2 weeks ago, I started sharing pieces fo career (& life) advice. Here are 4 more...
Remember you can take them (live them) or just leave them...
Remember you can take them (live them) or just leave them...
Laura Torrado, DDS, FAGD*
Dentist with her own Manhattan practice who has been donating dental reconstruction work to victims of domestic violence, hate crimes and poor healthcare for eight years
Dentist with her own Manhattan practice who has been donating dental reconstruction work to victims of domestic violence, hate crimes and poor healthcare for eight years
What's the key to reaching your goals?Keeping my final goal in mind and establishing personal timelines: What do I want to achieve and by when? Am I willing to go through the necessary steps to get it done? It helps to write them down and break them into smaller goals and achievements to lead toward a greater end.
What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were younger?
There are ways to raise money to open your own business. External financing will get you off the ground and going without having to wait for years before you have the capital to get started. A good business plan presented to a lender in your field will probably give you what you need. Women are a "minority," and with that in mind, we have access to more resources. Just be savvy and find them. If you believe your business is truly a great idea, you should easily be able to convince others of the same thing.
There are ways to raise money to open your own business. External financing will get you off the ground and going without having to wait for years before you have the capital to get started. A good business plan presented to a lender in your field will probably give you what you need. Women are a "minority," and with that in mind, we have access to more resources. Just be savvy and find them. If you believe your business is truly a great idea, you should easily be able to convince others of the same thing.
If you could change anything about your career path or life, what would it be?
I would change the motto that "the client is always right." This is not true. Trying to please everybody can be a futile exercise in business and in your personal life. In the end you won't have the results you were hoping for. To compromise for the sake of compromise really leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth. Define who you are and what you want to achieve and stick to it. Always be yourself––everybody else is taken!
I would change the motto that "the client is always right." This is not true. Trying to please everybody can be a futile exercise in business and in your personal life. In the end you won't have the results you were hoping for. To compromise for the sake of compromise really leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth. Define who you are and what you want to achieve and stick to it. Always be yourself––everybody else is taken!
Judy Goss**
Founder of Over40Females.com
"When I first launched Over 40 Females, someone told me to stay true to my original vision for the company no matter what business matters or details got in the way. That would help me stay focused on what the company is about and in what direction we are heading. It's easy to get side-tracked and listen to everyone else's advice, but when you go back to your true self and the dream you first had when you started, you will always figure out the right way to go."
Michelle Edelman
President of Solana Beach, California, advertising agency NYCA.
President of Solana Beach, California, advertising agency NYCA.
How do you balance your career and your personal life?Women often quit good jobs seeking “work-life balance” when really, you have to give work-life balance as a gift to yourself, and it’s a challenge and a decision every day. No job is going to help you assure you're there for the important moments in your family’s life. You have the power to do this for yourself through being organized, knowing what you want, and figuring out what is and isn’t important to get ahead in your job.
How can being a woman help in terms of a career?
It’s said the pay gap is now closing for women, but there’s still a pay divide. That said, women are being hired at a faster rate than men right now. I think in the recovery economy, women have tremendous opportunity to flex their career muscle. By being the less expensive option, you can go for a job that pushes you ahead—and use the pay gap as an advantage over the “pricier” guy colleague.
It’s said the pay gap is now closing for women, but there’s still a pay divide. That said, women are being hired at a faster rate than men right now. I think in the recovery economy, women have tremendous opportunity to flex their career muscle. By being the less expensive option, you can go for a job that pushes you ahead—and use the pay gap as an advantage over the “pricier” guy colleague.
To what do you attribute your success?
Even in my field, which is replete with creative women, it’s rare to find a woman in management. There’s no way I would be if I didn’t have tremendous support from my husband. Most women, even though qualified to rise in companies, don’t because they really can’t organize their lives to support that rise.
Even in my field, which is replete with creative women, it’s rare to find a woman in management. There’s no way I would be if I didn’t have tremendous support from my husband. Most women, even though qualified to rise in companies, don’t because they really can’t organize their lives to support that rise.
Sabina Ptacin
Serial entrepreneur, Co-founder and Chief Excitement Officer of PRENEUR
"In life, we are juggling several balls, some of them are rubber and can bounce back if we drop them, and some of them are glass and will break. This lesson is from my mother, who to me is my work/life guru. We are always juggling in life, and even with the most experienced jugglers, the more balls you add, the harder this feat becomes. Without a doubt you will drop a ball from time to time."
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