impressed. Reddy hadn’t done many, if any, interviews in the U.S. for years. He quickly contacted Janet. One thing lead to another, and The New York Post ran the story as the lead today on page 6.

In terms of the article in the New York Post, Madonna’s representation was quick to respond. You can see the full article here: http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/helen_bra_vado_over_madge_2PaPLEKfpcUM2yyjzvm9PL

PR doesn’t come much bigger than this: The New York Post, Madonna and Helen Reddy. It’s amazing coverage for a woman running an international business from her home office in Boston. I would guess that Janet will be fielding calls for days, maybe even months, about this – which will lead to even more media coverage. Not bad Janet. Not bad at all!

In a nutshell: Janet’s joint venture with Blog Talk Radio led to national publicity. Are you leveraging your partnerships, too?

By the way, you may be interested in having your own radio show on Diva Toolbox Radio Network with me and hundreds of others. To find out more details, head to http://www.DivaToolbox.com.

If you’re interested in raising you own celebrity profile by using PR and other strategies, contact me today to get on the VIP List for my upcoming program called The Virtual Raise Your Celebrity Profile Success Circle.

© 2010 Meredith Liepelt, Rich Life Marketing

Meredith Liepelt, President of Rich Life Marketing, offers a free report called “101 Ways to Attract Ideal Clients, Build Your List and Raise Your Profile,” which can be downloaded immediately at www.RichLifeMarketing.com.

This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included. 

 

July 22, 2010

When Is It Ever Appropriate To Use The Speakerphone?

Posted by TaKeysha Sheppard Cheney under Career Development, Keys to Entrepreneurial Success, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , |
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I called a person not too long ago to respond to an email that was written. Since it is so critical to utilize our verbal communication skills, before we lose them to social media, I wanted to reach and have a good ole conversation.

Well, the discussion was in-depth, getting to the root of the problem and solutions were quickly being identified when all of a sudden, the person put me on speakerphone. I thought my head would blow off from the lack of tact and respect the other person had.  As you can probably tell, this is a thorn in my side as it relates to business etiquette. I don’t believe that society understands the proper etiquette for when to use or not use the speakerphone. Before I tell you the “when to”, let me share with you the “why not.”

1. When not to use the speakerphone: When a person has to press the speakerphone button while on the phone, it is usually because they are multi-tasking and they aren’t able to give their full attention to the other person. This is disrespectful and you should probably excuse yourself and ask if you can call them back. This person is easily distracted and they are trying to put out too many fires.

One should never use speaker phone when the other party has not been informed of the sudden echo noise in the background. And never put someone on speakerphone when someone else is in the room without the party knowing about it first. Talk about obtrusive and unpolished!

2.When to use the speakerphone: When there is a meeting and not all parties are able to physically attend the meeting and they may have to dial in, then use the speaker phone. Or, if you are physically challenged and you are unable to hold the phone. These are exceptions to the rule.

How to use the speakerphone: The proper speakerphone etiquette is to always ask for permission if you must put someone on speakerphone and when you do, do so briefly. The entire conversation should not be on speakerphone. Doing this encourages the opportunity for miscommunication, mistakes and lack of clarity.

Solution: Don’t answer the phone when you are busy. Allow the call to go to voicemail and find time to speak with them when you won’t be interrupted. Send an invite to schedule a phone call, turn away from your computer, look into a mirror, smile and enjoy the conversation that could ultimately add some wisdom to your bag.

I share with you my pet peeve in the business world. What pet peeves do you have that could help others?

Happy Relationship Building!
Yvette Alexander Slate
www.carriedthebag.com

 

July 16, 2010

For These Young Women, ‘Death Is Not An

Posted by TaKeysha Sheppard Cheney under Uncategorized
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For These Young Women, ‘Death Is Not An Option’ http://ow.ly/2cmcR #women

 

July 3, 2010

Intentions, not habits, make parades!

