The Thrill of the Hunt

Shopping For Style and So Much More

Women love to shop. We enjoy the company and the social aspect with friends. It’s sometimes a casual stroll through the mall, or on a mission to find that special something for the right occasion. We hope to find something to buy as we go from store to store touching, looking, smelling, and taking in all the sights and sounds. I love the feeling of finding that great shirt, skirt, dress, or something new to make me feel good as I walk through that room. There’s always that accessory making the entire outfit complete to accent your personality or fashion flair.

Finding a bargain is always best. TjMaxx and Marshalls make for a fun adventure to shop and offers the thrill of the hunt to finding that right fit at the right price. Finding the right man or woman to share a life together can be similar to searching for that right fit. However, it’s something we can’t buy to earn one’s affection and attention.

Women and men may seek one another for comfort, company, a connection, communication, companionship, chemistry and more. We casually date in hopes to find it. It’s scary to see the similarities of the thrill of shopping for clothes to complement your wardrobe and the thrill of searching for that special someone. We may not need it, but we just WANT IT! What do we really want to feel satisfied? Do the clothes we wear add to our confidence to believe in who we are and what we can offer? The models in magazines and the images in the media could make some feel insecure. Perhaps, it’s the marketing that inspires us to look the best we can be. Most of us want the companionship and closeness with a person that can bring out the best.

We discover the person; a special woman or a man that recognizes our distinct attributes to make us feel we are part of the same thread. We respect and learn to adore another person that can appreciate our entire ensemble and the accents we offer with our personality. It’s how we dress to express and impress showing off our casual-side, conservative,and sporty style.  As we walk down the runway of life, it’s the right guy or gal that can appreciate all our numerous looks.

Men love their fast cars, clothes, toys and technology gadgets. Most of all, it’s having fun to show them off to their friends. Most men hate to shop, but think they know what they want. It’s not until someone else blurts out, “What were you thinking?!“

Clothes don’t make the man (or a woman), nor do their gadgets, cars, or something else. As for some men, the thrill of the hunt might be the chase to finding the next female, a new toy, or something more. It could be a confidence boost for certain men that want to win the prize and for others to know they will always be adored. A man, or a woman might have it all, but could always be in search for something more. As for some women, the thrill of the hunt might be the chase to find that next Chanel bargain. Despite the fact, we probably have Gucci, Louis Vuitton, or Christian Dior as our collection of fashionable designer men.

Does marketing cause us to feel we are missing out on something that plays on our fears of inadequacy? One must feel secure. It’s not until we lose someone special, or review certain items in our closet to reflect on its importance and value. We look back on the good memories and either decide to hold onto it, or discard it.

The Thrill of the Hunt and the Final Celebration

There are some women that are looking to show off a man as an accessory, as there are men that seek the same to feel good in the company of a woman. It’s all in how you carry yourself when you are with a man or a woman and letting your confidence shine from within. Don’t make someone your life, but let one complement it. Be proud to have him or her by your side. Don’t let the clothes make the man, but wear them with pride.

There is the thrill of the hunt for finding clothes, fast cars and meeting that next girl or guy. There is a big difference between the two. Love isn’t something you find on the shelf, but let it find you and you’ll be surprised! One can’t play games once feelings are established, but rather be genuine and honest. Be yourself. Express yourself and don’t compromise your happiness. It’s not about adding a new look or outfit, but rather finding something or someone who makes you feel comfortable, confident and ready to put your best foot forward. Don’t follow trends with style and search to fit in with something, or someone who doesn’t flatter you best. It can be frustrating until you find it.

Sometimes spending more for that something extra special is worth a little more time and consideration. Part of finding that right man, or woman is giving much thought to the decision. It’s not something you can buy, but rather a special relationship is something you earn with someone gaining the full respect, admiration and care for that other person. It’s about finding the right one that fits, a diamond in the rough to add to that finger, a special person to hold onto a lifetime and share the colorful moments together.

You Go Girl! Harvard Celebrates Dynamic Women In Business

Women from across the country attended Harvard’s 19th annual Dynamic Women in Business conference which featured some of the brightest and talented women that have made strides in their professional careers. Sitting side-by-side with others attending the event were people about to graduate, new to a career, women seeking work, or individuals that wanted to hear from some powerful people in business. Both young and old came to learn and network with one another in hopes to secure that next job opportunity, make a new friend, or find a mentor to inspire one to reach for her goals. Top women executives from companies such as Staples, lululemon athletica, Keds (Stride Rite / Collective Brands), Coca- Cola, NBC Universal, Showtime, Time Warner Cable, Estee Lauder, Google, Highland Capital Partners, FedEx, Mavens & Mogels, Communispace, and many more came together in one place to share their experiences in different aspects of business.

