In BusinessWeek.com
BusinessWeek Online reporter Stacy Perman recently spoke with Marilyn Kourilsky, a professor at UCLA's Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, director of the Institute for the Study of Educational Entrepreneurship and author of "The New Female Entrepreneur," about barriers female entrepreneurs continue to face and the ways in which they can break through them. Here are two important clips from their conversation:
Q: Why then, do you find that so many women want to start their own companies?
A: They have a real passion, and they don't want to work for someone else. It's the only way to really make it. Even with all the new successes cropping up the ladder, they still perceive that there's a glass ceiling and that the best way is to start a business of their own.
Q: What are the biggest male misconceptions about female entrepreneurs?
A: They don't think women are in for the long haul, like they are. They're seen as doing something as a hobby rather than something they need to do for their family. There's this whole culture: For instance, if you're in a group and a woman comes up with an idea and then a male rephrases it, it's accepted as his idea. I don't think women support women the way men support men.
The whole attitude toward gender is not changing as fast as it could, but we're still making progress. There was a time when women said they wouldn't go to a woman doctor. Now they make sure they do. I foresee a time when women entrepreneurs say they'd rather deal with a female vendor or entrepreneur.
Well ... what do YOU think? Agree? Disagree?
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Friday, February 25, 2005
Others want out of the corporate grind and it ain't just a woman thing
In CareerJournal.com
Others want out of the corporate grind and see a chance to gain greater flexibility and potentially make more money, especially as companies continue to squeeze raises for permanent staffers.
To read the entire article, visit: More Senior Job-Seekers Focus on Contractual Work
Others want out of the corporate grind and see a chance to gain greater flexibility and potentially make more money, especially as companies continue to squeeze raises for permanent staffers.
To read the entire article, visit: More Senior Job-Seekers Focus on Contractual Work
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
It just makes sense right now for a woman to be an entrepreneur
In HispanicBusiness.com
Tricia Hensley had a good job keeping the books at her husband's granite countertop company, but it wasn't her passion.
The former accounting major wanted more in a career -- she wanted her own business. After looking into several franchising opportunities, she turned to her passion for fitness and opened Figures! Fitness for Women, a women-only gym on Evans to Locks Road.
"I had helped my husband's business for three years, but that was his. I wanted something that was mine," she said.
Ms. Hensley personifies a national trend -- more women are seeking their business independence and starting their own ventures.
Read the complete inspiring article here.
Tricia Hensley had a good job keeping the books at her husband's granite countertop company, but it wasn't her passion.
The former accounting major wanted more in a career -- she wanted her own business. After looking into several franchising opportunities, she turned to her passion for fitness and opened Figures! Fitness for Women, a women-only gym on Evans to Locks Road.
"I had helped my husband's business for three years, but that was his. I wanted something that was mine," she said.
Ms. Hensley personifies a national trend -- more women are seeking their business independence and starting their own ventures.
Read the complete inspiring article here.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Roadmap To A Million Dollar Business: Marsha Firestone, Ph.D.
In E-magnify's newsletter, Seton Hill University, The National Education Center For Women
Every day in the United States women start 424 new enterprises, more than double the amount began by men. The Center for Women's Business Research reports that over the last decade, 65 percent of these women have left corporate America out of frustration at limited promotion opportunities, confining work hours, and the potential to make a better product in a lucrative market. In essence, women took advantage of the training provided by their employers to hone their entrepreneurial skills, learning the ropes as executives and mid-level managers before branching out on their own.
Marsha Firestone, Founder and President of the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO), recognized a need to assist these businesses as they continue to reach toward greater levels of success. Dr. Firestone established the organization to bring together women whose businesses annually gross over two million dollars to share their expertise and experience as an informal "board of directors" in 1996, after she herself was denied career advancement. Her vision ...
Read this great interview with Dr. Marsha Firestone.
Every day in the United States women start 424 new enterprises, more than double the amount began by men. The Center for Women's Business Research reports that over the last decade, 65 percent of these women have left corporate America out of frustration at limited promotion opportunities, confining work hours, and the potential to make a better product in a lucrative market. In essence, women took advantage of the training provided by their employers to hone their entrepreneurial skills, learning the ropes as executives and mid-level managers before branching out on their own.
