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Archives for June 2015

5 Solid Tips to Successfully Transition Careers

June 30, 2015 by Tiffanee Thompson 198 Comments

careerdirectionsllc.com

There is something about the new season that brings about a lot of transition. For me, the feeling and motivation that I get during New Years starts all over again when the sun comes back out and the flowers begin to bloom. Getting rid of the winter blues and packing away the bulky clothing are fun and easy acts of transitioning. But what about the changes that require some intense thought? The decisions that can potentially alter your finances, lifestyle and career are the ones that require some advice and personal reflection.

There are two types of individuals that face career transitions:

  1. People who are sure about the career/industry they want to transition in to
  2. People who are not sure of the type of work they want to transition in to

Each individual still needs to go through a process to ensure that the decision they make is both correct and timely. Let’s be honest, the state of the job market here in the US is not great. Even if the career you wish to transition in to is seeking employees, the process to secure your dream job can be exhausting and may require a lot of time. But considering the decision to transition out of one industry to another adds on additional effort on your part and may require you to evaluate some key questions such as:

  • What skills are transferrable to this new position and company?
  • Do I need to re-write my resume?
  • Is the salary in my desired field the same, more or less than what I’m making now?
  • What is the promotion culture at this new position/company?
  • Do I need additional education in order to apply for this job?
  • Does my dream job or position require me to stay in my location or to move?

Here is some advice that will help you shape your career transition process:

1. Know thy Self – The Importance of Self-Assessment

If you are in your late 20s/early 30s, there is no time to waste. Understanding what you are best at (based on passion, education or work history) and how to transition those skills in to a new job should be the main priority. Jotting down a list of key skills and list of your hobbies and passions are great ways to evaluate you as a person and how you will fit into the workforce. It’s important to also keep in mind that this evaluation process may lean you towards creating your own career with you as a boss.

provides good resources for you to gain some insight on the various occupational groups. Here you will be able to generally track salary, job summaries and education needed to apply across many industries.

In addition to knowing yourself, it is also important to understand who you are as an employee. Birkman International is an organization that helps the workforce narrow down their behavior and the perception one has of themselves versus how others may perceive them. They provide a free online assessment and custom report that will help narrow down your work personality: .

2. Industry and Company Selection

The assessment will help you decide if your career aspirations match your skillsets and interests. There are situation where many people have to pick a career based on its immediate availability and that’s ok! But if you do have the opportunity to work towards obtaining the career of your dreams, narrowing down that industry and company is beneficial during your process. Start by figuring what companies you admire and research if they match your interests.

3. Position Selection

The position you aim to fill needs to be careful selected. Be honest with yourself. Based on the job description understand if you can fulfill those requirements. Requirements may come in the form of daily duties, managerial oversight, communication between multiple departments or people, submitting various assignment, etc. Choosing a position may also come with the requirement of additional education. Ask yourself if you have the needed background to set you a part from other candidates.

Most work requirements may come from on the job training (understanding company culture or internal technology) while others are required to get the job.

4. Re-Build Your Career History

At this point you have evaluated your skillset and passions, chosen the industry and position you identify with and the next logical step is to take those components to update your documentation: the resume and the cover letter.  Creating and updating a resume and cover letter is probably one of the most tedious parts of this process. There are so many nuances needed for it to be considered great. Outdated and irrelevant career documents can create setbacks when it comes to the job-hunting process. In order to avoid that, lets look at some ways to gain some help.

Career centers at your location university (if you are tackling the crazy life of school and work) will provide a level of face-to-face assistance that cannot be obtained online. If your main resource is your handy laptop and smart phone here are some amazing websites that can provide writing tips to enhance your documents before submission

5. The Submission Process

The submission process is often referred to as “The Black Hole; you submit your resume and it mysterious gets lost in the World Wide Web. Every company now requires you to submit your job application online. Our generation was born and raised on the Internet and the number of job submissions is growing by the second.

Understanding the way in which each company accepts application is so important. For example, small startups and large corporation may have a different process. Some may require digital resumes with a personal portfolio others may be more traditional and require to complete a profile and simply upload your documents.

