Once upon a time, my former company provided merchandise to various major corporations for promotional use. This often included custom apparel and other merchandise branded with the company logos, and we sometimes had the opportunity to attend events and sell the merchandise on site. This means "entertainment" time with our customers. Whether you are male or female, you had better be able to keep up.
Las Vegas is a big meeting/conference destination so I've spent many more evenings in Vegas than I care to remember, with several different customer groups. It sucks to work in Vegas because it's almost impossible to get from one place to another, very difficult to meet up with people because there's no real lobby or one bar where everyone hangs out - you have to make specific plans to meet. This can require meeting at Clubs, including expensive bottle service and limos, paid for by the supplier. Almost without exception, customers are way more fun with a few drinks in them than they are behind their desk - and they probably feel the same about suppliers. Seasoned professionals like myself can usually manage the situation better than the younger employees that we bring with us to work trade-show booths or sell the merchandise. More than one employee has held another's hair while she threw up, and then both showed up in sunglasses the next morning. This usually impresses customers. (Digression about Vegas: I'm not a gambler, so instead, I go directly to a store in the Venetian called Shoooz, buy a pair of shoes and then pretend that's the money I lost gambling. Also best to share this type of information with your husband so that when you get home, he doesn't see the mail and wonder why you're getting thank-you notes from shoe stores in Las Vegas.... To be fair, Dave doesn't question thank-you notes from shoe stores at all anymore).
I have applied temporary tattoos to visitors at the Woodward Dream Cruise, sold shirts at drag races, demonstrated blenders at trade shows, packed lunches into coolers under the bleachers at the Brickyard 500, labeled trophies in hotel conference rooms, hung out in countless hotel bars, ate pizza and cleaned out mini-bars with customers in the wee hours - not very glamorous, but for the most part, almost always fun.
One memorable trip was to the Suburban Reunion in Austin, TX. I was there with a a couple of guys from the brand team and a couple of other suppliers. These were big drinkers and the reality is that I'm a lightweight. I can't drink that much and I find that it's a good practice to keep my wits about me, especially with customers, so here's how it worked: As soon as we were situated at the bar (another supplier was getting this tab), I pulled the server aside, handed her $20, told her I'd be ordering vodka/cranberry and to please bring me vodka the first time, then cranberry juice and water on the rocks after that. Hope my Chevy contact isn't reading this because I never told him what I did - he still thinks I matched them drink-for-drink. The other supplier was passed out on the bouncer's stool at the end of the night - we had to carry him to the car. The Chevy contact was barely able to walk under his own power (good thing I was the designated driver) and I got serious street cred for being able to "hang", get everyone back to the hotel safely AND show up bright-eyed and functional the next morning.
Business girls have to be resourceful.
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Friday, March 28, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Sh*t happens...if you're lucky.
You've heard me mention my Posse before in these posts - a group of 9 women business owners (of which I just learned that I am the Sheriff! Apparently the Sheriff's main responsibility is to run the Doodle Poll to plan the lunches...). We've known each other since we first belonged to the Women President's Organization about 8 years ago, a small group of non-competing business owners that pay dues to the parent organization and follow a specific meeting format, serving as an informal Board of Directors or Advisory Council for each other. A few years ago the 9 of us seceded from the group to form The Posse, and now meet for lunch every other month. We still do 5-minute check-ins where we talk about what we're up to, but boy, how that conversation has changed!
When we first met, several of us were in our 40's, at peak performance in our companies and oh so serious about business. What to do about HR issues, attorney referrals and lawsuit advice, how are we handling insurance, advice for buying or selling a company. Once we formed The Posse, we still shared business advice but also discussed issues with kids and divorce, Botox and injectables, vacation homes and trips.
Today, the oldest of us are in the back half of our 50's and many of us have sold our companies and are on to our next adventures. For a couple of us, it's a new company and non-profit boards, for others, following a new direction in art or science, for another, a career break with lots of special interests. No one is sitting still, but we're all intentionally simplifying our lives. We're still interested in injectables and youth serums, but are now acutely aware of our health. Exciting discussions of beach vacations and referrals for cosmetic surgery procedures quickly degenerated into discussions of the benefits of liver cleanses and colonics!
As we get older I'm struck by how we just become more of who we are. The lovable whack-a-doodles (you know who you are) become even more whacky, the spiritual become even more spiritual - you get the idea (the bitchy are more experienced bitches, by the way; I'm okay with it). Whether it's because of planetary shifts or phases of the moon or just the wisdom that comes with age, we're all a little more mellow. Reluctant to judge, slower to anger, less likely to hold a grudge, quicker to laugh - certainly more tolerant. One Posse Sister explained how dealing with a difficult business partner was a gift: the partner provided her with a "growth opportunity". I've not evolved that far yet, but from now on, anytime someone pisses me off, I will pause to think of her and embrace my growth opportunity (or maybe just bitch about it because I'm THAT one).
