tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85535056601130741022024-02-08T08:05:16.909-05:00GNI's WeR BlogGNI International's Women Entrepreneurs Reinforcement program, WeR, is dedicated to supporting women who are looking to establish or grow their businesses by providing coaching and access to free resources.
Our blog intends to stimulate conversation about less-talked-about topics that may need to be demystified and taken out of the 'taboo' category.
WeR is committed to covering subjects of interest to today's woman entrepreneur, on both a professional and personal level.Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-48616628419630629362014-06-19T07:06:00.003-04:002014-06-19T07:06:34.768-04:00Capitol Standard Interviews Giadha de Carcer on Love & Business<div class="post-thumbnail" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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Giadha de Carcer Will Mix Business & Pleasure, Then Capture it on Film</h1>
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<a class="url fn n" href="http://www.capitolstandard.com/author/amandafox/" rel="author" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #161616; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;">BY AMANDA FOX</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.capitolstandard.com/giadha-de-carcer-will-mix-business-pleasure-then-capture-it-on-film/" rel="bookmark" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #161616; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out;"><time class="cap_date" datetime="2014-06-18T11:32:04+00:00" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 14px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;">JUNE 18, 2014</time></a></div>
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81 VIEWS</div>
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If there’s one thing we’ve learned from <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Bachelor</em> franchise, it’s that sharing your quest for true love with the general public is a recipe for controversy. So naturally, when Capitol Standard heard about a DC-based tech entrepreneur who is making big plans to find romance without quitting her day job, we knew we needed to hear more.</div>
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Last month, Giadha de Carcer raised $30,000 on Kickstarter for the purpose of filming a docu-series, featuring herself as the guinea pig, called <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Love and Business, 90 Days to Launch</em>.</div>
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That’s right – she has 90 days to launch a business, attempt to find Mr. Right, and explore the question many women are asking: do we have to choose between love and our careers, or can we have it all?</div>
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Ms. De Carcer spoke to Capitol Standard about this project, which she hopes will start a meaningful conversation about the professional and personal choices we make in the pursuit of balance.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Capitol Standard: You are a “serial entrepreneur” – what does that mean?</strong></div>
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Giadha de Carcer: I feel a little bad when people ask what I do and I say I’m a serial entrepreneur, because it can sound a little bit obnoxious. In essence, what it means is that I have launched multiple businesses in various different industries. What really attracts me is the challenge of taking concepts and turning them into viable business propositions. I launched my first business at 17, so I’ve been doing this my whole life.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CS: Your </strong><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Kickstarter campaign</strong><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> mentioned that you are considering three possible business ventures to launch on the series. How did you come up with the ideas for each, and which business are you going to use?</strong></div>
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GDC: Snap + Drag (an app enabling users to visualize how large pieces of furniture will look in a room) was the first idea. I’ve had it in the back of my head for a few years now. Then there’s the idea of franchising the Love & Business docu-series. In order to truly capture a well-rounded dialogue about the issues and experiences of career-driven women starting businesses, we need to do it beyond DC. And then there is the idea we’ve been casually calling “the Puffington Times” which involves selling market data and analytics about the cannabis industry. We will announce what project we are going with on July 9<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CS: How did you come up with the idea for the series?</strong></div>
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GDC: Most of the women I’ve worked with have struggled to balance their professional and personal lives, whether they’re married, single, divorced, with or without kids. I’m 39, single, I think I’m relatively intelligent and successful – and yet I’m having the hardest time in the world succeeding in both love and career. I’d ask other women for advice and they’d all say, “you have to choose.” It kept coming back to this idea that we have to make a choice. I was disheartened. Why do we have to choose? This project was driven by my own personal challenges and ignorance about how to deal with it, and the realization that it’s a struggle so many other women face too.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CS: What kind of reaction did you get from other female entrepreneurs and career women?</strong></div>
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GDC: Almost 100 percent of the women I talked to were so excited about it, they were finishing my sentences for me. They were just glad that I was willing to talk about these issues. I was a little embarrassed when I first started talking about it because I felt like I was just talking about my own personal vulnerability. I thought people would say things like “she’s chasing fame” or “she just wants to get on tv” but the moment I opened up about why I was doing this and said that I wanted other women to come on board and talk about their own issues, the response was amazing.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CS: What can viewers expect to see when they sit down to watch one of the episodes? How much focus will be given to the dating and business aspects of the show, respectively?</strong></div>
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GDC: Roughly 50 percent of the content will be focused on the issues affecting career-driven women in general: challenges, successes, and lessons learned, both professionally and personally. Twenty-five percent will be about dating and the remaining 25 percent will be entrepreneurial coaching.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CS: How much of this is motivated by personal experience? Have you made any mistakes or had your heart broken in love on account of your business and professional commitments and lifestyle?</strong></div>
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GDC: (laughter) Yes! My last relationship ended because the guy said I had to choose between him and my job. And it wasn’t that he was a bad guy – he was actually trying really hard to be there for me – but I was totally immersed in a project and it destroyed my personal life.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CS: What kind of reaction has this idea received from the men in your life?</strong></div>
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GDC: My close friends have been very supportive and encouraging. All of my ex-boyfriends supported the Kickstarter campaign, which is pretty funny. There have been some who aren’t so supportive, though. I’ve had people tell me that it’s “bad form” and that its not a topic that needs to be discussed in such an open forum. Someone even said it sounds like public masturbation!</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CS: How are you going to find guys to date?</strong></div>
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I’m committed to exploring every single option. You’ll see me do speed dating. You’ll see me working with a matchmaker. I’m going to go on blind dates. I’m going to do the restaurant and club scene. I’m going to go to meet-ups. I’m going to do online dating, which I’ve shied away from in the past because I’m a hopeless romantic. I’m going to do it all. I’m literally going to try every single option. I can’t tell you if it’s going to work, but I’m going to give it a shot.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CS: Is there anything in particular that you hope to personally gain from this project?</strong></div>
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It sounds a little bit cliché, but to be honest with you, I hope to get validation. Validation that the challenges I’ve gone through weren’t just because I did something wrong. Validation that it really is different and difficult to succeed personally when you feel that you’re identified by what you do professionally. I don’t know if it’s the best answer, but it’s an honest one!</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Love and Business, 90 Days to Launch </em>is filming now. Ms. De Carcer plans to license the docu-series to a television network or web channel. View the trailer below.</div>
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Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-36461270654533117302014-05-27T11:19:00.002-04:002014-05-27T11:19:20.614-04:00Kickstarter Excitement and 'What's Next' Featured on latest InTheCapital Article!<div class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/projects/giadha/love-and-business-90-days-to-launch/posts/856648/assets/2061872/edit" data-id="2061872" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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4 Questions with Kickstarter Tech Entrepreneur Giadha DeCarcer</div>
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Giadha De Carcer successfully funded her Kickstarter campaign last week, almost at the last minute, to fund a documentary series on a 90-day period where she will attempt to launch a startup company from the ground and at the same time seek romance and a balanced life. In the wake of the funding, De Carcer reflected on the campaign and on what comes next for her and her big plan to showcase what it's like to be a female tech entrepreneur in Washington, D.C.</div>
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<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. How were you feeling as it got down to the wire and almost didn't happen and then after you pulled it off and got the funding?</i></b></div>
