by Solange Lopes | Sep 6, 2014 | Career |
The Path Redefined – Photo credit: amazon.com
Happy Saturday!
I’m an unapologetic bookworm (I remember hiding under my bed with a flashlight on to devour books as a kid). And since I’m not part of any book club at the moment, why not start one right here? So here it is, the Corporate Book Club, where we can share our insights on books that inspire us, motivate us, and make us think differently about our careers and lives.
My first pick is Lauren Maillian Bias’ The Path Redefined. I first stumbled upon this title and the great Lauren Maillian Bias during a Twitter Chat sponsored by Black Enterprise. I almost immediately purchased the book on Amazon and literally devoured all 196 pages of pure inspirational insight.
What I loved the most about Ms. Bias’ book is its unabashed message about the personal nature of success: “Your definition of success is unique, and so is the path that leads you to achieving your goals!“. As I read through her own personal stories and advice, I could not help but feel she was speaking to me. And you will too, as you read through the precious, down-to-earth nuggets of advice she offers. Themes such as “there’s no such thing as work-life balance” (amen to that!), or “Reinvent Yourself” or even “Rebound Gracefully” are all indispensable tools we all need, especially as professional women, to reach success on our own terms!
This is not your traditional mom-and-pop brand of career or life advice. Yet, in these 196 pages you will find some of the soundest, no-nonsense, let-me-do-it-my-way inspiration. A must-read!
Did you also read The Path Redefined? What did you think about this book? Any other books you’d like to suggest?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 5, 2014 | Career
Kulkulu bag – $185 – Photo credit: lemlem.com
I stumbled upon the LemLem (which means “to bloom” or “to flourish” in Amharic) collection, created by Ethiopian Supermodel Liya Kebede while browsing online, and have been wanting to feature one of its beautiful articles not he blog for a while. I loved that, as mentioned on the Lemlem website, “Liya started Lemlem in 2007 as a way to inspire economic independence in her native country and to preserve the art of weaving”. Hence today’s week-end pick, this Kulkulu bag.
Kulkulu bag – Photo credit: lemlem.com
Loving the intricate weaving of this bag accented with the leather handles. It makes for a perfect week-end or beach bag. This bag is $185 at Lemlem.com!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 5, 2014 | Career
Tie-Sleeve Blouse – $44.95 – Photo credit: newyorkandcompany.com
TGIF! Loving everything about this tie-sleeve blouse from NY&Co! The comfortable, stylish dolman sleeves are accented with a chiffon self-tie accent, while the shirttail hem and elegant stripe print bring this otherwise classic shirt right on trend. I especially love the banded collar, which adds the right touch of casual elegance…
I’d pair it with sleek black pants for work, and my favorite jeans on the week-end. And as far as accessories, I would limit these to smaller, gold-tone jewelry to allow the busy pattern to shine. This tie-sleeve blouse is $44.95 at NY&Co.
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 5, 2014 | Career |
Please don’t bring that sexy back to work – Photo credit: glamour.com
Happy Friday! TGIF!
I love me some Justin Timberlake, and his whole “bringing sexy back” tune gets me shimmying in my seat every single time. Yet, when it comes to work and the way we as women dress and present ourselves, his theme song should be more the exception than the rule…
According to Marie Claire’s Features Director Lea Goldman, executives say appearance count for 60% of one’s executive presence. Yes, 6-0%! That’s a whole lot of percent if you want my opinion…In a recent Glamour Magazine article, it appears the legal profession is “cracking down” on women’s lawyers’ dress style. While some of the commentaries on some women lawyers’ inappropriate dress have been attributed to the prevalence of older judges on the bench and the resulting lack of women in leadership positions at top law firms, the fact remains women lawyers in court are still being blamed for looking too sexy. And yes, dressing too sexy can make you look less competent.
I myself am on the petite shapely side, and dressing for the office can at times be challenging, considering many clothing options are made for the small, petite, non-average woman. Yet, heading to work like you’re going to hit the club on Saturday night is never an option, unless you want your career to follow the downward path your low top is already trailing…
1. Lay off the heavy makeup. If your cat eye is more winged than Liz Taylor’s, it may be time to re-think your make-up. Although not wearing make-up to work may make you look less competent, piling on foundation and lipstick is never a tasteful idea. Go for a natural and understated look rather.
2. Mind your heels! Too high heels will make you look less competent, in addition to hurting like hell. Although heels at work has always been the subject of controversy, you should try to keep your heel height between 3.75″ and 4″ (check out my post on how high you should go when it comes to your heels at work…)
3. Fit is Queen! Check your clothes for fit rather than looks. Top too low for comfort? Pants making you feel like extra caution will be required to sit down? Jacket won’t allow you to wave bye to your kids as they’re off to school? Ill-fitting clothes, whether too tight, too low or too large, is out of the question when dressing for work. Invest in clothes that fit.
In the meantime, we can still enjoy us some Justin Timberlake:
Happy Friday!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 4, 2014 | Career
What do you listen to at work – Photo credit: huffingtonpost.co.uk
They say music soothes the soul. And it certainly has some undeniable impact on our health, bodies and brain. And if you’re one of those who has to have their headphones on for most of the day, you may just find that you prefer listening to podcasts rather than blaring music, or that your morning smooth jazz session gets amped up a bit by lunch time to give way to some cadenced hip hop. Or you just happen to like listening to “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” on audiobook (kudos)…
I personally like to listen to music when performing more or less easy tasks (smooth jazz for early mornings, Beyonce on full blast by mid-morning). On more meditative days, I enjoy some good ol’ Joyce Meyer or Joel Osteen. Yet when more attention and work is required, I have to put the headphones down. So it really depends…
What do you listen to at work? Please share with us your preferences:
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