A Catalyst For Change

Coco Chanel: An Amazing Success Who Almost Wasn't

2009-09-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

As soon as I heard about the movie, "Coco Chanel" (portrayed by Shirley Maclaine in her later years and Barbara Bobulova as a young woman), I could hardly wait to watch it. I was mesmerized from the beginning of the movie until the end, not only because of the beautiful sets and amazing clothes, but especially because of Coco Chanel, the woman.

The biggest reason I was so impressed with her was because Coco Chanel refused to be defined by her history, which was anything but easy. She was born in France in 1883. Her mother died of tuberculosis and her father, who she never saw again, left her in an orphanage to be raised by nuns. Here she learned the trade of seamstress, and she spent summers in Paris with relatives who taught her more advanced sewing skills. She began her fashion career designing hats and later designed clothing and perfume.

While Coco Chanel could have seen herself as a victim of life, she refused to do so. Instead, she worked diligently towards her goals, in both good times and bad. Her first shop went out of business and she was asked to surrender her remaining assets to creditors. This did not discourage her and only made her more determined. During the first world war when many shops closed, she adapted her clothing line to support women who were working and introduced pants, a bold move. She was very resilient, stubborn and outspoken about her beliefs. She famously said, "The most courageous act is to think for yourself. Aloud." She did not fit in and never pretended that she did, which can be a spark that leads to great things in life.

I wonder how many of us with a dream give up too easily when we face a hurdle, or even a mountain, in our path? Sometimes forging ahead, especially when times are hard, seems too difficult. Although the path to reach our goals is not straight and there are many forks in the road, think about the other option: to give up hope and settle for whatever you define as second best in life. If you do this it may seem easier in many ways, but is it really? At the end of the road it's not what you've done but what you haven't done that you'll regret the most. As Coco Chanel also said, "Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable."

If you're interested, you can rent this movie from Netflix. Check out the trailer here:

http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/movies/coco-chanel/extras/video/the-ambitions-of-a-genius

Take Bold Action Towards Your Dream

2009-08-15T15:32:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen it yet, check out Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. The movie is based on the lives of two very different women, Julia Child, the famous chef who wrote "The Art of French Cooking" and Julie Powell, a secretary from New York who was bored with her career and decided to cook all 524 recipes from the cookbook within 365 days and then blog about it.

In the movie you are exposed to the ups and downs of each woman as she decides to take bold action to make her life better. I laughed at, empathized with, and felt truly inspired by both of them, for very different reasons. Julia Child began her career as a spy and later became a famous cook, author and cooking show host. She lived in France with her husband, Paul, when she decided to pursue her love of eating by enrolling in culinary school, at the age of 36. Instead of letting the language barrier stop her, or the fact that she was the only woman in the class, she immersed herself in learning something new, never realizing where her courage and fortitude would eventually take her.

The same is true of Julie Powell, who grew tired of being in what she felt was a powerless position when she also decided to take bold action in a new direction. We watched, and drooled, as she worked her way through the "Art of French Cooking", serving mouth-watering dishes along the way. Julie set a goal for herself and, no matter what adversity she met, she kept moving forward. I doubt she had any idea where this experiment would eventually take her, to a well-known blog, a book and a movie release.

Clients often tell me that they are too old, can't afford to go back to school or don't know what else they can do with their lives to justify why they can't make make a career change or pursue their passion. I truly believe that if you want something badly enough, and are willing to work at it, you can succeed. The end result may be different than you expected, but it may be even better than you originally planned. Don't let your age or lack of money or other excuses stop you. Ask yourself, "How have others done it?" Then take small steps to get yourself there. It doesn't have to be done full time or cost a lot of money.

Sometimes it's helpful to read about other people who have overcome adversity, lack of money or other hurdles, such as age, on the road to a more meaningful life. Read this interesting blog post to help inspire you: http://ow.ly/joMC Next, try doing something different. Try doing something daring. Try doing something.

How would the lives of Julia Child and Julie Powell have turned out if they had never found the courage to try something new, risk failure and take bold action?

Turn Lemons Into Lemonade

2009-07-27T23:42:00.000-07:00

In times of great economic difficulty, opportunities are always abundant. Yes, you read that correctly. Before you check me off your list of blogs or email me a comment, bear with me and finish reading.

