Be Bold

“Begin, be bold and venture to be wise.” Horace.

When I first sat down to write this article, I spent some time Googling “Women’s issues in Australia”.  After all, I wanted my content to be relevant.  Several hours and many websites later, I realized that I was wasting time. Regardless of our accents or use of the letters “s” and “z”, we are the same.   Just like you, I have wondered if the price I have been quoted for a car is fair, and I have left a hardware store wondering if this is really the right tool for the job.  And every time I find myself in one of these situations I am disappointed that I am not – Smarter – No, I am smart.  More like a man – heavens no.    Bold – that’s the word.  Not bossy, not brash, bold.

Bold is standing up for yourself because it is the right thing to do – no matter what others may think.    Bold is asking for the discount.  Bold is asking for the raise.  Bold is asking for help.  Bold is asking for clarification.   I wish I had been bolder.

A few years ago, I bought a Front Load Washer/Dryer set.   As soon as they were delivered, I grabbed the 10 pairs of jeans that I had been holding all week to see if they would really fit in the new machine, and they did!   I added soap, pressed start and voila!  About 10 minutes into the wash, I heard a noise and then felt a shake.  My new washing machine was dancing across my laundry room floor.  I could not believe they did not balance it properly!  I immediately called the repair line and asked to have someone come out.  The next day the repair man came out, tinkered a little and told me, the machines were fine; he made a small adjustment but said I should watch the size of the loads.  Maybe only 8 pair of jeans next time?  Still better than what I could do before.

I can only tell you that this story repeated itself every 2 months for the three years that my machines were under warranty.   I would call and ask to have the machines balanced.  They would send the same repair person.  He would tinker, the machines would still shake.  I heard so many excuses and here were my favorites:  “These machines all do it.  Front loaders are like aircraft engines, when they hit the spin cycle it tries to take off.”  “Be happy you don’t have tile in here, they really move on tile.”  “The problem is not the machine, it’s your floors. You need to have a contractor come out and reinforce the supports under your laundry room.”   Needless to say, I learned to live with a house shaking spin cycle.

Three months ago, I called again – my machines have been out of warranty for 2 years but I really need to have them balanced.  This time, they told me it takes 2 people to balance this type of machine and they would be happy to arrange it – for a 2 person fee!   I was so frustrated!   When my machine was under warranty, and they were paying for it, they never sent two people.  No wonder it was never fixed!   

Now I am getting ready to remodel my kitchen and I assure you, this will not happen to me again.  I am going to ask for discounts, hold installation crews accountable, insist that things work the way they should – no matter how many repair people I frustrate and, I am not going back to that store. 

Join me.  Be Bold.

 

Sybll Romely
Female Friendly Head Office, Denver, Colorado, USA

Impulse Buying: The Instant Gratification Rush!

We all impulse shop.  It’s what great marketing does!  It draws our attention to problems we didn’t know we had and to  wanting something we think will make our lives better!  It’s amazing to me that in this economic climate we constantly talk about saving money yet, did you know that impulse spending is higher than ever?   We spend hundreds (even thousands) of dollars every year on items that we see and impulsively buy while we are out shopping.  $30 a week compounds to over $1500 a year in excess spending!  (I know there are a few of you rolling your eyes thinking you actually went over that $30 dollar amount last week…. Gulp!)

Here are some facts on impulse buying:

