Announcements and Opportunities

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THE NAFE TOP COMPANIES. The March 30th celebration for this year’s Top Companies for Executive Women opened with an early-morning Roundtable, led by Dr. Betty Spence, President of NAFE. This was followed by the awards ceremony and a gourmet luncheon at Cipriani, Manhattan’s famous event venue.

Award acceptors from the winning organizations were asked to share strategies for women just starting their careers. These top-level executives shared their advice ranging from the profound to the practical, with a bit of humor for good measure. Here is a sampling of their remarks:

• Choose the company ... not the job. Make sure it's an organization committed to the professional development of their women. (Monica Leuchtefeld, EVP, E-Commerce, Office Depot)
  
• Do what you love. Do it well. And do what you say, so your word always counts. (Marie Wieck, GM, Application Integration Middleware, IBM)
• Make the most of every opportunity you have -- and create -- in your career, and be inspiring to others. (Melanie Healey, Group President, North America, Procter & Gamble)
• Work for a company that shares the same values as you. (Rita Cuddihy, Area Vice President, Marriott)
• Every day you make decisions which will impact your legacy. Stay vigilant, stay mindful, stay purposeful. (Rose Kirk, President, Verizon Foundation)
• Preparation, perspiration, and a bit of good luck. Never say no to an opportunity; it wouldn't be there if you weren't ready. (Ann Oka, SVP, Supply Management, Sodexo)
• Seek out new challenges and embrace change. (Diana Reid, EVP, PNC Real Estate)
• Go with your gut, embrace risk, and take a chance. (Adele Gulfo, President, US Primary Care, Pfizer)
• Give it everything you’ve got and embrace your opportunity with grace, humility and humor. On another note, remove the word “like” from your vocabulary! (Amy Rhine-Pallas, Divisional Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Accounts, Abbott)

Read more about these outstanding organizations here.

NAFE WEB SEMINARS – REGISTER TODAY! Join Sharon Melnick, Ph.D., President of Horizon Point, Inc., for this continuing series of virtual seminars focusing on skills for women’s career success. Hear Sharon and Betty Spence discuss the series in our exclusive online interview. In the first seminar on April 5th, Sharon offered strategies for dealing with workplace stress – including a unique breathing technique. (Register for the full series, and you can still get a recording of the first seminar.) In the upcoming seminars, Sharon offers equally compelling advice on paths to promotion and effective interpersonal relationships. “Focus on the things that are within your control,” Sharon says. “Be responsive to feedback – but see yourself as a leader.” When dealing with a problematic business associate, she suggests, “Transfer ownership of a problem to the person who’s creating it. Show them that their behavior is interfering with them getting what THEY want.” $149 for each seminar, or $349 when you register for all three:

• April 26 - Proactive Paths to Promotion
  Get out of your own way, take charge of your own transformation, and accelerate your next-level leadership.
• May 18 - Friction-Free Relationships
  Work with anyone to get things done faster and smoother.

Free Financial Planning Assistance. With the recent White House report that women continue to earn less than men and the MetLife Mature Market Institute's 2010 data showing 62% of career women fear they may never have enough money to retire, a new publication is available: WHAT TODAY'S WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW AND DO: THE NEW RETIREMENT JOURNEY. Produced in conjunction with WISER, the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement, you can obtain the free publication here: www.maturemarketinstitute.com.

WIPP Blueprint for 2011 Now Available. In 2008, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) published the premier edition of its legislative agenda – Economic Blueprint: The Women Business Owners’ Platform for Growth. The updated 2011 Economic Blueprint for the 112th Congress contains “a bold, comprehensive set of public policy expectations on behalf of women-owned businesses.” Download the document.

NAFE Authors

Nicole Roberts Jones: Define Your Own Way: Empowering Young African American Women (Pilgrim Press, 2010). This book speaks to young women about living a fulfilled and complete life, including self esteem, self image, financial literacy, and education.