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Terrified! It took us a week to go from $3,800 to $4,000 and then between last Friday and Sunday we raised over $20K. People had been Tweeting at each other to pledge right after your article came out, and it was so exciting to see so much activity amongst folks we had never met who really got what we are trying to do. With just a few minutes to go we were still $1800 short and were facing loosing it all, it was insanity! We had people on the phone, who were also on the phone with other people, their mother's, boyfriends, sisters anyone they could get a hold of at almost midnight on a Sunday, and we just pulled it together at literally the witching hour. We had people doubling, tripling and quadrupling their existing pledges, and in the end that's what happened, two of our amazing supporters and friends Kataliya Rudolph and Ridge Banks closed the gap for us at 11:57! I just looked at the screen when it turned to $30,048 and stared at it until the clock ran out to make sure it was not going to go back down LOL I feel I saw magic happen, because our odds were NIL – Kickstarters either get 33% funded by the third day, first week latest, or fail. I would be curious to find out how many Campaigns succeeded in raising over 80% of their funding in the last 3 days of their Campaigns, not to mention how many of the successes are usually from female-led projects ;)</div>
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<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. What are the next steps for you now that the show is a go for later this month?</i></b></div>
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We are now structuring the filming calendar to ensure we have a solid plan forward to incorporate all the elements we want to showcase: the Lean Startup Model roadmap, the Relationship & Dating Coaching, and the open discussion amongst DC Female Entrepreneurs to unveil those tricky topics that we truly need to air out and address. We are also bringing sponsors on-board who are DC locals as we want to show how vibrant the DC Entrepreneurial community is, especially amongst the female population, and last but not least, we will begin shooting early June – that's when the real work and fun will begin!</div>
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It is a lot of work because the series will be unscripted, which means we will not control what is said. In order to however ensure we do cover those important topics, we must do a lot of initial planning so we can at least introduce them at various stages and capture how the discussion evolves.</div>
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<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Since the funding (and the story too in small part) have you gotten new or different feedback that has stuck out for you in terms of what was said or who said it?</i></b></div>
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YES! Absolutely, and it has been very positive! I actually do think the article was able to bring attention to the right elements of our project and it has resonated with a lot of people. We have been receiving emails and Tweets encouraging us to capture these authentic aspects of what career driven women tackle everyday, and have even been thanked for bringing it to light via such a mass medium. We know there has been a lot of coverage in blogs, and that is fantastic, but we believe that in order to truly begin driving social change and educating both females and males about how gender role expectations is affecting us all, we need to 'show' it. We have also started to gain more traction as far as our plan to launch subsequent seasons around the US and abroad to truly capture a diverse set of female entrepreneurs, experiences, and hopefully successes, thus allowing us to feel we are doing justice to a well rounded dialogue.</div>
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<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4. What if anything would you do differently for the crowdfunding if you were to do it all over again?</i></b></div>
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I would have slept for a week straight before launching and prepared all my meals in advance for the 3 weeks of the Kickstarter! My partner in crime Noreen Butler and I did not sleep, rarely ate, and barely managed to shower most days! We were determined to make it happen, and that took a toll on us physically. Campaigning on this kind of platform is hard, especially with the social media element and the fact that if you are not on the phone, texting or on your computer promoting it, you should be out meeting people, recruiting them to pledge, and participating in as many events as possible that will allow you to bring attention to your project – IT'S EXHAUSTING! I will say this however, I sincerely believe that online crowdfurnding may very well be one of the best things that could have happened to female entrepreneurs. I believe it will mitigate a lot of the fund-raising challenges women in business are facing, and will hopefully empower many more female entrepreneurs to secure seed funding early on; especially if the SEC approves the inclusion of small equity divestiture! Doing away with awkward meetings with male-dominated VCs and Angels would probably be welcomed by some of us ;)</div>
<a href="http://inthecapital.streetwise.co/2014/05/25/4-questions-with-kickstarter-tech-entrepreneur-giadha-de-carcer/" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #00a0ff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://inthecapital.streetwise.co/2014/05/25/4-questions-with-kickstarter-tech-entrepreneur-giadha-de-carcer/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #00a0ff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><br />
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You can learn more about De Carcer and her upcoming series at the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/giadha/love-and-business-90-days-to-launch/posts" target="_blank">Love & Business Kickstarter page.</a></div>
Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-23764181862898984342014-05-21T17:04:00.003-04:002014-05-21T17:04:44.743-04:00DC Tech Entrepreneur Will Film Her Quest for 'Love & Business' Success <div class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/projects/giadha/love-and-business-90-days-to-launch/posts/847925/assets/2026446/edit" data-id="2026446" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://inthecapital.streetwise.co/2014/05/18/dc-tech-film-quest-love-business-success/" target="_blank">DC Tech Entrepreneur Will Film Her Quest for 'Love & Business' Success</a> </b></div>
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Giadha De Carcer, a serial entrepreneur based in Washington, D.C., knows intimately the conflict between finding success as a businesswoman while trying to find love and a happy personal life. Now she wants to show the world those difficulties and maybe learn some lessons about finding a good balance with a new, unscripted documentary series, Love & Business, 90 Days to Launch, raising money on Kickstarter until the end of Sunday.</div>
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"It can be like an identity crisis for businesswomen," De Carcer said. "The female journey is different today, there's not only a gender gap but a generational difference in things like gender roles and what women should be doing with their lives."</div>
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De Carcer will spend the 90 days of filming the series launching a new tech startup business while exploring the startup landscape for women in D.C. through discussion with other businesswomen. At the same time, she will be working with a dating coach and using a lot of the modern tools for finding a relationship to try and find love.</div>
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"It's all about trying to figure out what we want and what it means to be successful for women today," De Carcer said.</div>
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The series is designed to educate and entertain people about those kinds of questions. De Carcer said she wants to bring to life the endless dilemma women in her position face, a growing population of women who succeed in business but still face the internal and external pressures of expectation to have to commit entirely to business or family but not both.</div>
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"It's not conscious or malicious but many women have told me about how they feel they have to choose one or the other," she said. "It's a choice men struggle with too, but it's different."</div>
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It's not just big, philosophical questions under examination in the series. There will be a lot of practical discussion on how to take a business from concept to funding with a look at the extra difficulties for female entrepreneurs and how to get around things like the glass ceiling and the conscious and unconscious stereotypes of women in male-dominated industries like technology. There will also be plenty of practical dating advice too and probably some good lessons in how the dates shown for the series go.</div>
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"The romance part adds a fun twist," De Carcer said. "I want to do all of it in a fun way."</div>
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Even if the Kickstarter campaign doesn’t reach its goals, De Carcer said she’s had plenty of backing offers, it would simply delay the filming, which is currently planned to begin at the end of the month from what she described as very enthusiastic sponsors. Not that everyone has been totally supportive of her ideas. There's been some criticism as well, both of the idea and the execution, calling it a publicity stunt or worse.</div>
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"I've gotten some harsh feedback from men and women too," De Carcer said. "One called it 'public masturbation' even."</div>
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But DeCarcer certainly isn't one to give up easily and is eager to start learning and more importantly sharing what she learns with others like her.</div>
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"There's always more questions than answers," she said. "I just want the series to start asking some of the right questions."</div>
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Check out the trailer for the series below and visit the Kickstarter page before midnight if you want to find out more and donate.</div>
<a href="http://inthecapital.streetwise.co/2014/05/18/dc-tech-film-quest-love-business-success/" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #081245; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://inthecapital.streetwise.co/2014/05/18/dc-tech-film-quest-love-business-success/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #081245; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><br />
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Read More: DC Tech, Kickstarter, entrepreneur, DC film, Giadha De Carcer</div>
Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-72240722617755122242014-05-21T16:55:00.002-04:002014-05-21T17:01:59.280-04:00Finding Business and Love<br />
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Finding Business and Love</h1>
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A DC entrepreneur raised $30k on Kickstarter this week to make a docu-series on her mission to start a company in 90 days and find love at the same time.</div>
