Crepe peplum jacket – $154.99 – Ann Taylor
For our late lunch break today, we are head over heels (literally) for this crepe peplum jacket from Ann Taylor. I love the peplum trend, and to see it combined with a dressy jacket is just great! The fit is extremely flattering, and the sour cherry color just literally pops!
It’s $154.99 plus 40% discount at Ann Taylor.
The Corporate Sister.
blackenterprise.com
I bought my first car, a 1999 Toyota Camry that I baptized “Bertha”, from one of the most astute car salesmen I’ve ever met. I’m using the word “astute” now, but believe me, I had other much less flattering words for him during and after the purchase of my beloved “Bertha”. I was fresh out of college, buying my first car alone and without any guidance, so I could travel to all those regional audit assignments. End result: a whopping 16% interest rate on top of an outrageous price for a used car. In other words, I could have driven a luxury car for that price…Anyhoo…
I am not a born salesperson, never was good at it, and frankly never had much of a desire to be good at it. Yet, after years in the corporate world, I am realizing that this terrible salesman left me with something more than an acutely sour taste in my mouth (and gaping hole in my then-young professional savings): he taught me that like in car sales, corporate success is measured by how well you can sell yourself and what you have to offer. And if you have to inflate your value and fake it ’til you make it, well, it may be worth it to close the deal…
What car salesman techniques to you use at work?
Ethnic-Jewelry – bestethnicjewelry.com
The first time I saw anyone don ethnic jewelry at work was back a decade, during my “Big 4” time in Public Accounting. One of the-then partners, who happened to be from Jamaica, used to wear this thin necklace showcasing a pendant with the Jamaican colors. I remember wondering then, “So we CAN do that! We can have a style as individual enough so as to sport ethnic jewelry!”
Fast-forward a few years, as I think about the impact that this has had on myself, and probably so many others, I realize that in the conformism-driven corporate culture, there is indeed not much room for individualization, especially when it comes to style and expression. From corporate sisters wondering whether sporting braids or any other natural style at work will be considered too “ethnic” and not professional enough, to endless debates about the impact of one’s appearance and style as a minority in the corporate sphere, it’s obvious that the questions and doubts are there, albeit silenced (or hushed at the very least).
For my 2 cents, despite my reticence to wear much jewelry to work, I do make a point to wear my African jewelry to work. While still keeping in mind that my work should be “louder” than my style, and reserving the larger, more festive and noticeable pieces for the week-end, I do think it is not only ok to wear what could be considered “ethnic” jewelry to work, but that it’s actually recommended. We all come to work with our own individualities, from the kinks in our hair to the singing tone of some of our accents. So why eliminate what makes us unique? And so far, I have to say that as many questions as I’ve gotten about some of the most beautiful pieces of African jewelry I’ve worn to work, none of these have been negative in any way…
Any thoughts?
I was just chatting the other day with a girlfriend of mine, and we both found ourselves complaining about how hard it is to find work pants that fit great. They’re either too long, too baggy in the bottom, too tight, or just not as befitting as we’d like them to be…
Case in point: I’m 4’11” with an hourglass silhouette, short bust and short legs. And honestly, saying that finding pants that fit well is more than an understatement…So far, Express “The Editor” pants have been my favorite, but my friend recently suggested that I should try Banana Republic’s pants.
So what are we looking (AND not looking for) in a perfect, or at least a well-fitting, pair of work pants:
Martin-fit Pants – $98 – bananarepublic.com
For our lunch shopping break, we are suggesting the Martin-fit pants from Banana Republic, which comes in Regular and Petite sizes. I love the mid-rise fit and trouser silhouette, that is universally flattering. It’s $98 at Banana, to which you can add a 35% discount on your entire purchase (and 40% off if you use your Banana Republic card).
Readers, any thought on what makes a great-fitting pair of work pants?
Career choices – atlantablackstar.com
Being a corporate sister is not easy, far from it…And being a corporate mama, as I like to call it, complicates matters even further. I remember being a young associate at one of the Big 4 Accounting firms, working until all hours of the night or day during busy season, going out for drinks with the team on Thursdays after work, and still showing up all perky on Friday mornings after only a few hours of sleep. Those were the days when you went hard or went home…The days when building your career was not just a matter of being excellent on the job, but also having the time, stamina and availability to be an all-around team player. For most of us in “Public” as we used to (and still) call it, that meant working week-ends, hanging out with the team, and basically not having much of a life outside of work…
Fast-forward a few years, and for those who did find a different life along the way, for all those who dropped out of the “Public’s” ranks, or just those who wanted a life outside of work, some of the career choices we made were many a time motivated by our families or significant others. There, you fell in love and wanted to spend more time with your partner on week-ends. Or you started having children and could not stand to be on the road while your children were taking their first steps or uttering their very first words. So you jumped ship, tried and found other more satisfying or “balanced” work alternatives. Or you chose to stay and forgo the experiences that others were embarking on, like motherhood, or marriage. And as you sit back and reflect on your professional progress, you cannot help but wonder if after all, your career choices were primarily motivated by your family (or lack thereof).
My dear friend N. asked me the other day: “If your life had been different, if you didn’t have to take into account all the family responsibilities and duties, do you think you’d have made different choices in your career? Do you think you’d have been further along or on a totally different path?”
After pausing for a few seconds, I had this truly inspiring, breakthrough response for her: “I don’t know!” And while I can certainly speculate on all the what-if’s, and would’ve or should’ve, the truth is I don’t know…None of us really knows what decisions or choices we would have made in different circumstances, of how far (or not far) along we’d be had our journey been different…All we know is the NOW, and all we can do is trying to better it…
In hindsight, I’m glad my family motivated some of my career choices. I’m glad that they helped me distinguish between what truly matters, like being there when your kid first pees in the toilet, and what matters less. Sure, there is also the reverse side of the coin, that many feel that life’s hardships and family duties possibly made them miss out on some opportunities…
Yet like my dear friend N. says, “No matter what, we are where we are supposed to be.”
Has your family motivated your career choices?
