by Solange Lopes | Dec 21, 2016 | Career
Samantha Giannangeli
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Samantha Giannangeli, Ellevate Network’s Chapter Operations Manager and Executive Assistant to Ellevate’s Owner and Chair Sallie Krawcheck. When I first virtually met Sam, I could feel her enthusiasm and passion bubbling under her professional and friendly voice. As I got to speak with her about what she does for Ellevate, and about her own life path, I discovered a woman filled with gusto for her mission and purpose to help women through her work. Without further ado, here’s Sam…
Hi Sam! Can you tell us a bit more about you and what you do?
Hi! I currently serve as Chapter Operations Manager for Ellevate network as well as Executive Assistant to Ellevate’s Founder Sallie Krawcheck, and work remotely from Texas. I officially started work with Ellevate last Fall, but have been working with Sallie since 2014. I was initially paired with her through a third-party company as an Executive Assistant, and things evolved from there.
What are your main responsibilities in your current role?
As Chapter Operations Manager for Ellevate, I tend to the needs of nearly 300 chapter members, and basically serve as the first line of defense for the organization. I organize new types of events for our members, and also serve as Executive Assistant to Sallie Krawcheck. This is all in addition to working on more strategic projects for the organization.
What’s the most challenging part of your work?
I would say the multi-tasking part is really challenging. There’s lots to do, and not enough hours in the day, pretty much.
I understand you work remotely. How do you like your current work arrangements?
As an introvert, working from home has really been a privilege for me. Actually, the joke aroud the office is that I don’t wear pants while working. On the fun side, I get to be home with my two cats and do work that I love from the comfort of my home office. I personally find the office has way too many distractions, and I tend to be much more productive here.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in your career?
When I made the leap to relocate to Brownsville with my husband, I didn’t know how hard it would be at first. I first thought it was a mistake to drop everything and move to a place where I would have to start from scratch and search for a new job. Yet what I thought to be a mistake worked out pretty well in the end. Had it not been for me taking the plunge, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. So sometimes what you think are your biggest mistakes lead you to great places…
What advice do you have for other women who may want to follow in your footsteps?
I would say to take your time, and carefully do your research. I remember when we first decided to relocate to Texas because of my husband’s job, I literally took on job hunting as a full-time job! But I also made sure to take my time and be careful with the decisions I was making…It’s also about finding a mission that resonates with you. For me, it was about advancing women, so Ellevate’s mission fully resonated with me and it was an easy transition.
Thanks so much Sam, for this fantastic feature on TCS! For more info, please read Sam’s official bio below:
Bio:
“Samantha Giannangeli made her Ellevate Network debut in September 2015, as the network’s Member Success Coordinator. She has since transitioned to Chapter Operations Manager, and spends her days helping Ellevate’s dedicated team of volunteers find ways to make the most of their work with Ellevate and deliver great experiences for their communities. Samantha has also been Sallie Krawcheck’s Executive Assistant since September 2014.
Before joining the Ellevate team, Samantha launched her career as an analyst for the United States government. There, she put her degree in history and international affairs to use by researching, writing, and presenting studies to military members and senior government officials. It was a fascinating experience, but it came to an end when a family move necessitated a career change. Samantha and Sallie began working together shortly thereafter, and the rest is history.
Samantha now resides in Texas with her husband and their pair of cats. When she’s not in the office, you can find her buried in a book, experimenting in the kitchen, or exploring her new hometown by bicycle.”
Any questions/comments? Please say it in the comments section below or email me at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 20, 2016 | Career
Waye Wrap Blouse – Photo Credit: shopstyle.com
I’ve been on the hunt for festive red blouses that can go from desk to wine during the holiday season. Hence today’s Wear to Work pick, this Wayf wrap blouse in deep burgundy.
Loving the modern twist on this otherwise traditional wrap blouse, with a band collar and bell sleeves that add a retro, edgy touch. This blouse is $59 at Nordstrom.
I also like this Vince Camuto tie-neck blouse, also from Nordstrom. And I certainly wouldn’t mind this Rag and Bone Max long-sleeve silk number from Neiman Marcus either.
Which one is your fave?
Fashionably Yours,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 20, 2016 | Career
“Yay, it’s time for my performance review”, said no one ever.
Regardless, it’s about that time of year, when you sit down with your manager and hash out your contributions to the team/department/company, results, and upcoming goals. Yup, it’s performance review time! And whether you love your job or have to drag yourself out of bed every morning, you still kinda have to go through it in most companies.