• 88% of impulse purchases are made because the item was on sale.  Try to keep in mind, although it’s on sale, it still costs money!
• Impulse buyers tend to make purchases because it improves their mood – not because the item is useful or necessary.   Emotional spending is like emotional eating…but that’s another story!
• Shoppers make an average of 3 unplanned purchases during 40% of all store visits.  Yikes!  (Those guilty eyes rolling again?  Well…your not alone…)
• 25% of unplanned purchases are clothing items. 14% are food items.   Those sweets near the check-outs don’t JUST tempt the little ones!
• When people shop with the purpose of buying immediate needs for forgotten items, the rate of compulsive buying drops 53%.  This means we need to get a good ol’ fashioned shopping list… and stick to it. Get in. Get out.
• Shoppers who drive to the store, rather than walking, are 44% more likely to make an impulse purchase.  (Especially those who impulsively buy from the white goods section!… ha ha.. OK, this is no joking matter…)
• When the shopping trip is unplanned, impulse purchases go up 23%.  (Depending of course how many children you have with you and if you are in your favourite shoe shop!)
• Shop with your partner.  Men are not as likely to justify every purchase you make with a smile, nudge and a giggle like a kindred-spirited girlfriend or sister!

Some tips to avoid impulse purchases

It takes some discipline, effort and willpower, but you can curb those impulsive spending habits!

• Plan your trip. Then make a list and stick to it. For those of us on a budget, impromptu shopping trips and shopping without a list can be a treacherous situation!  When we shop without direction or even just emotionally, we find that our low self-esteem can get us into a lot of trouble.
• Go on foot when possible. If you have to carry your purchase any distance, you’ll think twice about whether you really need that extra piece of clothing, heavy cutlery set or grand piano!
• Don’t shop hungry…eat before you go otherwise I, oh, I mean you, could head straight to the food court! . You know this one! When you shop hungry, you’re more likely to buy items you don’t need simply to satisfy immediate cravings rather than the actual needs of your own home requirements.
• Think on it. If you really want that item badly enough, you’ll still want it just as badly two days from now. Most stores will let you put an item on hold for up to a day, allowing you to decide whether or not you really want it.  It works as well for children who throw tantrums for things and you feel so stressed and tired, it’s so tempting to scream “Fine!” at them and put it in the trolley.  I tell my little ones that we need to go and get some money so let the lady “hold onto it for a while and we will come back later”  The salesperson behind the desk usually ‘reads’ your wink and pops it behind the counter.  I can guarantee you that 9 times out of 10, your little one will not remember to come back once you have walked away!! Practice the art of distraction.

Source: Delia Passi and “The Impulse Shopping Fact Sheet.” Infographics.com, 2010

10 Things to Keep Your Spirits Up This Winter

Whether winter has got you down or you feel that life has been throwing you bloopers, here are ten things you can do to keep your spirits up when times are tough: (Source: creativedubuque.com)

1. Think about what you do have. Take time to be thankful for things that you may usually take for granted, such as your material possessions and positive relationships with other people. For instance, if you’ve got the gas bill paid and a winter coat that zips, celebrate it! Ditto, take time to appreciate the people in your life, such as a caring spouse or an attentive child, or a steady friend or patient teacher.

2. Consider how things could be worse. One trick to snap out of feeling sorry for yourself is to compare yourself to others in more awful situations. Read about the latest catastrophe in the world news, or listen to somebody else’s story of hardship. This will give you a perspective on your own troubles. Really, things could be worse.

3. Exercise. Physical activity sends beneficial hormones moving through your system and helps you work off negative feelings. Low impact exercise ideas for the winter include simply stretching or moving to music, riding an exercise bicycle, or going mall walking. Whatever you do, move your body in order to make yourself feel better.

4. Eat well. Stock your home with nutritious food and avoid high fat or high calorie junk food. Limit foods like pop, potato chips, and red meat; and take in more green tea, fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. What you put into your body will negatively or positively impact your health and your mood.

5. Focus on a hobby. Use an interesting activity to give yourself a mental break. Create or build something to move your focus to a place beyond your worries. Ideas include quilting, baking, painting, carpentry, or even auto repair. While you relax into your hobby, you’ll also grow as a person.

6. Play music. Everyone knows that a powerful song can take you outside yourself. “I go back,” sings Kenny Chesney, in response to certain songs he hears. You can use listening to music as a kind of mental therapy. Turn on the radio in your car to lessen anxiety during a long commute. Listen to someone play an instrument, or play one yourself, to put your mind on another level, away from trouble.