We are in this together! When thinking about careers, you should always strive to get better at your craft. These pieces of advice should set the stage for you to finally make the decision to take control of your work life. Even though it may take a little extra hard work and time, we encourage you to continue to make 2015 an awesome a year![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Filed Under: Business

Anie Akpe

June 29, 2015 by Sharon Beason wc@womeneur.com 3,164 Comments

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Womeneur Spotlight” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Take a walk down the path of these entrepreneurs, business owners and progressive women.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default” bg_type=”image” parallax_style=”vcpb-default” bg_image_new=”id^2964|url^https://www.womeneur.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/womeneur-spotlight-anie-akpie_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^womeneur-spotlight-anie-akpie_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1|description^null” css=”.vc_custom_1461299036847{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1461298790671{margin-bottom: -2px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

ANIE AKPIE

FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”5″ accent_color=”#e3672b” css=”.vc_custom_1460496937176{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Website:

Social Media: [dt_social_icons animation=”none” alignment=”default”][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”facebook” link=”https://www.facebook.com/AnieAkpe” /][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”instagram” link=”http://instagram.com/CityChickNYC” /][/dt_social_icons][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”2963″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Anie Akpe, magazine Publisher and Founder of , is a business professional and entrepreneur with more than 15 years experience in the banking industry, currently managing a $575 million-plus portfolio. As founder of IBOM LLC, Akpe aids small businesses around the world, particularly those owned by African entrepreneurs in the Diaspora, guiding business development and strategy and leading sound results in the completion of their business goals. A native of Nigeria, she meshes her global experience and culture with skills from stellar corporate America leadership to provide unique and results-driven services to her clients.

Innov8tiv.com is a subsidiary of IBOM LLC, adding to her company’s mission to not only advocate entrepreneurship among global professionals of color, but dynamic technology information, resources, events and media.

This Womeneur holds a bachelors degree and MBA from Dowling College in Long Island, N.Y. An avid reader, traveler and bike rider with a passion for entrepreneurship, she resides in Brooklyn, N.Y.

 

What inspired your journey into business?
My journey when I reached a point in my professional career when I started to feel that I needed to give back. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do.

What steps did you take to start your business?
I started to attend various events in order to gauge what was happening within the African diaspora community. As I attended these events, people who knew I was from the financial sector began asking questions regarding starting a small business.
Because of these these types of questions, I realized I didn’t have to look very far. From the questions being asked, I knew that being a business consultant was the answer. I also knew that technology would be the foundation that would help them succeed in this new venture. Instead of going from one event to another in order to build up a potential customer base, I started hosting events that would answer some of the questions that I was receiving..

What are your biggest fears?
I see fears as opportunities. The biggest question for me was what would set me apart from the other people that are doing the exact same thing. This question allowed me to focus on being creative.

What do you do to stay motivated when you feel like giving up?
Take a rest from it all. For me that’s typically associated with being burnt out from trying to force things to happen. Once you take a break for a few days, you get your perspective back and it allows you to have a different view point.

What are your weakness in business and how have worked pass them? 
I can’t do it all. Find people that can assist you to get things done. I rarely use interns but when I have events, it’s the best thing that I could ask for.

What’s been most rewarding?
Watching my business grow through my partnerships. I believe that any business getting started should look to align themselves with other businesses that match their goals.

Who were you before you started your business?
I bootstrap my passions. I’m still a Vice-President of Mortgage Operations at a finical Institution.

If you had to do it again, what (if anything) would you do differently?
I wouldn’t change anything otherwise I would not be where I am today. The lessons helped me grow tremendously.

What’s one good software or application you cannot live without?
I have several but the one I use in New York City traffic is Waze App.

What’s your secret to cultivating a relationship between you and your customers?
Be straight forward with people. No need to beat around the bush, especially as it relates to their business goals.

Where do you see your business in 5 years?
Bedsides having an office in New York City and Kenya, I would like to have an office in Nigeria and Johannesburg. Currently, I am working on an app called Networq which is in beta right now and 5 years from now, we would have launched 3 more apps.

What are 3 tips you can share with budding and current entrepreneurs/business owners?