As fun (not) as it may be for you, it’s generally not all that great for your manager either. Generally-speaking, the whole process can be seriously awkward for both parties (in addition to upping your chocolate consumption for the period). As much as more companies are ditching the whole performance review thing, most are still doing it, which means you’re still on the hook here.
Which also means you may have to seriously consider preparing for it. Hence these 7 slightly unconventional steps to prepping yourself for a stellar performance review (even if you’d rather get a root canal than sitting on the other side of the table):
Dig Out Your (Interview) Prep Toolkit !
In many ways, a performance review is like a job interview. Except in this case, you already have a job, and you’re trying to keep it, upgrade it, or move it in a new direction. Either way, every time you sit at one end of the performance review table, your job’s future is on the line.
Which also means you have to prep for the conversation like a pro!
Put yourself back in interview prep mode, and go back to the same type of resources you’d consult for an upcoming interview. This means digging out your company manual and getting a quick refresher on the organization’s internal practices when it comes to reviews. Check that you’re using the right self-evaluation templates and following the guidelines as closely as possible. And don’t forget to look the part too! You want to project a confident image, so dress accordingly. You can skip out on the interview suit this time, but don’t show up in your casual Friday jeans either!
Also, read up on the department’s and company’s recent events and performance. This will help you place your own performance in the context of what’s happening around (in addition to making you appear extra committed and motivated).
Prep Your Elevator Pitch!
Elevator pitches are not just for networking events or when you run into the company’s CEO in the elevator (literally). Believe it or not, your elevator pitch also comes in handy during your performance review. Reiterating what you’re good at, and what makes you unique as a contributor in your team, department and in the company at large, is KEY!
Read more on how to craft an unforgettable elevator pitch!
Get Comfortable with the Spotlight
One of the most challenging obstacles faced by many women (and men) at performance review time is being comfortable with talking about themselves. You know that cringing feeling you get when you hear the sound of your own voice being replayed? Yes, something kinda like that…
So what we usually do is shrink back and miss out on telling the world (in this case your manager) why we’re so awesome (which we are!)…Instead of outlining our strong points and qualities (as well as recognizing our shortcomings) and letting ourselves be ourselves in the spotlight…
Still hesitating? Give yourself the pep talk, like “girl, you did a great job producing that report”. Or sharing this insight at the meeting, or training your new colleague. Start by writing down your accomplishments, and practice saying them out loud.
Be Your Own Devil’s Advocate
So there’s that part about any performance review that’s about what you’re not exactly doing right…Or the stuff you could improve. Or that time you dropped the ball.
And that’s absolutely normal. Any review has to balance out the “good” and the ” not so good”. Except no one really wants to hear about what they’re not doing so well…
Prepare yourself ahead of time by being your own devil’s advocate. Honestly asses s the times when you may have missed something, overlooked details or simply messed up. The trick here is to present these not as big mishaps, but as learning opportunities to strengthen your performance in the future.
Instead of saying “I totally ruined this report”, say: “this experience with this particular project has taught me to pay attention to accurate report writing in the future.”
Focus on the Positive
A key to a successful performance review process is to keep it positive. No need to dwell on that terrible email you sent to the wrong person, or how annoyed you were at not getting a raise the last three years in a row.
Not sure you can keep spinning on your positive side? Then ask yourself the question: “What did/could I learn from this?”
Every time you look for the lesson, something positive comes out. So when you run out of positive energy, pop the question in your head.
Make Peace with the Outcome
The last thing you want to do is go in to your performance review meeting with big expectations and come out disappointed. So mentally make peace with the outcome, whatever it may be, before even stepping in the room.
Focus on what you can control, i.e. your attitude, how you present your accomplishments and shortcomings, as well as your plans for the future. As for the rest, it’s out of your control…
Prepare to Follow Up
One of the most powerful things you can do after a performance review is follow up. Even more powerful, prepare ahead yourself to follow up …
As part of your performance review prep, include some questions to ask your manager about how you can most effectively follow up with him/her.
What other steps do you follow to prepare for your performance review?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 19, 2016 | Working Mom & Woman Tips |
Dove Love Your Hair Campaign
Throughout this campaign, I continue my own conversation as a mom with my daughter on being positive about her hair. Dove™is on a mission to empower moms to be leaders in their daughter’s hair confidence journey by teaching them to love their own. Dove Hair will be hosting a website where people can personalize their mother/daughter photo with creative text and images for sharing on their social networks.
The first time my baby girl came to me and asked me why she had “puffy” hair and not long, straight hair like her friend Jaliah, I didn’t know what to answer. I hadn’t planned on being asked that question so soon, she was only six years old…But she could already tell in her little beautiful mind, that the world could be different depending on whether your hair was “puffy” or pin straight…
In the next few minutes, I pondered all kinds of answers I could give her. Or how I could possibly change the topic and make her forget about it all…Then I remembered how important my own hair journey, as a Black African woman, had been, and in many respects, still was.