7. Be near positive people. Touch base with friends or family members who are caring and supportive. Steer clear of highly critical or negative people. Make contact with the people surrounding you instead of mulling over your troubles in isolation. The reward of a smile or laugh from a friendly face can boost your mood and help you endure tough times.

8. Clean house. Ideally, your home should serve as a safe refuge and calming place, but clutter and mess will add to daily stress. Take a little time every day to wash or tidy your living space. The smell of clean laundry or the sight of a vacuumed carpet or a newly uncluttered corner can provide personal satisfaction.

9. Write in a journal. Many people find that writing down feelings in a private journal will help them understand what’s going on in their lives. You can use a journal as a private place to  record and explore feelings, vent if you want, try out new ideas, and safely spill upsetting thoughts, so you can move onward with more clarity.

10. Face the future with optimism. Since nothing lasts forever, not even trouble, eventually even the bad stuff fades away. When life slams you with a tough situation, you must sometimes simply be miserable …for a while. Let yourself cry and then consider it a learning experience that builds you into a stronger person. Try to move with optimism toward the future, carrying the hope that things will get better. Before you know it, your optimism will ring true, and happy times will return again.

The Secrets to Running a Successful Women’s Business

As more women are taking control over their own business destiny, this means that there are some secrets to learn. Whether you are just starting out or are hoping to fine tune the business that you have, there are some business practices that can come in handy.

We all want to have success in various levels of our lives. For some women that means having a family and the white picket fence and for other women, success comes in the form of a career that is on the fast track. For many women though there must be a balance between the two that incorporates a flexibility within their personal lives and a career that takes their talents into consideration. This leads to the fact that more and more women are doing it for themselves and taking the plunge to own their own businesses. So what are some of the best tips to make this transition a successful one?

Women CAN do it and should be confident in that the most important secret to running a successful women’s business is to be confident. If you don’t believe that you can do it, then nobody else will. This is an area where many will criticize you, but only if you open yourself up to that. If you exude confidence and show everyone beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can do this, then people will back off. You need to know in your heart and your head that success will be yours, and then from there you work to get the support that you need. This doesn’t come easily and it doesn’t always come quickly, but it does come with time.

Women are more powerful than they give themselves credit for. There are so many women out there that took the risk and started their own business. Sure there’s always the chance that you will fail, but you need to learn success tips from other women who have done it for themselves. The true pioneers were the ones who started their own business when nobody else thought it would be possible. Now women owned businesses are so common and there are some great support networks out there as a result of this trend. You can do it and you will do it, but you first have to believe in yourself to do it.  Take the plunge and find good support women who have done it and they will probably tell you that is the hardest step.

Some of the most helpful tips you can find come in the way of finding the courage to actually go out and start your own business. Once you have taken that big step, the rest is up to you and with some hard work and dedication you can do this. Success comes in many different forms, but if you are after success in this capacity you have to work for it. There are many women just like us who want it all and now they can have it with this new business model. Women are doing amazing things, particularly with small businesses. They are creating new ways of achieving success and it’s all because they believe in themselves. It’s important not to let your emotions or negative sentiments get in your own way. If you have confidence, work hard, have great passion for what you do and focus, then you will ultimately have success and create a small business that you can be quite proud of.

Businesses Targeting Women In Their Advertising and Marketing Efforts

More and more businesses are starting to realize the power of women in their products and services. This means that a new trend has come up whereby women are the target of many different advertising and marketing campaigns.

Women are in control and that is the new news in town! When it comes to advertising and marketing efforts, more and more companies are realizing that they should be targeting women. Though it used to be slanted the other way, more products and services are coming out for just women. Even more intriguing than that is the fact the more mainstream products are now being targeted at women. So what has changed? What are more and more companies recognizing?

