KALÖN WOMEN: What Can Michelle Obama’s Designer Teach You about Looking for a Job?

Guest Columnist: Dickie Sykes

Do you remember the one-shoulder, inauguration ball gown Michelle Obama wore? Well, 27-year old Taiwanese-born designer Jason Wu made that dress. The night Mrs. Obama wore it, his life changed forever.

Jason Wu began knocking down doors and creating opportunity long before January 20, 2009. At the tender age of 16, he started freelancing for Integrity Toys as a doll designer. He cold-called the company and maneuvered his way into that job. Integrity Toys president, Percy Newsum, said, “He was very persistent and he even came to us with contacts and he knew a doll distributor who would take a chance with him." (W Magazine 2010) Jason still serves as partner and creative director for the company. He is only 27 and has worked there 11 years.

To hear the words "you’re hired" in this job market you must have a strategic plan-of-action that includes research. Jason researched the company to determine what would bring value to them. He went to Integrity Toys with that, not begging for an opportunity. It was a win-win scenario. He wanted to work for them, and he brought value: contacts and a doll distributor.

Based on your skills, talent and passion, what industries and employers do you want to work for? What quantifiable value do you bring? Before you go to your next job interview, you must know that. That’s what gets you hired, bringing value.

After the inauguration Jason’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing, but he was ready and prepared for success. He had been knocking down doors and creating opportunity all his life. Success is when opportunity meets preparation. Are you seeking out opportunities that you are prepared to handle? If the answer is unequivocally Yes, then cold call companies, knock on their doors, and send a proposal and video to showcase how your skills and talent can benefit their needs. Don’t wait for opportunity to come knocking because you’ll be waiting a long time.


Bio:

Dickie Sykes is a former construction executive and CEO of DGS Consulting LLC. She reinvented her career and relocated her business from New York City to Atlanta, Georgia. For more information on DGS Consulting, contact Dickie@dgsconsultingllc.com

Learn how to bring value to your next job interview. DGS Consulting has made it simple. To purchase the company’s how-to products on job interviewing, log on to www.dgsconsultingllc.com or www.Amazon.com. "Yes, You Can Still Find a Job -The Gold

Standard of Job Interviewing’ is a 60-minute CD that accompanies a 42-page PDF textbook.

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KALÖN WOMEN: What Can Michelle Obama’s Designer Teach You about Looking for a Job?

KALÖN WOMEN: The "I" Pronoun

Guest Columnist: Sandra Levitin

Who am I?

What do I want?

How did I get so lost?

When do I come first?

Where do I start?

These are questions that I get on a regular basis from friends, family and our Kalön Women across the world. They all have to do with “self-discovery,” which seems to be a hot topic of discussion these days within the world of boomer women. Personal growth is most often a slow and gradual process, and it can be difficult to recognize the magnitude of the changes taking place in our lives when we are too close to it. It is so important that we regularly acknowledge our ongoing growth and reward ourselves for the many wonderful steps of self-improvement we have accomplished. When we take a hard look at our own progress, we need never feel that we are wavering between past achievements and the realization of future goals.

If we look closely at our lives, we may see that much of what brings us pleasure in the present is representative of the ambitions of our past that we worked so hard to attain. At one time, the abundance we enjoy currently likely seemed like a far-off dream. Now it is simply reality—a reality we created through our diligence, passion, and unflagging determination. Whether our progress is fast or slow, we deserve to congratulate ourselves for our successes.

To remind me of the insights I have gained with time, I need to temporarily adopt an outsider’s perspective and carefully consider how my life in the present differs from the sequence of experiences I’ve lived through in the past. My friends often tell me, “Sandra, look at what you have accomplished in just two years.”

With that in mind, I created a written list, of those strengths, aptitudes, and inner qualities I now attribute to myself, and it helps me understand that I am not the same person I was one year ago, five years ago, or 10 years ago. My attitudes, opinions, and values were markedly different, and these differences can be attributed to my willingness to accept that I still have much to learn. I used to have difficulty giving myself credit for these changes, but then I think about the goals I have realized, the lives I have touched, the wisdom I have acquired, and the level of enlightenment I attained over the past years.

Recognizing that my own growth is neither boastful nor immodest was very hard for me because I came from the old school of “we” as most women have done in their family life as well as in their careers. It is a natural fact of life and becomes a powerful motivational force when we celebrate our own growth. Knowing that I am brighter, stronger, and more grounded than I once was I can look forward to the changes to come. In acknowledging my own growth, I can build a sturdy foundation upon which I can continue to blossom well into the future.

What is it about us, as women that keep us from using the “I” pronoun more often?


Sandra Levitin is the Founder/CEO/Editor of Kalön Women, an online magazine for women forty plus. Her first book, “Learning How to Hop Again” is due to be released in 2010.