Marsha Firestone, Founder and President of the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO), recognized a need to assist these businesses as they continue to reach toward greater levels of success. Dr. Firestone established the organization to bring together women whose businesses annually gross over two million dollars to share their expertise and experience as an informal "board of directors" in 1996, after she herself was denied career advancement. Her vision ...
Read this great interview with Dr. Marsha Firestone.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Go For It: Let the Year of the Rooster Wake You Up!
In The Small Business Advocate
Last year was the Chinese Year of the Monkey -- a year filled with movement, discussion, and the exchange of ideas. But we are about to turn out the lights on the Monkey. Wake up on February 9, 2005 to the Year of the Rooster! The Eastern zodiac is the oldest known horoscope system in the world, and can reveal amazing insights into your character, lifestyle, and emotional makeup. But even if you don't believe that your destiny is written in the stars, be open to the possibilities that the New Year of the Rooster brings. Wake up to the business potential around you (hint: entrepreneurship). Let the Year of the Rooster be the year you go for it!
Last year was the Chinese Year of the Monkey -- a year filled with movement, discussion, and the exchange of ideas. But we are about to turn out the lights on the Monkey. Wake up on February 9, 2005 to the Year of the Rooster! The Eastern zodiac is the oldest known horoscope system in the world, and can reveal amazing insights into your character, lifestyle, and emotional makeup. But even if you don't believe that your destiny is written in the stars, be open to the possibilities that the New Year of the Rooster brings. Wake up to the business potential around you (hint: entrepreneurship). Let the Year of the Rooster be the year you go for it!
Friday, February 04, 2005
Inspiration to Realization
In Palisadian-Post
When Christine Kloser heard over and over that women in her Network for Empowering Women Entrepreneurs (NEW) networking organization wanted to become published authors, she thought that there must be an easier way for them to achieve this goal.
So she published a compilation of 41 of their essays on topics ranging from 'Roadmap to Retirement,' 'How to Be Your Own Best Matchmaker,' 'Overcoming Overwhelm' to 'How to Stay in Your Pajamas All Day ... And Still Run a Business' and 'Financial Alchemy.'
The result is "Inspiration to Realization," a self-published compilation of women's essays on personal, business, financial and spiritual fulfillment.
For her essay, 'Follow Your Heart: The Only Path to Fulfillment,' Kloser relates her own personal journey. 'I'm happily married, preparing to start my family in a matter of weeks, and started a business that helps a lot of people. I was willing to follow my own heart, say no, swim upstream and stay true to what felt right to me. I knew that was what I had to write about.'
Palisadian Kathryn Tull, a certified domestic violence counselor who has a master's degree in clinical psychology and a clinical practice, wrote about 'The Path to Personal Resiliency,' which talks about the resiliency she had to build as a survivor of domestic violence. 'It was an opportunity to be able to express my message about family violence -- what my children and I lived through, and what it took to be able to come out from that and rebuild my life,' says Tull, who is working on two books of her own.
Deborah Koppel Mitchell, who leads a women's circle, wrote 'Coming Full-Circle Into Your Ideal Life.' She describes a women's circle as 'When two or more come in the space of a circle to listen and be heard while being fully present. 'Being in circle can serve as an important reminder to each of us to tap into that 'Goddess' part of us, and not get lost or caught up in the hectic pace we have created in our lives,' she writes.
The writers (entrepreneurs) range from being in their 20s to their 70s. 'There's something for every woman in this book,' says Kloser, who is married to PaliHi JV baseball coach and author David. 'Women who pick it up find they're drawn to something that strikes them.'
When Christine Kloser heard over and over that women in her Network for Empowering Women Entrepreneurs (NEW) networking organization wanted to become published authors, she thought that there must be an easier way for them to achieve this goal.
So she published a compilation of 41 of their essays on topics ranging from 'Roadmap to Retirement,' 'How to Be Your Own Best Matchmaker,' 'Overcoming Overwhelm' to 'How to Stay in Your Pajamas All Day ... And Still Run a Business' and 'Financial Alchemy.'
The result is "Inspiration to Realization," a self-published compilation of women's essays on personal, business, financial and spiritual fulfillment.