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The series, called <b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Love & Business, 90 Days To Launch</i></b>, will start releasing episodes this summer and could be distributed online or through a “major" network, says Giadha Aguirre De Carcer. She's also deciding which of three businesses to launch during the filming. The ideas include: an app to visualize how a large furniture piece would look in a room with a drag and drop function; a behind-the-scenes look at producing Love & Business, which has expansion plans (more on that below); and selling market data and analytics on the cannabis industry. So why also tackle love? Giadha says single-female entrepreneurs can relate to the challenge of balancing a startup with a personal life.</div>
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<span style="color: black;">Giadha, who has advisors like Fortify VC and StartupLand producer Jonathon Perelli (pictured) and Priceline cofounder Jeff Hoffman, says she was inspired to do the series from her own experiences with gender discrimination and seeing the disparity between funding for male-vs female-led startups. Giadha, who came to the US during high school after growing up in Italy, Spain, and France, says she doesn't want the series to come across as male hating because she thinks they're just as confused about gender roles. Her plan is to continue the docu-series to feature female entrepreneurs globally and start a seed fund for female entrepreneurs with proceeds from the docu-series.</span></div>
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<figure style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="fit" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/002/039/964/b86fa5d50c3d089b4194b1bab3041503_large.jpg?1400700714" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 0;" /></figure><figure style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></figure><figure style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.bisnow.com/tech/1766-finding-business-and-love/" style="border: 0px; color: #081245; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 23.33333396911621px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Giadha, at the recent Love & Business launch party, worked in investment banking and then launched GNI International in 2007. The company's wireless solution monitored driving behavior for safety and efficiency. It couldn't afford to renew its patent and Progressive Car Insurance came out with a comparable version two weeks after GNI's patent pending expired. Since then she has been consulting US companies that want to expand to emerging markets and running a nonprofit that helps female entrepreneurs. She also launched Venture Camp, a live/work incubator for startups. She moved to DC after 9/11 to pursue a master's. She was the only person from her former investment banking team in New York to survive the terrorist attacks.</div>
</a></figure></div>
<a href="http://www.bisnow.com/tech/1766-finding-business-and-love/" style="border: 0px; color: #00a0ff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 23.33333396911621px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.bisnow.com/tech/1766-finding-business-and-love/" style="border: 0px; color: #00a0ff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 23.33333396911621px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.bisnow.com/tech/1766-finding-business-and-love/" style="border: 0px; color: #00a0ff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 23.33333396911621px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.bisnow.com/tech/1766-finding-business-and-love/" style="border: 0px; color: #00a0ff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 23.33333396911621px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.bisnow.com/tech/1766-finding-business-and-love/" style="border: 0px; color: #00a0ff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 23.33333396911621px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.bisnow.com/tech/1766-finding-business-and-love/" style="border: 0px; color: #00a0ff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 23.33333396911621px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-50347068662751587832014-05-06T18:26:00.001-04:002014-05-06T18:26:36.132-04:00This “Nutty” Documentary Explores How Work-Life Balance Is Harder for Women<a href="http://tech.co/love-business-90-days-to-launch-2014-05#.U2lhjb-Cblc.blogger">This “Nutty” Documentary Explores How Work-Life Balance Is Harder for Women</a>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-21398303163902936982012-08-28T10:31:00.001-04:002012-08-28T10:31:32.711-04:00Why Remote Workers Are More (Yes, More) Engaged<a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/08/are_you_taking_your_people_for.html?referral=00563&cm_mmc=email-_-newsletter-_-daily_alert-_-alert_date" target="_blank">Why Remote Workers Are More (Yes, More) Engaged</a>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-78700331712088772132012-08-27T12:29:00.001-04:002012-08-27T12:29:39.141-04:00Women Changing The World - Forbes<a href="http://www.forbes.com/special-report/2012/power-women/women-changing-the-world.html">Women Changing The World - Forbes</a>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-47874970200090417532012-08-09T13:07:00.000-04:002012-08-13T12:35:04.639-04:00Being a Female Entrepreneur - Thoughts & Insights<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="t1" style="width: 1240.0px;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="td3" colspan="2" valign="middle"><div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p5">
<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0z1fJCgQMw&feature=em-share_video_user"><b>Women and Entrepreneurship: Basics and Realities of the Trade</b></a></span></div>
<div class="p6">
Presented by Giadha De Carcer, President of GNI International,<br />
for Georgetown University</div>
<div class="p7">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-25731149793524991842012-07-16T13:22:00.000-04:002012-08-08T11:32:46.143-04:00I'm a Female Entrepreneur - Do I need a college degree?!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>By Giadha Aguirre De Carcer</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I recently came across
"<a href="http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/10-famous-ceos-who-think-you-should-skip-college/"><span style="color: blue;">10 Famous CEOs Who Think You Should Skip College</span></a>",
an article kindly shared by a fellow blogger, and could not help but question
whether I would have done anything differently had I had this advice when I
decided to go to college. My story may or may not be common, but it does
provide some valid reasons why women <b><i>should</i></b> strongly
consider attending college, whether they intend to take on the entrepreneurial
journey or not.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I started my first business at the
age of 19 shortly after coming into the US. Because I had only recently
learned English and had barely been able to graduate High School, I found
myself unable to score a sufficiently high SAT score for admittance into most
four-year colleges. I was hired to sell ocean-front investment properties
in Miami Beach to foreign investors because I spoke five languages, and in the
process met my first business partner. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">We launched First
Federal Transportation (FFT) to provide non-emergency transportation services
to elderly and handicapped individuals, a booming market in Miami due to the
large retiree population. I knew nothing about managing a business, the
transportation services sector, or any of the taxing, licensing, and insurance
requirements associated with running such an enterprise. That said, I
worked hard and learned what I needed to know in order to get all of the
necessary loans, certifications, and ultimately clients. My attempt to
start a business was consequently successful without a college degrees, a fact
supporting the article mentioned earlier. However, FFT
ultimately failed short of one year from its inception once I found myself
abysmally ill-equipped to run and grow a business.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">It was an eye-opening
experience. I had had a good business proposition, had capital, licenses, and
clients, and yet I had failed. While I had at least half a dozen other
business ideas, I decided that if I was to sustain and scale up an
operation, I needed additional tools. I enrolled at my local community
college and successfully completed every business administration, finance,
management, marketing, accounting and economics course available.
Equipped with more tangible knowledge, and an much better understanding
of what a business plan should look like, I came across a brilliant technology
solution I knew would be able to launch me forward. Alas, while the idea
was solid, and I know it was because Progressive Insurance eventually launched
the solution under the name '<i>Snapshot</i>', the verbal support and
acknowledgement I received from industry experts and professionals in the
sector, never translated into seed funding.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Most individuals who
expressed an interest in the technology wanted to have someone else run with
it, someone with the required accreditations and type of background,
professional and academic, to inspire confidence. Being a young foreign
woman, I found it extremely difficult to have investors and potential clients
alike take me seriously, regardless of how potentially profitable my business
proposition may have been. I needed a college degree. It seemed a
degree woud however only get me up-to-speed with other aspiring entrepreneurs,
and I needed to leg up. Because I spoke with an accent, looked 'cute',
and had no financial backing whatsoever, I determined the degree should be from
an institution that screamed 'impressive', and would give me that additional
edge I was looking for. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I transfered to the
University of Pennsylvania, and not to make a long story longer, I ended up
being invited to join the JPMorganChase Management Training program upon
graduating, which I was certain would further add to my target 'credentials'.
9/11 happened, my office shut down, and I was ready to jump back on the
proverbial horse. That said, I lacked any good ideas, so while I searched
for my next venture, I took on a job that would hopefully give me access to the
type of community most likely to lead me to the next big thing. It did not
work.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I consulted for the
defense sector and rubbed elbows with very successful and seasoned business
individuals. I worked diligently and gained my peers' and clients' respect as I
created innovative strategic approaches for business growth and new product
development. Unfortunately, that respect did not translate into upward
movement within the firm, nor did it seem to get me anywhere when discussing
possible new business ideas with older male seasoned entrepreneurs (elas there
were not that many female entrepreneurs at the time). I could wait like
many of my peers and work for another five to ten years until I reached that
senior level, or I could expedite matters somehow. Most of my peers in
the entrepreneurial world had Masters, and so I too needed to pursue one.
