Lip-Sticking

How Many Hours Do You Really Work?

By Guest Blogger Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter 

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, recently admitted that she leaves work at 5:30. And has been doing so ever since her children were born.  

I walk out of this office every day at 5:30 so I'm home for dinner with my kids at 6:00, and interestingly, I've been doing that since I had kids. I did that when I was at Google, I did that here, and I would say it's not until the last year, two years, that I'm brave enough to talk about it publicly. Now I certainly wouldn't lie, but I wasn't running around giving speeches on it. 

If she can do it, why can't everyone else?  Yes, yes, I know.  She's a COO. She's a major power player. (And, I do wonder what time her assistant leaves...)

Some people have to appear to be working killer hours.  Some actually do work killer hours.  But, then again...the key word here is "work."  

Are you busy...or producing results?  There's a difference.   

P.S. Having kids shouldn't be the sole reason for leaving at a sane hour. Having a life should be the only reason needed.  

 

 

America's Got Talent - Lots of It

by Yvonne DiVita

Who isn't waiting for America's Got Talent to return? I know I am. I'm not thrilled that Howard Stern in replacing Piers as a judge, but I'll reserve my comments on that for after I see a few shows. 

In meantime, there was one talented group of folks from last season that rocked everyone's socks off - iLuminate - and I admit they were among MY favorite groups, also. 

Lenovo Social Media was fortunate enough to interview the founder of iLuminate, Miral Kotb, and share it with us at Lip-sticking. Remember, Kotb is a cancer survivor (those who watch the show remember that, I'm sure) and she's so talented in so many ways, she gives renewed energy to everyone around her. I'm delighted to share this interview - I hope it helps other women see the power they have in themselves... power that is waiting to be tapped, as Kotb tapped into hers.

One of the fantastic things about iLuminate is their dance focus - regular readers will know that I'm a big supporter of a dance/performing group right here in Denver/Boulder called Art as Action. So, dance is near and dear to my heart (also because... I can't dance - sorry, I'm no dancer and never will be one).

Here's the interview - enjoy!

Under Armour's What's Beautiful competition utilizes social media to challenge women

By Guest Blogger Donna DeClemente, Donna's Promo Talk

I recall being first introduced to the Under Armour brand by my daughters. Both were involved in sports during their entire school years, specifically softball. I somehow had coerced my husband into coaching their coed "rookie" league team and he ended up coaching softball for 10 years.

We spent many cold spring days out on the fields... the girls playing, Kevin coaching and me watching. The Under Armour shirts worked perfectly under their softball uniforms as well as on the coach. I was lucky enough to sit under a blanket when needed on top of wearing my Under Armour.

Under Armour has just launched a campaign marketing specifically to women. “What’s Beautiful" is based on "a competition to redefine the female athlete". They are inviting women to show the world what beautiful really is and declare a personal fitness goal. The three women who push it the hardest and farthest will become the new faces of Under Armour Women and have their lives sponsored for a year. Here's their introduction video:

Taxes, Taxes, Taxes... Oh My!

by Yvonne DiVita

I hate taxes. Well, not taxes, per se. I mean, they serve a purpose. I support those less fortunate than I (remembering when I was one of them), and I believe in sharing - so, I don't mind paying taxes. What I hate is the yearly April necessity of figuring out my taxes. <sigh> I don't think I'm alone.

Here's the thing - despite my promise every year not to let April 15th (April 17th this year) sneak up on me, it does. Despite my firm decision to pay attention, save receipts in a file, and get organized, I don't. And, while I am smart enough to hire someone to do my taxes, I am not smart enough to have hired help to get organized.

I Have Nothing Against Mothers

By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter 

Ann Romney hasn't worked a day in her life. - Hilary Rosen

Some of my favorite people are moms (Hey, Yvonne!)  I still have a mom. But, now that the outrage has died down a bit, I encourage us to not forget the key point.

