We’re looking forward to co-hosting tonight’s #BEaLEADER Twitterchat as @PrPinkPonies/@PrettyPinkPro and our networks from Meetup.com, Etsy, USC et al…
As you may know, Pretty Pink Ponies has a successful and accomplished team of over 100 small local merchants with online shops.
If you ask people who’ve met me in passing somewhere out in the scene, you might hear my personality described as “dramatic”, “loves attention”, “loves the limelight”, etc…
Metropolis II (Installation by Chris Burden @LACMA).
I’m often cut off mid-sentence and asked, “But..what do you wanna do?”.
Fair enough question.
(SPOILER: There are no images in this post)
I suppose operating from the gut can make sense to one’s self but not necessarily to others.
It isn’t as if I responsibly mapped out my professional trajectory like I was taught to do…Instead, I followed my heart (whatever that means) and learned important lessons along the way. But, that doesn’t help clarify things, does it?
Unfortunately, passion can lack the efficient jargon demanded by those who wish to make a quick assessment of another’s perceived added value.
How silly was I to add “passion” to the bulletpoints on my resume? The entire Dalek population would explode attempting to grasp this concept.
Passion is tough to quantify. Just ask any successful entrepreneur.
That said, using a wordcloud tool has failed to capture the essence of the value I can add to any organization – instinct, experience, heart, loyalty, intuition, perserverance, empathy, connection, et al…These terms are not trending on LinkedIn — Google alerts would’ve informed me, and I just checked.
So, since my unorthodox list of accomplishments are invisible to search engines (and, incomprehensible to Daleks), I decided to explicity define “success” for myself as a courtesy to my new friends and acquaintances.
Here is what my point B looks like:
*You’re having your A.M. coffee while reading about the biggest networking event of the year on a page in the WSJ.
(Blurb for one of many well-known international events)
The text reads:
Notable Speakers include:
Abby Joseph Cohen one of the most respected figures in investing circles and is the chief US investment strategist for Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief, Vogue
Carrie Fisher, Actress best known as Princess Leia
Meg Gomez, Makes handmade stationery & sells them on Etsy
Sarah Blakely, CEO & Founder, Spanx
Genevieve Bos, Founding Publisher, Pink Magazine
Sheila Kahanek, former Accountant, Enron.
*end scene
I hope that helped clarify some things for you.
Have a great weekend!!!
Best,
Meg
*end scene
;P(SPOILER: To be continued…)
Bridget is a friend, mentor, inspiration, advisor, twitter follower, confidante, et cetera…
I learned a lot about self-acceptance from Bridget’s writing advice during my years as an undgrad (and afterwards).
As it turns out, writers view words as instruments by which individuals connect to others. I learned that writing can be formatted in any way as long as the message and the spirit of the message are successfully transported to another — carrying with it the essence of its source.
Writing is a vehicle.
And, unlike perfectly formatted bullets on a memo, the musings of a good writer isn’t only concerned with getting you to point B –– she wants to take you on a ride!!!
Congrats on your beautiful book, B. And, thanks for the ride.
Love,
Meg
Without cheating (and, without any jokes about Deep V-neck shirts) please share with us the contents of your purse right this second….
Can you tell a lot about someone’s personality based on what they tote around in their handbags???
Thanks everyone!
3P
Below is a link to the recent #HBRchat (Twitter discussion forum) with Harvard Business Review.
This popular weekly chat is moderated by @HBRexchange. One of the more engaging chats on Twitter.
If you have a moment to follow the transcript from yesterday’s chat to see how it works, we’ve provided a link below.
Yesterday’s chat was especially interesting in that everyone had varying perspectives on whether or not and how much rivalry affects productivity in professional teams. Good exchange by all.
Have a wonderful weekend!!!
3P
Deets:
HBR Twitter chats: #HBRchat
Host: @HBRexchange
@prettypinkpro @mikepweiss @ECGreaves We’ve quoted you on our HBRchat Highlights page – thanks for joining in! s.hbr.org/Ixg2pf
— HBR Exchange (@HBRexchange) April 27, 2012
What 3P had to say:
@UneFrancofille @MikePWeiss re: competition should stay “on the field”. Separate professional from personal. #HBRChatRivalry is selfish; Your responsibility is to do what’s best for your entire team — not undermine it. #HBRChat
@svsashank : #Agreed. Leaders are obligated to create a culture of professionalism and integrity. #HBRChat
HBR:Workplace rivalries can be so destructive, it’s not enough to simply ignore, sidestep, or attempt to contain them. Instead, effective leaders must turn rivals into collaborators—strengthening their positions, their networks, and their careers in the process. In fact, it’s important to think of these relationships not as chronic illnesses you have to endure but as wounds that must be treated in order for you to lead a healthy work life.This week’s #HBRchat is based on the HBR article “Make Your Enemies Your Allies” by Brian Uzzi and Shannon Dunlap. http://hbr.org/2012/05/make-your-enemies-your-allies/ar/1
Q1. Have destructive workplace rivalries affected your career? How?
