Listmania- The professions I would like to try.

 The Nile - Aswan, Egypt



I am not sure about other people but almost weekly I have second thoughts or regrets about my career choices or my career path. I review my career options constantly, nothing seems to be the perfect job. In some ways  though I have always been a bit of a fashionista ; my first choice as a young girl was to be a flight attendant after seeing the glamour girls in the high flying glam heyday of the seventies. I have several vintage Pan Am and British Airways in the attic :) My career has always been in fashion, some real estate and a bit of home staging. 


The list below is a fantasy list. In no particular order but the first one is my top choice.  It is not too late for me to try some of these.....


Spanish, French or Mandarin Translator at the United Nations- This would be a heady experience, on every level, every single day. 

History professor  or Art History professor- I love history and could get lost in a history book almost daily. I could get lost in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Beauty Editor ( fashion magazine or blog)- Along with every woman on the planet!

Egyptian Tour Guide- To spend every day visiting some of the most magical places in this beautiful country would be an amazing experience.

Business Analyst- after a childhood spent being intimidated by math, I eventually conquered my demons, now I can't live without a daily analysis and evaluation all of my reports at work. I am an over analyzer that is for sure.

Retail  Consultant- After spending years in retail and customer service I would love to advise corporations on how to improve customer service from the inside out. Treat your inside customer ( retail teams) well first and you will get great results.

Anthony Bourdain's Job (  Travel and Food TV Host) - Travel around the world and try different cuisines ( I would have to be a chef of course, he did his time). Job of a lifetime.

Property Management - For a condo complex . Should be interesting working with people and working through their issues.

Reading Volunteer or Storyteller - Travel all over the country reading to children at schools. Would be a total pleasure to see the smiles on their faces.

Graphic Designer - I have a natural curiosity for web building, along with unique ideas.


now that you know how this mind works, please send your wish list, I would love to get the scoop! 


Fashionmom

Room Service Home (RSH) - Great finds for the Home Office and more.

So it is nice to have new digs, I think I will have stories and adventures for years to come as we figure out how to settle in and live on a budget without shopping like crazy!
My home office is in the basement and I love working at my desk. I would like to perk the room up though,  it would be very nice  to have some really great accessories to bring it alive.  I know that the Container Store is a good bet but I prefer to shop from home, there is less temptation for me. Container Store is dangerous for my wallet.

We have the usual places like West Elm and Pottery Barn but I love what they offer at Room Service Home , a catalog boutique and  online retailer.

The company is based in Dallas Texas and it sells home office items, bath products and personalized gifts for you and your family and friends.
The company encourages their customers to have a say in their choices so many of the items can be personalized, monograms, colors and textiles too.
The prices are very reasonable and I have listed a few of my favorite things below.

 

















A gift to me is in order!  Anna Griffin Totes





















File folders- Love these!!  Anna Griffin File Folders





















Monogrammed Clip Boards.




















Classics- Reference Volumes





















 Crest File Folders





















Damask Mouse Pad




Parsons Chair and Cabrole Table





















Mom Agendas- Love this!  I know what my friends will be getting for Christmas this year!








































A company bestseller- Life Organizers, this is what we need to keep all of those loose papers, excuse me, documents together!



















Of course you must have sticky note pads!

























plus a few of my other favorite things....




















Tumblers to go - great for the summer!






















Tea Trolley set for children




















Moo Mixer for little ones, fun to watch the mixing happen!





















Personalized Photo organizer

Pay a visit to this site today, I hope that you like it as much as we do!

http://www.rshcatalog.com/


Happy Shopping!

Unflappable Working Moms- Tips for Work-Life Balance but is Balance the right word ?

Michelle Slatalla is one of my favorite writers. She did a wonderful lifestyle column in the New York Times Sunday Fashion and Style section.
Her writing is sharp ,witty and direct.

She wrote an excellent article under Life Lessons for Real Simple last year and I kept a copy for future pep reads! Whenever I feel the backward slide coming on I read this for a focus reminder.
Here are her tips for staying sane despite the chaos.

10 secrets of an Unflappable Working Mom.

Do Work at Home;Do Work at Home.

You need to accomplish a certain number of things during a 24 hour period. Where you complete those tasks is beside the point;you just need to check them off the list in order to free up time for the things you want to do. Pedicures come to mind. And reading.So go ahead:pay your bills at the office during your lunch hour and check your work email at home while you are waiting for the kids to show up at the table.