  1. Go hard or go home
  2. For budding entrepreneurs, mini-Launch what you want to do. This way, you don’t spend thousands of dollars. Test the waters on a small group and see what happens
  3. Set realistic goals. Success for some may come over night, but it’s not a guarantee for everyone. So as an entrepreneur, make sure you forecast for unexpected expenses. That secret account that you keep will get you through the ‘storm’

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Filed Under: Womeneur Spotlight

5 Ways to Determine Pricing Your Services

June 25, 2015 by Janine Truitt 2,904 Comments

mackeyadvisors.com

One of the most difficult things for me as an entrepreneur has been deciding what my time and services are worth. It took me about a year of discomfort, poor decisions and many underpaid hours of work to realize the error of my ways. When you hear the common entrepreneurial advice of “fail fast and fail often”, this is one of those areas where I recommend you take heed.

As you start to bring on clients, they will want to know what you do and understand what it will cost them. Some will even try to deter you from charging the prices that you do for a variety of reasons. Having the following considerations in mind is my attempt to save you (if even slightly) from making some of the mistakes I did:

1. Do your research and set a price for your services.
When I say do your research, don’t just run a Google search, crowd source information from other business owners about how they valuate their services. Will you lag the market, lead the market or be on par with the market? These are just some of the questions you will have to ask yourself and answer to have a clear understanding of the value of your business. Service alone is like dollar bills without gold to back it. The only time your services mean anything is when you back it with a pre-determined attribution of time and effort. Of course, this may vary from client to client because of their individual needs. However, if you have a solid baseline price for your services you will rarely feel like you are underpaid for your work.

2. Minimize the costs you incur for delivered services.
If the project or service you are working on requires additional costs; don’t be a martyr and incur those costs. The danger in doing this is you can exhaust your own profits trying to fund a project or campaign; when in reality the cost needs to be absorbed by the customer. Part of owning your worth is being able to communicate these additions, changes or increases in cost without feeling guilty about it.

3. Be confident in the pricing framework you have set.
You will get the occasional client that wants to nickel and dime you for your services. As a business owner, I encourage flexibility at times-but by and large you need to be confident and steadfast about your prices. Only you can determine what your time and effort is worth. If they can’t afford you, you have to be comfortable with walking away from work in an effort to defend your worth and prices. Early on, this can be a difficult thing to swallow-as you are trying to establish yourself; but it is a necessary skill.

4. Keep accurate records of the time you spend on delivering services.
The only way to monitor the relationship between what you are charging and the actual labor is to keep timely and accurate records. Reviewing time and labor for each project and looking for trends over time can provide important data that should inform any price increases or adjustments needed.

5. Don’t be afraid to fire clients.
Yes, owning your own business is about helping people and passion and all of those virtuous things. However, you are also in business to make money. If you operate your business from a place of fear where you are unable to have frank conversations with clients about your rates and/or their inability to afford you- you will be broke and unhappy. Be transparent and upfront about what it costs to do business with you. If you get the hint that the client has quirks around paying on time or paying you at all- politely thank them for their interest and part ways quickly.

Having a pricing framework and realizing that you will be learning about the worth of your business throughout your time as a business owner is paramount. If you provide a value, the right client will pay you what you ask with no questions ask. The key is to put your ducks in a row and then go out and acquire the right clients for your business.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Filed Under: Business

5 Key Steps to Building Unstoppable Courage

June 24, 2015 by Lola Thompson 99 Comments

articles.bplans.com

Courage. What is it? For me… It’s one of the most powerful virtues we can build and acquire. It’s the difference between hoping and achieving. It’s the difference between wanting something to be and making it happen. Courage is required to reach your dreams and fulfill your deepest desires. Courage is what we call on to keep going when everything in front of us says to quit and fear insists that our journey is impossible. As a business woman, it’s the one garment that we all must adorn each and everyday to get us to the next level and heck… just to get us to the next minute in some instances.

I have found that in my life as an entrepreneur for most of the last 20 years as a successful Real Estate/MLM Trainer, and Vision Strategist, it is usually the lack of courage that keeps us from reaching our personal destiny. So many let fear cheat them out of living the life they have always dreamed of. If someone asked me what the single most important trait was for any progressive, successful business professional, hands down I would say the courage to smack down fear.

