by Solange Lopes | Feb 10, 2014 | Career
blindie.com
Happy Monday! Need a boost to start the week?
There’s one thing that Dear Hubby has been telling me for years since I entered the corporate workforce, that I never pay much attention to. Yet lately as I’ve faced some of my most important, and most life-altering career challenges, I’ve realized that after all, he was right all along.
As corporate sisters, it’s no secret that we tend to not toot our horns as much as our male counterparts in the professional sphere. Generally being dubbed as caretakers and nurtures, many times we tend to give credit to others, or to the team, for our hard work. As we are striving to change the corporate landscape to make more room for women, and especially for minority women, we must teach ourselves to value our work and contributions, even before others do, and even if others don’t…And this is why it is crucial to remember that for a host of different reasons (some funnier and more obvious than others), YOU are the smartest woman in the room:
- Chances are, YOU may be the ONLY woman in the room, and probably the only minority woman in the room: According to the Catalyst, although women’s representation among senior executives grew between 2013 and 2014 from 16.7% to 21.7%, in many a corporate setting, women, and minority women in particular, are still standing alone among their male counterparts.
- Your emotional EQ ranks you higher than you think: While men are better at compartmentalizing their emotions, women tend to have an edge when it comes to perceiving emotions around them and tuning into these. Although this may be perceived as weaknesses, it also empowers women to sense the emotional energy in any room and directly attune their response to it. It is also a crucial factor when it comes to identifying needs of stakeholders and customers alike, and tailor their responses in uniquely effective ways.
- Last but not least, we make others feel like the smartest people in the room: Great leaders do not present themselves as the smartest people in the room, although they may very well be. Instead, women leaders try to inspire through collaborating with and helping others. As a corporate sister, your empathy, collaborative spirit and efforts to inspire others are never wasted, as they definitely show your leadership.
Do you feel like the smartest woman in the room?
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Feb 9, 2014 | Career |
black+woman+reading
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Happy Sunday! Hope everyone had a great week, and as we’re winding down and relaxing, these are some the articles we most enjoyed in the course of this week…Ready, set, read!
Happy Sunday, and happy reading!
The Corporate Sister
by Solange Lopes | Feb 7, 2014 | Career
While we’re on the jeans topic, and it is Casual Friday, we’ve done a quick round-up of our 3 favorite trouser jeans out there. Having started my career in ultra-conservative accounting firms and client settings, it took me a while to get used to the idea of donning jeans at work, even in casual work environments with Casual Fridays. And now that I am getting comfortable with the idea of jeans at work, I much prefer trouser jeans which are a safer and in my opinion much professional-looking alternative than regular jeans (although on more relaxes Fridays when my work calendar is open, I still allow myself to dig out my favorite boot cut jeans).
So here’s a roundup of my favorite trouser jeans, which look just as nice and elegant at work than on the week-end:
The Denim Trouser from White House Black Market: Gotta love the refined,
- Denim Trouser – $84 – Whitehouseblackmarket.com
polished black buttons, and the pieced waistband on this universally flattering cut. Plus the denim is soft and supple with just enough stretch in it, which allows for great comfort and fit. And for the shorties like myself, it comes in Short (along with Long and Regular sizes). The dark wash is also a plus, both distinguished and slimming. It’s $84 at White House Black Market.
Banana Republic’s Denim Trouser: This in my opinion, is the most sophisticated-
- Denim Trouser – $89.50 – Banana Republic
looking among our picks. It boasts a sleek trouser silhouette, and looks really dressed up. I like it best in the dark wash, and it’s $89.50 at Banana.
Chambray Trouser Jeans from The Limited: Last but not least, our last pick is
- Chambray trouser jeans – $49.90 – thelimited.com
the most original one, at least color-wise. These chambray trouser jeans come in chambray denim, which gives a nice, original twist to these pants. Although they do not have stretch in them, the reviews on these are great! However, beware that these run a tad bit small, so select the next size or an in-between size if available. These are now on sale for $49.90 at The Limited, down from $79.95!
Would you recommend different trouser jeans for work?
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Feb 7, 2014 | Career
Modern bootcut jeans – Ann Taylor – $89
Happy Friday!
Yes, it’s Friday, and frankly, TGIF! For our casual Friday pick today, we are big fans of the modern boot cut jeans from Ann Taylor! The jeans fit great, since they have a touch of stretch in them. They are lean through the hip and thigh, giving your legs this amazing lengthening effect. The cut is comparable to trousers, which makes it both very professional-looking for your 9-to-5 and versatile enough to pair with anything on the week-end.
They are $89 at Ann Taylor, and frankly, for a well-fitting, elegant and versatile pair of jeans, the price is quite right…
Seen a great, work-appropriate fashion piece you’d like to recommend? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Feb 6, 2014 | Career
Faux Leather Hinge Bangle Bracelet – $26.95 – The Limited
Just in time for Valentine’s Day and to welcome Spring in, we’re having a small crush on this faux-leather hinge bangle bracelet from The Limited. I love the combination of faux leather and metal, which is both edgy and sophisticated. The cherry color makes your whole look pop! Worn alone or stacked with other bangles, this is sure to enliven any work (or play) outfit)..
It’s $26.95 at The Limited…and me like!
Seen a great accessory you’d like to recommend? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Feb 6, 2014 | Career
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.
by Solange Lopes | Feb 6, 2014 | Career
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…
- Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate! In car sales as in the corporate world, negotiation is a big part of success. Whether you are promoting your work in preparation for a future raise or promotion, or are seeking additional resources (time, people, money) to accomplish your goals, you are always in negotiation. And that is how you should enter every meeting room, and treat every professional encounter, as mundane as they may seem.
- Resort to Emotions! This one may sound counter-intuitive, especially in the corporate world where women especially are urged to put emotions aside, right? Wrong. We are all human, and we all have emotions. Emotions happen to actually be the vessel through which many a deals are closed. By triggering pleasant emotions in others, or even unpleasant ones that elicit positive outcomes, we can negotiate better results.
- Don’t feel guilty! As women, we tend to feel guilty when we allow ourselves to negotiate for a raise or better benefits at work. However, it is expected that we should negotiate, especially at work, and failing to do so may actually project the wrong kind of impression.
What car salesman techniques to you use at work?