Juggle Strategically

 Sure,try to accomplish A and B and C simultaneously,but don't do it all by yourself.Instead get A to accomplish B,so you can take credit for C. For Instance,I like to sit at the kitchen table and work on a laptop next to child of mine doing algebra. While A does worksheets(and I can write my own column),she is being mothered by me. Also, I can change gears fast to google the"quadratic equation" if A gets stuck. Child aces her math class, I meet my deadline.Score two points for the working mom.

Make your Home Office a Command Center

Those pesky experts say that to get any work done at home, you have to be cordoned off in a room far away from anyone who can nag you. This makes me wonder how many experts have children. Instead figure our which location in the center of your house provides some privacy, while reminding everyone that you are a presence to be reckoned with. From this spot, you should be able to stir a pot of simmering soup or assist with a history project that involves the use of glitter(by nixing the glitter).

Ignore the Latest Parental Fear Mongering Literature.

I don't want to catch you reading anything with a title like, Either I should be Drinking More or Less Chardonnay Out of Sippy Cups at Work and Home.
Instead stick to the classics that remind us, with great wit,what we like about this business of being an adult with a complex life. For example, Shirley Jackson's raising Demons will help you decided whether it's more fulfilling to spend the weekend doing housework or playing cards with the neighbors(Hint: think mixed nuts and drinks over a few rounds of bridge).


Getting Out The Door in The Morning(without anyone in tears) is The Only Thing You Have To Achieve Before 8:30am.

Stop trying to organize everything Your only goals are the leave the house looking good and without your first grader sobbing because she hates getting dressed in the morning. If that means you put her to bed in her school clothes to avoid a 7am tantrum, I think you're a genius.

Arm Yourself With Secret Weapons

Mine include a ream of copy paper( hide it on your underwear drawer so no one can cut it up into snowflakes), an instant thermometer, and emergency high heels( stash in the car)

Go With Your Gut, And Don't Second Guess It Later

If you've spent days preparing for a meeting that starts in and hour and the school nurse calls to report a painful,though not hospital worthy monkey bar injury,there's no one right thing to do, On any given day,your instinct might be to skip the meeting. Or suggest that the nurse apply an ice pack and send Shorty back to class. make a snap decision and then-this is key- don't question it later. Let it go. Really,I mean it.

Leave Your Kids( And The Stories About Them At Home).
While I'm sure your coworkers love hearing about Sophie's Ballet recital or poison ivy, you can keep them begging for more by limiting updates on family life to one per week(unless your kid gets a perfect score on his SAT, in which case keep the good news to yourself forever). Remember -bragging about your kids is what family parties are for.

Don't Obsess Over Things No One Will Remember in Five Years

Come 2015 no one,not even you will still be angry at the PTA that insisted on scheduling meetings during the workday.Or that your child was the last holdout against potty training at preschool. I learned this from a nursery school director names Susie Meisler. She used to peel screaming 3 year olds off their parents, carry them into her office and call over her shoulder to fretting parents. "Get a cup of coffee. Everything will be fine" Susie was right.

Stop Thinking of Yourself as Split into Separate but Equal Roles: Mother,Worker,Me.

Listen to philosopher John Locke, who said that a person recognizes himself as the same being throughout his life, in different time and places. You are one person, indivisible,who just happens to wear many hats. And while I get that weight of all those hats can wear you down, at least be happy you've got something important to do.


Photos courtesy Istockphotos

Career Words of Wisdom- Service

Excellent Customer Service(internal and external) is a necessity for a business to thrive, be successful and ultimately survive.

Healthy and respectful relationships between supervisors, managers and staff  is a key factor to good customer service.
If managers and staff are not treated with respect, then the customer will not be treated with the courtesy and  respect they deserve.
In today's market environment, though businesses claim to be focused on better service, customer service numbers continue to slide into the abyss.
Two of the  biggest factors ?
not enough people to go around. Companies are dealing with increased costs and managing and maximizing every square foot of their space is very important. This adds stress to management and staff at all levels.
The second factor ?
are the people who are serving you, their teams, managers and executives being given the tools they need to take care of you?

If the answer to that question is no, then who pays the ultimate price?

The Customer. The Client.

You.

I have read many books, articles and gotten lots of advice over the years about customer service both internal (the people who work for you are your internal customers) and external. How we treat our people is the key and this post focuses on that.
I would like to share some words of wisdom from various people and authors.



The first three are my tried and true tips.

Remember to say Please and  Thank You. This is the one complaint I have heard countless times over the years from people at all levels, they never hear please or thank you. Saying thank you will not damage the way you are perceived or make you less effective. Smiling while saying it can really change someones life. Make the effort to say Thank you. Funny how we drop proper manners as adults.