We're all very different and that's what makes it great. We don't need to understand everything to enjoy each other. And we don't need Red Hats to feel connected and a sense of belonging to a group. I love my Posse and hope we're still meeting years from now to talk about the cliques in the retirement home or gossip about the gaudy casket that one of our relatives selected. One of us has already decided to be the oldest living white woman: she'll bury all of us. Please make sure the wakes are tasteful but fun! (Note from the Sheriff: Don't bury me. I want a fun party with photos of when I was 30; cremate me and sprinkle my ashes over the nearest DSW...my kids are also aware of this).
As a result of our lunchtime conversation today: wishing you all clean livers, low metal counts and healthy enzymes in your blood and regular bowel movements!
When we first met, several of us were in our 40's, at peak performance in our companies and oh so serious about business. What to do about HR issues, attorney referrals and lawsuit advice, how are we handling insurance, advice for buying or selling a company. Once we formed The Posse, we still shared business advice but also discussed issues with kids and divorce, Botox and injectables, vacation homes and trips.
Today, the oldest of us are in the back half of our 50's and many of us have sold our companies and are on to our next adventures. For a couple of us, it's a new company and non-profit boards, for others, following a new direction in art or science, for another, a career break with lots of special interests. No one is sitting still, but we're all intentionally simplifying our lives. We're still interested in injectables and youth serums, but are now acutely aware of our health. Exciting discussions of beach vacations and referrals for cosmetic surgery procedures quickly degenerated into discussions of the benefits of liver cleanses and colonics!
As we get older I'm struck by how we just become more of who we are. The lovable whack-a-doodles (you know who you are) become even more whacky, the spiritual become even more spiritual - you get the idea (the bitchy are more experienced bitches, by the way; I'm okay with it). Whether it's because of planetary shifts or phases of the moon or just the wisdom that comes with age, we're all a little more mellow. Reluctant to judge, slower to anger, less likely to hold a grudge, quicker to laugh - certainly more tolerant. One Posse Sister explained how dealing with a difficult business partner was a gift: the partner provided her with a "growth opportunity". I've not evolved that far yet, but from now on, anytime someone pisses me off, I will pause to think of her and embrace my growth opportunity (or maybe just bitch about it because I'm THAT one).
We're all very different and that's what makes it great. We don't need to understand everything to enjoy each other. And we don't need Red Hats to feel connected and a sense of belonging to a group. I love my Posse and hope we're still meeting years from now to talk about the cliques in the retirement home or gossip about the gaudy casket that one of our relatives selected. One of us has already decided to be the oldest living white woman: she'll bury all of us. Please make sure the wakes are tasteful but fun! (Note from the Sheriff: Don't bury me. I want a fun party with photos of when I was 30; cremate me and sprinkle my ashes over the nearest DSW...my kids are also aware of this).
As a result of our lunchtime conversation today: wishing you all clean livers, low metal counts and healthy enzymes in your blood and regular bowel movements!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
The Right Stuff
Today I digress back into the merchandise world. Although most of my career was spent providing brand-name merchandise for incentive and promotional marketing campaigns, I did spend a fair amount of time selling promotional products. That industry is particularly sensitive about their cost-effective advertising specialty or promotional products being referred to as "trinkets and trash" or "tchotchkes". I'm reminded of this as I read a piece forwarded on Twitter.
A female conference attendee shared a photo on Instagram of the "swag" that was provided by Goldman-Sachs to this group of women engineers at a WE Code event held at Harvard. She questioned whether the nail file and mirror provided to the engineer attendees signified "sexy feminism" or "gender stereotyping".
I'm not going to go all Feminista over this; it's probably neither one. When I was in this world, I sat in many meetings where high-level male corporate types brainstormed ideas about what audiences (of which they were not a member) might appreciate. In fact, Buyers inserting their own preferences into the reward selection process was the #1 mistake that was most often repeated. It's not limited to women: 50/60-year olds would presume what 20-something college interns would appreciate; 30-something managers would be selecting retirement gifts for employees, etc.
Here's my educated guess as to how it went down: Someone at Goldman-Sachs said, "Hey, we're sponsoring this meeting of women engineer coders over at Harvard and they need something for the swag bag. What should we do?" Boss/co-worker/subordinate said, "The audience is women - they (or we?) use nail files & mirrors, order some of those with our logo on them".
I sincerely hope that a Promotional Products Distributor was not involved in this thought process - I trust that the industry has progressed beyond that. An effective promotional product would have a purpose: reinforce the services or product, tie in the conference messaging or at the very least, be appropriate to the venue (Something about Harvard, the geography, etc.). A nail file and mirror does not relate to either the services of Goldman-Sachs or the purpose of the event - it ONLY relates to the gender of the attendee. (Not saying that men don't use nail files or mirrors - just that you probably won't find Goldman-Sachs handing those out to male engineers at a coding conference).
