Archive for Category: Women
What I Learned About Success from Joan Rivers
Posted in Career Advice Recommended Resources Women on July 19, 2010 at 7:35 am
Love her or hate her, you can’t deny that Joan Rivers has shown amazing staying power in the fickle world of show business. I was never a fan or Rivers or her comedy, but the new documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work got such good reviews that I thought I’d check it out.
I’m glad I did. The film was fascinating, funny and offered major insight into what it takes to survive for 50-plus years in Hollywood — one of the toughest career paths there is. Here are some of my takeaways:
Persevere, persevere, persevere. From tremendous career highs (substituting regularly for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show) to devastating lows (being blackballed by Carson when she left to host her own show, which ultimately failed), Rivers never, ever, ever, ever, ever gives up. I’m not sure many of us could handle the many rejections, public humiliations and personal and professional traumas Rivers has endured, but every time she faces a challenge she dusts herself off and gets right back to work.
Do what you love. Perhaps perseverance is easier when you love what you do for a living. According to Rivers, she knew her entire life that she wanted to be in show business, even describing it as a “calling.” While Rivers’ passion borders on compulsion, I was still inspired by her absolute love of performing, the deep effort she puts into it day after day and the sheer joy she feels on stage.
Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
On MyPath.com: Job Opportunities with Women-Owned Businesses
Posted in Career Advice Job Hunting Recommended Resources Women on January 28, 2010 at 9:09 am
I recently came across a study by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute predicting that about one-third of new jobs created over the next eight years will be at small businesses owned by women.
As a woman small business owner myself, I was really intrigued by this news. It also reminded me that many students and young professionals miss out on great opportunities because they overlook the potential to get a job at a (man- or woman-owned) small business.
In this week’s podcast, I share my thoughts on the opportunities available in small businesses, how to find these opportunities and the pros and cons of working for a smaller organization.
As always, I look forward to your feedback and comments!
Tags: career, job search, MyPath
Recommended Event in NYC: Personal Branding & Networking Panel
Posted in Networking Personal Branding Recommended Events Women on April 9, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Due to all of the great feedback from my Personal Branding and Your Job Search post earlier this week, I wanted to share information about an upcoming personal branding event in New York City. I will be attending and hope you’ll join me:
Event: Personal Branding & Networking Panel, organized by Step Up Women’s Network
Time & Date: Tuesday, April 14th. Networking reception begins at 6pm. Panel runs from 7 – 9pm.
Location: NYU Stern School of Business, Henry Kaufman Management Center, 44 West 4th St (corner of Greene)
Event Description: Now more than ever, personal branding and networking is critical to an individual’s career success. Join us for a dynamic panel discussion with female industry leaders who will share their insights on how actively build a powerful personal brand and network.
Speakers:
- Beth Schoenfeldt, Co-Founder of Collective-E (moderator)
- Christine Beauchamp, President of Ann Taylor Stores
- Carla Harris, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley
- Hope Hughes, Director of Deloitte Consulting
- Juliette Powell, author of 33 Million People in the Room
Topics to be discussed include:
• How to build and manage your personal brand
• How to follow up with people after a networking event, and ways to turn acquaintances into meaningful professional contacts.
• How to network and build mentoring relationships with senior level women
• Using technology to network — the do’s and the don’ts
Registration: Tickets are $35 for non-members and and must be purchased online by Monday, April 13th. Click here to register!
30/20 Vision Podcast: Next episode Monday, December 15th
Posted in 30/20 Vision Generation Y Life Advice Women on December 14, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Tune in Monday, December 15th at 2:30pm EST for a new episode of my monthly radio show and podcast, 30/20 Vision.
This series is for the 20-something woman who wishes she had three big sisters to clue her in on the ins and outs of life after college. This month, my co-hosts Christine Hassler (20 Something Manifesto), Alexandra Levit (How’d You Score That Gig?) and I will chat about how to cope productively with the holidays, both at work and in our personal lives.