For her essay, 'Follow Your Heart: The Only Path to Fulfillment,' Kloser relates her own personal journey. 'I'm happily married, preparing to start my family in a matter of weeks, and started a business that helps a lot of people. I was willing to follow my own heart, say no, swim upstream and stay true to what felt right to me. I knew that was what I had to write about.'
Palisadian Kathryn Tull, a certified domestic violence counselor who has a master's degree in clinical psychology and a clinical practice, wrote about 'The Path to Personal Resiliency,' which talks about the resiliency she had to build as a survivor of domestic violence. 'It was an opportunity to be able to express my message about family violence -- what my children and I lived through, and what it took to be able to come out from that and rebuild my life,' says Tull, who is working on two books of her own.
Deborah Koppel Mitchell, who leads a women's circle, wrote 'Coming Full-Circle Into Your Ideal Life.' She describes a women's circle as 'When two or more come in the space of a circle to listen and be heard while being fully present. 'Being in circle can serve as an important reminder to each of us to tap into that 'Goddess' part of us, and not get lost or caught up in the hectic pace we have created in our lives,' she writes.
The writers (entrepreneurs) range from being in their 20s to their 70s. 'There's something for every woman in this book,' says Kloser, who is married to PaliHi JV baseball coach and author David. 'Women who pick it up find they're drawn to something that strikes them.'
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
When It Comes To The Talent Of Women In Business, The Glass Is More Than Half-Full
In The Center For Women's Leadership
While corporations worry about how to keep women in their leadership pipelines, they might do well to take a cue from the women who are running businesses for answers.
The 2003 Woman-Led Businesses in Massachusetts survey -- conducted by The Center for Women's Leadership at Babson College and The Commonwealth Institute -- of more than 250 women chief executives found a rich pool of leadership role models. These women CEOs lead firms generating more than $7.5 billion in revenues across an array of industries; from high tech to apparel, from construction to office products, from professional services to manufacturing.
A couple of highlights from the survey:
• Woman-led companies are growth oriented.
• Further, the focus on growth takes a long-term view.
• To support that growth focus, woman-led businesses have built organizations that look a bit different.
• The talent pipelines at these firms are full and succeed in advancing women.
• Women CEOs have been highly successful in weaving together their business careers and private lives.
√ Note: Companies questioning how to enhance the pool of women managers ready to take on senior management positions might do well to take a cue from women chief executives. A few suggestions are clear. Focus on building collaborative value, seek consistent growth through customer focus, and be sure there are at least a few senior executives to model the ways in which women successfully lead.
While corporations worry about how to keep women in their leadership pipelines, they might do well to take a cue from the women who are running businesses for answers.
The 2003 Woman-Led Businesses in Massachusetts survey -- conducted by The Center for Women's Leadership at Babson College and The Commonwealth Institute -- of more than 250 women chief executives found a rich pool of leadership role models. These women CEOs lead firms generating more than $7.5 billion in revenues across an array of industries; from high tech to apparel, from construction to office products, from professional services to manufacturing.
A couple of highlights from the survey:
• Woman-led companies are growth oriented.
• Further, the focus on growth takes a long-term view.
• To support that growth focus, woman-led businesses have built organizations that look a bit different.
• The talent pipelines at these firms are full and succeed in advancing women.
• Women CEOs have been highly successful in weaving together their business careers and private lives.
√ Note: Companies questioning how to enhance the pool of women managers ready to take on senior management positions might do well to take a cue from women chief executives. A few suggestions are clear. Focus on building collaborative value, seek consistent growth through customer focus, and be sure there are at least a few senior executives to model the ways in which women successfully lead.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
A taste of freedom
In Arizona Republic Online
This article on 15 Afghan women visiting the Valley to study business makes you really appreciate the freedom we have here in the United States to pursue just about anything, including entrepreneurship.
This article on 15 Afghan women visiting the Valley to study business makes you really appreciate the freedom we have here in the United States to pursue just about anything, including entrepreneurship.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
A New Class of Global Entrepreneurs: Americans Under 50!
