I recently spoke at a women’s networking group and asked the bright and creative professionals to think about the earliest time they could remember when they spoke out for themselves. To jog their memories, I told a story about unfairness when a boy in my elementary school class was yelled at when I was the one “sneaking” in front of him in line. (You can read the whole … [Read more...]
Venture Capitalists Are Looking for Failures
Did you know failure is one of the biggest indicators of future success in an entrepreneur? According to an article in the April issue of Harvard Business Review, “Failing By Design,” many venture capitalists won’t invest in a new enterprise if the founder has never undergone failure. In other words, they are looking for… failures! Why?? Let me first state that there … [Read more...]
If Failure is NOT an Option, Then Why Do I Want It?
I don’t actually want to fail, but the fact is that we learn near to nothing when everything is going along perfectly. Last Friday I was speaking to the National Speakers Association, Illinois Chapter, and was relaying that over the years the best lessons I’ve learned as a speaker do not come from the positive feedback I receive, but the insightful comments on how I can … [Read more...]
Stand Up and Take Responsibility
I once heard that success in life is not measured by what we have accomplished, but by the obstacles that we have had to face…and most importantly, the obstacles we have overcome. I read something similar recently in a book that taught me to assume full responsibility for my life, my circumstances and my troubles; to embrace even the problems in a way that actually makes them … [Read more...]
Permission to Fail
As a child I remember asking for permission to speak. I’ve asked for permission to pee, permission to be excused, permission to paint an apartment in college and permission to borrow the family car. As a performer in the USO I remember asking a ships’ captain for permission to come aboard his vessel. I’ve asked permission of employers to take exotic vacations for longer than … [Read more...]
Top Ten Steps to Building your Business (or “Learn from My Mistakes”)
My partner and I started our web design company with two Mac laptops, a burning drive and passion for connecting people to the Web, and our personal address books. We were determined to focus on our core skills, which were converting ideas, needs, and processes into fully-functioning websites. We wanted to support minority-owned, woman-owned, green, progressive, … [Read more...]