Hope you’ll tune in live or download the podcast later!
Image: Active.com
Guest Post: 5 ways to manage financial anxiety
Posted in Finances Generation Y Life Advice Recommended Resources Women on October 9, 2008 at 8:52 am
Feeling anxious about the current economy? Who isn’t? Author, blogger and twentysomething author Marcos Salazar is here to help.
Marcos Salazar is the author of The Turbulent Twenties Survival Guide: Figuring Out Who You Are, What You Want, and Where You’re Going After College and writes a personal and career development blog looking at the psychological, social, and workforce challenges facing college graduates in the 21st century.
If you are anxious these days about the economy, you are not alone. A recent poll by the American Psychological Association found that 8 out of 10 people say the economy is a significant cause of stress, up from 66 percent in April.
Women are also most likely to report stress related to the economic climate. Compared with men, more women say they are stressed about money (83 percent vs. 78 percent), the economy (84 percent vs. 75 percent), job stability (57 percent vs. 55 percent), housing costs (66 percent vs. 58 percent) and health problems affecting their families (70 percent vs. 63 percent).
Generation Xers (ages 30 to 43) and Millennials (ages 18 to 29) are not immune from today’s economic woes either. Generation Xers are the women most concerned about money (89 percent report money as a source of stress) and Millennials are most concerned about housing costs (75 percent report housing costs as a source of stress).
With headlines declaring that the economy is getting worse each day, it can be hard not to get stressed out about how this will affect your personal finances. Fortunately, there are strategies you can utilize to quickly help manage anxiety during this economic crisis. Here are five simple methods:
1. Do a reality check by making a budget . This is the number one thing you can do to decrease financial anxiety. By making a budget, you will become aware of where you are spending money, how much you owe, and where you may need to cut back. Not knowing where your money is going can cause you a great deal of unnecessary stress, so get organized and create a budget. Here is an easy tool to help you get started. (more…)
Podcast: Career advice for moms
Posted in Career Advice Entrepreneurship Life Advice Recommended Resources Social Media Women on September 19, 2008 at 12:30 am
I had the pleasure of doing a podcast interview this week with Sharon McMillan of NewUrbanMom.com.
I met Sharon totally virtually, by communicating with each other on Twitter.* Sharon introduced me to the concept of “new urbanism,” a term that refers to the development or re-development of communities that are more pedestrian friendly, eco-friendly and business friendly. Read more about the principles and benefits of new urbanism.
On the podcast, Sharon and I talk about my experience growing up with an entrepreneurial mom, tips for mothers who want to return to their careers and suggestions for anyone who wants to work for an environmentally friendly company. The interview is about 20 minutes long. Hope you’ll listen in!
*If you’d like to follow me on Twitter, I’m @lindseypollak.
Downtown Women’s Club survey: How do you network?
Posted in Recommended Resources Women on September 18, 2008 at 10:05 am
Take this survey and receive a discounted Downtown Women’s Club membership
The Downtown Women’s Club is offering discounted memberships (or free renewals for existing members) to anyone who completes their “online networking/social media” survey. This is an update of a 2006 survey and they’d really like to see how women are using the Internet to network. Plus, there are a few meaty questions about Sarah Palin…
The survey takes 5 to 7 minutes to complete. Click below if you’re interested!
Me and my mom on CNN.com: “Help, I’m turning into my mother!”
Posted in Life Advice Women on August 28, 2008 at 12:01 am
People often ask me how I got started as a professional speaker. Meet my mom…
People often ask me how I got started as a professional speaker. It’s not a very common career choice, especially for a young professional. The reality is that I learned about careers in motivational speaking at a very early age. My mom, Jane Pollak, listened to speakers like Zig Ziglar, Julie White and Roger Dawson in the car while driving me, my brother and my sister to our various activities. She was in the early stages of her career as a speaker.
At the time, I found this to be outrageously embarrassing. The thought of my mom standing up in front of people and giving a speech? Gross. Now, of course, I realize she was — unconsciously — helping to sow the seeds of my future career. (I shudder to think what my future children will think of my speaking career!)
