by Solange Lopes | Dec 8, 2016 | Career
Q: I’m an introvert and have zero interest in attending the office holiday party. Can I just skip it? I’m worried that it may affect my career and relationships with my colleagues and leaders. Thoughts?
A: Dear Introvert, I so hear you. As an introvert myself, there’s nothing like the prospect of being in close quarters with my entire office that could send me more into panic mode. And I have skipped one or two office holiday parties myself….
But (there’s always a but, right?) there’s an upside to showing up at holiday gatherings at work. Aside from the free dinner/upgraded snacks and the ticketed drinks (hello moderation), these events are also great opportunities to build strong connections.
As introverts, we strive on real connections, not so much on small talk and mass networking.
What I’ve done over the years is focus on those real connections. First off, I would coordinate with trusted friends and colleagues so as to head to the event together. Something to do with the whole “strength in numbers” ….
I’d also set objectives, like introducing myself to at least one person I feel I could build a solid connection with . It could be a future mentor, someone I’ve been saying hi to in passing, or even a colleague I felt close to. I know the concept of objectives for a holiday party doesn’t exactly sound like fun or festive, but it helps me not get overwhelmed.
And last but not least, I would make peace with leaving early. No obligation to burn the midnight oil here..
So if you’re still thinking of skipping the office holiday party, I would understand. But if you can try these few introvert-oriented tips, you may just have found a healthy (and introvert-happy) compromise.
What do you think? Would you advise to skip the office holiday party?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 8, 2016 | Career
Our Wear to Work feature showcases a piece of attire or accessory for business and professional women.
Crystal Collar Necklace – Photo credit: shopstyle.com
‘Tis the season of festive holiday events, and…festive fashion to go along with it, even at work! I love adding a touch of festive bling to my work wardrobe during the holiday season to stay in the spirit! Like this Baublebar crystal collar necklace from Nordstrom, for instance. The delicate pattern is elegant and stands out on its own, without looking too overbearing for work.This necklace is $34.80 at Nordstrom!
Similar to it, I also like this Araz crystal beauty, also from Baublebar and available at Nordstrom. Or this delicate vintage-inspired Araski number in blush.
Which one is your fave?
Fashionably Yours,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 7, 2016 | Career, Find Your Purpose, Start Your Business
So it just hits you one day…After years in Big Corporate, doing the 9-to-5 thing, you’re finally ready to make the big JUMP into full-time entrepreneurship. Maybe up until now, you’ve been doing the side hustle thing here and there to lay the groundwork. But now, the anticipation is killing you, literally, and all you can think about is that fateful day when you can walk out the doors of Big Corporate, take a breath of fresh freedom air, and go on about your business, literally…
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If you’re smiling as you’re reading this, you may be one of the thousands of other corporate sisters planning to exit Cubicle World and strike out on your own….Except (screeching halt noise here), even if you decide to ditch plan B, you still need some form of a plan for your corporate exit. You know, something that lets you sleep at night and doesn’t have you hitting up your folks for yet another loan to make the mortgage this month…
I mean, if there’s anything that’s as scary and exciting as striking out on your own after years or decades of comfortable cubicle dwelling, it’s got to be related to fried ice cream rolled in sea salt caramel ice cream…You may need double layers of super-strong Dove anti-perspiring deodorant to make the move, but when it’s time, you know it’s time…
So if you’re just starting out on your Big Corporate Exit adventure, here are a few simple, straightforward steps you can start taking today to land on your entrepreneurial behind (and legs and elbows and side rolls) with as few bruises as possible:
You’ve got to know your “WHY” inside out!
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You won’t know whether going full-time to build your business will work (or be the flop of the decade). And no one can really blame you for that, that’s why it’s called a risk…But the very first thing you want to know as you’re lining your personal ducks in a row is WHY you’re even doing all this…
Is it desire for freedom? Is it because of this strong sense of Purpose that’s been egging you on for years now? Is it because you want to offer your kids a better shot at life and opportunities? Or a big giant combo of all the above, plus the all-consuming urge to share your vision and message with the world?
Whatever it is, you’ve got to be crystal clear about it! Sit with yourself every day, and write down your WHY, as long and cumbersome as the process may first appear to be. The point is to build this conviction so strongly within you that it becomes virtually unbreakable….And gives you the strength and motivation to go for it, all in!
Is Your Idea/Business/Desire Viable/Sustainable/Going to Help You Make Rent?
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As in, is the whole thing sustainable, i.e. does it have earning potential? In other words, can your business not only help you make rent, but actually turn a profit?
This is where you get out of Entrepreneurship Lalaland and actually look at reality right in the face. And start putting some numbers down on paper…
There are some important questions to ask yourself here:
- How will this make you money, i.e. what are you going to sell?
- Do you have a product/service and how much can you sell it for?
