O Sisters: Female CEOs, Top Execs and Entrepreneurs, Where Art Thou?

The numbers of female CEOs, high-level executives, and entrepreneurs in the U.S. today are surprisingly low. Why?

We will let Vivek Wadhwa (an entrepreneur, senior research associate at Harvard Law School, and executive in residence at Duke University) discuss his research (in an article for BusinessWeek) that shows that women entrepreneurs are very similar to their male counterparts in background and purpose ...

... which is why he thinks the lack of female entrepreneurship, especially in the tech industry, is a "societal failure" on our part.

Read all about it here.

A Guide Toward Bold Innovation

My latest contribution over at the American Express OPEN Forum.

Check it out and if you like it, say so via a Tweet + hit the Thumbs Up button (at the bottom)! Many thanks.

The Art of
BOLD
iNnOVatIoN

LOLASAB: Laugh Off Layoff and Start a Business

Not too many people care why you start a business. What matters most is that you do it and are excited about it! But in this case, a layoff and an innate passion were the tipping points for Kathy Standage (pictured) of Colorado who launched Exclusive Vail Rentals.

Read about her background, start up plan and hopes for the future with her business -- here.

What about you? Are you going to LOLASAB in 2010?

Photo credit: Chris Schneider for USA Today

Go, Gaga, Go!

If you are hanging out Sunday evening, be sure to catch the Grammys (some highlights here) to take in the new Digital Diva: Lady Gaga (pictured in typical form). Her debut album has generated four No. 1 songs.

Always a fan of both Madonna and Fergie, it appears that Lady Gaga will soar past them both with her ability to go beyond just selling records and CDs to encompass everything from merchandising, touring, clothing design and makeup deals. She's got big time global appeal. More important, she sure can sing and perform stunningly!

Watch her. Don't miss her opening act with Elton John which is rumored to be the Grammy highlight. Looking for inspiration and creativity? Lady Gaga will deliver. She can teach us a thing or two about boldness and expressing ourselves -- whether through entertainment or entrepreneurship.

More here. Song clip here. Video clip here (McDonalds is advertising on it -- I'm lovin' it).

Leap of Faith is Paying Off

Lauri Jo Bennett (pictured) recently quit her teaching job to open a canning business in Southwest Georgia that specializes in salsa, jellies, and green tomato pickles. In just a short time, she is selling product in 16 states. It's her dream job that's employing three others, and now she's preparing to meet with a national retail chain trying to sell her product.

Read more about Lauri Jo's journey here and visit her company website: Lauri Jo's Southern Style Canning, LLC.

Photo credit here.

How to Create a Winning Social Media Strategy For Your Business

Digital Deconstructed:
How to Create a Winning
Social Media Strategy

Here’s a primer on how to create a winning social media strategy that takes the world by storm.

It involves your ability to quickly cover the five W’s:

1. Who – who are you trying to reach (friends, clients, old school pals)?
2. What – what are you trying to accomplish?
3. When – when do you want to make this happen (this year, first quarter 2010, in your lifetime)?
4. Where – where will it occur (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or all of the above)?
5. Why – what’s the purpose of doing this?

Read the entire article here and if you like it, pass it along.

(Full disclosure: Verio is a client.)

It's Never Too Late To Start a Business

JoAnn Cardin (pictured) is 75 years young and has opened a new consignment business in Leachville, Arkansas. She named her new shop Twice Around Treasures. Here's what she has to say about it:

"This is my first time in retail and it is the first time I have owned my own business," she said.

The is making plans for the future but now has mostly clothes and shoes for all members of the family and a large variety of purses.

Congrats to JoAnn! Read more about her business here.

Photo credit (Town Crier photo/Revis Blaylock)

Can't Get No Job Satisfaction. What About You?

Not just women, but Americans in general, continue to grow increasingly unhappy at work. This is a long-term trend that should be a red flag to employers, according to a report released January 5th by The Conference Board.

We've been on this trend for women since 2003 with our Escape From Corporate America article published by the very same, The Conference Board.

The report, based on a survey of 5,000 U.S. households, finds only 45 percent of those surveyed say they are satisfied with their jobs, down from 61.1 percent in 1987, the first year in which the survey was conducted.

"While one in 10 Americans is now unemployed, their working compatriots of all ages and incomes continue to grow increasingly unhappy," says Lynn Franco, director of the Consumer Research Center of The Conference Board. "Through both economic boom and bust during the past two decades, our job satisfaction numbers have shown a consistent downward trend."

Read more about it here.

What's a woman to do? Hmmmmm, ever thought about starting a business? You've come to the right place!

Chart credit: The Conference Board

Spontaneous Innovation

My latest post for the American Express OPEN Forum:

2010: Spontaneous Innovation

If you like, hit the thumbs up button at the bottom and the Tweet button at the top!

Many thanks.

P.S. Two posts in a row featuring adorable babies!