Recently I was on a walk around the neighborhood on a very hot day. I usually drink water beforehand and I'm fine until I return home, but this day was different. I found myself yearning for a long, tall glass of iced tea, when out of the blue I saw a group of children selling lemonade on a street corner. Of course, I had to support their budding business, and other people were doing the same. Not to mention, I was so thirsty and desperately needed something cool to keep me going, and here was the solution to my problem right in front of me. I remember thinking that this was a very simple example of a business finding a need, marketing it, and filling it.

In my work with clients, I often hear how discouraged they are about the job market. I listen patiently to their stories, and then I tell them that I know for a fact that people are finding jobs, although it typically takes them longer in times like these. If the right tools and strategies are used, job seekers will prevail. Losing your motivation and giving up won't get you any closer to your goal, and if you find you're not getting anywhere, why not try a different approach?

If you find yourself feeling this way, spend some time thinking about a need and how you might be able to fill it. It may be something you've observed recently that you wish existed but doesn't, a problem a family member or a friend has mentioned, or a business idea you've had brewing for awhile. Often it's very simple and is overlooked by many. For additional inspiration, read this interesting article from Business Pundit about great business successes that occurred during challenging times:

http://www.businesspundit.com/9-successful-brands-launched-during-downturns

Beginning in the fall, I will be offering a series of workshops to help both job seekers and entrepreneurs to get closer to their goals, whether they involve finding a job or growing a business. I'm also working on some other products I'll be offering. You can check my website then for more information:

http://www.catalystcareerconsulting.com/

What Is Stopping You?

2009-07-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

I first read "Choosing Simplicity" by Linda Breen Pierce a number of years ago. At the time I was questioning the Silicon Valley lifestyle. Work life in particular had become the opposite of "simplicity". I was burned out, tired of corporate politics and questioning what I was doing for a living at the time.

Sometimes we come to a fork in the road in life. A career, relationship or other situation we thought was working for us no longer does. We may experience this as a sudden insight, or we can come to this realization over time after a lot of inner turmoil; either way, there is grieving involved, a sense of loss. What we've been doing or what we've been no longer works.

"Choosing Simplicity" gives numerous examples of people who have changed their lives to live more simply. This book captured my attention and kept me reading, beginning in the first chapter with the story of "Joe". Joe and his family were living the good life, with anything they needed that money could buy, yet they were paying a big price. Joe suddenly received a wake-up call the day his daughter showed him a picture of the family that she had drawn and he wasn't in it. He suddenly realized that his family saw him so infrequently that it was impacting his relationships, and he and his wife decided to make some major life changes as a result.

If you ever come to your own fork in the road, you may believe your options are limited. How can you give up your current life and still be happy? How can you survive the possible reduced income, relationship change you thought you could never make it through, or relocation to another place? I believe people can get caught up in looking for happiness through the dollars they make (the more the better), the number of cars they have in their driveways, and the number of presents they have under their Christmas trees. If you took all these things away, what would be left?

This is your life. You have gifts the world is waiting to receive. If you feel something is missing, or if you're facing a big change, take heart and have courage. The human spirit is very resilient. You deserve to be happy and to not just survive, but to thrive. Sometimes the road to get there can be rocky, but there is a more peaceful place waiting for you on the other side if you just keep moving forward.

Me, Worried About My Business's Online Image? Read on...

2009-06-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

In the age of the internet, there is so much information available to all of us, on all of us. Research has become as easy as logging onto your computer and typing in a few key words. But what about the internet and security? How do we, as small business owners, protect ourselves from the possibility of a tainted online image and potential fraud?

Some of you may think I'm worrying about nothing. Bear with me while I quickly explain why I'm not. When it comes to fraud, the most common image that comes to mind is someone stealing our credit card information or buying a product that is misrepresented and is far less pretty, or far less functional, than what was depicted online. But what about the type of fraud that could harm you, a small business owner? If your name is published in cyberspace, beware of what the U.S. Department of Justice calls "Retail Schemes" and "Identity Theft", people using your name for profit.