Sandra’s experience and leadership capabilities for the past 30 years led her to be a top sales trainer for several national and international companies. As a top leader in her field, she moved companies into guiding their training efforts toward the topics of: Developing a Success Blueprint ▪ Creating a Personal Brand ▪ Evaluating “First Impressions” ▪ The Art of Selling ▪ How to Convey Who You Are and What You Do.

After making a tough decision, Sandra decided to leave the corporate environment at 50 and fulfill a 15 year dream that started with a friend who died from breast cancer before they could see it through together. Kalön Women launched in November 2008.

Sandra is a Mid-Life Strategist who specializes in supporting women through the myriad of life changes after forty.

ABOUT KALÖN WOMEN: The mission of Kalön Women is to provide answers and raise awareness of issues and causes that affect women 40+, so that they will be stronger from knowledge gained, and the generation of women who follow in their path will hopefully find it less rocky. The articles, stories, poetry and other written expressions in Kalön Women are created by real women 40+. Written to inspire, help and perhaps provide a few laughs to all “women of a certain age”.

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“Empowering Emerging Enterprises”

Membership in TNNWC’s Global Interactive Cooperative Business Community is free of charge and entitles you to receive both The National Networker Newsletter and The BLUE TUESDAY Report, as well as access to our unparalleled Suite of Business Services.

Join Us! Simply click on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC

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KALÖN WOMEN: The "I" Pronoun

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Update Bulletin - New Developments - The National Networker Companies - 04.04.2010

*An Important Person To Watch: Sandra Levitin


Sandra Levitin, Founder of Kalön Women and Kalön Women’s Magazine has joined forces with The National Networker Companies.


Kalön Women reaches a growing and increasingly receptive market audience of women, age 40 and over. This particular group is the heart, soul and spirit of what The Global Futurist has termed “Generation XX”.

These women are not only re-inventing themselves…they are fast becoming the dominant and driving force in business, the professions, entrepreneurship, consumerism and activism. They are innovators, fast-learners, early-adopters and thought leaders.

Ms. Levitin offers information, product and service reviews, social and business resources, group forums, advice, mentoring, writing opportunities and access to virtually everything for this amazing segment of the market.

Learn more. Visit the website. Subscribe to the magazine. Oh, and if you’re male, learn to be very, very accommodating. Kalön readers may well be your future bosses, vendors, clients and partners. Investigate. Visit http://kalon-women.com/ .

Women, particularly those 40 and over, are rising to power and influence. Don't be left behind.




*TAKE the Self-Evaluation Survey (TNNW Survey #6)!  The polls are closing on April 15th, and we'd like your responses, feedback and creative suggestions. The survey is anonymous, unless you wish to give us your name. This self-evaluation is a crucial tool for improvement in every aspect of your business, social and spiritual life. You will learn a great deal about yourself simply by taking this amazing survey. Guaranteed.

Take the Survey and invest in yourself. TNNW Survey #6 can be accessed easily by clicking on either http://www.surveymonkey.com/TNNWsurvey6  or http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TNNWsurvey6 .



*The National Newspicker Page is undergoing an upgrade.

The National Newspicker Page, which is located at http://thenationalnewspickerpage.blogspot.com/ is the world's most efficient way to get all of the news, info and intel that you need in just 20 minutes per day in order to sound like the smartest person in the room.

Grab this gadget at http://thenationalnewspickerpage.blogspot.com/ if you don't already have it, or simply make the page a favorite, for instant reference. We are switching servers, increasing content and re-formatting access -- this is great news! Sadly, until this process is finished on or about April 15th, some of the links to sources might be sporatically disconnected. Stay with us. It will be worth your while.

*Left, Right and Center is undergoing an upgrade.

The latest addition to our info-sourcing, Left, Right and Center, is located at http://newspickerleftrightandcenter.blogspot.com/ is also undergoing the same process. This device, which accesses the the most extremist political news and views from right to left, will be available as a free-standing widget (soon!), and will also be added as an additional tab to the National Newspicker. This process should be completed on or about April 15th. We would suggest that you get this widget in addition to The National Newspicker Widget.

You'll get every bit of edgy news from the far right, the Conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, militias, survivalists, far-left Liberals, Constitutionalists, Progressives, Internationalists, Cultists....Limbaugh to Franken...Maher to Palin...Centrists to Anarchists -- even the gossip amongst the blue-haired ladies playing Mah Jong in North Miami Beach! This stuff is absolutely fascinating, and is the ideal compliment to everything that you read in the mainstream media. We cover Mother Jones as well as the Spectator. You must get this widget the instant that it becomes available. It doesn't matter what YOUR politics are...find out about what everyone is thinking!