Make Your Movement Possible

The event kicked off with Ann Simonds, President of General Mills Baking Products Division, where her comment, “there are learning points in your life and leading points in your life,” rang true to many women throughout different stages of their career development. We all have had transitions in our lives where we take a step back to improve upon our weaknesses, or took the necessary time to research for ourselves what would help us to move forward. Ann shared in her presentation a copy of a check from a few years back for $38.00 her mother contributed to help a women’s professional organization.  Today, Ann stood on the spotlight of the stage before hundreds of impressionable women, as her mother sat in the audience to cheer her daughter as a true leader in business. Not only was that a great story, but the conference was inspirational to many in the audience. It was nice to see women bonding together with a sense of empowerment as they listened to the personal stories of the executives on the panels who offered their solutions for facing the day-to-day business challenges to find success.

Turning Buzz to Biz

Whether you are pitching a product, trying to sell yourself to a prospective buyer/recruiter, or meet someone new, it’s all about creating that buzz, developing your network, and influencing others in hopes for one to see the value you offer. Check out the book Now Discover Your Strengths, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton. Many women recommended it as a good resource to help define your core strengths and how you can gain results in the workplace.

The various panels of women discussed areas in sales, marketing, entrepreneurship, retail, consulting, finance and more, offered examples to improve your business, your role, but also where all of us can look inside ourselves to put our best foot forward in many situations.

• Make sure to ask for what you want
• Listen
• Focus on the outcome
• Surround yourself with the best talent
• Don’t allow yourself to be put down
• Seek opportunities to prove your strategic direction
• Share the results: Show Don’t Tell
• Build an organization around a strategy
• What brand asset do you have?
• Identify the touch points and keep them engaging to influence the audience or your peers
• Improve the overall experience for the customer making it memorable
• Find a mentor to cheer you on when you are doing something well, and offer advice when you are doing something wrong

So get out there…..YOU GO GIRL!

What are some things that you live by to get ahead? Share your story below and let others know.

 

Joan of Arc In the Making

An article last year in eWeek,“Why Are There So Few Women Tech Entrepreneurs?” featuring a report from Business Week that was showcasing the best young entrepreneurs in technology most likely to shape the world’s digital future. Of the 45 entrepreneurs only three were women. It still rings true today, where I’ve noticed a gap with many online start-ups dominated by men with engineering backgrounds who continue to gain the attention and support by the media and venture firms. There are a select group of women professionals who have gone out on a limb and have been noted for their accomplishments in technology and digital developments. Well, maybe it’s a matter of time more women come together to highlight the accomplishments of other women.

Joan of Arc was a peasant girl, who despite her circumstances around an army of men felt obligated to help lead the people of France to defeat the English. At a time of battle, she was capable of raising the spirits of the French troops securing control of Orleans.

Many times women are the brainchild for new ideas and unfortunately aren’t given the recognition or taken seriously for their work as some men. Center for Women’s Business Research (CWBR), reported that 10.1 million businesses are owned by women and this accounts for 40% of all privately held firms in the United States. These women run operations attribute to generating 1.1 trillion dollars in sales.

Is it really still a boys club and can’t the gals play with the venture capitalist crowd? I’ve thought it would be a great alternative to create a women owned VC firm that supports women driven businesses. Forbes magazine selected some of the top women with the Midas Touch to support the growth of new businesses after going out on their own to create their own firms. Many are tired of an all boys club and decided it was best to be entrepreneurial as well. Myra Hart, a retired Harvard professor, conducted a report alongside Patricia Greene of Babson College, and other notable women researchers with the The Diana Project. They reviewed many of the myths for women entrepreneurs seeking venture capital funding. In the report, “there was a noticeable trend where women received a disproportionately low amount of the venture capital available in the United States,” as reported in eWeek. During these tough economic times it has created new challenges for both men and women entrepreneurs to seek the necessary funds for the growth of their business.

Why is it some men work together and become mentors for one another, while for the most part some women compete often against one another? Women need to bond together as much as men to move the army of talented individuals to the forefront of the battleground to win. I was considering today that there are few resources promoting their success stories, as well as hearing the challenges for women in the digital space. It would be great to share these experiences first-hand with others, or help connect people that want to make a contribution to new developments. It always interests me to create programs that can cultivate new talent to thrive, brings together people of different backgrounds and areas of expertise to inspire new ideas, or provide the proper tools to improve marketing, sales, and create further awareness. I would like to join the ranks of women in leadership to make a remarkable and memorable change to empower people, while celebrate our similarities and embrace our differences.

I continue to work towards leading others, or learning from other leaders including men and women. It’s about time that more organizations such as Girls in Tech have started to develop local chapters to support women of all ages that seek advancement and resources.

For some reason the competition between certain women in power remains strong and not supportive, while men look beyond that with their colleagues in the workforce. New programs for women is a positive thing! However, there is a much needed focus at an earlier age for young girls and older women to change the old attitudes about competition and be in touch with t he concept of collaboration and mentor one another.

Are you a Joan of Arc in the Making? Or, do you know of one? Let me know!