Women Are Making the Decisions

The truth is that women hold the power over many buying decisions across the board. This is due to several different trends for women overall. More women are staying single and living on their own longer. Alternatively more women hold power in their careers and this carries across to their personal lives as well. Adding to this dynamic is the fact that more women are making the buying decisions for their families and their households, even when there is a man present. So as companies perform very detailed market research, they are finding all of these trends and picking up on the fact that more women are in control at the cash register.

This is vital information for a company to have. It means that companies need to really target women more in their advertising and marketing efforts. They must understand the reasons that women hold the power and then adapt their campaigns accordingly. This will reach their target and more importantly draw in the women to buy their products. If a company continues to target men, they are not only missing the mark but they are also risking potential business in the future.

Brand Loyalty Starts Here

What’s also important for a company to recognize is that women are inherently loyal to the brands that they like. If they have a good customer service experience or if they love a product, they will stick with it and tell their friends. The very opposite can be true with a negative product experience and therefore companies must recognize just how much power women have.

 If done properly, the marketing and advertising campaigns can be subtle in their approach but have a very direct target towards the women who will buy the products. This takes some practice, but knowing that women are in power to buy the products these days makes the work well worth it in the end. This is just another way to show that women have gained some much deserved power when it comes to business practices!

Women Accomplishing Great Things

If you haven’t noticed lately, there are some great women accomplishing some great things. This is something to make us all feel proud to be women and well worth celebrating.

It’s time to celebrate women! Though women have certainly been accomplishing great things for years, they are just amazing right now. There is a great deal of attention being paid to the women that are getting to the top of their game, and this is great news. Women are holding positions that they never did before and doing things that many never thought possible.

Is There Any Limit?

What’s next for women? The first and most important thing is for women everywhere to ban together and feel a sense of unity. Women are holding great political positions and they are being celebrated as successful CEO’s of powerful companies. The phrase “girl power” is being given new meaning and women are just pushing it to the next level. There is no such thing as limits anymore because women can do it all.

The problem with this is that sometimes women get jealous of each other. Rather than getting caught up in that counteractive emotion, it is well worth celebrating. Women have some pretty remarkable accomplishments and these are something to be proud of. Women need to borrow from other chapters of life and use these as fuel to create unity and harmony. When you think of the limitations put on women just years ago, these accomplishments are miraculous.

We Must Envision What’s Next

Those women that are doing great things got there because they had vision and commitment. Women can accomplish anything that they want to, but they just have to be committed to make it happen. They must be able to see themselves in the powerful roles and work to make it happen. There is no limit to the accomplishments that women can undertake, but it has to start somewhere. We are great creatures and with unity, we can accomplish a great deal.

Though we think that there may not be anything further left for us to accomplish, there is always something new or different. Rather than sitting back on your laurels, think about what could be next for you. Think of what accomplishments you would like to see within your life. If you are happy and content with where you are at, then celebrate that. If there is  more that you want, then push yourself to get there. Women no longer have to be held back or pushed away, they are doing great things. We need to learn from these great examples and amazing pioneers and work to do the same ourselves. It’s not always easy and it’s sometimes the road less traveled, but it will almost always lead to great accomplishments. Use what you hear from other women as your own motivation and find what you feel will make you feel successful. If nothing else, work as a great example to other women around you. This is the time in our lives for “girl power”—and we should embrace it!

Women Successfully Wearing Many Hats

 

Though we know that part of being a woman is balancing it all, we don’t often stop to think about what that means. In a given day we may be forced to wear many different hats, and we must work at being successful at all of the various roles.

There are some women who may skate through life only handling one main responsibility. This is not the norm because for the rest of us we have many different roles that we must handle. This grows exponentially once we enter the workforce, once we get married, have children, and even more so if we take on owning our own business. No matter what your lot in life, there are sure to be many roles that you must handle and you must handle them successfully. This can be a great balance for any woman and that’s why we must help each other!

