Archive for: women

Which Jane Are You?

I have always loved tests that help me learn more about myself, from the fun quizzes at BlogThings to carefully researched personality inventories like the DiSC Profile. So, when I learned about an assessment developed especially for woman business owners, I had to check it out!

The assessment was designed to help us maximize the personal and financial rewards we receive from our businesses and take steps to move our businesses and lifestyle to a position that better aligns with our goals.

According to a two-year study conducted by Jane Out of the Box, all female entrepreneurs fit into one of five categories, according to the choices we make when balancing our personal and professional needs.

After completing the survey, I received an email informing me that I am a Go Jane Go woman.

A Go Jane Go woman is a successful female entrepreneur who has grown her business to the point that she may now struggle to get time away from her work for vacations or to take care of herself.

That sure sounds like me…

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In Celebration of Women

Sunday is International Women’s Day, a day that’s been observed since the early 1900s. Society has changed a lot since women marched through the streets of New York City in 1908, demanding shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights, so although women have not achieved full equality with men in all areas, International Women’s Day has evolved from a day of protest to one of celebration.

On that note, I’d like to tell you about three women who have had helped me to reach my current level of success.

Heather Sullivan

I met Heather long before I had any thoughts of starting my own business. When I started my government secretarial job in 1990, Heather was one of the vocational rehabilitation counsellors I supported. She seemed to have a lot of respect and admiration for my work, and continued to come to me for help after she left the department. She also arranged for me to do some transcription work on the side for her husband, who had his own business – I guess that was my first taste of working as a VA! Since that time, Heather has also left the government and started her own business, and she has not only hired me for her website design and admin work, but recommended me for the Face to Face Job Fair team, a project I’ve enjoyed working on for the past three years.

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New Year’s Resolutions for Ambitious Women

When you run a business, you’re always looking for ways to improve your efficiency, your customer service, your bottom line, and the pleasure you gain from your work. (If not, you probably should be!) This is probably especially true in December, as we and our clients begin to plan and set goals for the upcoming year.

I recently came across these great resolutions for women who want to “live large” in the new year:

  1. Tame the female ego — If men feel the need to be in control, women feel the need to please. Ask yourself: “Am I doing this because I want to do the right thing, or because I’m afraid to be seen as selfish, bitchy, rude…?”
  2. Just say “No!” — Every time you begrudgingly reply “Yes” to someone else’s priorities, you say “No” to your own.
  3. Add Mozart to the mix — This measured, buoyant music is an immediate antidote to the manic moment. You’ll find yourself able to breathe, relax, and focus.
  4. Don’t say “should” — Eliminate the word from your vocabulary. Find alternatives such as “want” that declare your power and responsibility to make choices.
  5. Stop Multitasking — It’s not a productivity tool. It’s an excuse for perpetual distraction. Instead, plan your time well enough to focus on one task–or person–at a time.

Source: A Year of Clarity: The Monthly Guide for Women by life coach Ann Daly, PhD

I know I could benefit from applying some of these suggestions, if not all of them, in my life. How about you?