I remember during 2008 -2009 when the sky was falling in our economy and specifically in the real estate industry. Things were dismal. We all witnessed our associates, friends, and industry colleagues losing everything they had worked so hard for. In the mortgage industry on top of losing their businesses, some folks even went to jail and had to spend years away from their families because things had gone so wrong. It was crazy. It was scary. It was devastating. So many people left the industry and went to 9-5 jobs because they just couldn’t imagine ever going through all of that again. But then slowly but surely about 3 years ago… things started to creep back again. Real estate offices started to re-open. Mortgage lenders started to loosen up on qualifications again, just a little and we could all begin see our way back to rebuilding. But again, it was hard. It required great courage and acknowledgement of lots of lessons learned. We all became better and stronger. When I look back at it all, I realize that there were 5 core things that helped me find my way back and will always guide me through any adversity in a courageous manner.

1. Be Grateful

Remembering to remain grateful for everything, no matter what you are and what you may or may not have is imperative. Gratefulness is the gateway to blessings and acceptance. It is necessary to find something to be grateful for especially in the face of difficult times to inspire you to keep going. When you are going through a rough time in business or personally, take the time every single day to write down what and who you are grateful for. It will lift your spirits, it will give you peace, and invite more things into your life to be grateful for.

2. Forgive Yourself

You know typically when we speak about forgiveness, it’s in regard to someone else. We are working on forgiving what we perceive someone else has done to us. And while that is important, it’s really secondary to forgiving yourself. Yes, as we move through life, we have a tendency to beat up on ourselves for mistakes made, opportunities missed, and goals not achieved. Well… Cut it out! In order for you to move in a courageous and powerful way, you have to leave the past in the past and give

yourself a break. Speak favorable to yourself and about yourself to others. I mean really if you aren’t going to forgive yourself and allow for bigger and better things to come, why should anyone else?

3. Give Yourself Permission to Want More

So many times in addition to not forgiving ourselves, we convince ourselves that we should just be happy where we are or with what we have. That’s nonsense!!! You deserve the best of whatever. Love, Career, Money, Health, Fun! Never settle and never believe from yourself or anyone else that you are supposed to. If there is better, if there is more, and you desire it, go for it with all you’ve got!

4. Design a Plan of Action

What’s that we’ve all heard for years? “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. That saying is absolutely true. Without a plan, you are just wishing. Designing and writing down your plan to get to your goals is imperative. A plan doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you will reach your goals, but it does give you a place to work from. Life happens and with a written plan, even when you get off track… you always know where you left off and have a clear direction for you next step when you are ready to continue your journey.

5. Commit to the Process

Never give up!! One of the biggest downfalls of us all is stopping before we get to the glory. As a matter of fact we usually stop right before we are about to reach our goal. typically we do this because we as humans have a predetermined time for when something should take place or happen. Though your plan may have deadlines and completion dates, don’t decide it’s over just because you said July 18th and it came and went. Keep pushing. It’s fine to adjust, course correct, or even rest for a minute, but you must not ever give up.

I share these things with my real estate investing and small business clients all the time and I live by them myself. They require daily reinforcement to build and maintain the courage necessary for lasting success. It’s not much different than the concept of bathing or eating food. Just because you did it yesterday… doesn’t mean you don’t have to do it tomorrow. Courage is about what you do everyday to live into your own specific purpose. It’s about standing for your own happiness and peace. Ask yourself everyday if you are being courageous in how you live. If the answer is no, don’t trip. Just go back to my Fab Five List for building courage, review your plan, then repeat as needed!

