Stand Out In 2012

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "The Lone Tree, 31st Street, Chicago Lakefront," 1.1.12

Wishing you a new year

filled with desirable outcomes. 

Ms. Burch Supports Women Entrepreneurs

We wrote about Tory Burch September 28, 2009 and her great sense of entrepreneurial style here.  Now she's launched the Tory Burch Foundation with the goal of economically empowering women.

With Accion USA, our microlending partner, we provide women with the financial support they need to start and grow businesses through microfinance. The average loan is $8,000 and creates or saves 2.4 jobs.

Read all about it here.

Illustration credit here.

The Official Escape From Corporate America Blog Turns 5

Celebrating birthday No. 5 for the official Escape From Corporate America Blog and No. 233 birthday for America.

Here's a reminder of where it all started. In 2003, I wrote a wildly popular article, "Escape From Corporate America," that was published by The Conference Board. It caused such a stir that the following year I decided to start a blog about it. Here's the lead paragraph to the article:

Divorce, dumping, or abandonment: Call it what you like, but many women are trading in Corporate America for entrepreneurship. According to Cheskin Research, they are starting businesses at twice the rate of men and have become a major force in both the traditional and the e-business marketplace. The Center for Women's Business Research estimates that, as of 2002, there are 6.2 million women-owned businesses, employing 9.2 million workers and generating $1.15 trillion in annual revenue.

In the interest of security, women used to be willing to channel their time, energy, and effort to the corporation's needs at the expense of fulfilling their own professional goals -- but no more. In starting their own businesses, they're seeking freedom, flexibility, recognition, more money, and opportunities to leave a legacy -- all of the things they once thought they would find within corporations.

Still sounds all too familiar, doesn't it? Since then, even more women are breaking away from what is considered "corporate prison" to start their own businesses.

So today is your day. Enjoy. Have fun. And thank you ever so much for your readership.

Go out -- escape -- to celebrate your freedom and independence!

P.S. Here are the first three posts to the official Escape From Corporate America Blog in 2004:

Post 1
Post 2
Post 3