Q2. How can you redirect a rival’s negative feelings towards you?
Q3. Have you ever had success working with a one-time rival or seen others?
Here’s the link to HBR’s chat, Turn Your Enemies into Allies: http://storify.com/hbrexchange/hbrchat-topic-april-26-turn-your-enemies-into-all
[View the story “#HBRchat Topic, April 26: Turn Your Enemies into Allies” on Storify]
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| “Cool, Determined and Under 30” (via Inc. magazine) |
Tonight we met inspiring local entrepreneurs who create and sell handmade goods via their online store on Etsy. These Los Angeles creatives utilize technology and the platform provided by Etsy to lead teams of like-minded sellers.
We don’t necessarily think about the handmade goods seller when the word “entrepreneur” is used, however, these small business owners aren’t sitting around bedazzling for nothing — they make it rain!
Stay tuned for more feedback and some background on the L.A. – based Etsy Entrepreneurs in an upcoming post!
3P
Introduction
Some consider the art of dressing, fashion and styling as a superfluous use of one’s time and energy. They’re right. Fashion can be overthought and when combined with the forces of retail marketing, fashion can result in addiction to consumption.
The Hollywood cliché of the teenage girl’s obsession with her image, shopping with her friends and becoming an over-accessorized one dimensional version of her true potential stems from a very real power fashion magazines, shows and other media have on our values. It can be a limiting existence to live life pursuing an impossible opportunity to become another Kardashian sister.
However, if taken seriously without being obsessively vain, the art of dressing becomes a tool for the sophisticated individual. Fashion – or, in the case of our topic, dressing – is akin to a product’s packaging in that it serves several important roles.
We liken the importance of dressing to the importance of a container; both are extensions of the product itself and both help create a product’s appeal, ensure its preservation, and operates as a means of communication between the brand and its target market.
Packaging 101
If you open most books about packaging, you’ll learn that an effective package provides a product with the following:
As a professional possessing valuable skills and talent to offer the world you, too, are a product that needs to be packaged appropriately to appeal to the audience you aim to reach.
Think about it. If a product’s packaging didn’t accurately reflect its contents, how would the buyer react upon discovering that the delicious marshmallows he brought home from the store were instead a package of raw tofu???
Being inappropriately ‘packaged’ will result in disappointments.
Proper Packaging: clothing that serves its purpose
So, how exactly do we package ourselves? Glad you asked.
Dressing up or down (or not at all) can be fun. However, when functioning in society, there are responsibilities we must honor before fulfilling our desire to amuse ourselves and do whatever we’d like without regard for rules.
Like a product’s container, our clothing must serve its primary functions before it acts as an extension of our individuality and brand’s message. Typography is useless on a box that doesn’t properly secure the eggs on its way to your kitchen from the grocery store.
In other words your clothes have responsibilites. Your clothing need to fulfill their responsibilities before they can scream, “Louis Vuitton!”.
As a courtesy, we’ve developed a guideline in the form of a checklist to make sure your outfit is at the very least serving its primary purpose.
Checklist:
1. Containment – Does it sufficiently contain and cover its contents?
2. Protection – Is your outfit appropriate for the environment, weather, social context you’ll be wearing it to? (i.e. flip flops outdoors during a snowstorm, etc…)
3. Convenience – Does your clothing allow you to move comfortably and with ease? Does it fit you properly? Will you have difficulty performing at your optimum level in these clothes?
4. Information – What message does your clothing communicate to society as a whole?
5. Marketing – Are you wearing any symbols or styles that will connect with the specific group you wish to appeal to? Will your market be attracted to you given how you are presented?
(To be continued…)
Why have we become afraid of conversation…intimacy…relationships???
Poignant and sad perspective re: how we are being shaped by technology by psychologist, Sherry Turkle.
Take a step towards your biggest dreams..with the expectation that you will inevitably stumble during your journey. #prettypinkponies
— prettypinkponies (@prettypinkpro) March 13, 2012
girlfriends
“I’m pregnant”, she happily delivers in a text message. Continue reading
http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v2/IssuuReader.swf
Fantastic message by Rachel Cruze. Follow her on Twitter: @RachelCruze
#GenY #Leadership #FinancialGoals #Money #Prettypinkponies #RachelCruze
…so far, I’ve accomplished all four in the last 20+ years.
For further details and the rest of the article, visit Meg.Email’s blog.
Carpe Diem!!!
About Lauren:
Lauren is a fellow Gen.Y blogger and a recent college graduate with a degree from Oakland University in Journalism. Lauren contributes her writing to blogs, social media, online magazines and sites and provides insight to the lives of Twenty Somethings (Gen Y). We appreciate Lauren’s maturity and contributions to 3P and follow her advice.
You, too, can follow Lauren here:
http://askinyourface.com/
lauren@myprettypinkponies.com
@lrstewar
Thanks, TNGG for hosting this chat regarding Gen Y and what we think about the current job market. Below are our feedback and suggestions and the link to the original article on the TNGG’s site.
3P
Link to article on TNGG
Pretty Pink Ponies 