Wow, am I ever jealous of Francoise Gri.

She was named by Fortune as one of the “International 50 Most Powerful Women in Business” and has made the list for the fifth consecutive year. This is quite an honor and exhibits an obviously stellar performance and track record by Francoise. To be named as one of the most powerful women in business is in honor all it’s own. I don’t know what tracking measures were used to gauge the honorees effectiveness or business sense, but for five consecutive years, she’s doing something right. (Press Release)
Why am jealous?

I used to work for a temporary staffing service as well (no, not Manpower though), and had high aspirations of moving up in the company. Remember when I mentioned them in my political ranting post sometime ago? Anyway, temporary staffing corporations are really ideal to work for, since they employ other individuals anyway, they offer great benefits and lots of perks. But an easy job it ain’t.

There are a lot of responsibilities to deal with, multiple clients to manage (along with their personalities as well), and all while having to make quotas each month. I don’t know if Ms. Gri had/has all of those particulars to deal with, but I’m certain she has had her fair share of challenges in that industry, to say the least. Working for large corporations has both its advantages…and disadvantages. That’s with any job. But the main focal point is to steadily work past those things that are perhaps frustrating or annoying and keep your sights on the bigger picture. Although I chose not to remain with my staffing firm, there are other women in business who are confronted often with challenges and work through them.

One of the biggest frustrations that I ever faced in corporate America was always trying to keep up with and run the “man’s game.” It seemed that the only ones in power were men and to get to the top, you had to play their game. You can believe too, that they very often didn’t play fair. Is that a requirement?

What are some of the biggest challenges that you have faced working corporations? Was it worth the headache? Are the perks generous? What do you find rewarding about working for corporations?

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Copyright – 2008 Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

A Powerful Woman in the Temporary Services Industry

Patti LaBelle is a phenomenal superstar and business woman in her own right. Her background spans over thirty years and she’s still going strong! Check out this live interview with her on the Today show. She has really got class and inspiration.

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Copyright – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

Women in Entertainment: A Business All It’s Own

The bailout is a no-go.

The outcome of the decision to bail out financial institutions was announced yesterday with a marginal vote of 228-205. With such a slim shot at the bailout being a go, Nancy Pelosi was credited with having swayed on-the-fencers in chaning their minds towards a no-go. Wow.

In this video, Rep. Pelosi give a very frank, direct assessment of the way that the Democrats and the Republicans worked together in the spirit of bipartisanship to arrive at amenable results. Although the answer is still “no”, I would hope still that both sides can and will agree on something, anything to stabilize the economy and get us out of this mess. Or should we just wait to see what will happen in five weeks?

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Copyrigght 2008 – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

A Girl Made Them Change Their Minds: You Go Nancy Pelosi!

OK, so a lot of people like the McCain/Palin mix for different reasons. Many women are just politically intoxicated with the idea of (potentially) having a female in power in the White House. After all, a woman in the White House means a lot for Women’s Rights, Civil Rights and perhaps will even change or level the playing field just a bit for the females. But one thing still bothers me…

This post that I made recently about the questionable process under which McCain chose Palin got a few folks ruffled, which I do respect other’s opinions, but then I still have to question McCain’s view on equal right’s for women. As some of you may already know, McCain does not/did not support the legislation that would remove unfair practices towards women and the practices governing their pay. In other words, McCain’s vote towards the move would have allowed women to be paid equal with men (think: Lily Ledbetter Act). However, McCain simply did not support this and his action makes me wonder just what was he trying to prove then by selecting a female as his running mate? I’m just saying…

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other anti-discrimination laws to clarify at which points in time discriminatory actions qualify as an “unlawful employment practice.” According to the legislation, unlawful conduct occurs when: “(1) a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted; (2) an individual becomes subject to the decision or practice; or (3) an individual is affected by application of the decision or practice, including each time compensation is paid.” The law further states that individuals may receive back pay as compensation for discrimination that occurred up to two years preceding the filing of a charge.

Source

My thing is this: you either support women’s rights…or you don’t. Sure, there are divisive issues, but the line drawn in the sand should be definitive enough. Women have struggled and fought for years for equal pay, equal rights and a chance. As a woman in business, I simply want to receive the same thing(s) that my male counterpart would receive for doing the same amount of work. That’s all. Is that too much to ask for Mr. McCain?