I used to write for the S.F. Examiner's career column. I tell my own clients to do an occasional Google search on themselves, and I decided to take my own advice not long after I started writing for the paper. I was shocked to find my name being used on various career-related websites I'd never heard of to sell products I knew absolutely nothing about. My name was attached to several articles that were written by someone else, and I was endorsing, in writing, the companys' products. When I viewed the websites to find out how to contact the perpetrators, of course their contact information was impossible to find. But I don't give up easily. You shouldn't either.

Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself and your business:

1). Become aware of your rights by viewing the U.S. Department of Justice page on Internet and Telemarketing Fraud:

http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/internet

2). Visit www.whois.net and type in the website name (where your name is being inappropriately used). This is a free tool that will usually give you the identity and contact information of the person who registered the domain name. I have called several very surprised individuals to ask them to immediately cease using my name after finding their contact information here.

3). If you can't find any contact information online, contact the domain company and file a complaint against the domain owner.

4). If this doesn't help, contact the U.S. Department of Justice to ask how they might be able to assist you.

I Wish I Had Spent More Time In The Office

2009-05-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite authors is Anna Quindlen, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and bestselling author of numerous books, including "A Short Guide To A Happy Life". I wish I could honestly say that I follow all of the principles outlined in Anna's book, but the truth is that I'm still learning how to do that. Reading has always been one of my biggest passions (there are so many, but it's near the top of the list). I've spent a lifetime reading books for so many different reasons...pure enjoyment, suspense, history, travel and last but far from least, in search of answers to so many unanswered questions. In my quest for knowledge, in this classroom I call "Life", books have been some of my closest, most trusted friends, and so have the authors who have written them.

In her 2000 commencement address to Villanova University, Anna Quindlen said (partial quote):

"I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. The second is only part of the first. Don't ever forget what a friend once wrote Senator Paul Tsongas when the senator decided not to run for reelection because he'd been diagnosed with cancer: 'No man ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time in the office'...Get a life, a full life, a professional life, yes, but another life, too, a life of love and laughs and a connection to other human beings. Just keep your eyes and ears open. Here you could learn in a classroom. There the classroom is everywhere."

It came as a somewhat as a shock to see how long it's been since I have written in this blog. I have been so busy doing consulting work that I've hardly had time to take a breath, or to have a life outside of my work, between the travel to client sites, client meetings, project work and facilitation of workshops. Don't get me wrong...I love what I do, and I'm very thankful to be so busy working at what I love, especially when so many people have been unemployed. I went through a period of time where fear got the best of me. I still have to watch my gremlin, who hides out in the closet and occasionally makes a very noisy appearance. What was going to happen to my business in this economy, the worst since the Great Depression? This was a situation I had never expected. I was fortunate that numerous consulting opportunities came my way, and for the past six months, I've been doing more consulting work than work with my own clients.

As a result of the consulting, and my fear, I even considered other options like going in house, but that didn't happen. Sometimes we believe we want something at the time, but later when we look back, we realize it may not have been what was best for us. I believe that applies not only to careers but also to other things in life, such as relationships, events, and things we think we just must have. I truly believe we're exactly where we need to be at the time for our greatest growth. And sometimes that's hard to see, much less to accept. I'm looking forward to putting my focus back on my individual practice once again. As a start, I plan to write in this blog much more often (this time I mean it!). At least once per month, I want to share something I'm reading or have read for the other book worms who I know are out there. I also plan to continue writing about career-related issues. And those are just some of my plans for Catalyst Career Consulting, so please stay tuned...

Of course, I want to always try to remember to allow time to just enjoy life. After all, it is a journey, not a destination. This weekend I'm going to San Diego with my mother and sister for the first time since my niece, Taran, has lived in southern California. She's involved with hosting a fashion and hair show with a 50's and 60's theme. On the way down, we're stopping to see my nephew, A.J., who is living in Los Angeles, pursuing his love of music. My sister has always encouraged her kids to pursue what they love, but she has also told them (as I have), that they need to have a fall back plan, if for some reason their work takes them in a different direction. Life is comprised of numerous choices we can make and paths we can take, and it seems to pass us by like the wind. Don't forget to take time to smell the flowers along the way.

