by Solange Lopes | Jan 11, 2018 | PODCAST
Welcome to Episode #12 of The Corporate Sister Podcast! This episode is all about the big P word…yes, Productivity! Or how we can be more productive as working women, especially as we start this new year 2018! Listen in for tips on avoiding the cult of “busy-ness”, doing more in less time, and controlling your time!
SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE POST TO LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S EPISODE!
Links:
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks so much for tuning in and listening to this week’s episode! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please share it by using the social media at the bottom of this post!
Also, leave me a review for the TCS podcast on iTunes!
Got questions? Email me at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
Finally, please don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes to get automatic updates!
Any feedback you’d like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Android |
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe:
by Solange Lopes | Jan 11, 2018 | Career
Workwear: Check Peplum Blouse – Photo credit: nordstrom.com
Our Workwear feature presents various pieces of work-appropriate attire at different price ranges and sizes.
Add some mod to your work wardrobe with this contemporary check peplum blouse from Topshop. The band collar and flared sleeves make for a flattering, and easy-fitting top that can go from work to week-end. The traditional Prince of Wales check pattern is both modern and sophisticated for the office and beyond. It’s available in sizes 2 through 12 at Nordstrom.
In a similar style, I also like this plus-size rosette ruffle peplum blouse from Eloquii, available in Black and White in sizes 14 through 28.
Workwear: Rosette Peplum Blouse – Photo credit: eloquii.com
What pieces of workwear would you like us to feature? Email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
This post contains affiliate links and The Corporate Sister may earn commissions for purchases through links in this post. Thank you!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 11, 2018 | Start Your Business
While there’s a lot of noise around starting a business and entrepreneurship in general, no much gets said about the emotional side of starting a business. However, the very act of launching a business is first and foremost an emotional process. It requires faith and a level of mental stability that many of us may not necessarily have.
Very few entrepreneurs admit to the emotional roller-coaster that starting and running a business really is. In the age of “following your dreams” and the hyper-mediatized temptation of social media hustling, it can be easy to imagine that entrepreneurship is easy. After all, it’s just a matter of “following your passion and the money will come”, right? Wrong…
While entrepreneurship requires being adequately prepared with the appropriate tools and strategies, the emotional part of being an entrepreneur is often under-estimated. From sheer excitement, motivation to loneliness, sadness and even depression in many cases, many are the emotions that entrepreneurs face.
Here are a few ways to deal with the emotional side of entrepreneurship:
-
Have realistic expectations
Many entrepreneurs are also perfectionists. Which also means that many of us set very high and quite unrealistic expectations for ourselves and entrepreneurial journey. While these can provide a temporary high, they can also bring a certain level of disappointment in people.
Many entrepreneurs fail to care for themselves. As a result, the accumulated stress and fatigue end up affecting their emotional state. In our hustling, super-by society, self-care is very often underrated. Instead of stopping to reflect and observe a pause in order to replenish our mental, emotional, and spiritual. We tend to push, over-exhaust ourselves and in turn be even less effective at what you do.
-
Get a coach or accountability partner
Entrepreneurship can be a lonely and challenging process. It’s also a very emotional process, as it awakens parts of ourselves that we may have buried for a long time. From dealing with fear to facing emotions ranging from guilt to extreme excitement, there are many emotional pitfalls to the entrepreneurial journey. It’s exactly the reason why it’s so important to find a coach or accountability partner.
These are people who will challenge, motivate and inspire you, especially during those moments when you feel low. They are also those who will help you dig yourself out of the pit of emotional highs and lows that come with any entrepreneurial journeys.
I’ve mentioned earlier that entrepreneurship can be a pretty lonely experience. It’s also one that many around you may not necessarily understand. After all, not everyone has an entrepreneur’s mindset, or understands the demands of creating a business.
This is why it’s crucial to surround yourself with people who can and are willing to support you. It also means that we owe it to ourselves to place some distance between us and those who may not be good for you during this part of your journey.
How do you deal with the emotional side of entrepreneurship?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 10, 2018 | Career
Wear to Work: Pointelle Turtleneck – Photo credit: anntaylor.com
Our Workwear feature presents various pieces of work-appropriate attire at different price ranges and sizes.
