May 2010 Archives

Nominate a Powerful Women

It's that time of year again, to make nominations for the Austin Business Journal's "Profiles in Power" award. The deadline is 5:00pm CST on June 4. Here are the specifics, from ABJ:

"We need your help to identify the top women in Central Texas who have forged their own path and developed their own leadership principles.  These women have something to offer the next generation of women leaders.  They have made a difference in their communities, blazed new trails and are leaving a mark on the Central Texas business.

Nominate a working woman of distinction who has gained recognition because she is a successful business owner or member of top management with a company or organization of any size.  The awards will recognize women who are at the top in their industry and women of influence in all of Central Texas.

Twenty-five winners will be selected by a panel of industry experts from all of Central Texas.  A Profile in Power & Woman of Influence could be an entrepreneur, industry leader, mentor, non-profit leader or anyone leading the charge.  The entire nomination form must be submitted to be eligible including the questions from the nominee.  The judges will select the top twenty-five women regardless of their area of expertise.  Below is a suggested list of leadership characteristics that describes a Central Texas Profile in Power & Woman of Influence.

Leadership Characteristics for a Profile in Power & Woman of Influence:

Entrepreneur: women who are the chief executive, president or founder of a company or business venture that they helped start, build or significantly grow; women who through new ideas and hard work, are keeping a family-owned business thriving and relevant for another generation; or a pair of women who worked as a team to bring a project, mission or company to life.

Industry Standout:  women who stand out in their industry who are bringing fresh thinking to our world.  This could be education, medical, environmental, music and film, real estate, technology, engineers and more.

Inspiration/Mentor/Influencer: women who enrich and inspire the lives and careers of others by sharing their experience and wisdom with those who work with and around them or have influenced others to take charge.

Leading the Charge: women -- who though they may not have the big title or corner office - are a driving force behind the success of their employer.

Nonprofit/Government Leadership: women who display high energy and skill in a leadership role at a nonprofit organization or women who have made or are making a difference in government policies or laws that impact business and industry

The nomination deadline is June 4 at 5:00pm CST. Late nominations will not be accepted, no exceptions.

All materials must be submitted online to be considered a nominee including questions filled out by the nominee and two references with contact information. After the online nomination is submitted, then email the nominee's resume and a headshot of the nominee in jpeg format.  The judges will select the winners from the requested information; no additional promotional material is needed and will not be included in the judging packets.  The key issue is to communicate - why the nominee should be a Profile in Power & Woman of Influence winner followed by a clear resume that shows a successful path.

Save the date for the Profiles in Power & Women of Influence Awards on Friday, July 23 at the Westin Hotel.  Keynote speaker will be Michelle Andrews Smith, Assistant to the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System.

Life Lessons from the Unlikely Lavender Queen

Writer Jeannie Ralston translated her Do-Over! into a wonderful memoir, The Unlikely Lavender Queen, which I blogged about last year. Since she pioneered the first lavender farm in The Hill Country, she's gone on to a few more Do-Overs! Lucky for us, she graciously agreed to update her adventures and share her "list of four," as part of this month's celebration of my Do-Over! fourth anniversary:

I think I was on to Do-Overs! early. I remember when I was just out of college I hoped that I would have several different careers. But I don't think I anticipated how different they would be. Going from New York City journalist to lavender farmer in rural Texas was certainly a huge leap--one I recounted in my memoir, The Unlikely Lavender Queen, which you can learn more about on my website.

Recently I've had another career change. I've become a teacher. I know all parents are teachers in many ways, but I've taken on the role in an official way. For the past year, I've been homeschooling our sons, ages 13 and 11. It has been both the most rewarding and exhausting job in my life. I've really had to work on my patience (something I struggled with already during my lavender farming days) and my empathy.

A few reasons I've loved teaching: I've gotten to know my kids in a different way, by seeing up-close how their minds work. I realize that to teach someone, you really have to be able to step into their brains to understand what they might not know. This has really pushed me to get out of my own head. Plus, I'm learning so much myself! I'm starting to wonder if I slept all through my education, because I'm discovering or rediscovering so much about history, science, art, and literature. (I purposely did not add math to that list, since my husband, Robb, and a tutor take care of that. I have not a remnant of math know-how in my brain to work with.)