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Filed Under: Real Talk

5 Essential Steps to Starting Your Business

June 23, 2015 by Melissa P. Bernier, Esq 3,036 Comments

rayhigdon.com

As a small business attorney, I have helped many people start, structure and develop their businesses.  From idea inception to the sale of their business, I’ve seen (and experienced) it all.  Since the recession of 2009, entrepreneurship is at an all-time high, as people are realizing that “job security” is something that only you can provide for yourself.  While it’s not for the faint of heart, entrepreneurship is a wonderful thing, and if done correctly, can be extremely lucrative.  But before you sell your first product or provide your first service, here are 5 crucial things that you need to know:

1. Have a Business Plan
A business plan – a written one – is absolutely necessary.  Point, blank, period.  Conducting business without a plan is like driving from New York to California without a map or GPS.  More than just a document for potential investors, it’s the blueprint to your business.  The thought of creating one makes people a bit anxious, as they believe that it has to be a 20-page document full of stuff that they don’t know how to articulate.  It definitely doesn’t have to be. However, it does have to be written, must detail how your business will function and what your business goals are.

2. Implement a Legal Business Structure
The most important aspect of implementing a legal business structure is the shield of liability.  What this basically means is that when you incorporate – by becoming a corporation, limited liability company or partnership – you add a layer of protection to your business.  If something were to happen during and in the course of conducting your business, and you were to get sued, your personal assets would be protected.  You wouldn’t want to lose your house, car or other assets over an aggrieved and disgruntled customer.

3. Hire a Team of Professionals
Teamwork makes the dream work.  Your starting lineup should always include: an ACCOUNTANT, a LAWYER, and a FINANCIAL ADVISOR.  Early on in my career a mentor told me that you should always outsource anything that someone else can do better and faster.  That way, you have the time to focus on what you do best.  Additionally, you definitely want to start out on the right foot.  Hiring these people can be costly, especially in the beginning when funding may be scarce.  Resources, such as NYC Business Solutions offers free services to small business owners and is a great place to start.

4. Network
Your network determines your net worth.  No man is an island, and if you are, you probably won’t get much business.  Networking is a fun and effective way of getting your name out there and letting the world know what you do.  Use networking to build meaningful relationships with people that you may do business with now or in the future.  Remember my golden rule of networking – the best way to achieve your dreams is to help others achieve theirs.

5. Have A Positive Mindset
Above all else, entrepreneurship starts in the mind before it starts in reality.  Entrepreneurs spend several years living like most people won’t so that they can spend the rest of their lives living how most people dream.  I’ve found that the most successful entrepreneurs are those people who have a burning desire to be sucessful, don’t take “no” for an answer, and are relentless at achieving their goals.  Enjoy the ride, and most importantly, believe in yourself and your business.

Bridging the gap between a million dollar idea and a million dollar business requires strategy, creative thinking, planning and a burning desire to manifest your dreams.  The risks may be many, but the rewards are far greater than you can ever imagine.  As long as you plan, structure and align yourself and your business with the right people, the sky’s the limit.

Wishing you and your business a lifetime of success![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Filed Under: Business

A Female Will Grace The $10 Bill – Now What?

June 23, 2015 by Stella Press 4,550 Comments

There’s a tiny inkling of joy that tugged at every women’s heart when The Treasury Department announced that there will be a woman on the next $10 bill. By the year 2020, on the century anniversary of the 19th Amendment – giving women the right to vote – a woman is set to grace the face of the new bill.

“Our paper bills — and the images of great American leaders and symbols they depict—have long been a way for us to honor our past and express our values,” Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said in a statement.

It is not yet certain who the woman will be but there unofficial polls reveal suggestions: Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks. Lew urges the public to take a part in suggesting new candidates through social media under the hashtag #TheNew10.

A non-profit campaign, Women on 20s, created earlier this year has been pushing for this defining  stand to claim a place on U.S. currency. Geared on booting Andrew Jackson off the $20 bill, there is a bittersweet feeling to settle for the $10 – currently occupied by Alexander Hamilton, but the road has only begun.

What does this mean for equality for women?

On the backs of our grandmothers we learned to build a family. We learned to cook, clean and rub a man’s back into the workplace. We grew the desire for more and evolved into a the entrepreneur for our children. We succeeded the likes of macho egos and testosterone fueled industries.

Department of Labor reports show that currently 9.1 million businesses contributing $1.4 billion to annual revenues are women-owned. Since 1997, the number of women owned companies have increased by 67.8%.There is tremendous support for these businesses as the numbers are on a steady rise.