“They need the education and training, particularly since more and more women are heads of their households,” he explained. Source

When I read about issues like this in the news, and even when it happens locally or specific to an industry, it really does make me wonder if we have come far enough. Sure business women have a long ways to go and more hurdles to jump, but I think it’s acts like this (McCain’s) that can potentially set us farther and farther back. And, it also makes me wonder what response he gives his wife (a female), Governor Palin (another female) and other females on his staff in relation to the “why’s” and “what for” in his political moves. Do you think he owes them or any other female an answer? Do you think he’s justified in his vote? Why or why not?

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Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

Hater? Why I Think John McCain Is Outdated And Not In Touch

(Disclaimer: This post is NOT meant to ignite or offend any particular political party or opinion. It is simply meant to shed light on and analogize the correlation between politics, business and women)

Pimp -noun
1. a person, esp. a man, who solicits customers for a prostitute or a brothel, usually in return for a share of the earnings; pander; procurer.

[Image Source: sxc.hu]

Whenever a woman allows herself to be exploited in any manner or for any reason, she is selling out, or rather “pimped out” and her pimp gets a huge chunk of the revenue, giving her a small token. The pimp sees multiple benefits in having this woman do his bidding, finding the highest bidder for his wares (her). He convinces her that she is valuable, but the only way she will excel is if she lets him control guide her towards success.

But is it ok if she likes it?

Pimps have nothing to lose in the pimp-nating(?), but everything to gain. The pimp always fares well, coming out on top, while the pimp-ed does not, come out on, well, not on top. (clearing throat).

I can remember a time during my aspiring professional career when I worked as a manager for a staffing firm. Well, before I became a manager, or rather when I was offered the manager’s position, I was told that they wanted to “shake things up a bit.” They felt like I could do some shaking. They felt like a change was necessary, with a fresh perspective and a fresh focus. You see since I was a woman and a person of color, the national staffing firm felt that the double-dagger-duo-description would look great for the corporation and wonderful in the local community. The change would (potentially) skyrocket sales and attract new clients. I was even asked specifically to go to with the sales manager to visit a client that they had been wooing for a while but couldn’t crack. I was asked to accompany her because I was “Black and could help them get a foot in the door.” What !! Well, I did take the job. I got a “promise” in getting a salary pay raise once the numbers were up (2-4 months), an expense account, my own office, an administrative assistant, flexible hours and a voice in decision-making. I loved it! Although the promise of ‘later money’ made me pause, I shrugged it off, knowing that I could increase sales with my marketing savvy – - or would it be because of my Blackness? Or my womanness?

In the political environment sparked in the last couple of weeks over McCain’s choice for Sarah Palin as his Vice-Presidential running mate, are we seeing a pimp in process? Are there multiple benefits to others besides Palin for her name and presence being on the Republican ticket? Has she been made promises that will materialize later if she just gives it up and says what her pimp party wants to hear? What happens if she doesn’t cooperate? Does she get replaced with another willing vessel? Or, will she stay on, baited with promises and a chance to win the (client) over with her physical description?

Going back for a moment to me being a manager: I took the job with all of the perks and promises, but was disappointed much later and saddened to make several discoveries, although not surprised:

1. Clients did not want to do business with me soley on the “because I’m Black” qualification. They wanted to know about my experience, my sales background, my marketing strategies, my conversion rates. You know, important business factors. Well, I had none significantly to speak of. The only experience that I had prior to taking the job was managing a small client base with about 15 employees.

2. Never wait for a later promise of compensation. If you can do the job without the money, then they can do the job themselves. This screams of pimp-dom because the pimp gets to enjoy benefits of your added-value (increased sales, more voters, etc.) without having to pay for it.

3. You get what you pay for and you pay for what you get. Bottom line. If you invest quality, you reap quality. As a staffing manager, I was only able to offer my charm and charisma. Apparently that was not enough as I failed to deliver everything that I had promised in my executive management plan. I reaaaallly wanted to show them what I could do, but it just wasn’t there. I simply was not ready.

4. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, why would you think it’s a cat? If it seems shady, it most likely is shady and there’s nothing you can say to justify it. It just is what it is. I felt like I was being used by my staffing firm. Had lots of suspicions, but chose to ignore them in lieu of their phenomenal promises. We shouldn’t be so naive.

