Career Advice To Help You #MakeAPowerMove

Let’s chat careers…the path to your ‘dream job’….the stumbles along the way…and everything in between.

Filed under “full transparency”, I’ve recently partnered with Pantene, Olay , COVERGIRL and Levo as part of the #MakeAPowerMove initiative to help inspire women to take charge of their career ambitions. Because, well…hello – have we met?!

Over the years I’ve penned many career advice articles for ThisThatBeauty, as the topic of blazing your own path is near and dear to my heart — it’s actually the soundtrack of my life! So when the opportunity to partner with #MakeAPowerMove presented itself, I thought – Wow, here’s a way to amplify career conversations I’ve been passionately preaching and LIVING for nearly ten years.

As part of my #MakeAPowerMove involvement, I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of women at a recent New York City Levo gathering. Ahh, I wish you all could have been there. It was such a powerful evening of mentorship, sharing and sisterhood. Along with my fellow panelists, I shared lots of insight on how women can pursue their career ambitions with confidence. Go on, girl…BE BOLD!

I was so incredibly moved by the women in attendance. I was also really encouraged by the feedback that many of the attendees shared during and after the panel (several women even emailed to express how much they enjoyed the event and how the advice hit home). Most of the women felt I had shared rather frank, honest and unconventional advice that they hadn’t heard before. So while I thought I was just being me, apparently I had made an impact that resonated.

And since you all weren’t there, I thought I’d share a bit of the panel discussion here….with the hope that my little nuggets will in some small way help to jumpstart, propel, or reignite your career ambitions!

I was asked:  You’re a wife, a mom, and entrepreneur. You juggle two highly visible careers. How do you balance it all day-to-day?
My response:  To be 100% honest, day-to-day – I don’t! When you work/ exist in a way that has very high demands (i.e., mom + entrepreneur) you have to learn to accept that on many days you will fail miserably at trying to balance it all. Work is going to require you to lean on the sitter more times than you’d like. Baby is going to cause you to be late to meetings every now and then. The sheer exhaustion of your day will sometimes lead to very little energy for your spouse. Daily balance is almost a myth. Daily imbalance, honestly, is more likely. But here’s how you not go crazy: Find ways to level the playing field on a semi-regular basis. For example, if you’ve been an ungracious, “honey, I’m too tired” spouse all week – treat your boo thang to dinner or a drink at some point during the weekend. And take the time to say, “Hey, I know this week was a little crazy and I appreciate all your help.” You’d be surprised how far a small gesture can go. I’ll share another example: I’m always leaning on my mom SUPER HARD as our backup childcare. I mean, SUPER HARD. So to bring a bit more balance to our relationship, I incorporate her into fun outings and family trips as much as I can. This makes her feel appreciated and not like she’s being taken for granted. I try to do these “re-balancing” acts as often as possible. But I also just accept that day-to-day….things are going to get crazy. Don’t expect perfection in your work/life balance. It doesn’t exist. Think of balance as a long-term build and not an overnight success.

I was asked:  What tips can you give for helping women to excel in the work place?
My response:Traditionally in the workplace, there’s a lot of focus on mentor relationships, but it’s equally important to build peer relationships as well. Developing relationships at all levels helps build confidence in your abilities and establishes a level of shared trust to ensure your peers have your back. It’s also important to nurture relationships with individuals who may be your subordinates, like interns and assistants. I swear, every intern I’ve ever had was as smart as a whip and I’ve thought to myself “She’s gonna be telling ME what to do one day!” So be sure to nurture your relationships at every level.

Another tip for excelling in the workplace is this – It’s important to feel as if you belong. Even if you look around and you don’t seem to fit in…even if no one looks like you or has your background. Still, tell yourself that you belong and deserve to be there. Always “see” yourself there.  

I was asked:  What’s your go-to beauty for a power look?
My response:  A statement lip instantly creates a  polished, professional look. I like a really vibrant red like COVERGIRL Outlast Longwear Lipcolor in Red Rouge. It’s a nice pick-me-up if you find you need a little beauty boost right before a meeting. Rather than applying directly from the bullet, I like to apply the color to my finger and tap, tap, tap it onto my lips to give the color a slow build, versus a super drenched swipe of color. This technique delivers a fresh, modern red. When  wearing  a bold, red lip, balance the rest of your look with neutral eye colors, soft liner, and a light pinch of color on the cheeks.

I was asked:  How has confidence helped you in your career?
My response:  Confidence has always helped me to see myself in the least likely places – For example: I’ve had the experience, many times, of being the only woman or only minority in many professional settings. I’m at a point in my career where I’m extremely comfortable in any room I enter, regardless of who is there. Why? Because, for years, I’ve always told myself that I belong. Confidence is a process. You don’t just wake up with it. But if you work at it daily, you will see the positive impact that it can have on your career. And not to be a total girl, but confidence is an area where I feel “beauty/ style” can be beneficial. When I look good, I feel good and I perform my best. I do not discount the value of personal style and a polished appearance. Something as simple as a quick swipe of mascara (PS: COVERGIRL The Super Sizer Mascara by Lash Blast is a volumizing magician!) can help to give you a bit more confidence. Eye contact is such an important aspect of communicating ideas and mascara is a great way to demand attention without being overwhelming or distracting.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more on my involvement with #MakeAPowerMove. But in the meantime, visit http://makeapowermoveblog.com/ for career resources and beauty/ style tips to help you succeed at presenting your best you!