OK, the very best thing about this particular Do-Over! is that the perks include travel! The reason we took on homeschooling in the first place was so we could travel with the boys before they became too cool to hang out with us. We were in South America in the fall and Africa and Europe this past spring. (Since I did all the planning of these itineraries I guess I could add travel agent to my list of careers--except I think Expedia and other Internet sites have eliminated travel agents as real paying jobs.) If you want to see what we've experienced this past year, you can check out our blogs and photos on our family website.

We've enjoyed homeschooling so much that we're planning to do it at least one more year. Right now I'm putting together an Ancient History tour--Egypt, Greece, Turkey, and Rome. I LOVE this teaching gig!

Since I'm in the teaching mindset right now, I've come up with my top four life lessons:

Bloom where you're planted. This is a popular saying, but I don't think I understood it till I got out on that lavender farm in the middle of nowhere. The way I say it is, "Work With What You Got."

If you can't change your situation, change your attitude. I truly believe that when you get stuck and it feels like nothing is working out the way it's "supposed to," you often only have to change your mindset to free yourself. I hated living in rural Texas until I realized that I wasn't going to be moving any time soon, which meant I had a choice: learn to embrace my life there or continue to be miserable. The answer was in my head all along.

People will generally treat you the way you treat them. I guess this is a version of the Golden Rule. I tell this to my boys all the time. I believe that you get what you give, and if you give off negative feelings, you'll probably get negative back. But if you stay positive, even if someone is being negative toward you, you can often turn them around and soften their approach toward you. A corollary of this is: kindness is often the best response to unkindness. Kindness is wonderfully disarming!

Be the answer to someone's prayers. My minister once ended his service by saying, "Go out and be the answer to someone's prayers." That struck me like lightning, and I've done my best to live up to his directive (but am sorry to report I have not done half as well as I would have liked). We all probably have heard that to get our minds off of our own troubles, think about someone else. Well, doing something for someone else--really being of service--is even more powerful.

Photo: Jeannie and her husband, Robb, with their boys, Gus and Jeb, after hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Courtesy of Jeannie Ralston.

Clear the Path to Your Do-Over!

Take a quick look around yourself right now. Is the space clear and calm? If not, that's likely contributing to any lack of clarity you're feeling in your life. Because your external environment reflects and affects your internal life.

In the midst of reinvention, it's especially important to establish a clear environment. You can create a place to support your Do-Over! by eliminating the habits that lead to clutter and confusion.

My favorite anti-clutter super-hero is Lorie Marrero, author of The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life. She gave me permission to share with you the four habits you'll want to break on your way to a Do-Over! (Good Housekeeping magazine featured this advice in the June issue.)

1.  Deal with the fear of letting go. "Ask yourself, 'What is the worst-case scenario if I get rid of this?' and play that scenario out to the end," Lorie suggests. "The answer is usually not that scary."

2.  Step up to the task. As my mother used to say, "It won't happen by osmosis." Lorie advises us to assign and communicate precise responsibilities to family members for creating and maintaining order.

3.  Stop procrastinating.  Resist the urge to say, "I'll just put it here for now." Instead, says Lorie, make the decision immediately.

4.  Stop buying so much stuff. Lorie offers a printable wallet-size reminder with five questions you should ask yourself before making a purchase.

Certified Professional Organizer® Lorie Marrero is the author of The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life. She is also the creator of ClutterDiet.com, an innovative program allowing anyone to get expert help at an affordable price. Her organizing books and products are sold online and in stores nationwide. Lorie has served as a spokesperson for Microsoft and Brother label makers, and she is a sought-after expert for national media such as CNBC, Good Housekeeping, WGN News and Woman's Day. Her latest venture is ClutterDietStorage.com, a revolutionary box-based self-storage service.

4 Best Reasons It's Okay to Take a Do-Over!

From the wisdom of this past weekend's mini-retreat participants, consider these four reasons it's okay to take a Do-Over!:

1.  Because I can.

2.  Because I deserve it.

3.  Because I've been taking care of other people long enough.

4.  Because if I don't do it, no one else will do it for me.

What's your reason?