So, if a woman knows she’s being expolited for what she has or who she is or what she represents, is it wrong if she likes it? I mean, if she doesn’t protest to it and actually helps herself along, is it wrong? If it’s not wrong, it’s not pimping then is it? Perhaps a business transaction maybe?

Without delving too deeply (or deeper) into my obvious political undertone ranting, I will say this: Often in politics, candidates try different “things” in an effort to sway voters their way. Sometimes controversial, sometimes palatable, often obvious, political parties try whatever they think will work in their favor. It’s not necessarily “wrong” but it does call into question motives, sincerity and genuine intentions. So if a political candidate or a woman in business knows or suspects she’s being used, she has a couple of options:

1. Work it girl! Get into the game, play hard and find your rhythm. If you don’t do it, they’ll just find another female who will, right?

2. Pointedly, unequivocally and decidely object to the very idea of being used. And become (possibly) unemployable and unemployed.

What’s a girl to do?

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Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

Pimped Out Politics: Is It OK If She Likes It?

In this YouTube video from an interview with Sarah Palin when she was being considered as a candidate for the position of Vice-President, she sprinkles her interview with a few “ya know’s” and “kewl”, much to the amusement of the interviewer. I’m sooo disappointed, needless to say, in Mrs. Palin’s presentation. I’ve been somewhat brewing since the announcement on Thursday and have had to re-work my post on it several times, which is why it STILL hasn’t been posted. You know the old adage, “if you don’t have something nice to say…”

Kewl.

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Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

Oh Boy – We’re Really In Trouble If Palin Doesn’t Know What She’s Doing

[Photo Source: Getty Images]

Tonight’s speech by Michelle Obama will be a defining moment for Obama’s campaign. It will be a time when presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s campaign will be further defined – - by Michelle, the woman who has been often herself been branded as being “deflating” and “humiliating” to Barack by referring to him as a “regular man.”

Tonight will be Michelle’s chance to convince voters why we should or need to vote for this “regular man”.

What to watch for tonight: Things could start off with a bang. Tonight’s primetime speaker is Michelle Obama, who will be tasked to sell her husband to the public. She was one of Obama’s best surrogates during the Dem primaries, but Republicans and even some Democrats believe she won’t sell with swing voters. So definitely pay attention to her remarks. Also on tap for tonight is a video tribute to Ted Kennedy, but NBC’s Ann Curry reported on TODAY that Kennedy is in Denver and might make an appearance at the convention. That could be a nice moment for the Democrats that has nothing to do with Obama or Clinton.

Full Article

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Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

Watch Michelle Obama Tonight!

Sites aimed primarily at women, from “mommy blogs” to makeup and fashion sites, grew 35 percent last year — faster than every other category on the Web except politics, according to comScore, an Internet traffic measurement company. Women’s sites had 84 million visitors in July, 27 percent more than the same month last year, comScore said.

Advertisers are following the crowd, serving up 4.4 billion display ads on women’s Web sites in May, comScore said. That is more than for sites aimed at children, teenagers or families. “Moms are the decision makers of the household as far as purchases are concerned,” said Chris Actis, vice president and digital director at the ad agency MediaVest.

The rapid growth in advertising and traffic to women’s sites has attracted the attention of major media companies and venture capitalists.

…Draper Fisher Jurvetson, a major Silicon Valley venture firm, sees so much opportunity that it has made several bets in the sector, including in Glam Media, a network of 650 women’s sites that draws more visitors than its rivals and has raised $114 million from investors.

“I love women. Women are more than half the population, and they do most of the shopping,” said Tim Draper, the venture firm’s co-founder and managing director. “We are constantly looking for more sites that cater to women.” In addition to Glam, Draper Fisher has invested in CafeMom, MyShape and NearbyNow. (source)

Friends, it’s not new information. But it’s exciting to see that advertisers are finally getting on board en masse. So, when should I expect my giant check from advertising revenues on this blog, hmm?

