by Solange Lopes | Sep 21, 2016 | Career
Photo credit: shopstyle.com
Our “Wear toWork” feature presents a piece of workwear, along with great alternatives, for stylish corporate sisters.
For those of you who ran to The Limited after the announcement of their collaboration with actress Eva Longoria, you’re not alone! I had to gasp for air as I read the announcement myself, and absolutely have to feature some pieces from their “Work to Wine” collection! Besides, anything involving wine and high fashion has me signing up pronto…
Today’s pick is this gorgeous power knit color blocked dress, perfect for the weird transitioning period between Summer and Fall. Loving the glamorous color block detail on this flawlessly fitting dress, and the nice contrast between the tan and blue print! Just think of it as a mix between your favorite LBD and your best pair of jeans…Bonus point: it’s on sale for $111.96!
Petites
While there are not that many Petite options available online from the Eva Longoria “Wine to Work” collection, there were a couple which made me click closer. Like this faux-leather power ponte dress, perfect for Fall. Or this Eva Longoria texture power ponte in beautiful white.
Plus-Sizes
The Eva Longoria collection for The Limited doesn’t include any plus-size option, unfortunately. However, I looked around and found similar dresses, like this easy midi dress or this sunny color block sheath number, both from Eloquii.
Which one is your fave?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 21, 2016 | Career
You know the drill. You go to school, then college, or choose to skip the whole college thing and drift right into your career, or build your business. And before you know it, you’re drifting doing kinda the same thing day in and day out, wondering where you’ve lost that fire on the way…
Don’t get me wrong…Some of us, ok, very few of us, wake up jumping out of bed at the thought of reporting to work.Those are the ones you see driving in the morning with a huge grin on their faces, as you pray to your internal calm goddess to refrain from giving them the finger. Or maybe their coffee’s extra strong, something…
For the rest of us, as committed as we may be to our careers, there may be a thought, or two (or ten thousand) in the backs of our minds about what we COULD be doing instead. Thoughts about writing that best-selling novel, starting that coaching business, opening up a fitness place, may be swirling in your mind as you’re filling out your timesheet at work.
Yes, getting up and jumping from your current day job to your dream job right this minute isn’t always possible…right this minute, that is. Yet, re-inventing your career is far from being impossible. And before you start rolling your eyes, read up on these women who went from day job to dream job over time:
Viola Davis
Viola Davis graduated with a theater degree and later went on to New York’s iconic Juilliard School, so she could start a career in theater. She got her first Tony award for her role in the King Hedley II drama.
After a while, she started dabbling on TV with small roles in Law and Order and City of Angels. It wouldn’t be until she turned 43 that her career really took off after she starred opposite Meryl Streep in Doubt. Her path led her to be the first African-American woman to win Best Drama Actress at the 2015 Emmys. Can you say career re-invention?
Vera Wang
You may think of gorgeous wedding dresses when thinking of Vera Wang. Yet, you may not know she actually started as a competitive figure skater. However, after she graduated from the Sarah Lawrence college, she decided fashion would be her career focus.
After working for Vogue as a Senior Fashion Editor and Accessories Design Director for Ralph Lauren for 15 years, it wasn’t until she was 40 and planning her own wedding that she thought of opening her own bridal store. And the rest is history…
JK Rowling
On the days I’m totally discouraged and reaching for yet another Twix bar, I think of Harry Potter’s best-selling author JK Rowling. I mean, the woman wrote this incredible story over a span of years in longhand on coffee tables as her baby slept in a stroller. As she struggled through divorce, depression and welfare.
And after all this, this is what she had to say about failure in her Harvard commencement address: ” “Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged.”
Gretchen Rubin
This best-seller author of Better Than Before and podcast host was once upon a time…an attorney. Like so many in her ex-profession, she took the “regular” path at first, went to law school and into a fairly successful legal career (at some point, she even served as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor). Yet, her dream was to be a writer.
Two kids, three best-sellers and a popular podcast later, she reminds us that re-inventing yourself professionally helps you find your true self. She realized she’d rather “fails as a writer than succeed as a lawyer”.
What other role models of career re-invention do you have? Are you inspired to follow your true career path?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 18, 2016 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
I was finally able to shed my working mom, “go-to-bed at 9pm sharp” second skin to watch the Emmys this year. And boy was it worth it… In-between laughing at Jimmy Kimmel’s Trump jokes and distribution of peanut-better-and-jelly-sandwiches, and gasping for air at how very pregnant Kerry Washington got that non-pregnancy dress “handled” on the red carpet, I didn’t need the hubby’s usual elbow kicks to stay up…
At least long enough to have my very own “working-mom- staying-way-past-her-bedtime’s” very own Emmys highlights:
But really, before I even start rambling, how can Jimmy Kimmel keep a straight face?
Like, really, how? How do you walk around an entire room of celebrities, passing out juice boxes and PB&J sandwiches, and openly blame one of “The Apprentice” creators, Mark Burnett, for putting Trump on the TV map, without at least blushing? Beyond me…
Could Kerry Washington have handled it any better?