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Upon graduating from
Georgetown University, I felt there was absolutely nothing stopping me from
giving my dream another try. In 2007 I drafted a business plan and began
shopping for seed capital to launch GNI International. My first attempts
failed and most of my emails, phone calls, and in-person pitches led to
crickets and tumble weeds. I had a crisp executive summary of my business
plan, an excellent revenue model, and the market data was both promising and
based on sourced hard data. I filed myself giving the pitch, and short of
the accent, it was clear, concise, and well articulated. What was
missing!? I had the degrees, the idea, and a ripe market, was it me?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I changed my pitch and
powerpoint to begin with my academic and professional background, rather than
having them in my Appendix. This may seem a 'duh' to some, as it is now
standard practice to begin presentations with a short blurb on the individuals
in question, but I guess I was slow to the uptake. I sent the executive
summary and decks to the same set of individuals, as well as some new ones, and
to my great surprise, I began getting responses and expressions of interest.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I am certain to this day
that every investor I brought on board would not have agreed to take me on had
I not included a short bio, which did include big names both professionally and
academically. 2007 was around the beginning of the economic crisis, and
most investors had become risk-averse. They were hesitant to entertain any
young entrepreneur, male of female, but the reality was that seeing a young
female entrepreneur-wanna-be walk though the door was especially distressing,
more so in the technology and financial sectors. What was ultimately reassuring
is that I had proven to be determined and bright enough to have gotten to their
door and that I had what 'they' perceived to be sufficient knowledge to give me
a fighting chance. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I know times are
changing whereby investors and the entrepreneurial community as a whole is
finally awakening to the fact that women can be as successful as men if given a
chance to. I also understand that many men are indeed succeeding without
a college education; point in question, nine of the ten CEO's listed in the
above-referenced article are men. However, just because there are some
men who are succeeding without a degree and very few women to do the same, it
certainly does not mean that we should all skip college to jump into the 'real
world'.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The real world is one in
which almost all successful women do have a college degree, and one in which
almost all successful men also have a college degree. I play the lotto
once in a while because there is at least one chance I may win if I purchase a
ticket, but that does not man that I am going to quit my job banking on the
millions of dollars I will make once I hit the jackpot.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">A college degree
provides the knowledge-base and tools necessary to, if nothing else, manage a
business once it is launched. I agree many can have a good idea, but a
good idea is by no means a business. A business requires funding, a
strategic plan, and a client willing and able to pay for the service or product
offered. As a woman, a college degree not only ensures said knowledge and
tools, but it also adds to that 'credibility' society has yet to give us
naturally. I am sincerely sorry I have to disagree with the article
mentioned above, at least at this time, but an education is absolutely
necessary to increase the odds of success for any woman, entrepreneur or not,
and arguably for most men as well.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">As the old saying goes -</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Success is where preparation meets
opportunity."<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- so be prepared. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-39827906557450056042012-07-02T14:54:00.001-04:002012-07-11T14:41:17.115-04:00Let’s Make a Deal . . . Over Whiskey?<b style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>By Kadzi Mutizwa</i></span></b><br />
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Years ago,
when one of my friends started a new job, her company dispatched its new hires
to an etiquette clinic, where they were taught some of civilization’s most
genteel niceties, such as the proper way of holding a red wine glass vs. a
white wine glass. I got a real kick out of hearing about this (how come nobody
ever sends me to these kinds of workshops?), but not as much as the one I got
out of <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223807">this <i>Entrepreneur</i> magazine article</a> someone
recently forwarded me about how to behave yourself when you’re having a
business meeting over booze. I initially thought it was something out of the <i>Onion</i> - but it’s as real as business etiquette
clinics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of <i>Entrepreneur</i>’s sage advice includes: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
bar is not a topic of conversation; <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If there are more than [two of you], do
not sit at the bar;<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Respect the bartender. And the host; <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sitting up straight is evidence of a
backbone. It is also evidence that you're not so inebriated you can't conduct
business; and <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weaker your drink, the stronger your position.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It blows
my mind that a grown-up needs to be told any of this. Ever since I was a teenager,
my special set of elders has given me reams of unsolicited advice about how not
to professionally self-destruct. One of the chief pearls was: ALWAYS
UNDER-DRINK AT WORK-RELATED EVENTS, IF YOU EVEN DECIDE TO DRINK AT ALL. The
more time I’ve spent in the workforce, the more I realize how many people
either never got these talks or have chosen to ignore them. At my first open-bar
corporate holiday party, after having had at least one too many, one of my
co-workers called out a manager for failing to promote her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking
of calling people out, there’s one section of this <i>Entrepreneur</i> article that strikes me as particularly outrageous:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10.5pt;">[D]o
not order your own drink if your drink is not a serious drink.</span></strong><i><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The descending order of appropriate
drinks for business meetings: <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in 9.75pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></i><i><span style="background-color: white;">Any of the following: martini; whiskey
and something; whiskey; something and soda; something and tonic; beer;
something with the word "sling" in it.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8553505660113074102" name="kidding"></a> </span></i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in 9.75pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. All
other drinks.</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holy Old Boys’ Network. (Take a look at who the two people featured in this
article’s accompanying visual are.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 16.5pt; margin: 9.75pt 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Attention all non-alpha males: if you’re going out for business drinks
with <i>anyone</i>, order whatever you’re in
the mood for – but just one glass or bottle (and either eat something filling beforehand
or don’t drink the whole cocktail if you’re a super-lightweight). Know what
you’re talking about (backwards and forwards), know what you generally want out
of the session (where you’re willing to compromise and what your
non-negotiables are), and focus more on the seriousness of the conversation’s substance
than on the “seriousness” of the liquor.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And, yes, please do remember to respect your bartender/server. Also remember
that if you’re enough of a baller to be making deals in bars, you can afford to
leave a serious tip. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-25683159835030228402012-06-05T15:56:00.000-04:002012-06-05T15:56:01.501-04:00Option A Career, Option B Baby - What Is Option C?<i style="text-align: justify;">By Giadha DeCarce</i><span style="text-align: justify;">r</span><br />
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I was recently talking to a girlfriend about how demoralizing our situation seems given that in our mid to late thirties, after having being focused for so long to position ourselves professionally, we are now suddenly awakening to the cruel reality of a disappearing window of opportunity in terms of having children. A<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">s noted in a recent article, </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/05/31/why-womens-pay-growth-slows-at-age-30-and-peaks-by-39/" target="_blank">Why Women's Pay Growth Slows At Age 30 And Peaks By 39</a>:</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Women’s slowing wages at age 30 may correlate with having children. [Cornell University professor Francine] Blau notes that some women may drop out of the labor force for a time or reduce their hours when they have young children.</span></span></blockquote>
If I want to be a mom do I really need to trade it in for my work and jeopardize whatever professional success I have achieved thus far? I need more time! And I need more options!</div>
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<br />
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I was overjoyed when I heard Jennifer Aniston was finally getting pregnant at a booming 42 years of age. That excitement was quickly subdued when I found out she had her eggs frozen a millennia ago. I did some online research and talked to my doctor, and the situation does look pretty dim. In essence, getting pregnant after 35 is risky in almost every single aspect, and every day that passes after that life changing birthday worsens the situation exponentially. If the health of the mother and baby were not sufficient 'fear factors', a woman's body at such age may not bounce back as it would have a decade earlier. Trying to get pregnant at this point could be a full time job all on its own and waiting hardly seems an option. </div>
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<br /></div>