Women have a great deal of things to balance and sometimes we don’t stop to think about that. The vision of perfection doesn’t exist though we’d like to think that it does. We are all so busy trying to work towards perfection as that’s what we think we’re supposed to do, and we often don’t realize just how many roles we are handling. We are juggling being wives, mothers, daughters, workers, business owners, friends, and so much more. That’s a lot for anybody and yet we put such pressure on ourselves to handle everything with great success and with ease.

Perhaps we should be a little easier on ourselves, but that’s just not how we’re built as women. We are told from an early age that we can have it all and we want to work for it, no matter what that takes. We likely had some great inspiration at some point in our lives, whether it was our own mother or perhaps just a mentor. We have seen women handling various roles for years and now it’s our time. We can do it all and handle each role with great success, but we do need to take a breathe every once in awhile too.

The roles that women handle are tremendous and they are so very important. We are shaping our own careers, shaping the lives of our children, and also trying to take on the world all at once. All the while we are expected to do this with great success, little complaint, and still looking good while we do it. The truth is that it can be done, but we must cut ourselves some slack sometimes. We must take time for ourselves, learn to enjoy life a bit, and learn that sometimes with success comes a bit of failure too. Yes we are women and we can balance it all and we can handle all of the roles with great success—but sometimes maybe we should relax a bit and put a little less pressure on ourselves!

Women As Small Business Owners

It is amazing how many women have turned their passions into successful careers. Though being a small business owner isn’t always easy it’s quite rewarding and women are really turning this into a wonderful trend.

It wasn’t that long ago that women were only homemakers. When we think back on these times, women were so limited and were pretty much told what their roles would be. There was no area of grey about it because the careers that women held were simply that of homemakers. Somewhere along the way, women evolved into career driven individuals and the rest is history. There are however some women who want to make it all work for themselves and that is why we see so many women small business owners evolving.

A Growing Number of Women as Small Business Owners

There are a number of reasons why women are becoming the majority of small business owners. Some women find that this is a great way to be home with their children and still run a business. Some women find that this allows for an income and yet is a great way to balance a family at the same time. Some women just get tired of the whole corporate game and therefore want something different that allows them to feel passion for what they do. Whatever the reason, women are making great success stories out of their desire to work for themselves.

Women are focusing in on the things that they feel passion for in their lives. Perhaps there is a hobby that they love, something that they enjoy doing in their free time, or even something that they feel makes for a great business concept. They are taking the concepts and lessons that they’ve learned in their corporate jobs and turning that into the fuel that it takes to run a small business. This is a genius concept and with some hard work and dedication, this makes for a successful way of creating a successful small business overall.

They Have Great Motivation and Reasons to Succeed

Women always feel the pressure in whatever they do. When it comes to being small business owners, they feel the pressure to succeed more so than anybody else. They see the looks of uncertainty from others and this helps to serve as the passion and motivation that they need to be successful. There are so many wonderful women out there serving successfully in small business owner roles, and this may be just the motivation that we all need to keep it going.

Running your own business takes great dedication and commitment, as well as motivation. Let the disapproving looks serve as your spark to get you going and then run with it. Let the many small business owners out there that are doing it work as the motivation you need to dive right in and make it work for you. This is a balancing act, but what in our lives isn’t?  Women can truly do great things when they put their minds to it and in this instance, running a small business with great passion and diligence can turn into a successful little empire.

Being Happy With Who You Are As A Woman

Women are always told to try harder, to be more than they are, or to improve upon some aspect of their lives. Though it’s always good to work at improvement, sometimes you need to accept and love who you are as an individual.

Women struggle with their identity, sometimes throughout their whole lives. It’s hard to know and accept who we are and what we wish to be. Though we may find success in one area we can’t find acceptance if we don’t achieve 100% satisfaction in all aspects of our lives. This is a constant struggle that so many of us face and at the end of the day it’s about being happy with who you are and finding love with the individual that you have become.