- Do you plan on creating products/services and how much revenue can they bring you?
- How much will you need to invest in your business periodically?
- What streams of income will you have?
- What will your strategy be?
- How will your organize your business?
- What does your market look like, i.e. who are your competitors, is there even demand for your products/services, etc?
- Etc….
All of these questions, and more, will help you put together a business plan, which is just another fancy term for your business GPS/roadmap for the next 3-5 years. The U.S. Small Business Administration has a great tool to guide you through creating your business plan.
What that will do for you is give you a clearer picture of where you’re dipping your pretty Louboutins in… Plus give you a serious reality check, so hold on to your open-toed Zanottis…
Got a Financial Plan?
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No one likes to be broke, ok? Which also means as you’re planning your heroic escape from Office Land, you need to secure yourself some coins in the meantime. You know, just in case your business doesn’t break the million-dollar finish line the first year…
But more seriously, a BIG part of your Big Corporate Exit plan is to avoid starvation and plain financial distress. So if you haven’t started just yet, it may be time to push on the Savings pedal, and make sure you have 9 months to a year worth of business expenses saved up. Ambitious? Yes, and so are you…
Remember that going from the security of a periodic paycheck to your own revenues and profits is not an exact science. You may have some great months, and some not so great months…You may have to re-invest in your business, or face unexpected expenses…So you want a cushion that lets you skip out on stress acne and all kinds of other premature aging signs….
Round Up Your Support System
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I don’t care how independent you are, you’re going to need some support. Let me repeat this again, more for myself than you: You’re going to need some support! Whether it’s emotional, spiritual, financial, or just someone to give you a hug and tell you you’re not actually making the biggest mistake of your life (which you’re not)…
Many entrepreneurs, especially women, forget this major part of building a business. It’s hard work, on top of everything you may already have on your plate. So rally your girlfriends, call your mama, hug your kids, whisper tender sweet words to your goldfish, rely on the support system you already have or start building it.
It doesn’t mean your bestie has to buy all your facial products, or subscribe to your daily podcast. But what it means is that when you’re hustling and doing your thing and going through Entrepreneur Jungle, you’re not all alone. And that counts…a lot….
Get Mentally Ready
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Mental toughness is par for the course. As much as you may have detested your informal meeting sessions on the daily at work, facing the pressure of being in business for yourself is a challenge.
So get your mental nerves/weapons/armor in place early on. Whether it’s developing a daily meditation practice, or getting a mentor, or even making exercise an integral part of your routine, start planning for ways to stay on top of the head game.
You’re in this to win, and winning starts in your mind. So get started…
Make Education a Priority
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Jumping in to your business means holding yourself accountable for what you know, and how you apply it in your organization. Which also means learning continuously, especially as you prepare to jump ship from Corporate.
Actually, there is no better time to learn about being an entrepreneur than while you’re still in Corporate. Use this time to learn more about management, leadership, as well as the tools you’ll need to strive on your own. If your business is related to your current job, now is the time to absorb as much training as possible. In any case, take every opportunity currently offered by your day job to educate yourself (within allowable and ethical limits, of course).
Put a Ring Date on It
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There’s no better motivator for action than a deadline! When you know you’ve got to get it done by a certain date, something just shifts in and around you to make it happen! The same applies to your Big Corporate exit plan!
After careful planning and preparation, or actually while you’re still planning and preparing, set a date for your glorious exit! Don’t just set it, but commit to it whole-heartedly. Once you do this, organize your deliverables, to-do’s and action steps around it.
Are you Ready to Start Your Big Corporate Exit Plan?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 6, 2016 | Find Your Purpose
We’re a few weeks/days away from the start of another year, and the New Year’s Resolutions/Goals Machine, as I like to call it, is in full swing. Resolutions are being made, gym memberships are being shopped around, and goals are being set everywhere…
But after a few years of resolving to get back into a size 2, or finally get that certification (to advance in that job that you hate anyways), or finding the love/soulmate/perfect car/dream home/optimal temperature, you start realizing that maybe the whole goal-setting process is a teeny-weeny bit flawed…
Even when it works, after much grunting on the elliptical at that local super-expensive gym (until January 31st, after which we take a well-deserved break), it leaves us feeling like we’ve just run a marathon…Exhausted, a bit deflated, and looking forward to French bread soaked in full-fat French Brie…
Fast-forward a few years, after reading Danielle Laporte’s Desire Map while eating French bread soaked in full-fat French Brie a few days before the New Year, and goals started looking so different and so much more appealing…
“You’re not chasing a goal, you’re chasing a feeling you hope reaching the goal will give you” – Danielle La Porte
This sentence alone on the front cover of La Porte’s best-seller changed my entire view of goals for the rest of my life… If we’re setting goals to feel better about ourselves ( hello super pricey gym membership, sweaty sessions and half-pounds shrinkage), why don’t we start with how we want to feel?