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That said,<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> most career-driven women such as myself have not achieved professional and financial satisfaction until recently, that is, in our mid thirties. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">R</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ealistically speaking, it takes on average a good decade to get a Bachelor degree, work for a few years, go back to school for a Master, and become a legitimate 'professional' in</span> one's field. Which leaves some of us right here: At the pinnacle of our career and the deathbed of potential motherhood. Does that mean I am in big, BIG, trouble because I am in my mid 30's and not quite ready yet? As hilarious as Marisa Tomei was in <i>My Cousin Vinny</i>, with her "my biological clock is ticking", I am not laughing, I am terrified.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So what can I do? Are the only choices really A. Have a baby pronto and walk away from a successful career, or B. Not have a baby and give up on arguably one of the most life-changing experiences anyone could have? Most of my friends seem to think so, a<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nd per recent research by <span style="line-height: 24px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/05/31/why-womens-pay-growth-slows-at-age-30-and-peaks-by-39/" target="_blank">Francine Blau, professor of economics and industrial and labor relations at Cornell University</a>,</span> so do most women. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I </span>am an entrepreneur and entrepreneurs pride themselves for seeing opportunities where others see insurmountable challenges. If no solution exists at present, we stubborn type A's like to shift paradigms, bend rules, and create solutions out of thin air. I therefore choose option C. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Countries such as France and Sweden have sophisticated social infrastructures and government programs designed to support women's ability to continue contributing to the domestic economy without it negatively impacting the national birth rate. Such nations have instituted laws requiring all employers to offer both maternity and paternity leave, flexible work schedules, telecommuting, as well as, when needed, government financial assistance allowing women to subsidize their household income and have more children. These conditions significantly diminish the disincentives working females face when considering motherhood. The United States does not have such government-mandated conditions, however that does not mean such conditions can not be created here in America all the same. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
Studies such as one recently published by American Express, <i><a href="http://media.nucleus.naprojects.com/pdf/2012_State_of_Women-Owned_Businesses_News_Release%20_OF%20version%20_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">Women-Owned Businesses Among The Leaders In Job Creation And Revenue Growth</a>, </i>have shown that an increasing percentage of small businesses in the US are being created by women. Many attribute this phenomena to precisely the dilemma I outline here - wanting to have a family and not wanting to give up ones career. If that trend continues, we will see more and more women-run businesses responsible for creating new jobs in America. Many of these women have chosen option C by designing the circumstances necessary to allow themselves to continue their career progress, while having the time and flexibility necessary to also experience motherhood. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
Option C benefits do not have to be limited to these entrepreneurial ladies. If every female business owner takes it upon herself to create the type of corporate culture that encourages the same support seen in France or Sweden, women facing the 'career or baby' dilemma and unwilling or unable to start their own company will begin gravitating towards such companies. I would dare venture that the cost associated with providing such benefits would soon be outweighed by a more positive work environment and consequent greater productivity, not to mention branding recognition for social awareness. We should not rely solely on government or corporate America to support our option C, what we need to do as female professionals is believe in it, support it, and promulgate it. </div>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-88030393568048700062012-05-29T10:20:00.001-04:002012-05-31T13:38:14.840-04:00Establishing an Enterprise: An Interview with Melissa Bernstein, Co-founder of Melissa & Doug, LLC<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By
Kadzi Mutizwa</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a child, Melissa Bernstein dreamed of becoming an
international lawyer. After graduating from Duke in 1987 with a degree in
Public Policy Studies, she accepted a financial analyst position with Morgan
Stanley’s New York office—even though she never liked math, finance, Excel, or
spreadsheets. In 1988, Melissa and her then-boyfriend/now-husband Doug launched
Melissa & Doug, a Connecticut-based children’s toy company. Here’s how she/they
did it: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) <b>What motivated you to take the
entrepreneurial route?</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My husband Doug and I are very strong, passionate people,
and although we both had very brief working careers before taking the plunge, we
knew we were much too independent, driven, opinionated, and creative to be held
down and guided by others. So at ages 22 and 24, when we were dating, we pooled
our meager savings together and decided to set out on our own. We have always
been passionate about education, children, and children's causes. Three out of
four of our parents were educators, and we felt there was a lack of simple, yet
innovative, products for kids. That was
our inspiration: to create simple, innovative, and enriching playthings for
children to help build basic learning skills and confidence. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) <b>Aside from ambition, what kinds of
attributes/personality traits do successful entrepreneurs tend to have?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You cannot win as an entrepreneur without taking a lot of
risks, and being comfortable knowing that some of them will lead to big wins, while
others will fail! We never think we are above learning new things, and although
we always hold onto our key tenets, we are <i>constantly</i>
making changes and improvements based on feedback from our customers and
employees. Most of our biggest revelations have come from the mistakes we have
made! Lead by example and never ask anyone to do anything you wouldn't do
yourself—as an entrepreneur, you will often need to engage in the heavy lifting
yourself. Additionally, we never make decisions that are financially-based—we
only consider what is best for the company, products, and customers. And most importantly, although we are always
presented with exciting opportunities that could take us away from who we are
and what has gotten us to where we are, we always stay the course. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) <b>How did your educational and/or employment
history prepare you for what you're currently doing?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My educational and employment history only served to
illustrate what I <i>didn’t</i> want to do
and how I <i>didn’t</i> want to be. Until I
was out of college I had the female pleaser syndrome—I completely disregarded
and ignored who I really was and what made me tick to avoid displeasing others.
I was trying so hard to be someone I wasn’t, pursuing the vision of success I
believed was meaningful to others, that I never developed a sense of myself. I
was always a loner at heart: an intense, creative, and shy introvert who was
somewhat of a misfit and would have naturally spent all my free time in a
corner writing music and poetry, playing with my imaginary friends and sewing
clothes for my dolls from scraps of fabric. But, instead, I fought to fit in
with the popular crowd and hide my intellect, dating the not-so-smart athletes
and traveling the path of convention. I was also in a complete panic about
“being successful,”doing what I believed others expected of me at the expense
of digging deep to find my own voice and passion. When I worked at Morgan
Stanley, from day one I was more miserable than I had ever been. Doug was going
through a similar life experience and we both felt the time was right to take
the leap. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) <b>What were the
biggest challenges you faced when you first launched/were in the process of
launching your enterprise? You co-founded it with your significant other—how
important has this partnership aspect been to your company's success?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doug and I started our business from nothing, and have faced
<i><u>every</u></i> conceivable challenge. At
the beginning, no one wanted to carry our one and only product, so we had to
hit the road and sell it to stores ourselves, with lots of begging and
pleading! However, our first product was
a complicated one and had a difficult time selling quickly. And when it didn't
sell through, we had many customers who didn't want to pay us for it. When we
did create our first great-selling product, our own factory knocked us off and
showed up at the largest toy trade show with virtually the same item! So we
fired our factory and then had no one to make the product. There were many
periods when we clearly should have thrown in the towel. But our partnership
and commitment to making our business succeed has prevailed. We are involved in
completely different areas of the business and neither one of us could ever do
the other's job. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5) <b>What are some of the biggest challenges
your company faces today?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our biggest challenge is technology and its impact on increasingly
younger children. We are a classic toy company on a mission to keep early
childhood a magical, simple time based on discovery and exploration. Our toys
stimulate the imagination and curiosity. But these days, kids as young as 3 are
playing on IPods, IPads, and computers—and the implications of technology on
children this young are dire. A whole generation of children are reactive
rather than proactive, unable to create something out of nothing, turning to
electronics to fill voids in their lives. The whole idea of entrepreneurship is
creating something from nothing. We want
to spur on a generation of children whose minds are fertile, and help parents
who want their children to engage in the type of play that builds their muscles
and gross motor skills as well as their minds and imaginations for a lifetime
of benefits!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6) <b>In this economy, what practical advice
would you give a woman who dreams of starting her own business or building a
brand? Would you advise an aspiring female entrepreneur any differently than
you'd advise an aspiring male entrepreneur?
<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe the challenges for female entrepreneurs and career
women are much greater than for male entrepreneurs. Sadly, many women grapple
with the cliché of “trying to have it all,” and the idea of balancing work,
marriage, and family—long before they even have a family! Find your voice,
passion, and something you feel compelled to do with every ounce of your
being. Also, make sure that what you
decide on is filling a need that exists in the marketplace—that will ensure the
greatest chance of achieving both business and emotional success. If you are
not happy emotionally, you will be torn and confused about whether you really
want to work or not, and then feel guilty and have everyone around you
questioning why you are working when you don't really seem to be enjoying it. Once
you've found your passion, let everyone around you clearly understand how much
you <i>love</i> working, what it means to
you, and what it means to those you are impacting through your work. Also, as a
working mother certain things will have to give—I cannot be PTA president, make
everything my family eats from scratch, and construct my kids’ Halloween
costumes on my personal sewing machine. I can only be involved in those
areas/activities that directly impact my kids’ emotional development. Additionally, at some point you will need a
very strong and competent support network in the home to help manage your
family when you’re giving 100% to work.