In Forbes.com
My goodness ... are we contradicting ourselves? Today, Forbes reported in an article, "Home Grown Seed Money," that most entrepreneurial activity is carried out by people aged 25-34! The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor released a survey that was conducted by Babson College and the London School of Business. The survey concludes:
• Most entrepreneurial activity is carried out by people aged 25-34 regardless of the income level of their home country. Low-income countries have the most entrepreneurial activity across all age groups, followed by high-income countries. Most people launching a business are already employed.
If you are thinking about starting a business, you might want to check out the article. It finishes up by stating that self-funding and informal investment fuels development of 99.9% of new businesses.
My goodness ... are we contradicting ourselves? Today, Forbes reported in an article, "Home Grown Seed Money," that most entrepreneurial activity is carried out by people aged 25-34! The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor released a survey that was conducted by Babson College and the London School of Business. The survey concludes:
• Most entrepreneurial activity is carried out by people aged 25-34 regardless of the income level of their home country. Low-income countries have the most entrepreneurial activity across all age groups, followed by high-income countries. Most people launching a business are already employed.
If you are thinking about starting a business, you might want to check out the article. It finishes up by stating that self-funding and informal investment fuels development of 99.9% of new businesses.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
A New Breed of Entrepreneurs: Americans Over 50
In USAToday.com (1/18/05) and WSJ (3/18/04)
Interesting how it took USA Today ten months to catch up to the WSJ's article, "Over-50 Set Minds Its Own Business." In that article (link unavailable -- I am referring to a clip I saved), it claims that the over-50 set are switching the word retirement for entrepreneurship. What I mean by that is instead of retiring, people over 50 are hell-bent on starting their own businesses. Hurray! It goes on further to support that claim with research conducted for AARP, a Washington-based membership group of people age 50 and older, by Rand Corp., a think tank in Santa Monica, CA.
What's the upshot: People are "doing this (practicing and then engaging in entrepreneurship) as a transition to retirement, or they tend to be working longer than those who are in wage-and-salary jobs," said Lynn Karoly, a senior economist with Rand and co-author of the study.
Now USA Today indicates older workers are coming to entrepreneurship's rescue, chasing self-employment because of:
• Corporate layoffs. Boomers want the security of being their own bosses when corporations are slashing payrolls, tossing fiftysomethings into a dicey labor market.
• Shifting values. Older workers want more flexible schedules to spend time with aging parents or on hobbies while easing into retirement.
• Aging Americans. The number of Americans age 50 and up will soar by 31 million by 2020, to 118 million, the Census Bureau predicts.
• Innovative technology. Many start-ups by older entrepreneurs are one-person ventures in home offices with a dizzying array of technology that didn't exist or was too pricey 20 years ago.
• Business savvy. Many corporate workers, entering their 50s, leverage management skills and retirement benefits to invest in start-ups.
Interesting how it took USA Today ten months to catch up to the WSJ's article, "Over-50 Set Minds Its Own Business." In that article (link unavailable -- I am referring to a clip I saved), it claims that the over-50 set are switching the word retirement for entrepreneurship. What I mean by that is instead of retiring, people over 50 are hell-bent on starting their own businesses. Hurray! It goes on further to support that claim with research conducted for AARP, a Washington-based membership group of people age 50 and older, by Rand Corp., a think tank in Santa Monica, CA.
What's the upshot: People are "doing this (practicing and then engaging in entrepreneurship) as a transition to retirement, or they tend to be working longer than those who are in wage-and-salary jobs," said Lynn Karoly, a senior economist with Rand and co-author of the study.
Now USA Today indicates older workers are coming to entrepreneurship's rescue, chasing self-employment because of:
• Corporate layoffs. Boomers want the security of being their own bosses when corporations are slashing payrolls, tossing fiftysomethings into a dicey labor market.
• Shifting values. Older workers want more flexible schedules to spend time with aging parents or on hobbies while easing into retirement.
• Aging Americans. The number of Americans age 50 and up will soar by 31 million by 2020, to 118 million, the Census Bureau predicts.
• Innovative technology. Many start-ups by older entrepreneurs are one-person ventures in home offices with a dizzying array of technology that didn't exist or was too pricey 20 years ago.