Ask people about themselves first (health etc) and always remember to ask them something about family or pets.  Remember names ( repeating a name several times helps). Asking people about family or something that they care about will change the way you are perceived,  those people will jump through many hoops for you later. Remember birthdays, acknowledge employees who may be under stress, this can affect your bottom line folks!  Send cards, do small things. Showing empathy is important, it helps people to stay committed.

Listen- Keep your door open, unless in a serious meeting and give people time, try to stop and listen. You can set parameters of course but always listen.

"People Buy from People They Like"- IBM sales philosophy.

FashionMom

• Fill the candy dish( this really works)

A Very Special touch for a manager is to keep a candy dish in an area where visitors will see it. Keep it full of goodies. Everyone likes a little something extra in his or her day-just be careful that your employees don't get addicted.

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."

Samuel Johnson

Leadership Secrets from the Executive Office- George Hathaway.

• How do you find out what the people even at the lowest rungs of your company are thinking?

In addition to comprehensive surveys and town hall meetings. I schedule walk around time so that I can be different buildings, just stopping by offices. Typically people used to jump. They'd be working and I'd knock on the door and somebody would put up their head and sort of startle when they see me. Now they don't do that anymore. I would just say : Hey what's keeping me up at nights? What are you working on? What's the most exciting for you right now? Where do you see we could improve. That 's really rewarding.
Deborah Dunsire,MD president and chief executive of Millennium:The Takeda Oncology Company(excerpt from NYT Corner Office by Adam Bryant). .

• What's the most important leadership lesson you've learned?

The biggest one I learned and I learned it early on in my tenure in the Army , is the importance of small gestures. As you become more senior; those small gestures and little things become sometimes more important than the grand ones. Little things like saying"please" and "thank you"-Just the basic respect that people are due, or sending personal notes. I spend a lot of time sending personal notes.
Gary.E.McCullogh, president and chief executive of the Career Education Corporation( excerpt NYT Corner Office by Adam Bryant). .

• After you deliver a reprimand, it is important that people still know that you value them as a human beings.

Ken Blanchard.

• What feedback do you get from your direct reports that you've used in setting your own goals as a manager and a leader?

In recent years,if I had to distill what I"m hearing most, it's the importance of listening and responding to people's concerns. I've always thought communication was important, but the older I get the more I realize that you cannot communicate enough, and you need to answer people's questions and their concerns directly.
I try to answer an e mail within 3 or 4 hours. Sometimes my response may be nothing more than Got This. I'll be working on it and get back to you. But I want people to know that I'm reading these things,I'm listening to them,that what they say is important,I heard it,I'm paying attention to it.
You may not be able to solve the entire problem at that moment, but just to let them know that you heard it, you understand it, that something is happening, I think goes a long way to making people feel that there is an environment of respect for their opinions, their needs, their concerns.
I also think that it's important, sometimes to communicate "no" and to say that in a very clear way and not to leave any ambiguity so that people continue to ask and ask and ask about a decision that's already been made.
Jacqueline Koseoff,Chief executive of Prescription Solutions, a United Health Group company ( excerpt from NYT Corner Office by Adam Bryant).

• Tell me about the best bosses you have worked for.

The best leaders I've known really taken an active interest in a person. And once that person demonstrates that they have skill and capability, they try to help them achieve their potential. That's always been my thinking about management. If you have someone who's smart, talented, aggressive and wants to learn then your job is to help them become all they can be.
David C Novak, chairman,chief executive and president of Yum Brands(excerpt from NYT Corner Office by Adam Bryant).

• What's the most important leadership lesson that you have learned?

In business you should treat your employees like they can vote. It doesn't mean you're going to get everybody to vote for you. But you kind of try to kiss the babies and shake the hands and tell them you appreciate them and would like them to support you. You can do it like a dictator, but I'm not sure very many of them in the long run are successful.
Daniel P Amos,chief executive of Aflac(excerpt from NYT Corner Office by Adam Bryant)

• What is the most important leadership lesson you've learned?

It's the ability to listen and to make people understand that you are listening to them. Make them feel that they are making a contribution, and then you make a decision. I don't think that any one individual is brilliant that they know all of the answers. So you've got to have a sense of inclusiveness. The other most important things is making people understand the strategy and the message and be out in front of the people so that they actually understand the mission.
James J Shiro,chief executive of Zurich Financial Services (excerpt from NYT Corner Office by Adam Bryant).


Few Things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A Smile. A word of optimism and hope. A "you can do it" when things are tough.

Richard M Devos

For the Love of Golf! Women, take a lesson and change your life.