*Rick Itzkowich, Founder of QuoteActions and the acknowledged guru of "Keeping In Touch" has officially launched his much- heralded and critically acclaimed QuoteActions Product and Program:


The QuoteActions program is an incredibly simple tool which allows you to continuously keep in touch with your important relationships (your entire, growing email list of clients, subscribers, associates) daily. It operates on autopilot! Your name and your brand will always be in front of any prospect who needs your services...and being in the right place at the right time are crucial elements in the success of any business. QuoteActions allows you to always be there when it counts. More...

QuoteActions is a fabulous tool for managing your contacts and relationships. Nothing can match it.



*We have two fabulous buttons at the bottom of every Featured TNNWC Columnist's article:

We crave your comments and feedback on every article. Be heard!

The buttons are provided for you to 1) comment on articles and to view other readers' comments on the articles, and to 2) let you forward, share, rate, promote and do other social media stuff with any article which you find to be of interest.

One button pops open to a screen which allows you to read other readers' comments, and to leave your own [the more comments you leave on the greatest number of articles by the greatest number of authors, the better your personal branding and SEO - Fact!]. The other gives you a means of forwarding or sharing, either by email or by posting to any one (or all) of your social media. Here's what they look like:




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*TNNWC Client, Affiliate and Supporter, Bonnie Ross-Parker, published author and creator of The Joy Of Connecting recently received some NEW press coverage. Bonnie has created a proprietary system for women in business to network person-to-person in a completely unthreatening, inviting atmosphere that produces more actual ACTIVE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS than any other networking method.


If you are female (you must be sure!), you should consider becoming a JOC licensee. It is the most powerful in-home, real-touch relationship and network-building tool ever conceived by the mind of man....er....ah....woman. Ms. Ross-Parker provides a fabulous system to her Licensees, along with live training, constant upgrading, publicity, service and ongoing support. JOC Licensees (and now, The Latina Joy Of Connecting "LJOC" Licensees, too) promote their own businesses while they help other invitees to promote theirs. As Paula Fellingham would say, it is a genuine "WIN - WIN" for every Licensee and attendee. In fact, you might want to look at Paula's site: http://www.thewinonline.com/.

Bottom line: Female? In business? Want fast-track growth without an enormous budgetary outlay and without pressure? Get a License -- While you can.


To learn more about this revolutionary and efficient sytem for instantly building meaningful business relationships without "speed-dating stress" or polishing up your 30-second (gulp!) "elevator pitch," download TNNWC's Public Announcement about Ms. Ross-Parker and The Joy Of Connecting by clicking on either:

http://www.mediafire.com/?zzmixjmtywm  (for those of you who prefer long, hard urls) or  by clicking on this one:

http://bit.ly/TheJOCNewsbrief (for those of you who like catchier, truncated urls which are more easily remembered) .  Do it now.

*Have you reviewed any of the blogs authored or administered by TNNWC Vice-Chairman Douglas Castle? He's even got a new one.

The new blog features music to take you away from the stresses of building and growing entrepreneurial and emerging enterprises. A music break is brief, but it allows your intellectual and creative batteries to restore themselves so that you can actually be more productive. Click on and join up (it's free, but the price is due to double on June 1st):

http://RadioDAZZ.blogspot.com  Go there.

Every other blog in this brilliant constellation, and every social media link is under the TNNWC Umbrella (which is not to be confused with the Traveller's Insurance Company Umbrella, which cannot be folded or put into your attache case):

The National Networker Companies - Networking is only the beginning...

Braintenance - Stay razor sharp.

The Internationalist Page - A world without barriers.

The Global Futurist - Revealing trends.

Taking Command! - Mastering your fate.

LINKS 4 LIFE - Help in any emergency.

Follow Castle on Twitter

Follow TNNW on Twitter

Follow Braintenance on Twitter

Follow GetGlobalEdge on Twitter

Follow GICBC on Twitter

Grab the National Newspicker Page Gadget - All the news, trends and intel you need...in 20 minutes per day.

Note: Douglas Castle is perhaps one of the greatest social and economic visionaries of our time -- then again, there are those who think that he is a ranting fool. He is neither humble nor tactful. His mother loves him...almost nobody else does. [Adam j. Kovitz, the creator of the notion of Relationship Capital, merely tolerates Castle].

With all of the best yet to come,

Adam J. Kovitz and Douglas Castle

The National Networker Companies

Join our GICBC and receive our free news, info, intelligence and publications at http://bit.ly/JoinTNNW . You will absolutely want access to our suite of services, too. Join.

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Tags, Terms and Labels: Sandra Levitin, Bonnie Ross-Parker, Kalön Women, The Joy Of Connecting, Paula Fellingham, The Women's Information Network, The Win Online, QuoteActions, Rick Itzkowich, empowered women, The National Networker Companies.
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Update Bulletin - New Developments - The National Networker Companies - 04.04.2010