It’s a delight to know a woman will represent a piece of U.S. Currency and leaves to the imagination the leaps more women will make in the future. From CEO’s and business owners, women everywhere are taking charge of their super woman powers and making things happen. It’s time to take yours.

How do you feel to know a woman will represent U.S. Currency? What does this mean for you?

Filed Under: Business

Roodelyne Jean Baptiste

June 22, 2015 by Sharon Beason wc@womeneur.com 3,220 Comments

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Womeneur Spotlight” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Take a walk down the path of these entrepreneurs, business owners and progressive women.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default” bg_type=”image” parallax_style=”vcpb-default” bg_image_new=”id^2960|url^https://www.womeneur.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/womeneur-spotlight-roodelyne-jean-baptiste_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^womeneur-spotlight-roodelyne-jean-baptiste_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1|description^null” css=”.vc_custom_1461298678734{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1461298471992{margin-bottom: -2px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

ROODELYNE JEAN BAPTISTE

FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”5″ accent_color=”#e3672b” css=”.vc_custom_1460496937176{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Website:

Social Media: [dt_social_icons animation=”none” alignment=”default”][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”facebook” link=”http://facebook.com/RSocks” /][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”instagram” link=”http://instagram.com/oursocks” /][/dt_social_icons][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”2959″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Roodelyne Jean Baptiste always knew from a young age that she wanted to work in the fashion industry. Working as a print model and stylist, in 2010 the marketing major opened RJB Agency – a fashion consulting agency helping retailers and designers to achieve their objectives.  The millenial’s latest entrepreneurial endeavor is that of Founder and Creative Director of – offering fun, stylish and creatively-designed mens and women’s socks.

What inspired your journey into business?
I was inspired to start RSocks because as a stylist for over 10 years i saw the many ways socks were changing my inspiration for photo shoot looks, and realized how underplayed they were. I also have always had a love for art and colors and focusing in incorporating a fun colorful palette of designs to create one of my favorite accessories (socks) is just a dream come true.

What steps did you take to start your business?
I took all the necessary steps before I launched the brand. I would say I did a set of research for at least one year before I decided on getting the ball rolling, but I always knew what the name would be.

What are your biggest fears?
Like many of us I would say it’s failure. In a small way I always hesitate when moving to next phase of the business. Never once I let my dear hold me back.

What do you do to stay motivated when you feel like giving up?
That is a process always. Keep God first always. Managing A work-life balance is key, enjoy life, take good care of the mind body and spirit is essential.

What are your weakness in business and how have worked pass them?
I like to be surrounded by people who inspires me to do more and be better. I really don’t focus on my weakness to the point of letting it affect my business, therefore I learned from others and reach out to someone who can be a light in my area of struggles. My motto is think positive and forget the BS

What’s been most rewarding?
Getting great feedbacks about my products. Meeting great and inspiring entrepreneurs like myself. Learning & growing in the process. Profiting from giving birth to my heart desires. Just the fact that I am doing what I love is rewarding enough.

Who were you before you started your business?
I was waiting patiently. To land on my calling and make it a fruitful business and a platform to educate young women designers/ entrepreneurs

If you had to do it again, what (if anything) would you do differently?
Stop trying to be perfect. The goal isn’t to be perfect but to be authentic.

What’s one good software or application you cannot live without?
Instagram

What’s your secret to cultivating a relationship between you and your customers?
Listen. Listen. Listen. It has always been about them (my customers) so I make it a point to listen to their every feedbacks, concerns, good or bad. The need to do better in providing the best customer service is to listen and deliver every step of the way.

Where do you see your business in 5 years?
Growing. In 5 years we will be placed in several department stores & Airport stores (domestic and international)

What are 3 tips you can share with budding and current entrepreneurs/business owners?

  1. Pursue your dreams
  2. Know that your reputation is valuable
  3. Be strong and go after your goals. Venture outside of your comfort zone.

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Filed Under: Womeneur Spotlight

Be The Best Version of You

June 17, 2015 by Stella Press 3,472 Comments

andpausehere.com

Be your own woman.

Have you ever tried to absorb the true testimony here?