It is very disconcerting that there are still articles on "marketing to women". Yes, as a market sector, we have different concerns than men, but that doesn't mean they're all frivolous. Painting a product pink does not magically make it appeal to women. And that reminds me....
A few years ago I received a sample copy of a magazine that was geared toward working women. It would contain articles that concern managing home and work, provide advice about office politics, some entrepreneurial advice, etc. The title of the magazine was, "Pink". I couldn't write the editor fast enough. Yes, I would read the magazine and Yes, I was the perfect target customer for the magazine, but why on earth would you call it "Pink" - let's just take about a 50-year step backward. They published my letter in the next issue with a carefully crafted response as to why they chose that name for the magazine: almost tongue-in-cheek about the stereotype. That magazine is no longer in existence, by the way.
Even though I no longer sell merchandise and have no horse in this race, PLEASE, if you are a buyer of such items, give it a little thought. Maybe ask someone that is in the age/gender/economic group you're targeting and take an official or informal poll.
It's very likely that many of the women attending the conference will use the nail file and mirror. The point is that Goldman-Sachs missed an opportunity to demonstrate that they understood more about this audience than their gender.
To companies large and small: EVERYTHING you do is representative of your brand. As Goldman-Sachs is finding as this photo makes its way through the blogosphere, even something as seemingly insignificant as a "trinket" can have a big impact.
A female conference attendee shared a photo on Instagram of the "swag" that was provided by Goldman-Sachs to this group of women engineers at a WE Code event held at Harvard. She questioned whether the nail file and mirror provided to the engineer attendees signified "sexy feminism" or "gender stereotyping".
I'm not going to go all Feminista over this; it's probably neither one. When I was in this world, I sat in many meetings where high-level male corporate types brainstormed ideas about what audiences (of which they were not a member) might appreciate. In fact, Buyers inserting their own preferences into the reward selection process was the #1 mistake that was most often repeated. It's not limited to women: 50/60-year olds would presume what 20-something college interns would appreciate; 30-something managers would be selecting retirement gifts for employees, etc.
Here's my educated guess as to how it went down: Someone at Goldman-Sachs said, "Hey, we're sponsoring this meeting of women engineer coders over at Harvard and they need something for the swag bag. What should we do?" Boss/co-worker/subordinate said, "The audience is women - they (or we?) use nail files & mirrors, order some of those with our logo on them".
I sincerely hope that a Promotional Products Distributor was not involved in this thought process - I trust that the industry has progressed beyond that. An effective promotional product would have a purpose: reinforce the services or product, tie in the conference messaging or at the very least, be appropriate to the venue (Something about Harvard, the geography, etc.). A nail file and mirror does not relate to either the services of Goldman-Sachs or the purpose of the event - it ONLY relates to the gender of the attendee. (Not saying that men don't use nail files or mirrors - just that you probably won't find Goldman-Sachs handing those out to male engineers at a coding conference).
It is very disconcerting that there are still articles on "marketing to women". Yes, as a market sector, we have different concerns than men, but that doesn't mean they're all frivolous. Painting a product pink does not magically make it appeal to women. And that reminds me....
A few years ago I received a sample copy of a magazine that was geared toward working women. It would contain articles that concern managing home and work, provide advice about office politics, some entrepreneurial advice, etc. The title of the magazine was, "Pink". I couldn't write the editor fast enough. Yes, I would read the magazine and Yes, I was the perfect target customer for the magazine, but why on earth would you call it "Pink" - let's just take about a 50-year step backward. They published my letter in the next issue with a carefully crafted response as to why they chose that name for the magazine: almost tongue-in-cheek about the stereotype. That magazine is no longer in existence, by the way.
Even though I no longer sell merchandise and have no horse in this race, PLEASE, if you are a buyer of such items, give it a little thought. Maybe ask someone that is in the age/gender/economic group you're targeting and take an official or informal poll.
It's very likely that many of the women attending the conference will use the nail file and mirror. The point is that Goldman-Sachs missed an opportunity to demonstrate that they understood more about this audience than their gender.
To companies large and small: EVERYTHING you do is representative of your brand. As Goldman-Sachs is finding as this photo makes its way through the blogosphere, even something as seemingly insignificant as a "trinket" can have a big impact.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Learning the Hard Way
When you do something for 25 years or so, you think you know some stuff. Some lessons just have to be learned the hard way.
Some time ago I was asked to name the highest and lowest points of my time in the incentive world. I had a great career in incentive marketing so it's tough for me to name a single event, but the high point has to be the friends I've made over the years: employees, competitors, counterparts and customers. I remain in touch with people I haven't worked with in 20 years, and still feel very connected (could be a Facebook or LinkedIn delusion, but I digress...).
Of course, I can also name a few low points, but the lowest of the low is this particular experience that resulted in an 18-month almost-litigation and some very bad feelings all around. What had happened was....