One of the most elegant and timeless Fall and winter workwear is an elegant, classic turtleneck. Like this chic pointedly turtleneck from Ann Taylor. Both the detail and delicate pattern of this puff-shouldered Ann Taylor turtleneck. The smocked neck and cuffs, along with the side slits, add a romantic touch to this number. It’s available in sizes XXS to XXL and in silver frost heater, deep ocean blue, ivory and black at Ann Taylor.
In a similar style, I also like this wide-cuff ribbed number, as well as this cashmere flecked beauty, also from Ann Taylor.
What pieces of workwear would you like us to feature? Email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
This post contains affiliate links and The Corporate Sister may earn commissions for purchases through links in this post. Thank you!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 10, 2018 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
When it comes to productivity, it’s one thing to desire to be more productive. It’s an entirely different thing to identify the reasons why you’re not being as productive as you could. For many of us, especially as working women, optimal productivity is still a myth. We try to fit in as much as we can on our already packed schedules, and claim to be so “busy” all the time. Yet how much of the “Busy-ness” is really bearing fruits? How productive are we really being? Most importantly, what are the triggers that lead us down the familiar path of “busy but not productive”?
In my own career, business and life experience, it took me years to understand that new good habits could not stand if I did not identify the old, negative patterns. Which brought me to re-consider three major areas in our work and lives that trigger us to be un-productive:
-
Negative Mindsets:
Do you notice how most times, when you get ready to tackle a challenging, uncomfortable, or unpleasant task, you tend to procrastinate? Do you listen to your thoughts as you get distracted and un-focused? Do you even know which thoughts and mindsets cause you to lose focus and send productivity down the drain?
One of the major obstacles to being efficient and productive can be traced to our powerful mindsets. The same mental patterns that motivate, inspire and push us to be our best selves are also those that block us from it. They are the thought patterns that tell us that we’re inadequate, that we cannot do it, that we’re not well connected, qualified, or equipped. Those are thought patterns that may have been passed down from generations, through families, friend circles, even work and business networks.
Knowing what these thought patterns are put us in the strong position to be able to recognize them. Once you recognize your triggers, you can better act to stop them, or at least limit their negative impact.
To Do: Start watching your thoughts for patterns that push you into lack of focus or unproductive work. Recognize these thoughts and learn to move away from them, or situations that may expose you to them. Work on improving your mindset through positive affirmations, inspiring relationships, books and learning tools.
-
Productivity-sucking People:
In one of this TV show episodes, Steve Harvey confessed that twice a year, he goes through his list of friends, family and acquaintances, and does a thorough cleansing. Whoever does not help get better no longer has a place in his circle. The first time I heard this tip from Harvey, I cringed. As a person who’s very attached to my friends, family and even acquaintances, I couldn’t fathom the fact that people in your circle and network may hinder your growth and productivity. It took me a few years to experience it in my own work and life, and understand what Harvey was really talking about.
As uncomfortable a reality as it may be, there are “energy vampires” around us who can literally suck the best out of us. These may be negative co-workers, unsupportive friends or family members, or emotionally needy people who take of our resources without feeding us mentally or emotionally in return. These are the people who we may not realize are stunting our growth and making us less productive.
To Do: Identify the “energy vampires” in your life, and reflect on ways to limit their negative impact. This can be a challenging, even painful process. However, it is often one of the most potent blocks to optimal productivity.
-
High-investment, low-return Things And Activities:
This is the era of things that can possess us, rather than us possessing them. From social media to instant messaging, not to mention the lure of wealth and power, it can be easy to allow things around us to rob us of our productivity. How many times have you spent hours on Instagram watching others win while you wait? How many times have you spent too much time accumulating things that cost you too much time, money and energy to maintain?
I used to have a pretty sizeable shoe habit. Which also meant I would spend money on accumulating footwear I didn’t have enough room to store. This is without counting with the money and related credit card interest that could have been invested or saved. These “things” were literally cost me time to manage and store adequately, and money that could be put elsewhere.
Did you notice that some of the biggest entrepreneurs, the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, have a limited wardrobe? The reason behind this is that they devote as little time as possible to things with little to no return, and more time to building legacies. What if we also could stop allowing things from keeping us unfocused and unproductive?
To Do: Look around you. Identify those things and possessions that cost you excessive time, money and energy. Start thinking of ways to minimize their impact and re-allocating your time to your most important projects.
How do you face these productivity blocks in your daily life?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