Be your own version of you.

As I scroll through social media or lurk through my favorite blogger’s posts, it has become normal to encounter some version of the phrase aimed at inspiring women to embrace their inner self and own their womanhood. So I asked myself; what does being my own woman mean to me.

It wasn’t long before I was staring at a blank page with just my name on it, trying to figure out what type of woman I thought I should be. And therein lies the problem. There was no blueprint to highlight how to be the perfect version of myself. There was no seminar I could attend or person I can reach out to who can inform me best on how to be a better me. Only I could do that. Only I can think of my desires, my self worth and my strength. Only I can determine what is best for me.

And so I wrote a list of my flaws and mentally set them on fire. I examined my life and all that I have been through: failure, unemployment, eviction, unhappiness and put those on a pedestal. Then I thought about the woman who overcame them. I thought long and hard about the woman who made it to the other side of those hardships and I felt pride. Pride that this woman was still alive and kicking. Pride that this woman didn’t falter under the weight of living and she pushed to strive. Pride that I am that woman.

I didn’t give up on life when it was easier to. So many times it’s hard to go through a day without negativity scratching to get in. And so many times we women allow that negativity to infiltrate our train of thoughts. Well maybe I was reaching too far. Or maybe I shouldn’t send in this resume since I’m so underqualified. Ugh today, I just can’t do it.

This is where faith walks in. Faith in yourself, faith in your spiritual strength and faith in your journey. Being your own woman is learning the woman in you who continues to grow. It’s sidestepping everything society has to say, and creating a tunnel vision to your dreams. Every woman has a dream. Doesn’t matter if it’s mastering the perfect recipe or becoming CEO of a thriving business. It’s all been embedded in our souls that we were meant to do more and be more. Being your own woman is embracing that. Accepting that your journey is your own. As similar as you may seem to your best friend of fifteen years, your vision can be as different as night and day. And that’s O.K.

Every woman’s journey is different. Every woman’s faith is different. But every woman is just as powerful, just as strong and just as driven. The beauty in being a woman is the ability to be our own beautiful version of ourselves. We can be the construction worker who glams up at night or the career woman yearning to backpacking across the world. It’s all a part of our unique essence.

Even though I am far from understanding where my journey may take me, I am a woman who embraces it. I laugh, cry and occasionally scream during the ride but its mine. I know my worth and believe in myself. I nourish my accomplishments and highlight my failures because they are what define me. I am the best version of me because I can accept who I am becoming. Because I am not afraid to live, love and be  beautifully raw with myself. I am my own woman because I have grown to love me. And I sure do love me some me!

So I challenge you to be your own kind of woman. Face your fears and love your journey. Ask your soul its desires, and listen with an open heart.

 

It’s the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.   – Maya Angelou

What are some ways you remind yourself to be your own woman? How have you learned to love yourself even more than you did yesterday?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Filed Under: Real Talk

5 Tips to Becoming More Productive At Work

June 16, 2015 by Monique Williams 212 Comments

checkaction.com

As a business consultant, I have worked in the capacity of efficiency expert for various businesses, developing brand new infrastructure that best spoke to the office culture and budgetary constraints, and completing the job upon initial implementation.

However, with my own projects, “doing” wasn’t as much fun as “planning.” The fatigue of execution would set in and I searched for new problems for which to create effective workarounds.

When I finally recognized that over-planning was a form of procrastination– not productivity— I started to become less efficient and more effective. Just because you do a meaningless task well (efficiently) doesn’t make it important (effective).

Here are some tips:

1. Only check your email twice a day.
Everything in your box is someone else’s agenda. You don’t need to keep checking your inbox for TravelZoo specials, eVites and Kickstarter pleas. Take an hour–even a half hour–to run thru your inbox. Start unsubscribing to those emails which are distracting. I use unroll.me for gmail.

If you have a team project where email interaction is pressing, label emails from those people and favorite them. Those will be the only ones you get notification for. Otherwise, stay OUTSIDE the box!

2. Turn your phone off.
Your smartphone is making you dumber. From Instagram to Twitter and your best friend, these distractions hurt your productivity. Anything that matters can wait for those two half hours a day when you check your voicemail. I use Google Voice for business so that I get an email transcription of messages left.