From those evenings back in the day when my mother would heat up the hot comb on the stove and mistakenly burn the edges of my ears trying to straighten my curly hair. To those day-long appointments at the local hair salon, waiting in line to get my hair relaxed, straightened and flat-ironed to achieve that coveted pin-straight look. To finally, that fateful day when, three months pregnant with my second baby, I left a crowded hair salon and gave up on ever trying to change the texture of my hair again. In between these, I had given birth to a beautiful baby girl with coarse, wildly curly hair, and if I wanted her to be true to the reflection she saw in the mirror, I had to be true to my own reflection…
What is beautiful hair? That’s the question so many women and young girls ask themselves daily. And that ‘s the question society has been trying to impose answers to women for so long…Dove™found that 8 in 10 women feel pressured to wear their hair a certain way. Yet, 82% of girls learn about caring for themselves from their mothers.Which also means that, as moms, we can help make a difference. We can show our daughters to love their hair, love themselves, and feel confident about the true, authentic image they project to the world…
There’s something about letting go of the need to look a certain way that replaces the need to be accepted, with the simple reality of accepting yourself. As is. Although the start of my natural transition was a bit like jumping off a cliff without a parachute, not knowing what to do with this newfound hair freedom that threatened to hijack everything I knew about society’s norms and my own, it was also a great exercise in self-discovery…
I quickly discovered that wearing my own hair curly, wild and free made me feel at home, like my best self. Those rebellious waves coming to the surface felt like a comfortable pair of slippers I had never taken off. So when I saw the same rebellious, stubborn waves popping on my baby’s full head of “puffy”, wild hair, I felt home. And I wanted her to feel home in her own hair too…Home in her own wild kinks and coils and curls. Home in who she was and was to become…I wanted her to learn the simple truths that it took me a few decades to learn, the ease to be home in your own hair…
So when that day she asked me about her “puffy” hair, and I didn’t know what to answer at first, I simply took a deep breath and remembered. I remembered why I decided to feel at home in my own hair. And how she walked me home without even knowing it…And I decided to tell her, that day and every day after that, whether she asks or not…
I’m still deciding, day after day, to tell her how beautiful her kinks and coils and crazy curls are. How she inspired me to love my own kinks and coils, just because of who she was. And how we’re all beautiful in our own, special, unique, free way…And that’s why I’m so excited to be part of the Dove™Love Your Hair campaign, to share my journey and tell my baby why I care with this custom Dove™animated message.
That’s why I encourage myself as a mom, and I’m encouraging you as a mom as well, to start, continue, deepen the conversation with your daughter(s) about their own hair. To instill in them the confidence we sometimes find so hard to instill in ourselves. And to have fun in the process…
Tell her why you love her hair. Make it a memorable experience by going to the Dove™ website HERE, and creating your own Dove™ Love Your Hair animated message with your baby.
How are you encouraging your daughter to love her own hair and be confident in who she is?
Love,
The Corporate Sis.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dove™.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 18, 2016 | PODCAST
We’re only a few days away from 2017, and everyone’s already thinking about setting goals for the New Year. In this episode, I’m discussing about taking a more soul-centered approach to setting goals, inspired by Danielle Laporte’s masterpiece The Desire Map.
Speaking of goals, I’m also talking about planning your exit from Big Corporate to launch into full-time entrepreneurship. I share 7 steps to make your transition as smooth as possible.
Last but not least, this pre-holiday season is also time to enjoy the…Elf on the Shelf and all the magic of the season! And I’m talking about our family’s experience through it…
Plus I’m introducing a new “What’s Up, What’s New” feature, where I talk about interesting news and books I’ve come across lately.
What you’ll learn/listen to/enjoy:
- How to change your approach to setting traditional and ineffective goals for the New Year;
- How to set your priorities based on how you want to feel and your lifelong desires;
- What to consider when planning to transition from the corporate world and create your own business;
- Enjoying pre-holiday traditions for the family;
- Interesting news and books I’ve come across lately.
Links:
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks so much for tuning in and listening to this week’s episode! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please share it by using the social media at the bottom of this post!
Any feedback you’d like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!
Also, leave me a review for the WGC podcast on iTunes! Your ratings and reviews are not only greatly appreciated, but they also help the show rank better!
If you have any questions, please email me at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
Finally, please don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes to get automatic updates!
Thanks so much for your support!
Until next time,
The Corporate Sis.
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