And finally, you cannot be too hard on yourself. Women tend to beat themselves up much more
than men do! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-37445695785970199192012-05-19T19:38:00.003-04:002012-05-31T13:39:13.382-04:00Sexy Chic in the Boardroom<i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">By Giadha Aguirre de Carcer</span></b></i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">"If looking my best and being particular
about what I would wear, and trying to enhance my assets, equates with using my
sexuality, then so be it. I’m not going to apologize." Maseena
Ziegler, <i><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/crossingborders/2012/04/11/women-take-on-alpha-male-why-shouldnt-we-use-our-assets-to-get-ahead/2/"><span style="color: blue;">Women Take On Alpha Male: Why Shouldn't We Use Our Assets To
Get Ahead</span></a>? </i></span> </blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Ladies, thank goodness
we can finally say goodbye to those boring grey slacks and white button downs
and embrace looking fabulous in the boardroom. We spend 70% of our life
in working clothes and I do not see why we should not express our femininity
and sense of fashion while in them. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I remember working in
Manhattan in the early 2000s when I had to live with the New York banking
uniform - black or grey suit, pantyhose, and closed-toe shoes - blah. I
was born in Rome, and have since lived in Madrid, Paris, London, Miami, and New
York, as well as worked in Singapore, Dubai, Beirut, Bangkok, and Casablanca.
I have been extremely fortunate to experience the range of fashion taboos
as well as to live and breathe fashion extravaganza in some of the most glamorous
cities in the world. This new fashion confidence is inspiring and
refreshing and here are a few tips I have picked up while on my journey to try to
balance sensuality with elegance - it is a work in progress so I hope to hear
back and learn from other corporate-fashionistas!</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">1. Emphasize one
aspect of your body at a time - I did a very short stint as a model in Miami
back in the 90's and I remember my makeup guru Jen never emphasizing more than
one of my facial features at a time. If she brought out my lips with
blood red lipstick, she would tone down my eyes and cheecks with more
natural colors; if the emphasis was on my eyes, she would balance smokey dark
eye-shadow with a nude lipstick and light blush. Except for those
occasions when I was required to look like a man-eater diva, or a Picasso gone
wrong, my makeup was usually tasteful and balanced because of Jen's little
trick. The same principle applies to clothes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">If you are showcasing
your legs with a short skirt, keep your upper body more covered, avoid low cut
blouses or sleeveless tops. If on the other hand you opt for a more
revealing top, try to keep your legs out of sight in a pencil skirt or slacks. In the evening, a bare back can be very sexy and elegant as long as it is not combined with a low cut front or short skirt. Tight clothing, whether a body-hugging dress or curve enhancing pants,
are always best when they do not show too much skin - the fact that
they cling to your body is revealing enough...Keep your wardrobe coverage
balanced and you will never go into the office 'over-exposed'. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">2. Always have a
jacket - There was a time when the jacket was a moue point given that we were
required to wear a suit to work every day; those times are however now
thankfully fading away, but having a little jacket handy is still a good idea.
Not only will it rescue you from that usually freezing air conditioning,
but it does dress up any outfit you may be wearing and give you that extra
confidence when facing off a dark blue suit with grey hair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">3. Embrace colors
or patterns, but not simultaneously - I love edgy clothes, and I therefore own
quite a few hot pink sweaters and abstract pattern bottoms. In order to
prevent myself from showing up at work looking like a Pinata, I make sure that
I limit myself to one of these flashy items per outfit. I have found that
keeping your other clothing items plainer is a great way to also showcase your
'statement' item!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">4. Less is more - As
Coco Chanel was famous for saying, once you are done getting dressed, have all your
jewelry on, shoes matched to your purse, and coat in hand, look in the mirror
and take off one item. If you do take the effort to accessorize with
earrings, hats, belts, bracelets, rings, necklaces, scarfs etc. you may want to
make sure you are not edging towards the Christmas tree look...it really is
just as bad a the Pinata look.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">5. Shoes, shoes, shoes! This is a gimme, I know, since most of us
ladies do love our shoes. I have found that I can wear the same outfit
twice and feel like it is completely re-vamped if I change (read 'buy new')
shoes. While Condi Rice may have been crucified by the press for her red
suit and black knee-high boots, most of us ladies applauded her. No
reason to stop the trend, and every reason to promulgate it. Shoes are a
great way to express ourselves safely while wearing more conservative wear.
Just remember that if you are showing off those awesome leopard LV pumps,
the best way to do so effectively and tastefully is to not match them with
another leopard item (leave that for the Miami-style evenings), but rather bring them out with a planer outfit as their canvas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">For us ladies, clothing can be both an armor and introduction card. As the recently
published article <a href="http://www.inc.com/laura-smoliar/the-startup-interview-what-not-to-wear.html"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Start-up Interview: What Not to Wear</span></a><span style="background-color: white;">, by Laura Smoliar, </span>suggests, "<span style="background-color: white;">In a high-pressure situation, a suit used to be the
safe sartorial choice. Now, it's a bit more complicated.",. Now that
we finally have some wiggling room, and are even required to adjust to diverse
work environments, we can embrace style, creativity, and yes, femininity, at
work - chic and sexy do not have to be mutually exclusive!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</blockquote>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-77061720290218912592012-05-09T11:22:00.001-04:002012-07-16T12:22:07.346-04:00'Bitch' At Work - Should This Be Our Female Generation's Legacy?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>By Giadha DeCarcer</i></div>
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It is important for us women, especially those of us in the entrepreneurial environment or male-dominated industries, to face the less than rosy realities of the trade and talk about them in the hopes to, together, ameliorate working conditions for us and future generations. That said, I am beginning to find serious issue with articles such as those written by Susannah Breslin, <i><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/susannahbreslin/2012/05/02/work-for-a-man/" target="_blank">Why I'd Rather Work for A Man Than A Woman</a></i>, and <i><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/susannahbreslin/2012/05/07/how-to-be-a-bitch/" target="_blank">How To Be A 'Bitch' At Work</a>. </i><br />
<a name='more'></a>Both may indeed address realities that need to be talked about, but I dare say, neither benefit today's business women or help future generations create better working conditions for us all.</div>
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In all fairness, I agree with the premise of Ms. Berlin's first article. In fact, as I have noted in a previous posting, <i><a href="http://gni-intl.blogspot.com/2012/03/women-finally-helping-women.html" target="_blank">Women Finally Helping Women</a></i>, my experiences working for female bosses have been nothing short of dramatic. I can even agree with the general advice in Ms. Breslin's second article - all in all, being more assertive, less compliant, and demand more recognition, monetary or otherwise, are all excellent suggestions. Unfortunately however, Ms. Breslin's valid points are seriously overshadowed by her intrinsic destructive approach to the issues at hand.</div>
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Per Ms. Breslin's article, men have more power, so we should line ourselves up with other men, not other women; men are less threatened by us and less emotional, so "eliminating women from the equation" is the solution; and last, but not least, if we really want to succeed, let's all be 'bitches' at work, because that will ensure we climb up that ladder. If we all follow her example, we might benefit ourselves briefly and even get a bit more ahead, but ultimately we will be contributing to the problem as well as becoming part of it.</div>
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It is truly tragic that today, when women are finally awakening to the fact that we absolutely must help one another in order to succeed, articles as counter-productive as these continue to appear. It is further demoralizing that to bring forth equally true and raw realities under a much more constructive light we may have to rely on male authors such as Mr. Gene Marks, <i><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2011/10/31/why-most-women-will-never-become-ceo/" target="_blank">Why Most Women Will Never Become CEO</a></i>, or Mr. Chris Herbert, <i><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/22/what-your-male-co-workers-think-_n_1373080.html?ref=career--money" target="_blank">What Your Male Co-workers Really Think</a></i>, rather than female authors as prolific as Ms. Breslin. Can we really not stop being so 'bitchy'?!</div>
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Let's face it, we know it is not easy to work with one another, that is one of the realities of being a woman in the workplace. According to a number of studies, most recently one from the University of Ottawa, <i><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2011/11/29/science-proves-that-women-are-mean-again/" target="_blank">Science Proves That Women Are Mean (Again). Thanks Science!</a>, </i>there may be an evolutionary basis for our gender's tendencies that can be quite challenging, but that certainly does not mean they are unsurmountable. So please do help a female colleague, do reach out to other women in your industry, do acknowledge when you are being emotional, catty, or threatened, and try to tolerate it, if not address it, when you recognize other women similarly afflicted.</div>
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Just like we have awakened to the fact that we can be successful, we can earn more money, and we can become CEO's, we can also embrace our shortcomings, address our personal challenges, and become part of the solution rather than the problem.</div>
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<h1 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 42px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 48px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 9px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
</h1>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-33517732158418730312012-04-18T09:30:00.000-04:002012-04-25T11:48:42.252-04:00Mommies, Make It Stop!<br />
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<b><i>By Kadzi Mutizwa</i></b></div>
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“Work” and “working” have become loaded words. <o:p></o:p><br />
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In the ongoing “Mommy Wars,” the latest shot has been fired
by Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vrE7DG1OWc">Last week on CNN, Rosen
declared that GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s wife, Ann, “has actually
never worked a day in her life.”</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, we all understand Rosen meant that Romney (as a
stay-at-home mother) was never part of a payroll system or subjected to an
all-staff meeting. But she chose (pretty instinctively, it seemed) not to couch
her point in those terms. Payrolls and
meetings = work/working. Everything else = play?</div>
<a name='more'></a> <o:p></o:p><br />
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(Not all stay-at-home parents belong to the Romney family’s
tax bracket. And <a href="http://www.minyanville.com/business-news/politics-and-regulation/articles/hpq-t-xrx-pep-ibm-wlp/4/12/2012/id/40398">one
parent’s assumption of full-time child care duties can make a critical economic
contribution to a household’s solvency</a>.)</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Everyone from Democratic Party bigwigs to <i>The</i> <i>Real
Housewives of New Jersey</i>’s Caroline Manzo has made their censure known. So
Rosen has apologized for the sloppy statement, and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hilary-rosen/ann-romney-and-working-mo_b_1419480.html">has
explained where she’d been going with it</a>. But why was the jab thrown in the first place
(and on the record)? <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve known too many other Payrollers who (if you really
listen to the subtext of their commentaries) look down on the Stay-at-Homers,
the same way a lot of atheists look down on religious people. Which leads to too many of the
Stay-at-Homers’ defensive questioning of working mothers’ priorities, launching
too many of these insipidly distracting “Whose hard work means more?”