Ms. Romney was not attacked for being a "stay-at-home" mom. Hilary Rosen (a mom herself) wasn't  saying mothers don't work. What she was trying to say (albeit, badly) was Ms. Romney can't relate to what many women face every day - economic uncertainty, tight budgets, and low-paying jobs. Yet, she's the one that her husband apparently relies on for the "woman's perspective."  

Dealing with Hate Mongers

by Yvonne DiVita

Some people just don't like you. Reasonably or unreasonably, no matter what you do, they will find fault with you. On the Internet, hate is easy to share - after all, as the saying goes, "On the Internet, no one knows you're a dog."

I've had more than my share of hate mongers. A few years ago, I was attacked by a rather distasteful blogger who accused me of running a scam business with my print-on-demand company. He got all his writer friends to post nasty things about me - even though he and I had not only never done business together, we'd never met. He happened to read an article I wrote on another blog - showing the growing trend of traditional publishers to tapping into bloggers. No amount of proof I presented would change his mind - I was a scam artist and anyone who worked with me was throwing their money away.

How Have Swipe Fees Affected Everyday Banking?

Guest post by Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO, Cardhub

What do rapper Lil Wayne, television personality Suze Orman, and comedian George Lopez have in common with checking accounts?  Oddly enough, all were affected in one way or another by the Durbin Amendment, the legislation that instructed the Federal Reserve to cap debit card swipe fees at roughly $0.24 per transaction, inadvertently leading to a growing market for celebrity prepaid card endorsers.

You see, legislators originally took from the banks the power to charge merchants whatever they wanted for debit card use in the hopes that it would lead to lower prices for consumers and thereby jump-start the economy.  But we’re instead seeing higher checking account fees and a restructuring of the payments landscape, in which prepaid cards – a natural checking account alternative – are steadily gaining market position.

This is all attributable to the fact that the Durbin Amendment only applies to debit cards issued by banks with at least $10 billion in assets, whom it will cost roughly $9.4 billion in revenue annually, according to Card Hub.  In other words, large banks have an incentive to make traditional checking accounts and debit cards less appealing as well as to push consumers toward unregulated alternatives like credit cards and prepaid cards.

Friday Musings: Hungry?

by Yvonne DiVita

In reference to the title today, have you read The Hunger Games books? Have you seen the first movie?

Well, I have. Read all three books and seen the movie. And, I'm left... unimpressed. Actually, I'm left feeling sad. THIS is what passes for good reading today? THIS is how low our expectations of novel and movie greatness have fallen?

Let's look at the big picture - first of all, the plot is absurd. The first job of any fiction story is to overcome the reader's disbelief. In other words, the reader needs to believe in the story. The deeper I got into the hunger games, the less I believed. 

TGIF: Take one bite of the elephant

By Amanda Ponzar

It's Friday, and I'm supposed to post on Thursday, so once again, like usual, it's been that kind of week...month...year...couple of years.

All I want to say today on Friday is TGIF -- and talk about being thankful. Yes, I've posted on "The Power of Giving Thanks" before. It really works.

Yesterday, my husband and I emailed back and forth what we are thankful for. Just start with three things. Everyone can think of three, no matter how tough your life is right now.

13 Things You MUST Have to Start Your Job Search

Guest post by Hannah Morgan

Your Job Search Doesn’t Begin with A Resume

So how do you begin your job search? It starts with assessment and research. Yuck, I know. But doing an assessment of what you want to do and what you like to do will focus your job search on the right opportunities. By pulling together these 13 items early in your job search, you are in fact doing an assessment and research and it will prepare you to get moving in the right direction faster

1. Portfolio of work and evaluations - Dig through your files or call Human Resources for copies of your performance reviews. Look for copies of complimentary emails from customers or colleagues. Perhaps you have samples/examples of your work such as project plans, revised processes, work instructions or reports.  These may be confidential or proprietary information, but they can be helpful in reminding you of what you accomplished.
2. Professional greeting on main voicemail - It may be obvious, however, it is a frequently overlooked step. Make sure your home voice mail and mobile voice mail include your name so the person contacting you knows they have the right number.