Have a book to promote? Want your book listed in the newsletter and on nafe.com? Send information to editor Paula Damiano. You can read about other NAFE authors and their books here.

Member News

NAFE President Dr. Betty Spence sat with Robert Reiss for a detailed radio interview for the CEO Show to talk about the NAFE Top Companies and the critical importance of women's advancement to the survival of America's companies.

5 Tips for Success in the Fashion Biz
By Yolanda Brunson

The fashion industry, just like many other areas of business, has certain rules when trying to maintain a strong hold on a very complex industry. Yolanda Brunson, a graduate of The Fashion Institute of Technology, co-founder of Fashion Emerge and president of Spitfir Productions, is the author of The Ins and Outs of the Fashion Industry—From a Fashion Insider. She offers the following five common-sense rules for success in the exciting world of fashion:

1) Embrace the low points: If it means a few sacrifices, accept them gracefully. Survival in this industry depends on knowing you’ve sacrificed long and hard for those dues paid. Keep your head up, smile and continue to make it happen despite the “no’s” you may hear.

2) Be upfront about your understanding of tasks: If you don’t understand something, bring it up immediately. Ask questions, as many times as needed. You cannot truly do well if you’re not clear on your job function.

3) Winner’s attitude: If you think of yourself as worthy, good things soon follow. If you feel uncertain, prove to yourself that you can pull it off. A strong mentality is necessary to persuade others that you are valuable. It may be intense – but it’s achievable with discipline.

4) Avoid Politics: Avoiding office politics is easier said than done. But if you have a clear understanding of your surrounding circumstances, then you’ll know how to tackle roadblocks.

5) It’s not all about fashion: Sustaining a long career in fashion is more than fashion itself. Having day-to-day common sense and doing a good job well is a big deal. It’s very important to be assertive while following all other points mentioned.

When walking into the boardroom, bring more than the latest Coach bag and fierce strut of the Manolo Blahniks. It also has to be about being sharp and smart and seeing the truth for what it’s worth. Hard work prevails!

Member Profiles

You can access our Women of Excellence Interview Series by logging into the Members Only section here.

Read about outstanding NAFE women in our Member Profiles section. Have a suggestion for a new profile? Send it to NAFE News & Notes editor Paula Damiano.

NAFE Online Connections

Susan Kim discusses 7 Ways Not to Become Invisible When You're a Mom. Leah Bourne informs us about Historian Stephanie Coontz on the Feminine Mystique and Beyond. Comment on these – and other – postings at the NAFE Cafe blog.

For Your Benefit

Have you explored all the benefits that come with your NAFE membership? Log onto the NAFE Benefits page to view members-only opportunities.

Upcoming Events

For a complete list of events, see our online Calendar!

April 19, 2011
Irvine, CA
Join dynamic women for networking at the monthly meeting of the For You Network, a NAFE local affiliate. Meetings include networking, self promotion, speaker, light lunch and door prizes. Learn more here.

April 28, 2011
Atlanta, GA
Careerpathing—Building Intentional Relationships for Career Success is the theme of this NAFE Women’s Leadership Summit at the headquarters of host sponsor Wellstar. Just confirmed as opening keynoter: Rosalyn Taylor O’Neale, Vice President & Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Campbell Soup Company. The event will take participants through a day of self-discovery and action planning. Skill-building sessions cover areas of strategic thinking, power networking, career mapping, mentorship/sponsorship, self-promotion and building the right relationships.

May 20-21, 2011
Irvine, CA
Plan now to attend the Western Regional NAFE Conference, to be held sunny southern California. The theme is “Success Up” and speakers include NAFE President Dr. Betty Spence and celebrity keynoter Terry Moore. Click here for full details.

• Go to nafe.com to view our ever-expanding Calendar of Events for opportunities around the country. The new Search function makes the Calendar even more useful and accessible.
• Use the Event Submission Form online to let us know about events in your area. Events submitted for the website will also be considered for the NAFE News & Notes– twice the exposure for one listing!

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