battles. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Moving forward, here’s a democratic strategy that may help
steer us onto the much-needed road to détente: when broaching predictably
sensitive topics (such as those touching upon another person’s lifestyle), stay
as specific and accurate as possible. Details will get you everywhere. Thus, if
you want to make the argument that a wealthy homemaker who has never held a
wage-earning position is probably not the best go-to source for guidance about
the economic concerns of wage-earning or income-seeking women, then say that. Encourage
more people to listen to and remember these kinds of extremely valid substantive
points . . . instead of allowing the
focus to shift to counterproductive philosophizing about how expansively the
definition of “work” should be viewed or who <i>really</i> has the hardest job in the world. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-43420317828167020692012-04-11T16:30:00.000-04:002012-04-13T11:42:26.771-04:00Women & Entrepreneurship Webinar: Basics & Realities of the Trade<br />
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GNI International and Georgetown Alumni Career Services invites you to attend the following Webinar:</div>
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<b>"Women & Entrepreneurship: Basics & Realities of the Trade"</b></div>
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Thursday, August 2, 2012 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM EDT</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><a href="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/606450329" target="_blank">Click here to register</a></b></span></div>
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There are a number of truths and critical questions any aspiring entrepreneur should consider before taking the startup-plunge. <br />
<a name='more'></a>An idea, even a great one, is not a business, nor reason enough to start one. Hear from business expert and President of GNI International, Giadha Aguirre De Carcer (G’07), as she introduces several best practices that can lead to successful launches and seed funding. This webinar seeks to demystify common assumptions relevant to the entrepreneurial journey and address less-talked-about realities associated with being a female entrepreneur, as well as ways to overcome the challenges while leveraging advantages we often forget we have.</div>
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Ms. DeCarcer will also review how to develop well-researched answers to the main questions related to entrepreneurship: a.) what is your market, b.) who is your target customer, and c.) how will you make money, are however viable reasons to consider said plunge. </div>
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Ms. DeCarcer has over a decade of experience in business management and strategic business development with an emphasis on emerging markets. Her current interest and focus lies in PPP opportunities and contract brokering between US-based firms and high-growth markets such as India, China, and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as efforts to support women entrepreneurship. She is the founder of the Women Reinforcement Program (WeR) and Executive Director of the Grassroots Innovation Network (GrIN), both non-profit organizations supporting small business creation and innovation nationwide. Before founding GNI International, Ms. DeCarcer worked as a DC-based consultant supporting Fortung 100 companies in the Defense and Energy sectors, and as a New York-based investment banker with JPMorganChase. She founded and ran her first company, First Federal Transportation, at the age of 19. </div>
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Ms. DeCarer received a B.A. in International Relations and Trade from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. in International Security from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and an AA in Business Administration from Miami Dade Community College. She has traveled to, and worked in, over twenty five countries and speaks five languages fluently.</div>
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To add this Webinar to your Outlook calendar, <a href="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/synchOutlook?wid=606450329&uid=105865277" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
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<i><b>Contact me at <a href="mailto:gdecarcer@gni-intl.com">gdecarcer@gni-intl.com</a> if you are not a Georgetown University alumna and would like to join this Webinar.</b></i></div>
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<br /></div>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-26590354407946264222012-04-09T09:35:00.000-04:002012-04-11T16:28:08.875-04:00Are We Ready to Talk About Attractive Women in the Workplace?<i>By Giadha Aguirre De Carcer<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">"The fact is, I rarely go out to lunch or drinks with an attractive woman, unless there is a large group of us. I'm not proud of this, but it's the truth." Chris Herbert, <i>The Daily Muse</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">I have been thinking about writing on the benefits
and challenges of being a smart, yet [yes, 'yet'] attractive female in the
workplace, and I am now extremely happy and relieved I have delayed doing so.
The topic is delicate and can become controversial if not talked about
within the right parameters. In fact, it seems that rather than bringing
attention to uncomfortably real situations women have been experiencing for
years, it can bring about the complete opposite reaction from readers who are quick to cry out "awwww, poor thing, so she is pretty AND smart?! yeah,
tough..." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Articles such as the recently
published <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2124246/Samantha-Brick-downsides-looking-pretty-Why-women-hate-beautiful.html">'There
are downsides to looking this pretty': Why women hate me for being beautiful</a> are
the perfect illustration of how the subject can ignite severe criticism if
not approached appropriately. I am certain the author, Samantha Brick, had
the right intentions when she decided to write about her experiences, and I would not be surprised that those experiences may have felt real to her.
