Category Archives: Speaker Articles
Handling Setbacks and Building ‘Resilient Muscle’
By Patricia F. Brown, VP Underwriting Global Retail Markets, Liberty Mutual Insurance I am often asked two questions: “What has led to your success in the commercial insurance industry?” and “How have you overcome setbacks/challenges? My personal experience of growing up in the South, having parents and siblings who experienced Jim Crow and being the daughter of a Tuskegee Airmen set the foundation of who I am today. The richness … [ more ]
5 Ways to Find Your Spark in 2019
By Kim Read, SVP, Operations, RetailMeNot All too often, we start the year with clarity only to lose our focus and intention in the “go, go, go” of everyday life. So as this year draws to a close and you pause and reflect with an eye toward 2019, it’s a good idea also to think about how you’re going to stay directed and energized. Here is what has worked for … [ more ]
Holiday Survival Tips from Simple Habit’s Founder
A Stanford B school dropout, Yunha Kim is on her second startup—and like most things that meet a real need, it’s genius. Called Simple Habit, the app is a “Spotify” for meditation, meaning it’s a platform for different experts to share their bite-size meditations and audio therapy sessions. Kim had her Eureka moment after turning to meditation apps to cope with the stress of running her first company. “I got … [ more ]
Real Advice for Women Seeking Mentors and Allies
If your mentors all look like you, you have a mentor problem. Same goes if they all have similar backgrounds and work histories or if you have only one—or none. “Your mentors should be a diverse network,” says David Smith, an expert on gender workplace issues and co-author of Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women. “If they’re not, you’re missing out on key perspectives and information, and … [ more ]
Reese Witherspoon Empowers Women to Be the Hero of Their Own Story
Reese Witherspoon doesn’t dislike the word likable. The actress who started making movies when she was 14 and won an Oscar when she was 29 just considers herself to have closed the door on roles where she is mostly sunny and likable. “I felt very lucky to be in the room and to be in control to a certain degree of the characters I was playing,” Reese, now 42, told … [ more ]
5 Tips to Feel More Comfortable at Networking Events
This is one thing Alice Rutkowski, an executive communication and presence coach who has worked with more than 8,000 executives over the past 20-some years, wishes everyone knew: Body language reflects what you believe about yourself and others. “Consciously and unconsciously, we are reading others and they are reading us all the time,” says Rutkowski, vice president of executive development at Sagin. “For example, whether you’re sitting or standing, crossing … [ more ]
Never Limit Yourself Out of Fear
By Jennifer Adams, CEO and Founder, Jennifer Adams Brands What’s the most important life lesson I’ve learned? As the grateful owner of a flourishing home textile and furnishings business today, I’d say that the road to success is not always a straight path. My journey has been full of twists and turns—and what I call “moments of serendipity.”
Brené Brown on Courage, Grounded Confidence and How Her New Book Has Changed Her Approach to Leading and Work
Even for Brené Brown, renowned author, researcher and expert on being brave, leading doesn’t come easy. “Being a founder and CEO is one of the most challenging roles in my life when it comes to showing up as my best self, leaning into tough conversations and making hard calls—all in the service of others,” says Brown, who heads Brené Brown Education and Research Group as well as holds an endowed … [ more ]
Must-Have Answers from ‘Ask a Manager’ Author Alison Green
For many employees, the work itself is easy. It’s the office politics that are hard. That’s partly why Alison Green started her blog, “Ask a Manager,” 11 years ago. A chief of staff at a non-profit organization at the time, she kept thinking that coworkers would have made different decisions if they’d had their boss’ or HR’s perspective. “As a manager, I could see that people weren’t going to get … [ more ]