by Solange Lopes | Sep 14, 2014 | Career
Weekly news update – Photo credit: thegrio.com
Happy Sunday!
I hope you’re having a great week-end, and that somewhere in the midst of the busyness of life, you find a few moments to reach and inquire within. You may like what you hear when the noise of the world dissipates a bit…Here’s a bit of our Sunday inspiration, the news that made us smile, laugh and frown up a bit this week:
- In fabulous news this week, the New York Times writes about SheTaxis, a new cab service in NY by women catering exclusively to women. And Jezebel anticipates we may need some SheRides credit pretty soon…
- I wrote earlier this week about the new hustle economy, which was inspired by the Harvard Business Review‘s breaking down of the current freelance economy;
- Brazen Careerist reminds us of why our first job (how long ago was that again?) is the most important of them all;
- To go to grad school or not? The Daily Muse recommends we ask ourselves 5 questions before making the move;
- Did you ever wonder if gender plays a role in the types of feedback we receive at work? Well, Fortune confirms in no uncertain terms that it definitely does…;
- Ever wondered what bad things people had to do at work? Business Insider lists 9 of the most hilarious and horrendous things people had to do while on the clock;
- Got texting etiquette? Black Enterprise tips us off on a few rules to follow when texting potential clients and business contacts;
- Too busy to care? Well, Fast Company confirms that everything we tell ourselves about being oh so busy is really a…lie (so please get down your busy pedestal…);
- I’m dreading “cleaning” my closet this Fall, again…Maybe I should get inspired by Positively Positive‘s tips on how to enjoy living with less (really, how many shoes and pocketbooks does one two-legged, two-armed woman need);
- Last but not least, for the next time you refrain from asking advice, NYMag reminds you that asking advice actually makes you seem more competent. So, ask and you shall receive!
Happy Sunday!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 13, 2014 | Career |
Photo credit: prosinthecity.com
So you know what they say about hanging out with Pookie n nem? Whether you’ve grown up in what is socially considered to be the “hood” or have any connection to it, you’ve heard the proverbial urban sayings about hanging out with Pookie n nem…And even if you haven’t, truth is, we all have our own ghettos (some fancier than others), and we all have our own Pookies, Ray Rays, n nem (some standing at more obvious corners than others, at which point it’s more a matter of geography than social status)…
“If you hang out with Pookie n nem, you’ll end up just like them!” Or you know “you are the company you keep”! And as much as I’ve had my share of Pookies growing up (some of them the object of my fondest memories), I’ve had to realize as I matured that growing pains also involve the pain of moving on to build a network I could grow with…
As we evolve through life and strive for success, whether it be entrepreneurial or corporate, we also evolve as people. Our dreams get shaped, our pursuits change, and somewhere along our path, we crave the network that understands us and speaks our language. And as naturally as we formed chance friendships growing up, we start seeking kindred spirits and like minds.
My father always says, “your network is your net worth”! And as a savvy businessman, he should know. As your mindset and career evolve, and you seek to grow and prosper, are you paying attention to your network? Is your net worth stalling because your network is no longer stimulating you? Is it time to let go of Pookie n nem, at least a bit so you can start building the network that will increase your net worth?
As for me, I will always cherish my Pookie n nem, and we still talk on occasions. But life is big, and I set out to keep reaching, so I’ve got to keep striving….and if they ever make up their minds to come for the ride, I’ll be right there…
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 12, 2014 | Career |
Because of them we can backpack – Photo credit: http://www.becauseofthemwecan.com
I’m in love with this signature backpack from the Because of them we can collection. I first stumbled on the Because Of Them We Can organization through YouTube blogger and naturalista extraordinaire Mahogany Curls. The “Because of Them We Can” movement was created by social entrepreneur Eunique Jones Gibson, in the aftermath of the death of Trayvon Martins. The campaign is to remind us of all the African-American leaders who’ve paved the way for us all, and inspire us to keep dreaming and keep excelling. Since then, the movement and its founder have been featured all over the media (check out a few of the articles written about it in Ebony, theGrio, the Washington Post, and Forbes to cite a few)., I love this movement, and am eager to get the latest of its collection items, this stylish backpack. It’s now available for pre-order on the site for $50. Check out the signature T-shirts (I love the Maya Angelou inspired ones), and coffee book as well. Because of them we really can… The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 12, 2014 | Career
Merino crewneck sweater – $49 – Photo credit: joefresh.com
Loving this merino crew neck sweater from Joe Fresh. Now that the weather is freshening up a bit, it’s the perfect complement to any work or week-end bottoms.
I’d pair this with a classic pleated skirt for work this Fall, or some easy cropped pants on the week-end. To add more of a preppy touch, I would layer a white button-down shirt underneath and cinch it all with a black patent skinny belt a la Frenchie (Oui, oui)…
This sweater Is $49.99 at Joe Fresh.
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 12, 2014 | Career
Is it Friday yet – Photo credit: womansday.com
Happy Friday! TGIF!
“Is it Friday yet?”, “Can’t wait for Friday”, “Yes it’s Friday”! TGIF!
Let’s keep it real, most of us (even Beyonce) look forward to Friday. Not only is it the end of the work week, it officially signals the beginning of this two-day whirlwind break aka the week-end. And who wouldn’t be excited about not having to deal with bosses, co-workers and un-formatted Excel spreadsheets?
Yet just as getting excited about your next paycheck gets a lot less exciting as you can’t seem to get out of the paycheck to paycheck lifestyle, so does living Friday to Friday…During one of the worst professional experiences of my career, the only highlight of my week was looking forward to Friday. Not just because of the week-end, but because I could not stand my work life at the time. And inevitably, of course, the Fridays highs were seemingly always followed by dreadful Monday lows…
Until I realized I was spending upwards of 10 hours each day profoundly unhappy. Now this may be an extreme case of the Friday highs and Mondays lows. Yet, in our millenial search for meaning in our work, in our desperate cravings for life balance (not just work-life balance), this Friday lifestyle is slowly signaling a creeping work identity crisis already affecting us all.
Employees are no longer engaged at work, because work has ceased engaging them. As professionals, and women professionals especially, have evolved, most workplace cultures have not. In turn, this generates a TGIF culture valuing work less and less, seeking meaning in other pursuits instead.
Is it time to reconsider why we look so much, if not only, forward to Fridays? Is the stagnation of workplace culture to blame for this TGIF culture? And most importantly, are we failing ourselves and others by not engaging in work we truly value?
The Corporate Sis.