Unfortunately, the article is written in a way that leaves too much room
to judge her personally, rather than her experiences, and does not bring into
account broader, better documented, factors that would have given her argument
-that there may be some downsides to being attractive- a little more
credibility.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Recently published articles such
as <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21551535?fsrc=scn/tw/te/ar/donthateme">Don’t
hate me because I’m beautiful</a>, on the latest issue of
<i>the Economist</i>, or <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/22/what-your-male-co-workers-think-_n_1373080.html?ref=career--money"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">What Your Male
Co-Workers Really Think</span></a> posted on the online
publication the <i>Daily Muse</i>, are probably better attempts at
addressing the issue, even if they shy away from some of the 'meatier' and harder issues at play. Ironically, the Economist
article may be what led Ms. Brick to take a leap and write her own more
personal version.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">A piece such as the one by Chris Herbert is of course a much safer bet as it is written by a man, thus minimizing the risk of the type of criticism Ms. Brick received. In essence the writer admitted to wrong doing,
and for that I commend him. Such confessions, for lack of a better term, would in fact be quite effective in bringing to light some of the cruel realities many women encounter in the workplace. Unfortunately, I am hesitant to expect much more to be written on the topic from male writers, if nothing else, because the issues at hand are primarily relevant to ladies. Even if we did see more coverage from male reporters, one could also argue that they likely lack the insight to understand and cover the full scope of the issue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">It appears that if you
are trying to explain why, and how, it can be challenging for you to handle
female colleagues who may feel threatened by your looks, youth, intellect [or all of the above]; or why and how it may be difficult to connect with male
colleagues who can be equally, if for different reasons, intimidated by your
looks, youth, etc., you will likely face some significant pushback. No one likes a whiner,
and no one likes a whiner who whines about being pretty, young, and/or
smart... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-6778078249059027882012-04-02T08:00:00.000-04:002012-04-11T16:27:50.460-04:00Optimizing Opting Out<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>By <span style="text-align: justify;">Kadzi Mutizwa</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">In so many ways, on so many
levels, the traditional full-time workforce kind of sucks. And by kind of, I
mean really. From the cronyism to the bureaucracies to the monotony to those
employee ID badges, the whole set-up can be spirit-crushing. Like most set-ups,
it’s so not for everyone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">American women seem to get
fed up with this scene more conspicuously than men. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2012/02/28/why-is-opting-out-a-bad-word-for-women/"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Forbes</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> magazine reports that 30 percent of working women
will opt out of the workplace</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> at some
point during their career. </span><a href="http://nytimes.com/2003/10/26/magazine/26WOMEN.html"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Lisa Belkin’s much-cited 2003 <i>New York Times Magazine</i> article</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> examines the “opt-out revolution” among uber-educated female
professionals who have said goodbye to their climbing-that-bloody-career-ladder
frustrations to become stay-at-home moms. According to <i>Newsweek</i>’s March 12, 2012 issue, when it comes to women’s global
workforce participation the U.S. ranks 60th.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">But, to help reduce the
amount of wasted talent in this world, women who are financially able to opt
out of the workforce don’t have to opt out of working altogether. People who
have a lot to offer should never completely cease doing so. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">When you’re finally released
from the 9-to-5 (or 8:30-to-7:30) grind, it’s as good a time as any to move on
to bigger, better things. Home in on (ideally, while in your own home) a particular,
previously shelved passion, interest, or craft. Develop a small business or a
service or a product or a foundation or a publication or a consultancy. Design.
Innovate. Personalize. Break ground and make waves. Come up with your own rules
and policies. Mint a meritocracy. Take whatever competencies you did pick up in
the workplace and apply them more creatively, productively, and fairly. Get
paid for your time and talent your own way, on your own terms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Even women who semi-desperately
want to opt out but can’t afford to, which is almost all of us, should seriously
think about planting the seeds of a viable escape route while they’re still
shackled to their enervating employment establishments. Start laying the groundwork
for your future empire. Spend a<span style="background-color: white;">s much down time as possible under the tutelage
of people you admire who can mentor you (<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">and a <i>woman</i> who
has successfully neutralized the type of obstacles that you’re about to face is
likely to be your most valuable advisor</span>); save and solicit money; draft
a business plan (or school yourself on what a business plan actually </span>entails);
assemble a crack crew of other enterprising, results-minded A-players; use
social media as a platform and a branding tool; and get exceptionally knowledgeable
about and good at the substantive and procedural intricacies it’ll take to get your
desired venture off the ground and into the economic conversation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Whatever it is you choose to do,
don’t let those brains, skills, and drives atrophy. In the interest of progress,
and in furtherance of the fight against inertia and the status quo, this land needs
all the interesting, original, well-executed tangible contributions it can get. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-15688156883819620912012-03-26T12:03:00.000-04:002012-04-11T16:27:04.087-04:00Women Finally Helping Women?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>By Giadha Aguirre De Carcer</i><br />
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A generational transformation is definitely taking place in terms of women networking. I remember when being a young woman in the financial sector, especially in Manhattan, was an oddity at best, and if your boss was a woman, as was mine, you were more likely to get additional scrutiny than help. Women were too busy surviving to have time to help the few others around. Elas, in most cases, even if they did have time, they felt too threatened by a younger version of themselves to be inclined to do so.</div>
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In fact a particular anecdote comes to mind - <br />
<a name='more'></a>I had just started working for a defense consulting firm in Washington DC and my two male bosses thought it might be a good idea to take me to a client meeting because a woman would be leading it. This was probably around 2003, and the client was Lockheed Martin. Encountering a woman executive in one of the leading prime defense contractors in the US, or arguably the world, was most definitely exceptional, and I was consequently dully eager to meet such an impressive individual. </div>
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As is customary in this type of situations, everyone around the conference table took turns introducing themselves and giving a one minute description of who they were and what their role and position were. When my turn came, I explained I was a junior analyst, having already worked in three industries beyond that of defense, I added that I was more of a 'generalist' than a specialist in any one sector, and that I was consequently eager to plug in anywhere my team might need me to.</div>
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To everyone's surprise the exceptional lady interrupted me half way through my introduction: "What exactly do you think makes you a generalist?" she asked rather tersely. I must admit I stuttered a bit, but did manage to get out that I had worked in the financial and energy sectors for six years and was therefore more in tune with 'general' business rules than defense-specific ones. Unfortunately my response was not satisfactory to the lady in question, and without skipping a bit, she looked around the table, found my boss, and announced "I am not sure what value a 'generalist' has to me", she then turned back to me and added "and I am not sure what value 'you' have to anyone.</div>
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Needless to say I have never since, and I mean never, described myself as a generalist. That aside, and while this incident was most certainly a bit extreme, it was by no means unique or uncommon. I have never had a supportive female superior in the twenty years I worked in male-dominated sectors such as banking, defense or energy. </div>
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These women are today in their fifties and sixties, and I think it is fair to say that they are part of a very different generation than the women occupying those same positions today. Women are finally discovering the value of helping one another because, unlike it was twenty years ago, today there are other women around to help; women in higher positions no longer need to operate in a vacuum deplete of other females. These women have also likely felt what it was like to have the type of female boss I described and thus experienced first hand how unfair and counterproductive it can be. Working in a male-dominated industry does not mean we have to appear so 'tough' that we turn into what is often referred to as (my apologies for the language) 'a total bitch'.</div>
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The article below is a great illustration of how women are beginning to awake to the fact that it pays to help one another.</div>
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<a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/223206" target="_blank">I Am Woman. . . See Me Grow My $1 Million Business</a></div>
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</div>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8553505660113074102.post-8485993919506526342012-03-23T14:12:00.000-04:002012-03-26T14:01:45.694-04:00Poorly Researched Business Propositions Stick Out Like Sore Thumbs<div style="text-align: justify;">
While my goal is to have this blog be a forum to shed light onto less talked about topics specific to women entrepreneurs, topics that may still be considered tabooish and should probably be demystified, a few friends suggested I also post tid bits of advice to coach new entrepreneurs. So here goes today's thought. </div>
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A couple of weeks ago, I witnessed how an investor was able to ask one single question to decide whether the business proposition he was hearing about was worth looking further into - just one question - "what is your market?" </div>
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When asked the presenter jumped to what I am sure he believed was the obvious answer and proudly quoted a multimillion dollar figure relevant to his overarching industry sector. He quickly followed the figure with another figure, the percentage of said market he was going to capture to reach x revenue per year. Unfortunately the presenter's answer, completely unbeknownst to him, was a clear indication to most people in the room that he had not done his homework and, as far as the investor was concerned, sealed his fate instantly.</div>
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Had the presenter done the required research he would have started by describing the market in qualitative terms and then explained how and why he had defined the market for <i>his</i> product or service. Such an explanation would have substantiated whatever figure he followed with, which at the end of the day is relatively inconsequential given that, let's face it, figures are a dime a dozen (no pun intended) if you know how to use a spreadsheet.</div>
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The link below is an excellent overview of the basic research any entrepreneur should do to avoid this type of scenario.</div>
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<a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/70518" target="_blank">How To Research Your Business Idea</a></div>
</div>Giadha Aguirre De Carcerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10056758783770044848noreply@blogger.com0