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

(image: Newscom)

Tags: womens business blog, women in business, women and business, woman, women, business, marketing to women, advertising for women, cafemom, myshape, nearbynow, glam network, dooce, heather armstrong, new york times, biz chicks rule, kristen king

Post from: EveryJoe

Marketing to Women Is Where It’s At

While doing some research this morning on another topic, I found a cute new site, an addition to the wikipedia family and now bookmarked as one of my “go to” sites. It’s called Chickipedia. No joke! Seems there are searches for some of the most famous women names on the planet. Including their bio’s, career sketches and a short portfolio of photographs, this site seems that it has potential to be the go to place for some of those big name droppers. The famous “Ohm-arosa” is on there with Angelina (you know, Brad’s wife), Ivanka Trump, Oprah, the Olsen Twins, yada, yada, yada. There’s only one problem that I have with it though.

I didn’t see my or Kristen’s name on the list!

As upsetting as this is, it is still a cool list and an entertaining source. Check it out if you can. And, Kristen and I won’t mind if you submit our names. Of course, I don’t think you can though. Their terms of use state something like you have to be famous or world-reknowned to get in. Well, we’re famous here at b5, right? Doesn’t that count?

Whatever.

My favorite read on the list was Janet Jackson, F-F-Fergie and Carly Fiorina. While those are only my favorites, a lot of them are quite different.

Interesting Stuff:

Chelsea (Clinton) is on the list, but her mom Hilary isn’t. Is this an age thing…or a cooool thing?

Condoleezza Rice made it but Nancy Pelosi didn’t. Hmmm….

There are over 1503 chicks in the Television category

Over 1573 chicks in the Film category

But only 33 chicks in the Business category. Not good. Where are the Biz Chicks? I can’t imagine why there wouldn’t be a large number of women in this category. There would be if certain folks could get in.

Again, neither myself nor is Kristen on the list. Nope, I’m not letting it go!

Who are your favorites on the list? Who would you like to see added to the list? If you could select a business woman, whose name would you submit? Give me a good name, and we can submit it together. Sound good?

I wonder if the folks at Chickipedia read this blog and are trying to outshine BCR? Nah!

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Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

Biz Chicks And Others Rule Too In A New Wikipedia Source

Really quick, before you think…what did you spend your stimulus check on?

If it’s all a blur to you (as it was with me), then get ready to do it all over again. Maybe. President Bush and the White House are currently debating and deciding if in fact another tax rebate payout is needed to further stimulate the economy. Things are just not going ideally or as planned and they’re toying with the idea that perhaps the first round of payouts wasn’t enough. With the ever-increasing gasoline prices, the lending market just about tanked and the housing crisis going into overtime, our fearless leaders think all you guys need is just a little more money to get things going. Do you? Would a little more money make a difference?

As a business owner who has been through a few tough financial crunches, I can tell you that spending MORE money isn’t always the answer to getting out of a mess. Now I realize that my small business pales in comparison to the details of the business of running a whole country, but some principles do apply and can carry over to big projects like this one. If I were on the financial committee helping to make those tough decisions, I would contribute the following:

• Stop spending any more additional money that YOU DO NOT HAVE starting today. If you don’t have it, don’t buy it. Doing that will only make your financial situation worse. Getting out of debt requires immediate action. Doesn’t always feel good. Doesn’t have to…it’s just right.
• Revamp current systems that are not working. If you keep trying over and over and over to do something a certain way and it’s just not working, stop it and try it a different way. Just think that maybe that original system was a dud to begin with.
• Employ and do business with smart people. I know we like to think we’re the brightest Crayola crayon, but there are other brands that are just as good. Folks with experience are more likely to know what to do and how to handle certain situations. Being the boss doesn’t always mean you have to make decisions or that you’re always right. A good boss recognizes when there are bright ideas in others.
• Learn from your mistakes. Didn’t work out? Don’t try that again or do it that way again then. Learning from your errors can help you understand yourself better and avoid making that same mistake again.
• Learn from other’s mistakes. First, review why that person failed. If you think you can do a better job of it, see #4. If you think you can do a better job of it, see #5. “nuff said.

It’s hard to tell whether or not these stimulus checks will actually materialize since Nancy Pelosi is going to put it to a vote in September. Until then we’ll have to wait and see.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to have the House vote on additional aid when lawmakers return in September from their summer vacation. She believes more is needed to counter higher gasoline prices and other costs.

News Story Link

Do you think another check is a good idea? What would you suggest to Bush’s team if you were on the committee?

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Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

Is The Second Time Around Really A Charm? Another Stimulus Check Is On The Way…Maybe