3. Block distracting websites.
If your soul cries for Facebook, set aside 20 minutes during the work day with “Block Site” for Chrome (I don’t know why you’d be using a different browser) and you won’t be able to log on to the offending sites. It will also redirect you to the site of your choice, like womeneur.com

4. Make a to-do and a to-don’t list.
Your to-do list doesn’t need to be a mile long to frustrate and overwhelm you. You only need two items on it–big ticket items–that must be completed by you today. The second set of items are ones that would be “nice” for you to finish, but not a necessity, just productivity rewards for finishing your two important tasks.

Now, create your “to-don’t” list by jotting down tasks that must get done but not necessarily by you.

The faux-productive will want to do the things on this list INSTEAD of the big two. This habit, called pre-crastination, is when we do busy-work thinking we’re moving forward. Don’t get caught in this trap. Spend that time outsourcing or delegating these tasks.  When you know how much your efforts are worth on an hourly basis, you’ll be glad to pay someone to take the minutiae off your hands.

5. Book an anti-procrastination appointment.
When you have one particular task that you just can’t seem to get done, block off the time to do it. You can’t do anything else at this time. Just this task. Boredom and restlessness will kick in and kick your rear into high gear.

What are your fall-back methods of procrastination?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Filed Under: Business

Elvira Clayton

June 15, 2015 by Sharon Beason wc@womeneur.com 3,086 Comments

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Womeneur Spotlight” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Take a walk down the path of these entrepreneurs, business owners and progressive women.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default” bg_type=”image” parallax_style=”vcpb-default” bg_image_new=”id^2956|url^https://www.womeneur.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/womeneur-spotlight-elvira-clayton_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^womeneur-spotlight-elvira-clayton_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1|description^null” css=”.vc_custom_1461298260011{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1461298000505{margin-bottom: -2px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

ELVIRA CLAYTON

OWNER[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”5″ accent_color=”#e3672b” css=”.vc_custom_1460496937176{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Website:

Social Media: [dt_social_icons animation=”none” alignment=”default”][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”facebook” link=”https://www.facebook.com/elviraclaytonaccessories” /][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”instagram” link=”https://instagram.com/elviraclaytonaccessories/” /][/dt_social_icons][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”2955″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Elvira Clayton was born in Lafayette, Louisiana and grew up in Houston, Texas. This Womeneur started out as a theatrical performance artist and expanded to wearable art when she relocated to Harlem, New York in 2006. is the brand behind her bold, unique designs – reflecting inspiration from her travels to West Africa.

What inspired your journey into business?
I am an artist seeking financial independence through my creative practice.

What steps did you take to start your business?

  1. I did a great deal of research on various topics related to what I wanted to do in my business.
  2. I looked at different business structures, and studied what other designers and women entrepreneurs where doing.
  3. I decided to establish my business as an LLC.

What are your biggest fears?
I try not to give fear much power, however, I suppose growth or lack of growing my business is a major concern.

What do you do to stay motivated when you feel like giving up?
I read motivational materials, I look at successful women and their stories to keep me moving forward.

What are your weakness in business and how have worked pass them? 
I am the creative person first, running business is something that I have to learn along the way. Not having that business background is my perceived weakness. I am learning as I go, and I am determined to grow stronger in this area.

What’s been most rewarding?
Getting positive responses to my work and making a sale.

Who were you before you started your business?
An artist.

If you had to do it again, what (if anything) would you do differently?
I would have focused on developing and launching my business sooner.

What’s one good software or application you cannot live without?
Goggle Search!

What’s your secret to cultivating a relationship between you and your customers?
Honesty

Where do you see your business in 5 years?
I would love to have a long list of excited return clients.  I want to be a business success story, an entrepreneur who will inspire other women to take the leap and build something using their God given talents.

What are 3 tips you can share with budding and current entrepreneurs/business owners?

  1. Move forward beyond any fears that you may have.
  2. Look at what others are doing and then find YOUR niche
  3. Just do it!

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Filed Under: Womeneur Spotlight

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