Age Is Never a Barrier In Fulfilling Your Dreams

Dara Torres (pictured), five-time Olympian, mother of a 2-year-old daughter (also pictured) and the oldest member of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team, recently answered an 'age' question with simple confidence: “I’d be 41. When you hit the water, the water doesn’t know what age you are.”

Torres admits she returned home thrilled with her effort, and she also realizes what it means for middle aged America. “If it helps anyone else out there who is in their middle-aged years, and they put off something they thought they couldn’t do because they were too old or maybe thought that, because they have children, they can’t balance what they want to do and be a parent, then I’m absolutely thrilled,” she says.

Read more about Torres here and how she inspires people of all ages to strive toward their personal best.

It's never too late to fulfill your dream and start a business. Think of it this way, "When you strike out on your own, the world won't know what age you are!"

Clear Your Path in 2010

Sometimes all you need in life is a clear path to move ahead in the world.

The photo (click on to enlarge) is taken outside my home in the gangway. We have a table set up year round that holds all sorts of things such as potted plants, lakeside rocks and seasonal items like the little snowman on a bicycle (pictured). You can really appreciate just how much snow we received in Chicago this week. I unburied the cyclist and wiped out a path for her!

Clear your path in 2010.

Photo credit: Laurel J. Delaney, the official Escape From Corporate America blog

Someone Says No. Don't Let It Stop You

I am a huge fan of the Chicago Reader and traditionally the first Thursday of a new year they publish a magnificent photo collection better referred to as "1,000 Words: Our Annual Photo Issue." We were featured once -- remember? I made a point to pick up a complimentary copy at my local 7-Eleven so I could go through all the inspiring photos taken by ordinary people like myself who have an interest in capturing life at its best.

But this entry is not about that. It's about another equally inspiring story -- not photo -- by gifted writer Deanna Isaacs that I happened upon concerning entrepreneur Roberta Brown (pictured) and how she gets gigs (and food) for her piano business. Roberta is an octogenarian and a lifelong Chicagoan.

The title says it all:

How to Get Gigs

Roberta Brown not only plays the Walnut Room at Macy’s for free—she bought the piano.

My favorite part of the article which you absolutely, positively must read for the sake of truly understanding a "calling" or "passion" when it grabs hold of you and you can't shake it no matter how hard you try. That's Roberta with her piano playing.

Why just look at this comment from her. It's so gripping ... so compelling ...

Brown says she'd been playing at Sunday brunch before Macy's bought the store. After the purchase the brunches went the way of the Field's name, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. "My art is my life, and my life is my hobby," she says, "and whatever I want to do, I do."

Be inspired. Read the entire article here.

Photo credit: Lloyd Degrane (amazing photographer!)

Happy 2010: Ring in the New Year with a Splash of Entrepreneurship!

Happy New Year! It would not feel like a new year unless I headed over to my neighborhood Polar Bear Swim New Years Day at Pratt Avenue and the lake in Rogers Park, Illinois. And that I did with hubby along (after he finished a 5K race earlier in the day in Lincoln Park -- man it was cold -- but he finished in impressive record time).

Let me set the stage for these photos. I wrote about this tradition a year ago today here and today's weather was no less challenging than last year: 10 degrees with a wind chill of 3 degrees below zero (a little bit of a wind so if you look closely at the photos, you'll see the waves).

All I can say is no guts, no glory and that applies not only to these folks jumping into icy cold waters who want that glorious feeling but to all of you who keep thinking about starting a business but don't do it.

This year, muster up your guts so you can have your glory too in 2010! Start that business. Surprise yourself and everyone else around you. You can do it. We're counting on it.

As you review these photos,
smile :-),
DREAM big,
be bold,
TAKE THE SPLASH into entrepreneurship!

Wishing you a new year, a new YOU, a new decade -- all filled with promise and opportunity that includes a new business start up!








Photo credit: Laurel J. Delaney, the official Escape From Corporate America blog!

Personal Qualities of an Entrepreneur

Gender discrimination and pay inequities in the corporate world cannot be underestimated so women might as well choose the path of business ownership for these reasons and more. Further, having control over your destiny is a mighty powerful motivator.

Becoming an entrepreneur requires numerous personal qualities regardless of gender. All entrepreneurs are:

Bold, daring, cReAtIvE, calculated risk takers, INNOVATIVE + autonomous

The profile of women entrepreneurs is not necessarily different from our male counterparts. What's noticeable is the contrast in managing style ... other than that ... pretty similar.

For my women readers, may you start a business in 2010. Best wishes for a happy and successful year.

Photo credit: Laurel J. Delaney, lake front at Rogers Park, Illinois, U.S.A., from The Official Escape from Corporate America Blog

Shine Bright This Holiday Season and Let Your Entrepreneurial Spirit Sing with Joy!

