Coffee Chat: “Graysn” Pumps

Graysn Pumps - $73.66 - Nordstrom.com

Graysn Pumps – $73.66 – Nordstrom.com

For our coffee chat today, we are getting back to the essentials with these Enzo Angiolini “Graysn” Pumps from Nordstrom. And yess, Nordstrom has started is famous shoe clearance, so don’t miss out!

I love that this pump is a classic go-to for any career woman, in a basic yet shiny leather black. And to add verve to this classic pump, the metal trim just gives it some added oomph. And a great plus for this pump, it comes in suede or leather upper, and is available in Medium, Narrow and Wide sizes. With a 2 1/2 inch heel, it’s both comfortable and practical for work..

It’s currently on sale for $73.66 at Nordstrdrom. Can’t go wrong…

Seen a great, work-appropriate fashion piece you’d like to recommend? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!

 

The Corporate Sister.

Lunch Break: Be Zen at Work? There’s an app for that…

Buddhify2- buddhify.com

Buddhify2- buddhify.com

Ok, seriously, with all the talks around being zen, meditating, living in the present, and being mindful, we wonder if those who actually talk and practice all these zen habits have ever set foot in your usual corporate workspace…Cubicles everywhere, files everywhere, the occasional family photo or decorative plant here and there, not exactly your quiet, meditation-prone setting…

Well, if you’ve been wondering how to squeeze in a few minutes of zen mindfulness in between wolfing down your lunch and turning in your next audit report, guess what…There’s an app for it! I know, I know, I need to find a new “app phrase”, I’m working on it…

Well, we found out about Buddhify 2 through the Daily Muse, and seriously, it gave me instant peace and inspiration. This 1.99 iOS app is literally your modern technological shortcut to peace. It offers various meditation tracks, each one adapted to your current activity. Need to mentally get away from your train neighbor’s annoying chatter? Or just need to fit in a 5-minute nap as you’re sitting on the toilet (stop frontin’, you know you take naps in the bathroom)? Turn on the corresponding meditation track, and welcome some much-needed zen energy in your workday…until your boss comes for that audit report, that is…

In the meantime, check out the below walkthough video:

Seen a great app you’d like to share or recommend? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!

The Corporate Sister

 

Women of Color and the Corporate World: The Eternal Love-Hate Relationship?

Women of Color in corporate world - bushtvblog.wordpress.com

Women of Color in corporate world – bushtvblog.wordpress.com

As we celebrate (or don’t celebrate) Valentine’s Day today, there’s another love-hate relationship that we wish would be discussed more often…and that is, this “I love you but I really hate you” relationship between women of color and the corporate world.

Yes, we love to hear and talk about diversity in the workplace, and how “leaning in” will help all women (really, all women?) achieve their true potential while making corporations even more profitable and successful. We, as women of color especially, are inspired and encouraged by talks of inclusiveness in the workplace. We smile when the Forbes List of Most Powerful Women features the likes of Rosalind Brewer (President and Chief Executive of Sam’s Club), Ursula Burns (CEO of Xerox), or Indra Nooyi (CEO of Pepsico), not to mention the Oprah Winfreys and Michelle Obamas of this world…And corporations smile as well, when their efforts at inclusiveness and diversity are rewarded with a very much public applause, along with a healthy stock price boost. And why would anyone not love this, all would be well in the best of worlds, right…Hmmm…

Yet, as we dig deeper into the reality of what it means to be a woman of color in the corporate space, we start uncovering the “hate” part of this eternally controversial relationship. That’s when we start seeing how truly difficult and challenging it is for women of color to push back against the barriers of “otherness” in corporations. We start realizing that where there is a glass ceiling for most women, for women and color and minorities in the workplace, there are not just ceilings. There are ceilings, and doors, and windows ( locked shut with iron locks and bolts), all made of the most solid brick and mortar. Centuries-old barriers of pre-conceived notions, antiquated ideas around race and gender, that are still very much prevalent in the corporate space. The gift of a heavy historical  legacy, adorned with the strongest pinkish bow of mental, political and social resistance from both sides of the negotiation table. As we, corporate sisters, blame the patriarchal, traditional institutional powers in place, we also, and many times unconsciously, resist it enough strongly enough to slow our own progress, even to a complete, tragic and unfortunate stop.

In any relationship, there are two sides of the fence. And while it’s not necessarily greener on the other side, we may need to take a look at this controversial, much decried love-hate relationship we’ve been entertaining with Mr. Corporate. While waging war on gender and racial stereotypes may bring about social change, and comfort us in the process, understanding the role we play (and those we refuse to play) in this tough, but unavoidable partnership, may just reveal the truth of it all…

And if you ask me, it’s about time for a much-deserved, long-time coming love truce between these two…

The Corporate Sister

Coffee Chat: Does Stress Sweat Affect How You’re Perceived at Work?

Stress Sweat - hellawella.com

Stress Sweat – hellawella.com

So I admit it, I stress out quite a bit, and as a result, I start sweating…quite profusely. Not a big deal, right? There are deodorants for that, and there’s probably going to be an app for it pretty soon… Well, for a corporate sister in need of self-assurance in any male-dominated, patriarchal-type corporate environment, stress sweat can actually be yet another source of….yes, you guessed right, stress! Back in October last year, the first-ever study of its kind by P&G Beauty revealed that the smell of sweat may actually alter the way women are perceived and judged. More precisely, the order from stress-related sweat significantly affects how women’s competence, confidence and thrustworthiness are perceived by both males and females. Ouch!

While it is close to impossible to avoid stress at work, it is reported that adequate preparation and exercise can help in treating stress sweat, and hence improving the resulting perception of women suffering from it.

As corporate sisters, these are some of the topics that are not easily discussed among ourselves or others, and understandably so…Yet, in an environment where perception unfortunately can play a significant role, we must be aware of these, hence our coffee chat today…

Do you suffer from stress sweat and do you think it affects how you’re perceived at work?

The Corporate Sister.

Lunch Break: Posey Dress

Posey dress - $199 - katespade.com

Posey dress – $199 – katespade.com

Happy Wesnesday!

Spring is in the air…or at least on our minds! And as we are contemplating the spring trends this year, florals are definitely coming to mind…hence our fashion pick today! We selected this Posey dress from Kate Spade, which by the way is having up to 75% off sale these days…

I love the festive and classy floral print, which can be worn under an elegant neutral cardigan or blazer for work. The slim fit of the dress is also much flattering, while making it a great option for both work and play.

The Posey dress is on sale for $199, down from $398!

Seen a great, work-appropriate fashion piece you’d like to recommend? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!

The Corporate Sister.