by Solange Lopes | Nov 8, 2016 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
The day’s here! It’s officially Election Day in the US. You went out and voted already, or you may be waiting to do so. That’s the fun, inspiring part. The most challenging part is the…WAIT! That time between now and when the results are finally announced, and you can stop surviving on chocolate and sugary drinks. But as much as chocolate-covered pretzels can help, the tension will still be at an all-times high at work, and even at home later tonight.
via GIPHY
I have to say, I was so excited to make it to the polls right when they opened this morning and cast my vote! What I didn’t anticipate was being so on edge for the rest of the day. So here are some tactics I’m using today to make it through this historical day sane, minus the extra pounds and missing edges:
Start Within!
Whether you choose to meditate, pray or pull out your yoga mat, do something that makes you reconnect with yourself from the inside! Put your phone timer on for 10 or 15 minutes, and spend some time with yourself. That’ll help relieve some of the stress and tension you may be feeling…
Treat Yourself!
Exercising your right to vote isn’t only a civic duty, it’s also a precious privilege! So go ahead and celebrate it by treating yourself! Who said Election Day shoes weren’t a thing?
Enjoy some free food!
I did mention earlier that you should watch for the chocolate overload! But there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of all the other available free food on Election Day. Get your free coffee on at 7-Eleven, or enjoy a free Krispy Kreme donut to help with all those Election Day jitters. You’re welcome…
Sweat it Out!
So did I mention the extra pounds factor resulting from all the sugary food and drink intake on Election Day? Yes, the pesky ones around the waist…The good thing about them is you don’t have to keep them. You can instead sweat all that stress (and extra pounds) out with some good ol’ exercise…No gym membership? No problem. Gold’s Gym is offering a free day pass on Election Day if you show your “I Voted” sticker… Check out more free deals HERE!
Get Your Updates!
While checking social media and the news every other minute may not exactly relieve your stress and anxiety, staying updated from time to time can help! Try this app called Brigade, which dubs itself as “the world’s first network for voters” to get your fill of information on the go…
Stay Close to Friends and Family!
We’re all in this together…But even more so with those people we’re fortunate to call our friends and family. When the stress of Election Day starts getting to you, why not get the chips and guacamole out and turn all that angst into a friends and family get-together? Nothing like a good laugh, and some serious guac to release any kind of tension…
Let go of the outcome…
Yes, the outcome is important! After all, we’re talking about the country we live and raise our kids in…But there’s something to be said about taking the high road, and letting go of whatever will happen…You did the best you could, had all the chocolate and guac you could muster, and even worked out for the first time in months…Now let it be what it will be, relax and have another cookie…
How are you making it through Election Day?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 8, 2016 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
You know that woman who looks away every time the teacher, or another mom, starts talking about attending yet another school event or volunteering for school functions at 10:45am or any other time during “working hours”…Yes, that one…That was me, not too long ago…And I’m not ashamed to admit it…
I mean, yes, I did feel those pangs of motherly guilt every time I had to explain to my daughter that I may not be able to attend the Halloween morning parade on a weekday…Or that I may have to choose between volunteering for the walk-a-thon or the recital, because I couldn’t do both and keep my job and edges at the same time…
With a full-time career, a side hustle, two kids, and laundry that never seems to end, how can we, as working moms, manage to possibly attend school PTA events, or volunteer for the Christmas Bazaar (all of which happen on working days, AND during work hours)? And did I mention the pile of flyers every week or so from the kids’ school? And if you add to it soccer practice, piano recitals, birthday parties, and other kids’ social commitments, we might as well forego sleeping altogether…
Yet, as I looked over at my kids, I realized being a part of their education doesn’t just mean sending them off to school with matching socks and their breakfast semi-eaten every day…
It’s also being aware of and contributing to whatever institution is helping in shaping their view of the world…Which is all well and good and noble, but as working moms, we still have loads of other commitments , including our careers, to squeeze in somehow in those 24 hours….
So how, as a working mom, do you make time to attend and be a part of your kids’ school events, when your calendar is already overflowing and your to-do list is all over the place?
Take a Deep Breath, and Repeat After Me: “I Can’t Do It All”
Making peace with the fact that, as working moms and working parents in general, we can’t possibly do it all (and we wouldn’t want to, anyways), is the first step. I remember getting all the flyers from the kids’ school about events to attend and participate in, and progressively sweat my edges off as I attempted to reconcile my crazy calendar.
In between the guilt, the desire to do it all, and just running out of deodorant to control all that nervous sweat, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Hence the need to start with a healthy realization that you can’t do it all…And that’s ok…
It’s a Picking Game!
In line with not being able to do it all, try and pick those non-negotiable events you must attend or participate in.
Between making it to the fiftieth violin recital or not missing a single parent-teacher conference, try not missing the parent-teacher conference. If it matters for the future of your child, whether it’s a parent-teacher meeting or a fundraiser for a new tech lab, you may have to mark it as priority.
And if there are chances neither you nor your baby wound remember it next month, forgive yourself and hit the “skip” button….
Plan Ahead
It can be a challenge to drop everything and run to every possible school event your kids may have. But planning ahead can allow you to do more, minus the stress and headaches.
A good way to do this is to implement a family calendar that the entire family can update. I personally use Google calendar that I share with the rest of my tribe. This way, everyone can add their own events and update it.