Yes, 2009 Can Be A Good Year

2009-01-13T12:05:00.000-08:00

San Francisco is having it's annual Chinese New Year Parade the evening of Saturday, February 7th. I attended it several years ago and was amazed at all of the colorful costumes, the music and the wonderful, festive atmosphere. I would encourage anyone who enjoys this type of activity to arrive early, bring your kids and enjoy the show. If you plan to eat in the city afterwards, make your reservations now. It's a great way to spend an evening!

I am always fascinated by the customs of other cultures. In the days preceding the New year celebration, Chinese families give their homes a thorough cleaning. There is a Cantonese saying, "Wash away the dirt on nonyabaat". It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the previous year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that luck cannot be swept away. Some people give their homes, doors and window-frames a new coat of red paint, and red is the color used for all decorations.

While working in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area these past few months, I've seen a lot of what could be called "bad luck". After all, how can anyone find a job when the economy is so awful? What better example of bad luck (when it comes to jobs) does anyone need? It bothers me to see the repercussions of this economic downturn and how people suffer because of it, but there is hope. Hope that comes with a new year and the choices you make.

Who is going to survive and even thrive as a result of the current economic climate? I can tell you without any hesitation who will find the jobs, and it's those people who keep their eye on their goals, are diligent in pursuing them and don't lose site of the fact that people often make their own luck. The most successful people I know have faced times of great uncertainty and insecurity, but they have kept moving forward despite all odds.

If you need some help getting started, I'm happy to announce that Catalyst Career Consulting, based in San Mateo, California (conveniently located between San Francisco and San Jose), will be offering webinars and live workshops the first quarter of 2009 to help you get back on track and moving forward with your job search or business goal. Check the website soon for dates and details.

Here's to a healthy and prosperous 2009!

If I Had Known Then What I Know Now

2008-10-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

I watched the crowd as people filed into the room to hear my presentation about recovering from a job loss. Their physical appearances varied. Some dressed like they had just walked out of their offices, jumped in their cars and were only stopping by to check things out, before they made their way back to their real life, their real jobs. Others were much more casual, a telltale sign they had no employer to go to. But the quiet, solumn air about them was similar. No matter what they did for a living, the company they had come from, how old they were, their physical differences, all shared one thing in common...they had recently lost a job. Almost nothing levels the playing field like a pink slip.

During the break, a man who I'll call "Joe" and I were getting coffee at the same time. I smiled at him and made a comment about my caffeine dependency. He managed a slight smile back. We got to talking about the industry he had come from, and because I had worked in the same industry, I gave him some insights and also a few tips. With downcast eyes, he told me the job loss had come as a shock to him, that he never saw it coming. He was with a large, well-known employer and thought he was fine. He had never lost a job before. I reassurred Joe that being laid off can happen for so many reasons, most of which we have little control over, especially in a place as volatile as Silicon Valley. I told him I believed he had everything he needed to be successful and that he would find another job. He just didn't know it now.

Driving home that day, I reflected on my own experiences. "What lessons had I learned when I was in corporate?" and "How did those lessons benefit me?" I made some mistakes, but through those mistakes I learned some valuable lessons. Looking back, there are a few things I would have done differently, but one thing I wouldn't change was the reason I ultimately parted ways with "Company X". The bottom line was that my values differred greatly from the values of senior management. I was incapable of sitting back and watching people be treated unfairly without sharing my views, not only out of fairness to the employees involved but also to heed off potential legal issues for the company. I thought that was my job as a Human Resources professional. I paid the ultimate price for doing what I believed was right. Although it took me awhile to recover from that experience, and I thought it was the end of the world then, it ultimately changed my life for the better.

I wish I had known then what I know now. It certainly would have saved me a lot of turmoil. I have never been happier running my own business. And the amazing thing about all of my corporate experience is that everything I went through prepared me for where I am now. I just didn't know it then.

Occasionally, I think about Joe. I wonder if he's found a job yet. I hope he learns what he needs to, even if the only lesson in his current situation is that it was time for him to leave, to do someting new. My wish is the same for the many others in the Bay Area, and beyond, who have recently received their own bad news. I wish I could tell them all: "You will get through this, and things will get better."