• Business savvy. Many corporate workers, entering their 50s, leverage management skills and retirement benefits to invest in start-ups.
Monday, January 17, 2005
Stereotypical "Old White Guys" Still Serve On Most Corporate Boards
In The Idaho Statesman
An interesting article entitled, Albertsons leads the way for women, explains why there are not more women serving on corporate boards. Here are a couple of snippets from it:
• Larry Johnston, chairman, president and CEO at the grocery chain Albertsons, said putting more women in charge of large companies makes economic sense.
• "Women have insight into our customers that no man -- no matter how bright, no matter how hard working -- can match," said Larry Johnston, chairman, president and CEO at Albertsons. "That's important when 85 percent of all consumer buying decisions made in our stores are made by women. As we pursue a customer-focused approach to growth, the insight, knowledge and expertise of women is invaluable -- at every level in the organization."
• "It was a bunch of old white guys making erroneous assumptions and erroneous conclusions about women and the multi-cultural consumers that make up the majority of Albertson's customers," Flickinger said.
• "Companies must broaden their requirements for board directors," she said. "The number of women ENTREPRENEURS has skyrocketed — over 44 percent of the privately-owned firms are now owned by women. The problem is that current board directors aren't in the networks where women business achievers gravitate."
• There also continues to be a "glass ceiling" in corporate America where women can only progress so far in a company and many aren't given the opportunity to reach the executive ranks (... which brings us back to the reason for this blog!).
When you read the article, be sure to check out the right sidebar which highlights the top 5 largest companies and what percentage of women they have on the company's board as well as the snapshot at the impact women have on business.
An interesting article entitled, Albertsons leads the way for women, explains why there are not more women serving on corporate boards. Here are a couple of snippets from it:
• Larry Johnston, chairman, president and CEO at the grocery chain Albertsons, said putting more women in charge of large companies makes economic sense.
• "Women have insight into our customers that no man -- no matter how bright, no matter how hard working -- can match," said Larry Johnston, chairman, president and CEO at Albertsons. "That's important when 85 percent of all consumer buying decisions made in our stores are made by women. As we pursue a customer-focused approach to growth, the insight, knowledge and expertise of women is invaluable -- at every level in the organization."
• "It was a bunch of old white guys making erroneous assumptions and erroneous conclusions about women and the multi-cultural consumers that make up the majority of Albertson's customers," Flickinger said.
• "Companies must broaden their requirements for board directors," she said. "The number of women ENTREPRENEURS has skyrocketed — over 44 percent of the privately-owned firms are now owned by women. The problem is that current board directors aren't in the networks where women business achievers gravitate."
• There also continues to be a "glass ceiling" in corporate America where women can only progress so far in a company and many aren't given the opportunity to reach the executive ranks (... which brings us back to the reason for this blog!).
When you read the article, be sure to check out the right sidebar which highlights the top 5 largest companies and what percentage of women they have on the company's board as well as the snapshot at the impact women have on business.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
More Women (and People of Color) Are Occupying the Top Seats At Big Companies?
In Computerworld
Interesting ...
"What's more, the few minority executives who are ready to step into top-level roles have other choices. Early retirement or entrepreneurship often is more appealing than joining the senior ranks of a corporation that's trying to diversify. "Why work twice as hard to get half as far?" is a common refrain among many highly paid minority managers in their 40s and 50s. "
To read the entire article, visit: Recruiters scout minority talent to help their clients diversify
Interesting ...
"What's more, the few minority executives who are ready to step into top-level roles have other choices. Early retirement or entrepreneurship often is more appealing than joining the senior ranks of a corporation that's trying to diversify. "Why work twice as hard to get half as far?" is a common refrain among many highly paid minority managers in their 40s and 50s. "
To read the entire article, visit: Recruiters scout minority talent to help their clients diversify
Thursday, December 23, 2004
A Simple Year-End Tribute To Women Entrepreneurs Who Have Escaped From Corporate America With Much Success
In The Salem News
Anyone NEVER had a desire to own a business? Then I am surprised you are reading this blog but since you are, let me reassure you that some day, you just might become an entrepreneur. Particularly after you read this short but "sweet" story about a woman who promised herself never to own her own company because her parents did (must have been a struggle). Fast-forward twenty-five years and this same woman runs a $3 million chocolate candy company!