I know that it is very hard to find time for yourself in this busy hectic world. We do not have five minutes for ourselves sometimes. But I wanted you to think about this at least for the future, or if you can do it now, just do it.

This is notjust a game men play. There are many women out there playing golf but not enough. We have great role models, Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa and the legendary Babe Zharias.

I remember when I took my first golf lesson.

I took my first golf lesson in 1997 the year Tiger Woods won his first Masters.

My husband had been playing golf for many years before I started playing. I would listen to his stories with amusement but never felt the urge or need to play the game.  

We had just moved into a home which was located near the 6^th hole of one of 5 public golf courses in Somerset County NJ. Every day, I picked up errant balls and every Saturday watched as players hunted for balls in the bushes behind our backyard. I was getting curious, something was always happening over at the par 4 #6.

The urge to learn to play really ramped up with Tiger Woods and his appearance on the national scene. The Masters was the first time I watched golf coverage in its entirety on TV. My friends and family talked about his win incessantly, I watched him on Oprah and was truly inspired for the first time to try this game. His enthusiasm and his gutsy play, his drive and suddenly, I wanted to play too. My husband played so it was something for us to do together as a couple. 

And I was not alone, a lot of my female friends also started playing golf for the same reason.

I took my first lesson and was hooked.

I love golf for the chance to be with nature, I love the trees, the sounds of nature, birds and water. I appreciate what golf courses have done to preserve nature and to provide a sanctuary for animals.

I love golf because it pushed me to be more independent. I would go to the course and play 9 holes myself, something I may not have done before. It pushed me to go further in the game and in life than I had ever gone before. It provided the ultimate life lessons.

I love golf because it provides me with time for me, just me.  I have a chance to think, I evaluate professional and personal issues. I am alone with my thoughts and it is incredibly freeing.

I love golf because it allowed me to meet people from all over the world, from different paths. I may never see them again, but in some small way, they impacted my life and I impacted their lives.

I love golf because it expanded my horizons. It motivated me to travel to places I may not have gone, just to play golf.

Golf also provides a great opportunity for women to network with fellow colleagues. All of those corporate golf outings you missed in the past, should be on your schedule.

Golf taught me how to be more patient. It forced me to stop, take a step back and then move forward. It helped me to relax.

The biggest change? It taught me how to fight, in both my personal and professional life, to keep pushing, to never give up.
You cannot give up on the course, you have to make that swing, and if it is bad, so be it, you move to the next one and that one has to be better than the last.

Golf teaches you how to breathe, to settle and calm your mind. You have to before each swing or else.....it could be a doozy.

I know everyone talks about the lack of exercise in golf, that it is not a real sport. Well try walking 18 holes with a bag and no cart. It kept me slim and trim.

I can tell you that you will exercise the most important part of your body, your mind.

Thank you Golf for changing my life. 

 Please contact any local golf course or Golf Smith
 in your area and ask about lessons. And get a starter set( no major brand names) of clubs just in case you don't like it, at least you would not have wasted your money.

Your life is about to change.

http://www.golfsmith,com/

Punta Cana

Impress at Lunch

We are returning to work, or interviewing for jobs or looking for an opportunity for advancement. You are sitting down with your new boss or current one, how do you conduct yourself with ease ? These may seem trivial but they are the things which you may have forgotten, they leave a lasting impression.

Please find below some tips for Power Lunching by Harriet Cole from Essence Magazine.

First Impressions
Be On Time.
Wait until your boss arrives to be seated.
Follow your boss to the table.
Never place a napkin around your neck!


 Table Talk
Stay focused and listen. I remember the days when my mind was very tempted to wander off.
Thank your boss for inviting you and and ask about their family.
Choose a work topic that would stimulate a healthy discussion, a project or company success.
Drive home some main points that you see yourself growing with the company.
Avoid speaking negatively about anyone.

The Art of Ordering

Take your cues from your boos, when they are ready to order you do the same.
Avoid messy foods like lamb chops, pasta and finger foods.
Mineral water or sparking ciders always preferable to a soft drink and alcohol.
You may have a glass of wine if your boss is( I say stick to water).

Minding Manners

The bread plate is on your left and the drinks are on your right.
Begin using utensils farthest away from the plate and work your way in with each course.
Hold Stemmed glasses at the stems.
Scoop soup away from you and avoid drips.
Place knife and fork together, facing the middle of the plate at three o'clock.

The Bill

The one who extended the invitations pays.
If there is a very long pause you step in and pay the bill.
Without interrupting the conversation place your credit card in the folder.


Best Wishes!