Customer "X" decided to combine two programs that shared no elements: different logos (for imprinted merchandise), separate sales channels, separate customer audiences, separate internal teams. I could not understand why they expected to reduce program costs under these circumstances. (Note for future: if your customer has unrealistic expectations and you can't figure out why, consider that your competitors are promising results that have no chance of occurring.)
We had successfully managed the smaller program for over 7 years. My first critical error was imagining that a proven track record would count for anything in a bid situation. My second error was in proposing what I believed the customer needed vs. what they asked for, and honestly described the results they could expect. The third error was in underestimating the value of outright bullshit and a full-blown fake dog-and-pony show in a corporate bid situation (this is the bitter part...). The fourth critical error was not fully grasping the politics in play and the strong high-level Sugar Daddy that was supporting the other incumbent.
Long story short, we did not get the program (totally my responsibility - that's not the worst part) and made the really bad decision to partner with the incumbent of the other half of the business that was being combined. Lots of stuff that I can't talk about here, but suffice to say that combining the processes and cultures of our two organizations proved to be very challenging (big understatement). Word of caution: even if you have a fair agreement that has been drafted and reviewed by both side's attorneys...nothing can guarantee that both parties will actually fulfill their end of the agreement. Oops. Work stopped, customer disappointed, partnership over, jobs lost, attorney fees all around.
Three expensive lessons were learned: First: I made a decision out of fear instead of according to a business plan, so rather than suck it up right then and lay off people, close an office and move on, I grasped at straws. My intention to keep people employed just put them through a year of hell before they lost their jobs anyway. I'm so sorry for that.
The second lesson is true of life as well as "just business": you can't do a good deal with bad people. I had a gut feeling that I ignored. A very wise employee put it this way, "lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas".
Third: Never, ever, ever (don't ever) agree to arbitration as a remedy in a contract - especially through the American Arbitration Association (AAA). It's expensive, it takes forever and I understand that "splitting the baby" (charming phrase), or splitting the amount owed is a favorite practice. (Why on Earth would you want to drag this stuff out for many months only to split the difference? You need an arbitrator to come up with that solution?!) Thankfully, we didn't get that far. In hindsight, I would have preferred to just sue and tell my story to a judge.
One more thing: people are fond of saying, "it's not personal, it's just business". That is a load. I'm not suggesting that companies never change suppliers or that sometimes it's not the right fit or that sometimes you're going to disappoint people or that sometimes you have to lay off good people. I'm just saying, be a little human about it. Business is based on relationships, and relationships are personal. It's all personal. You don't have to be a jerk about it.
It sounds like I'm still fired up by this but in fact, I let this go years ago - it's not one of my proudest moments but am sharing this as a cautionary tale. (At the time, my Posse Sisters suggested meditation; I find that I can go into a very relaxing trance walking through the aisles at DSW, thank you very much.) I can't say I'm exactly grateful for the lessons, but these are mistakes I will never repeat.
Some time ago I was asked to name the highest and lowest points of my time in the incentive world. I had a great career in incentive marketing so it's tough for me to name a single event, but the high point has to be the friends I've made over the years: employees, competitors, counterparts and customers. I remain in touch with people I haven't worked with in 20 years, and still feel very connected (could be a Facebook or LinkedIn delusion, but I digress...).
Of course, I can also name a few low points, but the lowest of the low is this particular experience that resulted in an 18-month almost-litigation and some very bad feelings all around. What had happened was....
Customer "X" decided to combine two programs that shared no elements: different logos (for imprinted merchandise), separate sales channels, separate customer audiences, separate internal teams. I could not understand why they expected to reduce program costs under these circumstances. (Note for future: if your customer has unrealistic expectations and you can't figure out why, consider that your competitors are promising results that have no chance of occurring.)
We had successfully managed the smaller program for over 7 years. My first critical error was imagining that a proven track record would count for anything in a bid situation. My second error was in proposing what I believed the customer needed vs. what they asked for, and honestly described the results they could expect. The third error was in underestimating the value of outright bullshit and a full-blown fake dog-and-pony show in a corporate bid situation (this is the bitter part...). The fourth critical error was not fully grasping the politics in play and the strong high-level Sugar Daddy that was supporting the other incumbent.
Long story short, we did not get the program (totally my responsibility - that's not the worst part) and made the really bad decision to partner with the incumbent of the other half of the business that was being combined. Lots of stuff that I can't talk about here, but suffice to say that combining the processes and cultures of our two organizations proved to be very challenging (big understatement). Word of caution: even if you have a fair agreement that has been drafted and reviewed by both side's attorneys...nothing can guarantee that both parties will actually fulfill their end of the agreement. Oops. Work stopped, customer disappointed, partnership over, jobs lost, attorney fees all around.
The second lesson is true of life as well as "just business": you can't do a good deal with bad people. I had a gut feeling that I ignored. A very wise employee put it this way, "lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas".