Planning ahead will allow you to ask for days off or work from home days early enough, and save yourself some last-minute stress. Or make peace with missing that fiftieth violin recital…
How do you manage to attend your kids’ school events?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 7, 2016 | Career
We’re at the eve of a major U.S. political election. And while you may be getting ready for work, or have already started your coffee-fueled day frantically typing away at your computer, there is something much bigger that may be impacting your career. It’s whether you choose to vote or not, and how the simple act of voting can impact your career…
What do you mean, voting can impact my career? It’s not like it’s on my resume, or part of my performance review…
Ok, I get your drift….But let’s think about this…Back on August 18th, 1920, the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution finally allowed women to vote. Still, women, especially African-American women, faced a lot of resistance and scrutiny when trying to exercise their legal right to cast their ballots.That’s only less than a century ago, in the U.S! In countries like Saudi Arabia, women have only been allowed to vote since….2011! Yes, only five years ago…
Fast forward almost a century, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which prohibits gender-based wage discrimination between men and women performing jobs requiring the same level of skill and effort, was only passed in….2009! Which also means less than 10 years ago, it was legally ok to be paid less than your male counterpart for doing the exact same job! Sobering, isn’t it?
So, yes, voting will not be reflected on your resume or performance review…But the simple act of exercising a right so many women were deprived of for so long, while suffering from wage inequality, is also a powerful way to protect your own rights and career!
Exercising your right to vote is not about candidates, it’s about the platforms and laws that can push women’s careers forward, or on the flip side endanger the rights and aspirations of working women everywhere!
As a working woman, a mother, and an immigrant, I believe it to be so important to raise our voices, so as to send fundamental messages that can ripple through every woman’s life and work. Messages like these:
I have a voice, and I will use it.
I mean, one of the biggest obstacles we have as women, whether it’s in our careers or businesses, is having our voices heard. Most times, it’s a matter of opportunity, especially for women of color. Viola Davis said it so well in her historical Emmy speech in 2015, when stating that the only difference between women of color and other women is opportunity.
Any area women can use their voices in is one more area where our concerns are heard, respected and addressed. Especially when it comes to deciding what our futures as women will look like…Which takes me to my next point…
My future matters. And so does my children’s.
How our lives and careers are shaped depends on the people we choose to elect. It’s not just about electing a President, but also about the legal, economic and political day-to-day decisions made in the background. Those are the ones that really affect our daily lives and that of our families.
Your career/business/future, and that of your children, may very well be on the line.
I care about resolving the issues we face as women and people.
I get it… The political landscape is not always exactly appealing. Actually, many times, we may just want to shut off the TV and hunker down under our covers on Election Day.
But if anything, casting that ballot says “I care”, despite all the obstacles. And that alone can move things in the right direction…
Do you agree that voting has impacted your career as a working woman?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 5, 2016 | Career
This is our weekly career and lifestyle news roundup, where we round up exciting news of the last week and we let you have it…ahem, news-wise that is…
Think of it as your career gossiping section on steroids…
And while you’re at it, follow us on Facebook, Twitter,IG, and Pinterest!
Here we go…
- This week, right before Election Day, Dell released an open letter to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump listing what women need to succeed;
- This Sunday is Daylight Savings Time. Inc. has the 1 way to make it amazing, productive and enjoyable;
- Tuesday, November 08th is Voting Day in the US. Business Insider has the state run-down of how much time you can take off from work to vote;
- Have you heard about that male contraception story? The Huffpost tells you why women are so fed up of it;
- Forget the glass ceiling, now it’s all about the “Diaper Ceiling”! Ellevate Network tips you off on how to crack it;
- According to this study reported in Fortune, Uber and Lyft drivers discriminate against women and African-Americans;
- Ellevate Network writes about women fueling business as a force for good through the Force for Good Accelerator/Fund;
- Evil HR Lady tells you how to pick the best holiday presents for your employees and clients;
- Black Enterprise suggests you put your phone down…well, at least for some time, if you don’t want to ruin your work-life balance;
- Do you have a branding website? The Personal Branding Blog tells you why you also need to have a blog to connect with your brand audience;
- Thanksgiving’s right around the corner. Serious Eats has 16 delishThanksgiving appetizer recipes you can try;
- Coloring your hair at home? Pop Sugar has this easy-peasy five-step guide for you.
Happy reading!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 4, 2016 | Start Your Business
Disclosure: Please note this post contains affiliate links.
So you decided to start your own business…You’ve thought about it long and hard, and are ready to set it up! Now all you need to get started are the right tools. As a side hustler myself, I’ve learnt from other successful entrepreneurs and have been using a few essential tools to run my blog and business on the go.
Here are my 5 most recommended tools to build your business on the go:
Bluehost
If a website is anywhere part of your business strategy (and it should), then you should look into a reliable web hosting solution. Bluehost makes it very easy to get your site up and running, and have WordPress installed in just a click. Bonus: You can host multiple domains on one account, so whenever you’re ready to start another website, you’re all set!
You may have heard that building your email list is crucial to a successful business. Mail chimp allows you collect the emails of people subscribing to your offers and/or business updates, and keep in touch with them through email campaigns. Great tool!
Ever seen one of those great lead pages used to promote products, or announce events? Many of them are created through Leadpages. I use it to build promotional pages for my products and offers, and collect emails through them. Bonus: it can easily be integrated to Mailchimp, among other applications.
Need business cards that stand out from the crowd? I love the originality of Moo’s business cards, which you can customize to your own taste. There’s nothing like leaving someone with a card that makes them remember you…
Want to learn about business and entrepreneurship on the go? There are so many great podcasts you can easily access through iTunes! I became hooked on podcasts after starting my own side hustle, as I could just grasp a ton of business tips while working, driving or even at the gym!
How about you? What are your favorite tools to build your business on the side?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
iTunes