Small Business Is A Big Player

2008-09-30T22:41:00.000-07:00

At a networking event I attended not long ago, I had an interesting conversation with several people about You Tube. You probably recall that You Tube was purchased in October of 2006 by Google for a whopping $1.65 BILLION in stock. The individuals I was speaking with told me they recalled seeing the You Tube founders around San Mateo fairly often, because their office space was in a small building in the downtown area. They jokingly said that they "should have taken them (the founders) a lot more seriously."

A professional associate I know recently expressed her frustration about the fact that she feels she's not taken seriously by some people because she's a small business woman. This is difficult for her, and at times she finds this aspect of running her business to be very challenging. I don't believe she's alone in how she feels. It takes tremendous courage to believe in and keep growing your own small business when it seems there are so many other larger, more established businesses around you. If we stop and remember what it was like for these companies in the earlier days of their operation, it's easier to see things more clearly. Just a few examples include:

- Martha Stewart started her now multi-million dollar business by selling her pies at a local shop. What would have happened if she had allowed the fact that she was a small, one-woman business stop her?

- When Debbie Fields, of Mrs. Fields Cookies, opened her first cookie store in Palo Alto, California in 1977, people told her she was crazy and that no business could survive selling just cookies. If she had listened to them, what other food business would have ignored the naysayers and taken her place?

- Google's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, got their start in a garage, as did the founders of Hewlett Packard and Apple Computer. How would things be different now in Silicon Valley if these pioneers had let their modest work surroundings discourage them?

Small business is a big player because it drives the U.S. economy. According to SBA statistics published in August of 2007, small businesses (defined as having fewer than 500 employees) represented 99.7 percent of all employer firms, employed half of all private sector employees, and generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade.

I think we love business success stories because they provide us with real-life evidence that our dreams really can come true. What we may forget is that the road to success is never easy, takes tremendous work and determination, and is often full of sudden, unexpected turns and unseen potholes.

When things get challenging with your business (or your career), take a few minutes to remember those who have paved the way before you with their successes, but also with their failures. I hope it will make your journey easier. If others can overcome obstacles to accomplish their goals and come out on top, you can too.

Living the Life You Were Meant To Live

2008-09-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

My favorite movie of the summer by far was "Mamma Mia", and whether you liked the movie or not, you can't argue with the numbers: "Since its release in early July, Mamma Mia! has turned into an unprecedented worldwide phenomenon, breaking records across the world as the biggest opening of a musical in history. It has already become the fastest movie musical to reach $100 million at the U.S. box office."

When I saw Mamma Mia, I was moved by the strong bond that Sophie (played by relative newcomer Amanda Seyfried) and Donna (played by the goddess of film herself, Meryl Streep) had with each other. Sophie, on the verge of being married, invites three men to her wedding whom she doesn't know. One is her father, and she is determined to find out which one, primarily because she wants her mother to be happy, and Donna works so hard and is always talking about the good old days. Every scene in the movie is memorable and either had me laughing, singing along (as many in the audience did), or wiping away a tear or two. In one scene, Pierce Brosnan sees a drawing Sophie has done and recognizes the talent she has. He encourages her to leave the island, see the world and follow her passion for art, not to stay behind with her mother to work at the villa she owns and operates, which Sophie feels obligated to do.

I won't spoil it for you by telling you the last scene, but Sophie had a choice. She could stay and live the life she knew, helping to take care of the villa with her mother, or she could leave to seek a new life. Stepping into the unknown takes tremendous courage and facing our fears head on. Although there are no guarantees with anything, the rewards of going off to college, traveling the world, or leaving a job that no longer fits us can open us up to new experiences, new people, and a better life, the life we were meant to live. If we never take risks, will that really bring us security? I don't believe so. Instead, we will remain stagnant and our growth will be hindered, like a boat that never leaves the shore. This is a hard lesson to learn, (and I'm still learning it myself), but I truly believe that security exists no place but within ourselves. One of my favorite sayings is this one, and I think it's worth repeating: "A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships were built for."

What dreams are you or someone you love sitting on? Maybe you can start by taking small steps towards making your dream come true. Or you might be better off taking up anchor and making a complete change, instead. The answer is inside of you, if you will just listen.