Third: Never, ever, ever (don't ever) agree to arbitration as a remedy in a contract - especially through the American Arbitration Association (AAA). It's expensive, it takes forever and I understand that "splitting the baby" (charming phrase), or splitting the amount owed is a favorite practice. (Why on Earth would you want to drag this stuff out for many months only to split the difference? You need an arbitrator to come up with that solution?!) Thankfully, we didn't get that far. In hindsight, I would have preferred to just sue and tell my story to a judge.
One more thing: people are fond of saying, "it's not personal, it's just business". That is a load. I'm not suggesting that companies never change suppliers or that sometimes it's not the right fit or that sometimes you're going to disappoint people or that sometimes you have to lay off good people. I'm just saying, be a little human about it. Business is based on relationships, and relationships are personal. It's all personal. You don't have to be a jerk about it.
It sounds like I'm still fired up by this but in fact, I let this go years ago - it's not one of my proudest moments but am sharing this as a cautionary tale. (At the time, my Posse Sisters suggested meditation; I find that I can go into a very relaxing trance walking through the aisles at DSW, thank you very much.) I can't say I'm exactly grateful for the lessons, but these are mistakes I will never repeat.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
People You Can Count On
It's the Holiday season...and that makes it the season of funerals. I'm not sure why, but more people die around the Holidays than any other time during the year. A friend of mine who's Mom had been ill for many months, died on Thanksgiving Day a few years ago. She believes it was her Mom's way of making sure the family remembered exactly when she died.
I've been to 4 funerals since Thanksgiving and it reinforces for me that funerals are for the living. The deceased certainly doesn't know you showed up to celebrate their life (unless you channel them later through the Long Island Medium). The timing of each one of the funerals was inconvenient because it was during the Holiday season - people have plans and are trying to get ready for Christmas, some are traveling, etc. And at each one, there were people who flew in or drove for hours to support the family of the deceased.
Most recently, my ex-partner Karen's Dad passed away. He was a Chicago fire fighter retired for many years, yet many of his former co-workers showed up and shared great stories with the family. I flew into Midway just for the afternoon viewing and flew out of O'Hare. Our retired Office Manager (now friend) and her husband who had already driven an hour and a half to get there picked me up, drove me out to the funeral home in the suburbs and then dropped me off at O'Hare - way out of their way in the scheme of their day. Another couple who are close to Karen flew in from HAWAII just for the 24 hour period of the viewing and the funeral. When I suggested to Karen that they really went above and beyond, she said, "those are the kinds of people that we gravitate to".
That comment really struck something in me because it's so true. In Design Incentives, those were the types of employees that we attracted, or that gravitated to us. Our outstanding customer service was the thing most often mentioned as the reason people worked with us and our unofficial mantra (not really appropriate for an official company tag line) was, "we give a shit". The PG version: "if it was easy, everyone would be doing it". We cared enough to do the hard stuff. Customer calls and needs something overnight and UPS has picked up for the day? An employee would drive it over to the FedEx hub on their way home from work. You catch a mistake after something is all packaged up and ready to ship? You unpack it, fix the mistake and re-pack. Customer changes the day the bid is due? You work through the weekend and drive it 3 hours to the customer on Monday morning. Even now, an ex-employee with whom I still work on a contract basis, helped me by buying a gift going to her side of the state - and then delivered it for me!
The older I get, the more grateful I am for these types of people in my life. And I'm noticing more and more the people that cannot be counted on. You make plans with them and and they cancel at the last minute; they commit to performing a task or taking on a project and then have a million excuses as to why it didn't get done; I'm over these people.
In business, it's suggested that it's beneficial to periodically fire some of your customers - those who don't pay on time, don't appreciate the value of your product or service or are not respectful to your employees. It makes sense to "un-friend" as well, and not just on Facebook. In the coming year, I'll be making an even greater effort to be the kind of friend/Service Provider/Board/Committee/Family member who gives a shit, and am not going to feel bad about purposely losing touch with those who don't. Happy New Year!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Biz Tips for Girl Scouts!
I recently had the opportunity to literally provide business tips to girls - in a 2-part session that I facilitated for Junior Girl Scouts (9 and 10-year olds), helping them to earn their Business Owner badge. The 10 girls that participated give me great hope for the future. As we went around the circle introducing ourselves, they said things like, "I'm Amy and I'm Fabulous!" and "I'm Susan and I have "shareholds" in several companies" (she used the wrong term but had a very accurate grasp on what it meant to own stock). As in any group, some were talkers and some were more reserved, but I saw no self-esteem issues there! The mission of the Girl Scouts has been refined slightly over 100 years as our culture has changed, but Girl Scouting has always been about leadership. The current message is: Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. I certainly saw that on these two Tuesday evenings in November.
While obviously rambunctious 9 and 10-year old girls, they were thoughtful and serious about planning their businesses. We walked through a business plan and they were surprised to learn how much is involved in starting a business. Many decided that the funding to start their businesses would come from their parents; I suggested a Plan B. When my friend Nancy came in to talk about banking, and Melanie came in to talk about SBA resources, the girls were also surprised to learn that you actually had to apply for a loan and overcome objections or concerns that the banker or SBA loan officer might have about their business. (They thought the bank was just a money store where you go and and withdraw what you need). Finally, they drew a picture of their businesses and presented that along with their business plan to the group.