Posted by careerowners under Career Development, Workplace Issues | Tags: , , , |
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Spent part of the morning at the Upper Arlington (UA) Fourth of July parade:

Janine Moon

it’s an annual staple and the biggest non-commercial parade in the U.S. (or at least it used to be) My daughter and I have walked 3 blocks to the parade route every year for 21 years, and sat on the same corner: Northwest Boulevard and Barrington Road.

UA Golden Bear

Some things surrounding this event are so familiar: timbits from Tim Horton’s before we go; chairs on the same street corners, set out at least 2 days before; little American flags distributed by Boy Scouts before the parade; the tattered-looking fife and drummers leading the parade; everyone standing as the American flags pass by; veterans of every war since WWII riding in vehicles driven by younger vets; class reunion groups on flatbed trucks; neighborhood floats; the huge UA “golden bear” pulled and turned by Civic Association members; and bands, bicycles, Shriner’s cars, and an OSU Alumni TBDBITL. Such makes the Fourth a celebration at home. It’s comfortable, easy and–for my family–what makes the day an event. It’s become our habit to attend.

Habits are familiar; are they intentional?

While the Fourth comes around each year, the floats, bands and other entries take a special effort and don’t come around without considerable effort. Someone–likely many–make the decision and special effort each year to be part of the parade. My point is that it’s a conscious decision. The “date” is the familiar, the automatic; the “parade” and the resulting celebration is the intentional.

So much of life and especially work is like that–work weeks come around one day at a time–and we go, habitually and timely but with little or no intention. We put in the time, do what we must and then leave–only to do the same tomorrow. Wouldn’t it be cool if there were more celebration–every day?


To whose drummer do you march?

So which part of your (work) day belongs to the drummer in you? When do you do those things that tap your talents, that make you proud of the work you do? How do you ensure that at least some of every day you intentionally use your talents? That you contribute your best that day because you’re using the strengths you’ve developed and honed? This takes intention.

Or, are you marching to a drummer with a beat you don’t recognize? So you can pay the bills at the expense of your pride, satisfaction and efficacy? This takes habit.

Satisfy both

Contrary to much popular belief, you don’t need to give up one for the other. You can earn a living while doing work you love–that is, work that uses your talents–when you approach it intentionally.

The intentional part takes some work, too. It won’t happen when you wait around for your manager to recognize the great job you’re doing and promote you out of the department. It won’t happen when you wait for someone to give you a career path. It won’t happen by staying low so no one will notice you during times of “expense control.”

It does happen when you stay alert to changes in your organization’s strategies. It happens when you volunteer for projects where you can learn new things. It happens when you approach an experienced colleague who can show you some new ropes. It happens when you try something different with a customer that works better than the old way. It happens when you become responsible for being intentional.

So when will you choose to lead the parade?

Janine’s recent book, Career Ownership: Creating ‘Job Security’ in Any Economy is now available on Amazon.

 

June 30, 2010

Ten Ways to Increase Your Visibility in 15 Minutes or Less

Posted by mliepelt under Uncategorized
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Everyone is stretched for time these days. Yet, you’re smart enough to realize that you need to spend time marketing your business. Here are some quick things you can do to get some momentum as you work on more involved ways to raise your profile and build your brand.