Instead of shooting goals in the dark on the board of our lives and careers, hoping and praying and wishing that somehow they’ll deliver those feelings wrapped up in elegant Crate and Barrel gift boxes right at your doorstep…
How many of us have sat on the eve of a New Year, drawing lofty goals in beautiful journals? Or putting out in the Universe our desires for better jobs, more money, a bigger wardrobe, Giselle’s body? Or even, for the most down-to-earth among us, longer life, more health and prosperity and abundance, along with all the positive mantras you remember from that spiritual yoga class?
Yet how many of us turn around to simply say things like: “ I want to feel happier”, “I wish to feel more joy at work”, “I desire to feel more fulfilled in my career”, “I wish to feel more peace and freedom”?
I know I didn’t, until now…Instead, I put a price tag on what I thought was peace and freedom. It would have to be a certain position, a certain salary, a certain size, or a certain type of accomplishment….And right then and there, the race to do more, be more, have more started all over again…
No wonder by January 31st, most of us are ready to throw in the towel, plop our curvy selves on the couch, and binge-watch old reruns of “Sex and the City” while eating French bread soaked in French Brie…
I remember meeting this high-level executive who was at the top of her corporate game. Her list of accomplishments, letters after her name and honors was too long to elaborate on…And she still wanted to do more, year after year…
When asked about what motivates her and why she keeps piling on accomplishment after accomplishment, she simply said: “I want to feel good”…Whether she really did or not, the point is, she had been motivated all those years by the simple aspiration of feeling a certain way…
In one of my favorite books “Ask and It Is Given”, authors Esther and Jerry Hicks talk about using our emotions and feelings as a GPS system for our lives. Whereas the rest of the world tells us to set solid, rigid goals and work towards with unstoppable tenacity, what it tells us is simply to rely on what we already know about who we are and how we want to feel good…
What makes us feel good is an indication that we’re going in the right direction, and what doesn’t may force us to rethink our life route…As simple as that…Maybe too simple for the ambitious go-getters, goal-diggers we are…But how about going simple for once?
So this year, in the midst of all the busy-ness and to-do’s, my good ol’ “New Year’s Goal List” is getting a much deserved break… And instead is being replaced with these three simple questions:
How Do I Want to Feel?
When I asked myself this simple question, it literally turned me inside out. What happens when you face yourself with the simple realization of who you are and how you want to feel/live/experience things, is that you also start realizing everything else that stands in your way.
Whether it’s the grueling job, or the unsatisfying relationship, or the low self-esteem, you start seeing in contrast all the stuff that needs to go. And then, all of a sudden, there’s more room for all the stuff that needs to come in…
What Can I Do to Feel This Way?
For you, wanting to feel better about yourself may be a matter of starting a fitness routine. Or ditching the boyfriend. Or starting over in your career. It’s different from person to person.
Yet asking yourself the question, the very revealing question of what you need to do/change/start/stop/continue to feel the way you truly want to feel opens the door for action…
Instead of looking for a job because you want more money, more recognition, or just a better parking spot, you may look for a job that makes you smile, makes you feel more fulfilled, mo’better….Or instead of starting yet another diet that may crash within a week or so, you may want to start taking care of yourself from the inside first, cleaning up your relationships, picking exercise you enjoy, laughing a little more…
What Are My Desires For Next Year?
As Danielle La Porte says it so well in The Desire Map, desires are powerful.
“With clear desire, you can say yes to the right opportunities”. Danielle La Porte
So what are your true desires for this new year/phase/time of your life and career? You know how you want to feel, and you’re starting to have an idea about things you may want to do to feel that way. Now it’s time to get clear about it all…
Going through this process (and I’m still going through it) surprised me. Heck, it actually shocked the hell out of me. You may come to realize that you don’t really want what you think you want. That you may not even really want the promotion, or the car, or the relationship, or fitting into a size 2 and giving up on cake for the rest of your life…
Whatever the outcome of this seemingly simple process, it will shed light on a journey only you can take. Instead of fitting in and setting general goals like everyone else, it may just steer you towards a life and career with more meaning, more depth and more YOU-ness in them…
This year, as you set your goals in whatever area of your life, consider asking yourself these simple questions…They may just change the game for you…
To Your Success
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 2, 2016 | Career
Our Wear to Work feature showcases a piece of attire for business and professional women.
Collection two-button blazer – Photo credit: shopstyle.com
‘Tis the season for festive colors, more specifically red. Which is why I’ve decided to feature some festive red blazers this season, starting with this Collection Two-button blazer from The Limited. I love the classic and polished style of this refined blazer that you can pair with anything from a sheath dress to a pencil skirt, not to mention with your favorite jeans on the week-end.