Sometimes I use this as one of my "two truths and a lie" when that game is played at networking events: I was a Girl Scout from Brownies through Seniors - and then I was a troop co-leader for a mentally impaired troop in Kalamazoo while at Western Michigan University studying Psychology. It was not particularly cool or un-cool to be a Girl Scout even back when I was in school, but we were lucky to have terrific leaders who made it interesting and rewarding and I remain friends with many of those girls today. We volunteered at several places including the Detroit Historical Museum (if I survive an apocalypse and we have to start society over from scratch, I can spin wool into yarn on a spinning wheel...I'm just saying). We took trips to Mystic Connecticut to learn to sail; we traveled to Toronto and Washington, D.C. Of course, camping is a big part of Girls Scouting. Some might be surprised to learn that I didn't just participate in pre-primitive camping, but full-out primitive: digging a hole for the latrine and to wash dishes (different holes of course), pitching a tent and cooking over camp fires built with matches and kindling. (To be fair, I was younger then and not yet addicted to my curling iron).
My Girl Scout background doesn't often come up in conversation, so I found it curious when I was looking for a place to hold these sessions and reached out to my Posse sister, Tyla, to see if I could use one of her Montessori School classrooms. Not only did she generously offer her classroom, but helped me moderate the first session - and told me that she was also a Girl Scout for many years. Then when I asked two more very accomplished friends, Nancy and Melanie, to speak to the girls about business and banking at the second session, I learned that they had also been Girl Scouts.
As a thank-you for doing these sessions, the Volunteer Specialist from the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan gave me a book written by the CEO, Tough Cookies: Leadership Lessons from 100 Years of the Girl Scouts. It's a fascinating look at how Girl Scouts have impacted society over the years and how the organization is evolving to remain relevant today. The author and CEO, Kathy Cloninger, shares statistics that we already know: only 3% of Fortune 500 CEO's are women, women hold just 17% of congressional seats in government and make up only 15% of corporate board directors. Then she shared a statistic that I did not know: though only 10% of American girls have been Girl Scouts at any one time, 80% of female senior executives and business owners are former Girl Scouts. Coincidence? I think not.
As Tyla was looking around the room, she said she could see all of our other Posse sisters as 9-year old girls (you'll recall from past posts that my Posse is a group of women who seceded from the Woman President's Organization and continue to stay in touch as an informal advisory group for each other - and serve as drinking partners). Almost all of our personalities were in that room.
Now that I'm thinking about it, while I also belong to several "mixed" business groups, I have a long history of joining girl-groups: Girl Scouts, Executive Women's Golf League, National Association of Women Business Owners, Smart Girls Book Club, Women President's Organization - these associations have provided a strong foundation and an invaluable source of support, guidance, information and resources. (I can only assume that the Red Hat Society is the logical next step!)
Most people associate Girl Scouts with cookie sales without being aware that the annual cookie sale is a powerful $700 million educational program that underscores their brand: developing leadership in girls. This is not the giant commercial for Girl Scouting that it sounds like, but it IS about the importance of encouraging girls to develop their leadership potential. We have a leadership crisis in this country and until women are involved at a higher percentage, we're only tapping the potential of half of our population.
So as Sheryl Sandberg points out in her book, Lean In, when your daughter/niece/student starts to sound "bossy", please do not use that B-word: tell her you're excited to see that she's exhibiting leadership potential. Maybe we'll see her in the future as the CEO of a Fortune 100 company that she founded - or (if she sets her sights lower) as President of the United States!
While obviously rambunctious 9 and 10-year old girls, they were thoughtful and serious about planning their businesses. We walked through a business plan and they were surprised to learn how much is involved in starting a business. Many decided that the funding to start their businesses would come from their parents; I suggested a Plan B. When my friend Nancy came in to talk about banking, and Melanie came in to talk about SBA resources, the girls were also surprised to learn that you actually had to apply for a loan and overcome objections or concerns that the banker or SBA loan officer might have about their business. (They thought the bank was just a money store where you go and and withdraw what you need). Finally, they drew a picture of their businesses and presented that along with their business plan to the group.
Sometimes I use this as one of my "two truths and a lie" when that game is played at networking events: I was a Girl Scout from Brownies through Seniors - and then I was a troop co-leader for a mentally impaired troop in Kalamazoo while at Western Michigan University studying Psychology. It was not particularly cool or un-cool to be a Girl Scout even back when I was in school, but we were lucky to have terrific leaders who made it interesting and rewarding and I remain friends with many of those girls today. We volunteered at several places including the Detroit Historical Museum (if I survive an apocalypse and we have to start society over from scratch, I can spin wool into yarn on a spinning wheel...I'm just saying). We took trips to Mystic Connecticut to learn to sail; we traveled to Toronto and Washington, D.C. Of course, camping is a big part of Girls Scouting. Some might be surprised to learn that I didn't just participate in pre-primitive camping, but full-out primitive: digging a hole for the latrine and to wash dishes (different holes of course), pitching a tent and cooking over camp fires built with matches and kindling. (To be fair, I was younger then and not yet addicted to my curling iron).