Find out how longtime women entrepreneurs built their businesses to success and overcame obstacles in the process: Working women: Longtime entrepreneurs reflect on their experiences
Anyone NEVER had a desire to own a business? Then I am surprised you are reading this blog but since you are, let me reassure you that some day, you just might become an entrepreneur. Particularly after you read this short but "sweet" story about a woman who promised herself never to own her own company because her parents did (must have been a struggle). Fast-forward twenty-five years and this same woman runs a $3 million chocolate candy company!
Find out how longtime women entrepreneurs built their businesses to success and overcame obstacles in the process: Working women: Longtime entrepreneurs reflect on their experiences
Friday, December 17, 2004
Celebrating Women's Achievements and Possibilities
In Knowledge at Wharton (K@W)
Wharton Women in Business celebrated its 25th anniversary in November with a conference that focused on "Celebrating Achievements and Possibilities." While a keynote presentation by Andrea Jung, chairman and CEO of Avon Products, confirmed the (alleged) success that women are having in corporate America, panels entitled "Walking the Leadership Tightrope" and "Navigating through Interpersonal Conflict" suggested the challenges women still face in today's tough business environment. In this special section, K@W covers Jung's speech, the "Leadership Tightrope" panel and a second panel on "Building a Brand and Making Your Mark in the Luxury and Retail Sectors." In addition, they include coverage of a talk on leadership given earlier this fall by Sarah Nash, vice chairman of investment banking at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
To read the special report, visit:
Women in Business: Report from the Trenches
Wharton Women in Business celebrated its 25th anniversary in November with a conference that focused on "Celebrating Achievements and Possibilities." While a keynote presentation by Andrea Jung, chairman and CEO of Avon Products, confirmed the (alleged) success that women are having in corporate America, panels entitled "Walking the Leadership Tightrope" and "Navigating through Interpersonal Conflict" suggested the challenges women still face in today's tough business environment. In this special section, K@W covers Jung's speech, the "Leadership Tightrope" panel and a second panel on "Building a Brand and Making Your Mark in the Luxury and Retail Sectors." In addition, they include coverage of a talk on leadership given earlier this fall by Sarah Nash, vice chairman of investment banking at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
To read the special report, visit:
Women in Business: Report from the Trenches
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
A Warm Reception For Female Execs
In BusinessWeek online
An excerpt from this fabulous article:
Karen Bressler, one of five CEOs to take the speaker's podium, talked about the work-life balance that has historically been the biggest hurdle for women in business. "Running a business is like being a kindergarten teacher sometimes," said Bressler, who runs Agar Supply, a $350 million food service outfit (No. 4). She advised her peers to take advantage of all facets of their personalities -- both the nurturing side and the tough side. Each of those qualities, "gives us an incredible edge."
To read the entire article, visit:
A Warm Reception for Female Execs
An excerpt from this fabulous article:
Karen Bressler, one of five CEOs to take the speaker's podium, talked about the work-life balance that has historically been the biggest hurdle for women in business. "Running a business is like being a kindergarten teacher sometimes," said Bressler, who runs Agar Supply, a $350 million food service outfit (No. 4). She advised her peers to take advantage of all facets of their personalities -- both the nurturing side and the tough side. Each of those qualities, "gives us an incredible edge."
To read the entire article, visit:
A Warm Reception for Female Execs
Monday, December 13, 2004
How To Duck The Three Most Common Entrepreneurial Hiring Traps
In Wisconsin Technology Network
Great article! Be sure to read: How To Duck The Three Most Common Entrepreneurial Hiring Traps
Great article! Be sure to read: How To Duck The Three Most Common Entrepreneurial Hiring Traps
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
They Have A Dream: To Own Their Own Business
In Wisconsin's Business News Source
Who is Henry Ford? Why do they call it Disneyland? What did Mary Kay do? Virtually everyone knows that these dreamers turned their ideas into realities through good, old-fashioned entrepreneurship.
To find out more, visit:
Entrepreneurship: More than Fame and Money
Who is Henry Ford? Why do they call it Disneyland? What did Mary Kay do? Virtually everyone knows that these dreamers turned their ideas into realities through good, old-fashioned entrepreneurship.