A 2007 Inc.com story explains that more and more mothers and daughters are working together, just as fathers and sons have been doing for centuries. Will this trend continue? Do you have aspirations to follow in a parent’s career footsteps? Please share in the Comments section below.
This post was sparked by the fact that my mom and I were featured this week in a story by Maureen Salamon on CNN.com, “Help, I’m turning into my mother.” (Thank you to Peter Shankman and HARO for the connection!) Here is an excerpt from the article: (more…)
New job board for women…with recession-proof pricing for job posters
Posted in Job Hunting Uncategorized Women on June 26, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Gas prices are rising, food costs are rising, airline fees are rising. Luckily, job posting is on sale!
DowntownWomensClub.com (DWC), has partnered with Indeed.com to offer a “recession special” price for job postings on the organization’s brand new job board: $30 for a 30-day posting through the end of the summer. And, you don’t have to be a member of DWC — or even a woman — to enjoy this deal.
If you are job searching, it’s free to use the DWC job board to find opportunities. Check out the new job board here.
In addition to adding a national job board, DWC has redesigned its entire website to better help businesswomen create their dream careers. As a DWC member and contributor, here are some of the site features I recommend: (more…)
A much-needed optimistic view of the future: “What’s Your Point, Honey?”
Posted in Generation Y Recommended Resources Women on June 2, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Last Thursday I had the privilege of attending the premiere of a new documentary, What’s Your Point, Honey?
The film, from the creator of the fabulous Mad Hot Ballroom, puts a fresh spin on political leadership by introducing seven college-aged women, presented as possible contenders for President of the United States someday. The seven college women in the film are each winners of Project 2024, an initiative sponsored by The White House Project and CosmoGirl! to get more young women involved in politics.
Two other age groups, teens and tweens, weave in and out of the movie to present the next generations’ take on the topic of women in leadership, providing some pretty delightful comic relief along the way (My favorite moment: watching three tween girls wander through Madame Tussauds Wax Museum arguing about how to pronounce “Tussaud”).
I went to the film with my friend and mentor Carol Frohlinger (check out Carol’s blog on women’s leadership: The Thin Pink Line), and we both loved it. Here are some reasons I give it a thumbs up:
It portrays Gen Y in a positive light. Yes, some of the college women in the movie wear flip-flops, say “like” too much and chew gum on the first day of their internships. But unlike so many media stories that only show the negative stuff, the filmmakers of What’s Your Point, Honey? mostly show these Millennial women as articulate, motivated, witty, public-service minded and independent thinking. That’s been the majority of my experience with Gen Ys, and I’m glad to see it on the big screen.
It approaches feminism with a sense of humor and relevance. As someone with a master’s degree in women’s studies and a lifelong interest in women’s issues, I’m often disappointed in the way many people dismiss feminism as an “old cause.” This film shows how women have come very far, but we still have a long way to go, especially when it comes to women in leadership positions. Much of the humor comes from those tween girls, who ride around New York City on little scooters and ask men on the street if they would ever vote for a woman. (Luckily, they all answer yes.)
It’s not anti-men. One of the major themes of the film is the role that supportive dads play in the lives of the seven young women. Rather than complaining about helicopter parenting, the film celebrates the positive involvement of many parents in their kids’ lives. It also includes conversations with young men addressing women’s issues. If you’re a guy reading this post and wondering if you should see the movie, check out this review from the film’s website:
“I didn’t hate it,” John-Michael Ulmer, 16, high school student, baseball/football player
If I sound like a raving fan of this movie, well, I am. I love documentaries, and this one is smart, funny and important. The filmmakers are hoping to spread the film by word of mouth and private viewings, so I hope you’ll check out the What’s Your Point Honey? website to watch the trailer and consider buying the DVD.
And for the record, I hope that all seven girls in the film run for office someday. I’d vote for every one of them.