My Girl Scout background doesn't often come up in conversation, so I found it curious when I was looking for a place to hold these sessions and reached out to my Posse sister, Tyla, to see if I could use one of her Montessori School classrooms. Not only did she generously offer her classroom, but helped me moderate the first session - and told me that she was also a Girl Scout for many years. Then when I asked two more very accomplished friends, Nancy and Melanie, to speak to the girls about business and banking at the second session, I learned that they had also been Girl Scouts.
As a thank-you for doing these sessions, the Volunteer Specialist from the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan gave me a book written by the CEO, Tough Cookies: Leadership Lessons from 100 Years of the Girl Scouts. It's a fascinating look at how Girl Scouts have impacted society over the years and how the organization is evolving to remain relevant today. The author and CEO, Kathy Cloninger, shares statistics that we already know: only 3% of Fortune 500 CEO's are women, women hold just 17% of congressional seats in government and make up only 15% of corporate board directors. Then she shared a statistic that I did not know: though only 10% of American girls have been Girl Scouts at any one time, 80% of female senior executives and business owners are former Girl Scouts. Coincidence? I think not.
As Tyla was looking around the room, she said she could see all of our other Posse sisters as 9-year old girls (you'll recall from past posts that my Posse is a group of women who seceded from the Woman President's Organization and continue to stay in touch as an informal advisory group for each other - and serve as drinking partners). Almost all of our personalities were in that room.
Now that I'm thinking about it, while I also belong to several "mixed" business groups, I have a long history of joining girl-groups: Girl Scouts, Executive Women's Golf League, National Association of Women Business Owners, Smart Girls Book Club, Women President's Organization - these associations have provided a strong foundation and an invaluable source of support, guidance, information and resources. (I can only assume that the Red Hat Society is the logical next step!)
Most people associate Girl Scouts with cookie sales without being aware that the annual cookie sale is a powerful $700 million educational program that underscores their brand: developing leadership in girls. This is not the giant commercial for Girl Scouting that it sounds like, but it IS about the importance of encouraging girls to develop their leadership potential. We have a leadership crisis in this country and until women are involved at a higher percentage, we're only tapping the potential of half of our population.
So as Sheryl Sandberg points out in her book, Lean In, when your daughter/niece/student starts to sound "bossy", please do not use that B-word: tell her you're excited to see that she's exhibiting leadership potential. Maybe we'll see her in the future as the CEO of a Fortune 100 company that she founded - or (if she sets her sights lower) as President of the United States!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Odd Jobs
I'm at the age now where our kids and their cousins are all graduating from college and moving out into the workforce to get "real" jobs (different than their jobs during high school and college). They seem to be very determined to find the perfect job, and they're a little disturbed that the jobs in their major field of study no longer seem to appeal to them, or are not as they expected. Just when you think you know what you want to be when you grow up - not so much. Some of us are STILL trying to figure that out.
I have been doing my best to share these truths with the youngsters:
1) your first job will probably suck
2) few people are working in their major field of study (Doctors and Attorneys aside...and even some of them have changed careers....)
Here are a couple of my first jobs after college: (by the way - Behavioral Psych major / Business Management minor. I intended to be an administrator at a group home or sheltered workshop for mentally impaired...until I discovered how little that paid. Business Management to the top of the resume!)
Record Copy Services: It was just that. They copied records for attorneys. (Think before the internet, before email, before computers, before fax machines. There were IBM Selectric typewriters and copy machines.) I was hired as one of 4 department managers on Monday; I was the only one left on Friday (and that was my last day). Department 1: Research. They verified the addresses of the parties involved, the attorneys, the judges, the courts. By phone or yellow pages. Department 2: Copy Services. Put the pages of the documents one by one into the copy machine and push the button. Seriously. Department 3: Binding. Yes, literally put the plastic binding on the copied documents. Department 4: Sales. Sit in rows and rows of school-type desks in a room with a phone and a list of attorneys and try to sell the documents to the other side. Sound like Hell? It was. Aside from the less-than-interesting duties, the owners were two horrible sisters who mostly communicated with employees by scolding. I was the last one to give my notice at the end of the week (I was still trying to make the best of it). I tried to give 2 weeks notice but they said, no problem, that could be my last day. Whew. From there to:
Gould Electrical Systems: I was older and wiser now! I asked questions like, "What would my specific duties be? What would an average day look like? Why did the person before me leave?". What I DIDN'T ask my immediate boss was, "Are you retiring in 6 months and therefore a lame duck with very little to do? Can all of those duties you outlined be accomplished in approximately 2 hours per week? Did the 2 ladies that I supervise both want this job and now hate me? Are electrical systems mind-numbingly boring?" Also my boss' name was Dick Heck (I can't make this stuff up), and it was very difficult for me to address him with a straight face.