Love Who You Are, Whoever That May Be

You may not be perfect by somebody else’s standards, but why aren’t you following your own? We make the mistake of listening to what somebody else envisions as “perfection” rather than setting our own vision. Women are often their worst critics because we focus too much on what we should be or what we wish we were. Instead of focusing so much attention on that, perhaps we should practice acceptance and love the women that we are.

You may not be thinner, smarter, prettier, or more successful than your friend. You may not be able to run a marathon or sew a button, but is that really your measure of success? We as women could be so much happier if we would just love ourselves and the accomplishments that we have. Rather than focusing on what we are not perhaps it’s more beneficial to focus on what we are.

Many Elements Define Our Identity

We are defined by so many different elements of our identity. We are women first and foremost, but we have special talents and contributions within each of us. We have something that nobody else has. We have a great personality, a successful career, a beautiful family—there is something that we can be happy with and can cause us to love ourselves. This can be a hard lesson for many women because we are taught to work harder or to measure ourselves by what we aren’t rather than by what we are.

Change this trend and learn acceptance. Accept who you are, right and wrong, for the perfections and the imperfections. You are the only version of you and if as women we can learn to love all that this stands for, then we are truly successful in our lives. Though we may have always measured ourselves by the things we wish we were better at, being happy means embracing the identity that you have created for yourself. Be one of those women who truly loves yourself and show it off to the world. This is something remarkable in and of itself and it will impress people with the confidence and self love that it exudes. Be one of the women who shows that she loves who she is and what she stands for, and perhaps others will take cues from you!

Elizabeth Taylor – Celebrities Transport Women to a Different and Easier Life

 

As women, we work hard to achieve the life that we want or envision in our heads. Though there is no such thing as perfection, we are often striving for it and working to achieve it. When we look to celebrities, we are swooned and somehow taken to a world that is different than ours. So what is it about Hollywood celebrities that have us thinking of a better life?

Celebrities Transport Women to a Different and Easier Life

We take care of all the details and work hard, often without much reward. Therefore when we look at an icon such as Elizabeth Taylor and think of the life that we lead, we somehow wished that we had that for ourselves. Though she had her fair share of misery and even pain, she was gorgeous and seemed to have it all. With her passing, we feel that sense of loss and long for the easy life that she must have lived (a lot of us have hardship like hers also, but we look at the glamorous way she was able to afford to deal with it!). Though we love our families and lovingly take on the tasks that are necessary to support them, we still think of what life might be like if we were in fact a celebrity.

We may not have ever seen a movie with Elizabeth Taylor and perhaps we hadn’t even seen an interview with the icon for years. However there was something about her that portrayed such beauty, such grace, and such a life that we wish we could lead. It’s not that we are not grateful or would trade anything in our own lives, but as women we can daydream about what it would be like to be an icon such as Elizabeth Taylor.

Reflecting on How Celebrities Shape Our Own Lives

You may have always admired her or others like her, but you may not have known why. Women carry a heavy load and care for many people in their lives. Perhaps when we reflect on a legend such as Elizabeth Taylor it is because we see an easier and perhaps better life. Perhaps it is because we can stop the dusting and the cooking for just a minute to reflect on a life that must have been so much more glamorous. Perhaps we just admired her for the career that she had or how beautiful she embodied being a woman. Whatever the reason we stop to think about how much of an impact Elizabeth Taylor and the whole concept of celebrities shape our life and our perceptions.

Even if you weren’t a follower of Elizabeth Taylor, you undoubtedly felt the impact when you heard the news of her passing. No matter where in the world we come from or what we do for a living, we are all women. We all appreciate the lives that we have and we are all somehow, some days, are impacted by dreams for a better life. Women generally don’t rest on their laurels, and therefore they work that much harder to get a better life for themselves and their families. Perhaps when we think about the passing of Elizabeth Taylor and we are honest about how this shapes our life, we can say that it inspires and motivates us. If nothing else it gives us something to daydream about and allows us to take a break from our otherwise busy life for just a moment. We will miss this icon and all that she represented in Hollywood and in our own lives!