I also like this piped Madison blazer, also from The Limited, in a tailored cut that will flatter pretty much anything in your wardrobe. Or this J. Crew Regent stand-collar blazer that adds an edgy touch to your outfit.
Are You Into Red Blazers for the Holiday Season?
Fashionably Yours,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 2, 2016 | Career
The holidays are here, and there’s nothing quite like bringing all that festive Christmas cheer to the office with you every day. Even better, why not leaving it there to stay by decorating your office space for the holidays?
While you may want to check in with your management and Human Resources as to the amount and type of decorations you can adorn your office space with, there are many holiday decoration ideas you can use to spread some cheer into your workspace!
Think Cheer In Mini Sizes!
24″ Pink Christmas Tree – Photo credit: target.com
Bring in the holiday cheer into your office in mini sizes! I love mini Christmas trees like this 24″ pink Christmas beauty from Target. I love that it’s available in other colors as well (blue and white), but I have to say this “happy pink” is my absolute fave!
I also like this elegant and original 24″ Birch Tree White Lit Decor Tree with gorgeous white lights to boot
You can go for an even more traditional and smaller look with this Wondershop felt tree with berries as well, also from Target.
Let It Hang!
Merry Christmas Garland – Photo credit: target.com
I mean, not you…but rather your decorations! Adorn your office space with fun hanging garlands like this fun Merry Christmas garland, or this Fair Isle knit ball in festive red and green.
I also like these original pretty party tassel garlands, as a chic way to pretty up your office space. If you’re into more traditional decoration, this artificial garland roping is simply perfect!
Say It With (Fun) Words!
Standing North Pole Sign – Photo credit: target.com
I love cute little holiday signs with fun words or phrases to add to the festive mood! Like this standing North Pole sign that will lighten up the mood as you’re furiously typing on your keyboard.
Or this mini Merry Christmas table sign that says it all! And how about this elegant Peace table sign?
How Do You Like to Decorate Your Office Space for the Holidays?
Happy Holidays,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 1, 2016 | Career
What could you do in 21 days? Or even better, what couldn’t you do?
Research shows that it takes 21 days to develop a habit. 21 days to get on a consistent exercise routine, or start a meditation practice, or even stop sleepwalking to the cheese section of the fridge in the middle of the night (still working on this one)…
What if you could use 21 days to change your career? Not by logging in extra hours, playing dirty office politics, or even hunting for a better job…But simply through the power of gratitude!
There are a gazillion different pieces of advice out there about improving your career. Yet very few talk about how much you can change it by being grateful for where you already are. That can be challenging, considering most of us are constantly on the run, hardly able to stop and appreciate what we have. Not to mention that most of us are paid to solve problems and face obstacles, which leaves us to look at work as this giant, thankless pile of things to do, start and never quite really finish…
Gratitude at Work Is Not Just About Being Nice, It’s A Mindset!
And it’s not just about being nice, bringing cookies and coffee to the office, or even being pleasant to those you happen to work with…It’s a mindset, rooted in the fact that you can only attract what you put out in the world. The more gratitude you put out for that paycheck, those collaborative co-workers, the resources that allow you to pursue the things you love, the more these very thing improve to the point of transmuting themselves into the career you really want…
Have you ever thought to think about how some people get to be in positions of leadership, when all the conventional signs don’t really point to them to lead? How someone who may have as many degrees as a thermometer may not fare as well in their careers, as someone with less credentials? At the core of it all, it’s a mindset. One in which gratitude plays a monumental role…
If that sounds too woo-woo for you, think of one of the greatest self-help books of all time, Think and Grow Rich, in which author Napoleon Hill describes gratitude as one of the ultimate means to reach absolute success in life. But you must practice it on purpose, so its power can really affect your life and work. Which also means building a habit of stopping and recognizing what you are grateful for, on a consistent and active basis…
Think of What Is Working Well At Work…
In your own career, that may mean many different things. From your resources, to the connections and friendships you’ve built over time, to the experience you’ve acquired, not to mention the failures which may have taught you much more than the successes…
I went through the same process when my career was hitting lows, and I wasn’t quite sure what to do. A consistent practice of gratitude not only helped me acquire a different mindset, but also a different attitude and perspective. Circumstances could only follow after this…
That’s why I created this 21-day guided Career Gratitude Journal, complete with guided questions and fillable sections to prompt you to think of things, events and people in your career that you’re thankful for. These will force you to maybe consider aspects of your current job or career that you may overlook on a daily basis. Those little, and medium-sized, and big things we come to think of as normal, but could really change our lives if we didn’t have them…
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR 21-DAY GRATITUDE JOURNAL!
I hope you can use it for 21 days, and keep re-using the questions in there as prompts to motivate you to build a consistent habit of gratitude…
Share with us your results using the 21-Day guided Career Gratitude Journal!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
