by Solange Lopes | Dec 18, 2014 | Career
Peplum Sweater – $117 – Photo: cusp.com
Cusp is having its December sale, with up to 40% discounts online and in store, plus 2-day free shipping! I’m loving this Ted Baker Knit Peplum sweater in winter white, perfect for work or any festive occasion these holidays. The round neckline, the long sleeves, the banded basque seam, all of it is just pristine perfection! It’s on sale for $117 at Cusp!
Other great peplum sweater alternatives include this beautiful cashmere option from Neiman Marcus, this cable knit turtleneck option from Lord&Taylor, or this short-sleeve line angora blend from Zappos.
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 18, 2014 | Career |
Photo: blackamericaweb.com
A lot has been said, speculated, and written about millenials at work. By 2025, millenials will make up as much as 75% of the workforce. By now, everyone knows we’re “divas” too spoiled for the corporate world, too entitled despite bing fabulously creative, and that while antiquated traditional management techniques are the least effective with us, meditation (yes, meditation) is one way to empower us at work and in life. And it just happens this millennial generation is the most racially diverse generation the U.S. has ever seen, with 43% of this media-obsessed, self-entitled, ‘diva-licious” group being composed of Latinos and Black.
We own #Black Twitter, ready to hashtag any cultural issues we deem critical at the moment. As Black millenials, we’re graduating in larger numbers than any generation before us, we’re no exactly into religion, and we are unapologetically queer. Hispanic millenials have been garnering a whole new political and cultural power unseen before in the U.S. So as much as we know we’re running this and re-shaping the mold of society. Yet at work and in life, what’s the real deal when it comes to minority millenials?
1. We are more committed to equality and fairness: Definitely, this is the era of equality. From gender equality, to breaking, heck no, smashing the glass ceiling, to marriage equality, we are all about fairness, everywhere, for everyone.Faced with the recent events of Ferguson and New York, Black millenials are emerging as the “Movement Generation”. Don’t mess with us!
2. Yet, we don’t really understand racism, at least not in the same way our parents did! Across the board, we oppose affirmative action.According to an MTV survey, while 90% of us want be treated on an equal foot, 88% are not for affirmative action. And less than half of minorities surveyed (46%) admit to being raised in a household where race was discussed. We don’t believe race is an obstacle to success, as proven by President Obama’s election.
3. We’re lacking in the STEM fields: African-americans received only 7% of STEM bachelor degrees in 2009. The advent of organizations like “Girls Who Code” is changing this for the better though.
4. We can teach you a thing or two at work: Reverse mentoring is in! We understand social media and emerging technologies better than most. And while we can certainly use career mentoring ourselves, we tend to gravitate more towards personal rather than formal connections.
5. We are hustlers: Poppa Pope was right when telling Olivia Pope “We have to work twice as hard as them” to make it. “Them” being non-minorities. No matter our level of education, we are hustlers, and we are dope at it. Like the Mia Loves, Gabrielle Turnquests, and so many others of our generations.
6. We are entrepreneurs at heart! Whether it’s because we’ve quickly realized we don’t fit in the traditional work mold, or because we want to create work that really matters, millenials tend to be born-entrepreneurs. 67% of millenials say their goal is to start their own business, according to a Bentley University survey. For minority millenials, this has translated in numerous “natural haircare” businesses and an ensuing natural hair revolution, as well as business innovations of many kinds.
7. Last but not least, we are humanists! 51% of Millenials surveyed admit to preferring speaking in person, over texting and phone calls. We like flexibility, and prize our independence, happiness and fulfillment. And as Black millenials, we’re not too fond of mainstream media which tends to under-represent us. We’re…what’s that word again, human…
As minority millenials, despite all the negative stereotyping around, we are at work in our society. In a different, more empowered, definitely less conventional, but we’re at work, and making a difference!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 16, 2014 | Career |
Photo: thecollegeinvestor.com
I’ve written before about working on your side hustle at work, and how your side hustle is really helping your career. Yet a friend of mine and I were discussing the other day how much, and even if, you should talk about your side hustle while working at your 9-to-5. After all in tho new economy, there are ways to balance your day job with a side hustle, and there is really no need to share it with co-workers, colleagues or even your boss. Yet should you?
My $0.05: Proceed with caution here! While you don’t want to make it a secret, revealing your side hustle to people who may not understand it (or may not want to see you succeed) can be risky business. Present it as a hobby at first, and unless there is a need to speak about it, such as a work project which could use your side skills, or an open position of the same nature, limit exposing it more than necessary. If asked, you don’t have to lie about it, just tread carefully! And as always, when at work, your work comes first!
What are your thoughts?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 16, 2014 | Career |
Sleeveless tie-neck blouse – $49 – Photo: macys.com
In line with my hunt for festive tops for the office, I’m in fashion lust with this simple Nine West sleeveless tie-neck blouse from Macy’s. Loving the simplicity of this top that can go from the office to the holiday party in a cinch. To make it even better, it’s only $49 at Macy’s!
And what better to complement a festive top than festive pumps like these red suede Carmen Marc Valvo pumps, or these equally sophisticated Stuart Weitzman HISPOT pumps.
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 16, 2014 | Career
Defining our times as racially charged is an understatement. In the midst of allegations of police violence, deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police, many of us, regardless of racial affiliation, can no longer breathe comfortably. Race is everywhere, and more than ever, it matters…
Race is not just on our TV screens, or in our impassionate conversations after-hours. Race is also at work, sitting down in oiur chairs, leaning over at the conference table, quietly humming under wraps of political correctedness and social protocol. Yet, race is at work, as shown by the wealth gap between blacks and whites. And many a times, we know it’s there, and we realize race is not working at work, yet we just don’t know how, or if, we should dare talking about it…
It’s like an insidious disease seeping into our quarterly meetings, affecting oiur productivity, fueling the unending corporate blame game. It’s the elephant in the room we’re all side-stepping, avoiding political comments or striving to learn golf instead of basketball.
Talking about race at work is still taboo. And so is admitting we are fundamentally different and the same, all at once. Even as CEOs and celebrities come out of the closet, the door remains tightly shut on the reality of Race in the workplace. As the Wage Gap is starring in its own feature movie at work, and Gender Equality is receiving rave reviews, one of the oldest plays at work, the Race one, is kept in the dark.
All the while, a silent volcano is threatening to erupt from the boardroom to the cubicle, peeling away at the refined, photo-shopped concept of Diversity.
Race matters, and it’s at work in our workplaces. And while we may all need to learn and address it appropriately, we need to talk about it…
The Corporate Sis.