To find out more, visit:
Entrepreneurship: More than Fame and Money
Thursday, December 02, 2004
"Pursuit of Passionate Purpose" and it begins with starting a company ...
Posted in Jack Covert Selects, 800-CEO-READ.com
"Pursuit of Passionate Purpose: Success Strategies for a Rewarding Personal and Business Life" by Theresa M. Szczurek, John Wiley & Sons, 304 Pages, $24.95 Hardcover, December 2004, ISBN 0471703249.
According to a December 2002 USA Today Poll, 30-million people are dissatisfied with their careers. This means that all those millions are not only unhappy but aren't reaching their full potential. The author found HERSELF in the same boat a few decades ago; after climbing the CORPORATE LADDER at a ferocious pace, she learned that her boss was sent to announce a new product that she (the author) had worked on for three years. She was conflicted. In her own words:
My head, the rational thinker had dominated decisions to this point. Now my heart, the creative feeler, cried out: What you really want is balance in life -- deep connection with people and meaningful work in an environment where people can contribute and be rewarded to the fullest. Make changes. Follow your heart, in harmony with your head. Pursue passionate purpose.
But she doesn't just use her own experiences as the premise for her book. She has interviewed 80 people and her findings are extraordinary. This is more than just a self-help book. This book has proven steps for successfully pursuing passionate purpose:
The ongoing process has four stages of development that are called:
1. Know and Nurture the Person (exploring who I am and what I value).
2. Find Passionate Purpose (determining what I want and do not want).
3. Pursue Purpose (establishing how I get it).
4. Assess Progress (evaluating how things are going and what is next).
She also has six success strategies that are applied throughout the above-mentioned process namely:
1. Polarity (integrating different parts of the self and the outside world).
2. Attraction (visualizing attainment of goals and taking action to reach goals).
3. Persistence (dividing and conquering big goals piece by piece).
4. Allowing (surrendering to the process).
5. Connection (establish a support system).
6. Pack (attending to the energizers and reducing impact of discouraging factors).
It obviously worked for her. The author started her own communications company that increased the efficiency of telephone computer transactions. She has since sold that company for $40 million. All this in just six years. The strategies in this book are tried and tested. See for yourself.
[Laurel here ... sounds like she got the entrepreneurial bug beyond belief! Has anyone else read this yet?]
"Pursuit of Passionate Purpose: Success Strategies for a Rewarding Personal and Business Life" by Theresa M. Szczurek, John Wiley & Sons, 304 Pages, $24.95 Hardcover, December 2004, ISBN 0471703249.
According to a December 2002 USA Today Poll, 30-million people are dissatisfied with their careers. This means that all those millions are not only unhappy but aren't reaching their full potential. The author found HERSELF in the same boat a few decades ago; after climbing the CORPORATE LADDER at a ferocious pace, she learned that her boss was sent to announce a new product that she (the author) had worked on for three years. She was conflicted. In her own words:
My head, the rational thinker had dominated decisions to this point. Now my heart, the creative feeler, cried out: What you really want is balance in life -- deep connection with people and meaningful work in an environment where people can contribute and be rewarded to the fullest. Make changes. Follow your heart, in harmony with your head. Pursue passionate purpose.
But she doesn't just use her own experiences as the premise for her book. She has interviewed 80 people and her findings are extraordinary. This is more than just a self-help book. This book has proven steps for successfully pursuing passionate purpose:
The ongoing process has four stages of development that are called:
1. Know and Nurture the Person (exploring who I am and what I value).
2. Find Passionate Purpose (determining what I want and do not want).
3. Pursue Purpose (establishing how I get it).
4. Assess Progress (evaluating how things are going and what is next).
She also has six success strategies that are applied throughout the above-mentioned process namely:
1. Polarity (integrating different parts of the self and the outside world).
2. Attraction (visualizing attainment of goals and taking action to reach goals).
3. Persistence (dividing and conquering big goals piece by piece).
4. Allowing (surrendering to the process).
5. Connection (establish a support system).
6. Pack (attending to the energizers and reducing impact of discouraging factors).
It obviously worked for her. The author started her own communications company that increased the efficiency of telephone computer transactions. She has since sold that company for $40 million. All this in just six years. The strategies in this book are tried and tested. See for yourself.