I mean, all of it, including the impeccable hair, the flawless complexion, and that impeccable belly perfectly fitted into that non-pregnancy dress I couldn’t even wear not being pregnant (minus the last annoying resilient five pounds from each pregnancy). Although I’m mourning the temporary absence of Scandal this season, that dress and adorable non-preggers look has me forgetting and forgiving…
Regina King won. And I just want to be her when I grow up…
Watching Regina King go up the stairs to the Emmys stage in that vision of a red gown, plus the happily stunned look on her face, priceless. She won best supporting actress in a limited series or movie for “American Crime“. So very proud to see a Black woman win, twice in a row, and spread some hopeful glitter for women everywhere…
Julia Louis-Dreyfus made me laugh and smile all at once…
Despite losing her dad two days before, Julia Louis-Dreyfus still managed to accept her seventh Emmy award (this one for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series) while making us laugh. As she apologized for the current political climate, she confirmed that the political satire show Veep (for which she received this Emmy) is actually more of a “sobering documentary” than the current politics we’re witnessing…
C0urtney B. Vance’s Emmys Love Letter raised a whole new bar for hubbies everywhere.
Unless you’re going to call me the “woman who rocks your chain” at the next Emmys, you’re in for a whole lot of shoes and purses…Just sayin’…So Courtney B. Vance, husbands everywhere are officially in serious trouble because of you…
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon take pink to a whole ‘nother level…
Victoria’s Secret PINK models ain’t got nothing on one of my fave actresses (and the first African-American actress to win the Emmy’s Best Lead Actress) and fellow Rhode Islander, Viola Davis and her hubby Julius Tennon. That pink bow-tie on Julius perfectly complemented Viola’s stunning dress. It takes a strong man to rock a pink bow-tie, and if Viola Davis were at your arm, wouldn’t you? But it’s all good, we’re all getting ready for How to Get Away with Murder next week anyhow…
Protect Leslie Jones, people!
Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones had me half-laughing, half-nodding, as she joked about her Twitter account hack. She went on stage with the accountants, and urged them to drop the protection of Emmy secrets, in favor of her own Twitter account which got hacked earlier this year. In between laughs, we’re reminded that Leslie Jones is not just a talented and hilarious actress, but also a beautiful sister…
And last but not least, where is Maggie Smith?
If anyone sees Downton Abbey‘s Maggie Smith, please tell her to retrieve her Emmy in the Emmys’ Lost & Found. In his opening monologue, Jimmy Kimmel threatened the perennial winner with taking back all her awards if she doesn’t personally show up to get them. So no surprise there when he came in person to grab her Emmy this year and send her a specific message to report to the Emmys’ Lost & Found…
It’s been real, but this working mom’s got to limit this late-night damage. Neither my kids nor my day job will be very forgiving in the morning…I hope by next year Emmys, there will be coffee strong enough to keep me going…
Love,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 16, 2016 | Career
This is our weekly career and lifestyle news update, 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…
- Let’s start this roundup on a happy note. Inc. lists 60 ways to find happiness in everyday;
- Levo lists 3 important workplace trends that could affect your future paycheck (#2 is very real);
- I’ve been looking forward to Luvvie Ajayi’s first book “I’m judging You“, and apparently, it’ll fix your life;
- Black Enterprise introduces us to this Tech Innovator who is spreading the Black Tech Work;
- Hate interviews? Well, Business Insider points out that psychologists say they’re a terrible way to gauge talent;
- Hate your boss? Ellevate Network has a few tips on what you can do here;
- Talking to your manager about work-life balance can be a challenge. The Glassdoor Blog has a few suggestions;
- Want to boost your networking? Ellevate offers 5 great technology tools;
- Corporette tells us all about the new elegant fashion collaboration between Eva Longoria and The Limited;
- NYFW has just ended, but history was made this season;
- Check out my Wear to Work pick this week.
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 15, 2016 | Career
Dear TGIF Addict:
You know who you are. The one who wakes up with a renewed sense of energy on Friday mornings, wishing TGIF to everyone around as if Christmas came early. The one looking forward to Friday as soon as Sunday night rolls around…
You live for Fridays and have no shame to your career game. You endure work, grit your teeth through emails and meetings, and face your to-do list with fervent prayers.
But it’s not always been this way. There was a time you looked forward to building a successful career. When you showed up early to the office, spoke up in meetings, and was brimming with all kinds of fresh ideas.
Then Life happened, with its mix of circumstances, bad bosses, great kids, pregnancies, deferred dreams, and other disruptive, albeit normal things. Maybe even somewhere in the middle of it all, you remembered your first passion and set out to hustle on the side towards it. Or you figured out the cubicle lifestyle was never for you.
Whatever it was, at some point or another, you started wishing your career away. Watching precious time pass by as you waitedfor Friday. Squandering precious talent as you dreamt of 5pm.
This is your wake-up call from the Universe! And this one ain’t got no snooze button. Stop wishing your career away! You have way too much talent, way too precious of a unique perspective, to bury it under some random cubicle desk as you wait for 5pm, for next Friday, for the winning Powerball numbers…
Find work that stimulates and grows you. And if you can’t find it right away, (side) hustle your way towards it. Whatever you choose to do, honor that part of you that’s still striving, vibrant and becoming!
Yes, bills have to get paid, shoes bought and (some shred of) sanity saved. But if that’s costing you ( and the rest of us) your precious impact to this world, you may want to reconsider that cable channel package or Louboutin sale.
However you choose to do it, refuse to lose your enthusiasm, give up your spunk and finish the (last) bag of Doritos while you wait for Friday…
Sincerely,
The Corporate Sis.