  • Write and Distribute Press Announcements. I call these announcements “little media darlings” because these 3-4 sentence announcements are published frequently in local and regional business papers, associations and trade publications under the “People on the Move” sections. Send your company news and headshot in at least once a month.
  • Domain Names. Buy any and all that you think you will use. At the very least, buy your name and business name. Hot Domain Name Alert: .TV is the next big thing. Internet and television are merging. If you are on the cutting edge, secure your URL with .tv today, even if you don’t have an idea for an online TV show today. Some experts say that in the near future, having an online TV show will be the same “norm” as having a web site.
  • Put Some Oomph Into Your Email Signature Line. Use this valuable real estate to promote your free report on your web site or an upcoming event. Change it frequently so it doesn’t get boring and overlooked.
  • Voice Mail: Use your outgoing voicemail message to brand yourself. People get to experience you through your voice, so don’t just blow it off as if it doesn’t matter. Keep it short but tell people who you are, what your web site is, office hours, how to reach you immediately if it’s urgent, and when they can expect to hear back from you. I have these elements in my outgoing message and get compliments on it every week.
  • Connect Others: Be willing to connect others even if it has nothing to do with your business. What goes around, comes around.
  • Extend Invitations: Call a client or potential client and encourage them to attend an event you’re attending or buy their ticket. This way, you get to be in front of them again in a non-threatening way, even if they can’t attend.
  • Offer Your Input. Find one or two blogs that are created to offer information to your ideal clients. If they have “ask the expert” sections, offer your articles and how-to advice. If they don’t have “ask the expert” sections, make the suggestion and offer to provide them with the content. Also, make comments on one or two blogs that are visited by your ideal clients. This will make you very visible, very quickly!
  • Collect Testimonials. Facts tell. Stories sell. Testimonials are success stories about your products and services. Collect written, audio and video testimonials regularly and post them on your web site, include them in your newsletter, add them to your blog or promote your clients’ successes in social media.
  • Give Testimonials. Providing results-based testimonials is great way of expanding your visibility. Of course, you should only provide testimonials for businesses you honestly feel deserve a raving testimonial. If you wrote only one a month, you’d have 12 other businesses promoting you after a year. Mark Victor Hansen does this regularly. At one time, it was hard to pick up a self-help book without the endorsement from him. Recently, I’ve noticed that he does a lot more with video endorsements. So get your Mark Victor Hansen on and share praise for great products, services and programs you experience.
  • Ask for Referrals. This is a funny one. Some businesses rely solely on this tactic while others completely ignore it. It’s important to ask for referrals regularly but not to base your entire business on someone else’s efforts.

If you have a little more time, try these visibility boosters:

  • Update Your Head Shot. Have at least one great headshot. The new trend, particularly in social media, is to have a photo in an outdoor setting. You will also want a traditional one with a white background, but consider your personal brand. Are you more of a traditional person who loves fleur de lis or are you a spiky haired person with tattoos? Embrace your personal brand and let that shine through. No more “high school graduation” photos please. Consider doing a full body photo as well or sit in a chair in a setting that emphasizes your brand.
  • Interview a Celebrity in Your Industry. Draw major attention to your business by conducting an interview with a well-known expert in your industry. Think it’s impossible to book a well-known expert? Think again. Even well-known experts are looking for increased exposure and to expand their reach. If you can deliver a live or virtual audience who is interested in their topic, they want to hear from you. And your ideal clients will take notice and associate you with them.

Don’t get overwhelmed by these suggestions. Raising your profile can be done by taking baby steps. One baby step after the next builds and extends your reach, profile and influence. I realize that many of these suggestions aren’t ground-breaking ideas. However, are you doing them? Are you maximizing the potential of all of these simple things? Great transformation happens when you take one baby step after the next.

If you’ve already done all of these things and you’re ready to do even more, you will want to check out my new coaching program below, the Raise Your Celebrity Profile Success Circle.

© 2010 Meredith Liepelt, Rich Life Marketing

Meredith Liepelt, President of Rich Life Marketing, offers a free report called “101 Ways to Attract Ideal Clients, Build Your List and Raise Your Profile,” which can be downloaded immediately at www.RichLifeMarketing.com.

 

May 31, 2010

Who else dreamed of living in Bali….and being a successful entreprenuer?

Posted by hcorna under Career Development, Columbus Women's Resources, For Fun, International Blogging, Keys to Entrepreneurial Success, Making Connections, Women | Tags: , , , , |
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I smiled kindly to the only lady in my row seeking as much comfort as possible as she leaned against the window seat. Blond haired, in phenomenal shape, she could not have reached much over forty years old. At the time, she didn’t seem very interested to speak. Since my first airplane ride at fourteen years old, I find such curiosity in people on flights and the reason for their journey, but have noticed over the past three years of averaging over 100k miles per year that this trait has sadly diminished.