[Laurel here ... sounds like she got the entrepreneurial bug beyond belief! Has anyone else read this yet?]
Monday, November 29, 2004
My-oh-my: Watch Us Women Entrepreneurs Grow, Kissing Corporate America Bye-bye!
In BusinessWeek
A new study finds a boom in female entrepreneurship -- and a particularly healthy gains for minority women. According to the article, let's examine five key reasons why:
1. Women who want to start a business are seeing others who are doing it, and they think, 'Wow, I can do this too.'
2. The steady proliferation of capital and institutional resources has also helped make entrepreneurship a more viable option for women, allowing them more control from a professional -- and personal –- standpoint.
3. Because entrepreneurship is a direct path toward economic independence. "You're not waiting for someone to bring you out of poverty, and you're not waiting for someone else to give you a living wage or benefits."
4. Increased awareness of societal support –- including institutions like the Small Business Administration's Small Business Development Centers, local and regional chambers of commerce, and entrepreneurship incubators -- as other factors are driving the trend.
5. More women are becoming educated and developing stronger skill sets in the corporate world, adding to a pool of would-be entrepreneurs eager to branch out on their own.
Sure looks like women entrepreneurs are growing like mad and playing a vital role in fueling economic growth.
To read the awakening article, visit:
Women Lead the Startup Stats
Note: If you post this on your blog, please credit Escape From Corporate America! for bringing it to your attention -- thanks!
A new study finds a boom in female entrepreneurship -- and a particularly healthy gains for minority women. According to the article, let's examine five key reasons why:
1. Women who want to start a business are seeing others who are doing it, and they think, 'Wow, I can do this too.'
2. The steady proliferation of capital and institutional resources has also helped make entrepreneurship a more viable option for women, allowing them more control from a professional -- and personal –- standpoint.
3. Because entrepreneurship is a direct path toward economic independence. "You're not waiting for someone to bring you out of poverty, and you're not waiting for someone else to give you a living wage or benefits."
4. Increased awareness of societal support –- including institutions like the Small Business Administration's Small Business Development Centers, local and regional chambers of commerce, and entrepreneurship incubators -- as other factors are driving the trend.
5. More women are becoming educated and developing stronger skill sets in the corporate world, adding to a pool of would-be entrepreneurs eager to branch out on their own.
Sure looks like women entrepreneurs are growing like mad and playing a vital role in fueling economic growth.
To read the awakening article, visit:
Women Lead the Startup Stats
Note: If you post this on your blog, please credit Escape From Corporate America! for bringing it to your attention -- thanks!
"I was tired of the large corporate atmosphere."
As published in the Chicago Tribune (11/28/04)
Diane Swonk, former chief economist for Chicago-based Bank One, was named chief economist for Mesirow Financial, a Chicago-based investment management firm.
Swonk, 42, said she took the job largely because of the firm's chief executive officer, James Tyree. "We just clicked," she said. "I was tired of the large corporate atmosphere. This gave me a lot of flexibility. One of my big issues was not only staying in Chicago but also finding a firm that is civic-oriented."
Swonk was at Bank One and its predecessors for 19 years. Bank One was acquired this year by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
"She's going to be providing economic information and forecasts to our clients," Tyree said. "We're now in 17 or 18 cities and are looking to expand our presence in each of them and I think she will help us do that."
Diane Swonk, former chief economist for Chicago-based Bank One, was named chief economist for Mesirow Financial, a Chicago-based investment management firm.
Swonk, 42, said she took the job largely because of the firm's chief executive officer, James Tyree. "We just clicked," she said. "I was tired of the large corporate atmosphere. This gave me a lot of flexibility. One of my big issues was not only staying in Chicago but also finding a firm that is civic-oriented."
Swonk was at Bank One and its predecessors for 19 years. Bank One was acquired this year by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
"She's going to be providing economic information and forecasts to our clients," Tyree said. "We're now in 17 or 18 cities and are looking to expand our presence in each of them and I think she will help us do that."
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