Still determined to make the best of it, I noticed that Gould had an college-reimbursement program. Since I had already read through all of the literature on electrical systems, I decided I'd go back to school on their dime. I would have 4 days a week basically to do homework (the 2 ladies I supervised were reading 3 novels a week). I had a math class to take before I could apply for the MBA program, so I signed up at Henry Ford Community College, bought the books and entered the class. The "review" of Algebra II on the board as I walked in looked like hieroglyphics to me (problem: classic math anxiety). I got up, sold my books, dropped out of the class and started another job search in earnest. That brought me to:
Watrous Associates. My entree into the incentive world. Third time is a charm apparently. Had a great boss, worked there for 11 years until joining Design Incentives as a partner and found a real live career, not even remotely related to my major. Back before Monster.com or LinkedIn, I actually answered an ad in the newspaper. I didn't even know there WAS an incentive industry.
The moral is: do not be discouraged with your first jobs. Finding out what you don't want is just as valuable as discovering what you DO want. You can't say no until you get an offer, so go into every interview behaving as though you want that job - but if you see giant red flags, don't ignore them. Don't be afraid to ask your contacts for introductions - as an employer, I'd much rather hire someone that has been recommended to me. Ask good questions about your responsibilities. Here's another little-known fact: employers who have trouble keeping employees may misrepresent the position (?!).
Got a great story about your first job out of college? I'd love to share it!
I have been doing my best to share these truths with the youngsters:
1) your first job will probably suck
2) few people are working in their major field of study (Doctors and Attorneys aside...and even some of them have changed careers....)
Here are a couple of my first jobs after college: (by the way - Behavioral Psych major / Business Management minor. I intended to be an administrator at a group home or sheltered workshop for mentally impaired...until I discovered how little that paid. Business Management to the top of the resume!)
Record Copy Services: It was just that. They copied records for attorneys. (Think before the internet, before email, before computers, before fax machines. There were IBM Selectric typewriters and copy machines.) I was hired as one of 4 department managers on Monday; I was the only one left on Friday (and that was my last day). Department 1: Research. They verified the addresses of the parties involved, the attorneys, the judges, the courts. By phone or yellow pages. Department 2: Copy Services. Put the pages of the documents one by one into the copy machine and push the button. Seriously. Department 3: Binding. Yes, literally put the plastic binding on the copied documents. Department 4: Sales. Sit in rows and rows of school-type desks in a room with a phone and a list of attorneys and try to sell the documents to the other side. Sound like Hell? It was. Aside from the less-than-interesting duties, the owners were two horrible sisters who mostly communicated with employees by scolding. I was the last one to give my notice at the end of the week (I was still trying to make the best of it). I tried to give 2 weeks notice but they said, no problem, that could be my last day. Whew. From there to:
Gould Electrical Systems: I was older and wiser now! I asked questions like, "What would my specific duties be? What would an average day look like? Why did the person before me leave?". What I DIDN'T ask my immediate boss was, "Are you retiring in 6 months and therefore a lame duck with very little to do? Can all of those duties you outlined be accomplished in approximately 2 hours per week? Did the 2 ladies that I supervise both want this job and now hate me? Are electrical systems mind-numbingly boring?" Also my boss' name was Dick Heck (I can't make this stuff up), and it was very difficult for me to address him with a straight face.
Still determined to make the best of it, I noticed that Gould had an college-reimbursement program. Since I had already read through all of the literature on electrical systems, I decided I'd go back to school on their dime. I would have 4 days a week basically to do homework (the 2 ladies I supervised were reading 3 novels a week). I had a math class to take before I could apply for the MBA program, so I signed up at Henry Ford Community College, bought the books and entered the class. The "review" of Algebra II on the board as I walked in looked like hieroglyphics to me (problem: classic math anxiety). I got up, sold my books, dropped out of the class and started another job search in earnest. That brought me to:
Watrous Associates. My entree into the incentive world. Third time is a charm apparently. Had a great boss, worked there for 11 years until joining Design Incentives as a partner and found a real live career, not even remotely related to my major. Back before Monster.com or LinkedIn, I actually answered an ad in the newspaper. I didn't even know there WAS an incentive industry.
The moral is: do not be discouraged with your first jobs. Finding out what you don't want is just as valuable as discovering what you DO want. You can't say no until you get an offer, so go into every interview behaving as though you want that job - but if you see giant red flags, don't ignore them. Don't be afraid to ask your contacts for introductions - as an employer, I'd much rather hire someone that has been recommended to me. Ask good questions about your responsibilities. Here's another little-known fact: employers who have trouble keeping employees may misrepresent the position (?!).
Got a great story about your first job out of college? I'd love to share it!
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