Her name was Karen and I would come to learn that Karen was an American that visited Bali, Indonesia post-bachelors degree, fell in love and married an Indonesian gentleman, and has since lived there running her own catering company and several restaurants. (http://www.baligoodfood.com/) She travels home often, most importantly, to visit her two children who attend school in America.

My raspberry ricotta pancakes at Karen’s restaurant, Cinta Grill

Karen welcomed my curious inquiries and our conversation lasted from Chicago -> Tokyo -> Singapore, clocking in well over fifteen hours we presume. I left the conversation on such a high. As I was leaving my family and my sister’s recent wedding to return to pursue my career in Asia, it was such a reassuring feeling to communicate with a woman of such accomplishment and happiness.

Despite only being a two-hour plan ride away, Karen and I have only recently been able to catch up in person last week as I disappeared to Bali in personal goals of having some quiet time to work on my book I’m writing. After I sent her a brief email expecting just enough of her precious time for coffee or lunch if I was lucky, she responded with pure generosity insisting to fetch me from the airport and offered for me to stay at her home that evening.

Living in Asia, we adapt to a very lonely lifestyle. Without family members nearby, friends and acquaintances become peculiarly close at a quicker pace than normal. For Karen to make such a small gesture, as it appeared to her, conveyed to me a vast sense of home and comfort.

As the owner of a catering company and five restaurants in Bali with other business ventures on the verge, on top of being a mother¸ Karen is a busy woman of many talents. Yet still, she was able to spend a generous amount of time over my days on holiday sharing with me her home she built with her husband back in 1994, her recent discovery for how to cure vanilla, and her lovely restaurant staff whose service expertise impressed me for the low-level typical in Asia. She allowed me to ramble about the many exhilarating prospects and ideas that were currently streaming through my head and all the challenges that come with them, although carrying no effect on her.

It was such a relieving feeling to meet other ambitious people in the world, much less women, who don’t know if god defined enough time in the day to achieve all we want to do. Furthermore, I find myself reaching out to women specifically to help fill the role of my mother, whom I miss daily while living overseas. Overall, I was grateful for every moment with Karen for her kindness and inspiration, but most importantly for illustrating to me the importance of giving back. I hope to someday serve a similar role in someone’s life.

Karen with her Home Grown Vanilla

 

May 24, 2010

Get Found in The Women’s Book Print & Online Directory of Women’s Resources

Posted by TaKeysha Sheppard Cheney under Uncategorized
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Take a moment to list your woman-owned business or nonprofit that primarily serves women or girls in The Women’s Book’s Resource Directory.  Please note the following important notes about listing your organization or business:

  • Each Resource Directory listing must be submitted through The Women’s Book’s Website. Click Here to Get Listed
  • Listed woman-owned business must have 50% or more ownership by a woman
  •  Listed nonprofits that primarily serve women and girls should include women’s community groups, associations, social service programs, government or education programs, etc.
  • Each listing will be featured on The Women’s Book’s Website in its online searchable directory. 
  • The Women’s Book’s 2010-2011 Columbus Area Edition will also feature nonprofit and woman-owned business listings. 
  • Each nonprofit registered online will automatically be listed online and in the printed edition of The Women’s Book – there is no cost for nonprofits to get listed in print.
  •  During the online registration process each woman-owned business will have the option of purchasing an Enhanced Listing for $24.95 to also have their listing appear in the printed edition of The Women’s Book.  There is no cost to be listed online.

To have your listing appear in The Women’s Book’s printed editions, you must submit your listing by the following dates: 

  • Columbus Area Edition – July 31, 2010
  • Cincinnati Area Edition – September 1, 2010

Don’t wait – reserve your space now. 

Learn more about our Do Business With Women Campaign.