Photo by Beth Schrader, Busy Traveler

Misty Gibbs' Fab-Four Do-Over! Tips

I love Misty Gibbs' "My Inspiration Lounge" website ("be inspired, get informed, embrace life"), so when I heard she was moving to Austin, I couldn't wait to see what she'd come up with just for us! Indeed, in only a short time she has started "Austin Women Online," a website "helping each other live our best life!"

I asked Misty to share her ideas and tips about taking a Do-Over! Here's her wisdom:

"I would consider the last three years a big Do-Over! time in my life. Eyes wide open; I've been focused on reclaiming the creative-fun-adventurous side of me lost to the corporate world and becoming a mom over the years. Choosing to live life on my terms and pursue my passions inspired MyInspirationLounge.com, a website I launched to empower other busy women to create change.

"My most recent Do-Over! was the big leap of faith we took last year moving our family from Santa Barbara to Austin. We didn't have many friends or family here, but our move has paid off in so many ways. Being a part of a vibrant, strong community and feeling at home has allowed my entire family to flourish in their own ways. I was instantly inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit, philanthropic focus, and social lifestyle in Austin, so I created Austin Women Online, a website for local inspiration and where the best of Austin's people, charities, events and businesses can be shared.

"Throughout all of this, I realized that we're reinventing ourselves all the time. Sometimes we don't see it happening, other times - our eyes are wide-open. Here are the four things I learned about do-overs:

1. You will be presented with many moments where you have to make a choice - to survive or thrive. Choose to thrive!

2. Ignore the naysayers and stick with your dreams!

3. Follow your gut and take a chance, the payoff is so worth it and beyond what you imagined!

4. You have to be open to change, in order for change to happen."

Misty Gibbs is founder of Austin Women and MyInspirationLounge.com, a one-stop shop for women to explore the best inspiration on the web. Her mission is to empower busy women with the information and inspiration they need to change their life in minutes. My Inspiration Lounge and Misty's tips have been featured in MORE, The Women's Conference, Sunset Magazine, Real Simple, Huffington Post, and Extraordinary Women Magazine. Tips on how to thrive are sent out weekly in her newsletter, InspireMail.

Your Career: Make Sure to Look Up

My presentation for Texas Wall Street Women in Houston last night was fun, and inspiring. If there's any industry that fully understands the need to take control of its own career destiny, it's the financial industry! That was an impressive group of women, and I heard a lot of great wisdom shared. In return, I offered my top 10 stories-and-strategies for becoming the change-agent of your own career. We began with Tyra Banks and ended with Oprah.

Along the way, I urged our merry band of professional women to "look up!" Too often we focus so intently on what's on the desk in front of us that we forget to pay attention to the big picture and the passing show. We do at our own peril, given that change is the new black.

If you want to be proactive about shaping the trajectory of your career rather than remaining at the mercy of the markets or an employer, consider these four strategies:

1.  Cultivate a network of experts, connectors, and champions beyond your immediate industry, company, and location. As you increase your professional responsibilities, you'll need a broader, more diversified set of perspectives to expand your capacity.

2.  Track the latest and anticipated trends in your industry and all the industries upon which yours depends. In other words, don't ignore the proverbial writing on the wall.

3.  Figure out the unspoken rules.  They're there; they are the cultural blood and muscle of your workplace. But you won't find them annotated in the employee manual. If you can't read the tea leaves yourself, find a mentor to help interpret.

4.  Consider your career path, at least provisionally. Can you articulate your near, mid-, and long-term ambitions? With them in hand, assess which skills, experience, and knowledge you will need to acquire and plan how you're going to develop them.

Get Away This Saturday

This Saturday I'll be hosting my last mini-retreat until the fall. Do-Over! How to Reinvent Your Life has a few seats left, if you want to come out to Wimberley for the afternoon. I've got the garden ready and waiting! You'll see the cactus and lavender in bloom side-by-side. Click here for more details.

4 Do-Over! Strategies from the Garden

May is my anniversary. The fourth anniversary of my Do-Over! Four years ago I left academia after two decades, and I never looked back.