Wishing you the happiest and brightest holiday season ever. May 2010 unleash your creativity and get you going with a new business!

Women Business Owners Know How To Create and Be Creative

New research forecasts women small business owners will create 5+ million new jobs by 2018, while creating a far more inclusive workplace environment through their distinctive management approach.

Based on the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute’s projections, women-owned small businesses will generate more than half of the 9.72 million new small business jobs expected to be created, and roughly one-third of the 15.3 million total new jobs anticipated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics by 2018. This projection is striking, given that women-owned businesses currently account for just 16 percent of total U.S. employment.

The Institute’s projections are based on a rigorous analysis of converging factors, including the faster growth rate of women-owned businesses vs. male-owned; higher college graduation rates by women vs. men; the predicted growth of industry sectors and occupations dominated by women; and The Guardian Life Index: What Matters Most to America’s Small Business Owners.

A Thorough Human Being

Maybe I should surprise you and begin with "Big Women" or should I say "Strong Women." Thoughts come to mind about big women because it's the complete opposite of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, "Little Women." But the real reason for bringing this to your attention is to focus on one of the characters, Josephine "Jo" March, the chief protagonist of the novel based on Ms. Alcott (pictured above) herself.

Jo is a tomboy and the second eldest sister at fifteen. She is very outspoken and has a passion for writing. Her bold nature often gets her into trouble. She is especially close to her younger sister Beth, who tries to help her become a gentler person. At the beginning of the book, she is employed by her Aunt March as a companion, but when Beth becomes ill, Amy is sent in Jo's place. Jo cuts off her long, chestnut brown hair — "her one beauty", as Amy calls it — and sells it to a wig shop to get money for her mother to visit their father, a sick Civil War chaplain. She refuses the proposal of marriage from family friend Laurie (despite many letters sent to Miss Alcott to have them married), and after Jo moves to New York, later meets and marries Professor Friedrich "Fritz" Bhaer.

Quite simply, Jo was and will forever be remembered as an entrepreneur and a thorough human being. Here's one of her famous remarks:

"Look at me, World, I'm Jo March, and I'm so happy."

If you have a chance, watch (review here) the original 1933 B/W classic "Little Women" movie to experience a couple of hours of warm and fuzzy feelings. I think I've seen it at least three dozen times and plan to watch it again this holiday season.

2010: Go Your Own Way

As you pave the way to success for yourself, pay a visit to Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (pictured) for additional ideas:

The Kauffman Foundation is working to further understand the phenomenon of entrepreneurship, to advance entrepreneurship education and training efforts, to promote entrepreneurship-friendly policies, and to better facilitate the commercialization of new technologies by entrepreneurs and others, which have great promise for improving the economic welfare of our nation.

See, you are not living in a vacuum. The world is working with you to get that business idea off the ground!

Learn more here.

Let the Truth Be Told By a Scholar About Women Entrepreneurs

Maria Minniti Ph.D. (pictured), holder of the Bobby B. Lyle Chair in Entrepreneurship at SMU’s Cox School of Business, proves to us that studying women entrepreneurs sheds light on entrepreneurship and wealth creation, employment choices, human capital, labor market dynamics, family dynamics and employment, business creation and peace, to name a few.

Women’s businesses tend to be smaller and to grow less than those owned by men. But do those tendencies really convey the nuances inherent in female entrepreneurship and its full impact across the globe?

A couple of highlights from Professor Minniti's research:

• Women are involved in entrepreneurial activities out of two primary reasons — opportunity and necessity.

• Countries which have healthy and diversified labor markets or stronger safety nets show a more favorable ratio of opportunity to necessity-driven women entrepreneurs.

• Only recently has the link between peace and female entrepreneurship been appreciated; it could represent a very significant source of stability in some of the most unstable areas of the globe.

• On average, women seem less networked than men and, in some cultures, have access to fewer social resources.

• Minniti notes that "women are very strong at negotiating, achieving goal-congruence, and consensus-forming.”

• Self-satisfaction is more important to women that financial profitability and growth; and of course, family considerations are very important in women's jump to self-employment.

• How institutions promote or discourage female entrepreneurship should be studied for its policy implications.

Read more here. And to request a copy of Dr. Minniti's forthcoming paper, “Gender Issues in Entrepreneurship,” go here:

Click to email (Partial email = @cox.smu.edu)

When You Go With What You've Got; It Can Become Something Great

That's a quote from 30-year old Norah Jones (a favorite of mine) and I am inclined to agree with her. She's taking her entrepreneurial musical talents in a whole new direction (in her new album, "Come Away With Me," she plays the guitar).

Daring? Yes. BOLD? You bet. Will it pay off? I don't see why not.

We all have to update our talent constantly, go in new directions, launch fresh ideas and take chances in life to become who we are meant to be.

Is that your plan, too, for 2010?

Pictured: Norah Jones (the top one is her new look!)