by Frances Kweller | Women
Today’s guest contributor is Frances Kweller, entrepreneur and founder of Kweller Prep, a learning incubator specializing in advanced test preparation in New York City.
Ideas are nothing. Execution is everything.
While women may have many ideas for starting their own businesses, or for improving an existing business, the problem is that far too few of us can execute those ideas.
To succeed in business requires more than just a brilliant idea, or even the courage to execute the idea. It requires a specific skill set.
As obvious as that sounds, too often women do not appreciate the value of an MBA degree.
According to data collected by the Graduate Management Admission Council in 2011, women (23%) are nearly twice as likely as men (13%) to have considered pursuing any kind of master’s program, but men (61%) were much more likely than women (47%) to have considered an MBA.
5 reasons an MBA is a good bet for women
(more…)
by Jane Perdue | Women
Many individuals, especially women, struggle with achieving equilibrium between confidence and humility—another one of those life, love, and leadership challenges of getting it just right by avoiding too much or too little of the extremes.
A bit like Goldilocks…
Self-promotion advice I recently read in a leadership enewletter post zoomed right past confidence and into hubris. It’s a busy, noisy world where being heard or being top of mind are precious commodities. Yet tips for creating a five-part strategic plan to showcase winning an award feels to me like over-the-top, calculated conceit. Just sayin.’ (more…)
by Renae Christine | Women
Being young and inexperienced can be intimidating for stay-at-home entrepreneurs, but that doesn’t mean you’re making mistakes.
Fresh out of college at 23, I thought I’d done something wrong when the wholesaler for my stationery company assigned me a personal representative. I was the busy mom of a 2-year-old and had just returned home to the mess left in the wake of last-minute packing when the rep showed up. (more…)
by Danielle Tate | Women
Now more than ever, women are seeing the benefits of building their own businesses and are doing just that. In a world full of complicated and contradicting start up information, consider my eight simple tips for launching a successful business as a woman—from a women who’s been there.
- Don’t quit your day job, at least not at first.
(more…)
by Jane Perdue | Women
A small group of professional women were sharing life stories at a local networking event. One woman’s story, combined with her matter-of-fact delivery, brought the conversation to a stunned silence:
Managing a career, children, and marriage was much harder than I thought it would be. Putting my education to work and getting ahead was important to me, and I didn’t want to let go of that goal. Something had to go, so I let it be my marriage.
Wow. (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Women
“I loved how you encouraged us to speak up, but I’m not sure I can do it. I don’t want to be rude.”
Like this workshop participant, I think most of us are taught from an early age that interrupting is impolite and something best not done.
Yet my experience in business—and that of many others—is that if we (especially women*) wait for that pause in the flow of discussion that tells us it’s our turn to speak, well, the moment passes us by because the pause we’re waiting for doesn’t happen. (more…)