To celebrate my big "4," I'll be giving you lots of Do-Over! advice in "lists of four," both from me and from my favorite Do-Over! artists. Let's start in the garden.

Recently I've been spending as much time as possible in the garden, seizing the last opportunity to dig in new plants before the heat and trying to keep up with the weeds. (Warning: don't be seduced by how sweet violas look. They will take over.)

Whether or not you're a dirt diva like me, these four strategies from the garden will help you cultivate your Do-Over!:

1.    Design
The better part of creating a beautiful garden is choosing the right plant for the right spot. Similarly, a successful Do-Over! requires strategic planning.

2.    Compost
Not only does Weed'n'Feed not work, it also damages your trees and plants. You see, there are no shortcuts or two-fers in gardening. Or in Do-Overs! Instead, what you need is compost, which nourishes the soil, the very soul of your transition.

3.    Prune
It's ironic, but plants and trees grow more lush and shapely when you prune them. Same with Do-Overs! The more you cut back, the better you can focus on what matters most.

4.    Maintain
I see it too often in my 'hood: someone puts in an elaborate garden, never to set foot in it again. It goes to seed with a season or two. Don't let this happen to you. When the initial Do-Over! euphoria passes, there's still a lot of work to do.

Do you have a "list of four" you've learned from your Do-Over!? Post it to the Do-Over! page, and share the wisdom.

Who Is That Sissy Farenthold?

Have you ever heard of Sissy Farenthold--The Honorable Frances Tarlton Farenthold? I'm embarrassed to say that I hadn't until this February, when she received the 2010 Pathfinder Award from Texas Women Lawyers for helping open the door for women's leadership in the American political system.

A Corpus Christi native, Farenthold gained a seat in the Texas legislature in 1968. She went on to run for the Texas Governor's office in 1972, the same year she was nominated (by Gloria Steinem) as the first female Democratic candidate for the US vice presidency. From 1976-1980 she served as the first women president of Wells College.

Here's some of what Farenthold said to us at the TWL award ceremony:

Thank you to all the men here today, because all we are striving for is equality. It's as simple as that. I commend each of you as a pathfinder doing the work that is still there. It's not as conspicuous as it was, but it's still there. Sometimes it's deja vu. Particularly when I saw how the insurance companies opposed health reform legislation. Because insurance companies charge women so much more. It's as simple as that. Follow the money.

Nothing raised my consciousness like being in the [Texas] legislature for two terms.

I had not supported the ERA before I joined the legislature because the State Bar was against it. My "tradition of timidity."

Until 1954, women could not serve on a criminal jury in Texas. I researched what the federal judges in Texas thought. They had two reasons to oppose the change. First, there were 254 courtrooms. It would be too expensive to build 254 additional restrooms. Second, they claimed that women would be too preoccupied with what was going on at home with the children. After that modest research, I co-sponsored the ERA.

Further Reading: "Unsung Heroines: Frances 'Sissy' Farenthold, Tenacious Texas Politician"

What I Learned from Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington took as big a public Do-Over! as you can imagine. In 1996, she left  the Republican party to become one of the country's leading liberal voices.

After attending her studio interview with Texas Monthly Talks on Monday, I took another look at Huffington's 2006 book, On Becoming Fearless.

Her life has been a series of Do-Overs!, beginning with her move from Greece to Cambridge University, where she succeeded in distinguishing herself in the school's famed debating club, despite her her thick accent.

More recently, she was one of the first to envision the possibilities of blogging, switching from from a print platform to a virtual one. She was ridiculed when she launched the Huffington Post in 2005; in March 2010 the site had 13 million unique hits.

I aspire to keep reinventing myself, too, so I intend to steal some of Huffington's best Do-Over! moves:

Follow the desire. Huffington wanted in so badly at the Cambridge debating club that she wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

Take the risk. She ignored the industry insiders who naysayed her plans for the Huffington Post.

Make the course correction. When the Republican platform no longer fit her views, Huffington switched to the party that did.

Never say die. She may have lost the 2003 California gubernatorial race, but she didn't let that slow her public ambitions a nanosecond.