For more information, contact us at info@thewomensbook.com or 614-678-8008

 

May 10, 2010

Knowing your Personality Type in a Workplace Environment of Many

Posted by hcorna under Career Development, International Blogging, Keys to Entrepreneurial Success, Making Connections, Women's Resources, Workplace Issues | Tags: , , |
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Last Friday, I had the privilege to attend an external training for work, which usually my company Toyota frowns upon as they feel the best way to learn is on the job itself. The course was entitled, “Master Your Mind for Breakthrough Results” and run by trainer: Ramesh Muthusamy Frankly speaking, I had signed up for it with the desire just to get out of the office for the day, but was shockingly surprised with what I left the class with. Many have probably heard of the Myers-Briggs testing which has been under study and developed for decades now by a mother and daughter before the realm of psychology even existed. In the course, we were given a background of psychology as a profession and basic terms, followed by taking the Myers-Briggs test, then spending the afternoon reflecting on practical examples of the results in everyday life from relationships to workplace interactions. I was shocked with the applicability of the results. In the test, I was given my classification and it could not have been any more on target. The purpose of the test is not to just identify your personality type, but rather to acknowledge that humans are born into these personality types and those that are successful in life, both personally and professionally, learn how to work with the others rather than just searching for those similar to them selves. There is a deep science to it that can be proven through many studies, but in the end comes down to the fact that we live in this world with others that we must learn to deal with, not ignore, and that everything out of our comfort zone is not to be pushed aside but rather embraced and strengthened. In each of our personal lives, we have our strengths and our weaknesses, which our trainer referred to as simply “In-Preference” and “Out-of-Preference”. Our “In-Preference” are our gifts, natural and potential talent. Our “Out-of Preferences” should not be steered away from or they just get worse. Rather, we should pay more attention to these “Blind Spots” in order to build on them. As our teacher kept repeating, “Anything we pick up along this journey is learnable, but awareness is the first step to change.” As the only Caucasian in a 250 person office, I am constantly being challenged to work with people of extremely different personality types. According to my classification, I am a “people person”, so naturally I enjoy this kind of setting, but at the same time it can be very exhausting when you are in a situation with consistently opposite magnets. However, in the end, it is proven that when situations are easy to deal with, progress is made slower than when put in situations that are not easy to deal with and people must compromise on one way. Therefore, businesses with such kind of diversification progress rapidly and benefit greatly from these kinds of groups of employees. At the end of the day, I was so grateful to have had the chance to attend the training and have since met with the trainer to discuss how to study further. I find interactions between people to be intriguing. The more we understand it, the bigger the step towards personal growth as well as having a deeper understanding of the world we live in and our individual role in it. I’m very eager to learn more.

 

May 9, 2010

Local Owned Businesses & Organizations Benefiting Women & Girls

Posted by TaKeysha Sheppard Cheney under Columbus Women's Resources, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , |
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Woman-Owned Business:

Posh Pets

Jo Johnson, Propietor

A pets clothing and accessories boutique.  A truly unique experience.

Ph: 614-299-PETS (7387)

www.poshpetsboutique.com

Nonprofit:

New Albany Arts Council

Kathleen Mayham, President

Promotes participation in arts through year round programs for adults including musical performance choral and band groups.  Provides year round programs for teen girls in choral and band performance groups, plus summer art camp for girls 5-14 and summer musical theater program for girls 8-15.

Ph: 614-775-6222

www.narts.org

Women’s Business Resource Organization:

Ohio TechAngels

John Huston,  Managing Member & Founder

Ohio TechAngels is a catalyst and communications channel for investment opportunities.  Ohio TechAngels provides an information source for members to discover and discuss promising companies to make investments that contribute to the economic growth of Central Ohio.

Phone:  614-227-2116

www.ohiotechangels.com

Government:

Franklin County Physical Activity Plan

The Franklin County Physical Activity Plan aims to make it easier for Franklin County residents to be active as party of their their daily activities.  The plan provides communities at large, schools, worksites and transporation professionals with strategies that can be implemented make physical activity the more convienient, more appealing and safer choice than being sedentary for Franklin County residents..

ph: 614-645-7417

http://publichealth.columbus.gov/fc-physical-activity-plan.aspx

(Each listing was randomly selected from the Premiere Columbus Area Edition of The Women’s Book.  Find more Columbus area women’s resources here.)Lo

 

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