If you live in the Los Angeles area, I’d like to invite you to join us for LUNAFEST — a fundraiser for Bloom Again Foundation.  All the proceeds from the event go to providing rapid response financial assistance to working women living at or near the poverty level when they are experiencing medical emergencies.  In the past year Bloom Again, through the generosity of its donors, helped economically vulnerable women to pay their rent, utility bills and supplement lost wages due to illness or accidents. 

LUNAFEST will be held at Warner Bros. studios on Thursday, April 29th from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.  We’ll start with cocktail reception, followed by the screening of short films by and about women.  Seating is limited to the first 200 people who register so I encourage you to go to the Bloom Again website (www.bloomagain.org) to learn more about and register for the event.  Tickets and parking instructions will be mailed in early April.  Bring a friend or two — it promises to be an evening when you can have fun and make a difference.

TAGS: Bloom Again Foundation, LUNAFEST, Women living at or near the poverty level

This won’t cost you anything but a few minutes of your time.  Pepsi is having a contest to award money to the top 10 nonprofit organizations that have registered with their Refresh Project.  Our Bloom Again Foundation (www.bloomagain.org) is currently #12.  If we win, the money will go toward the expenses for the April 29th fundraiser we’ve been talking about. 

Please click on the link below and vote for Bloom Again.  Then forward it to a few friends and ask them to do the same.   We’ll let you know if we win.  Thanks for lending a hand! 

http://www.refresheverything.com/bloomagainfoundation

TAGS: Bloom Again Foundation, Pepsi Refresh Contest

   In the past, we’ve talked about the importance of personal branding — creating an image and reputation of which you are proud and for which you are known.  As we’ve witnessed in the past few weeks, the Toyoya brand has taken a hit due to mechanical problems.  And now Congress is launching an investigation — one that I personally think is a waste of time and money.  Our legislators can’t get their own acts together to pass a health care bill (or much of anything else for that matter), but they’re eager to go after and, most likely, punish a well-respected brand. 

But I diverge.  I don’t know if you’ve seen Toyota’s latest commercial — the one in which they say they realize they’ve let consumers down and are taking action to correct to their mistakes.  Kudos to Toyota — the commercial hits just the right tone, admits its failures, and without groveling apologizes for not meeting their typically high standards.  The straight-talk elicited a certain degree of sympathy from me.  It’s a good lesson for all of our brands. 

None of us is perfect and we’re bound to make mistakes.  Particularly in a corporate climate where most of us are doing more with less.  The next time this happens to you, think about Toyota and follow these simple principles for getting your brand back on track:

• Own up to what went wrong.  We even saw President Obama do this recently with regard to the attempted Christmas airline bombing.  He said, “In the end, the buck stops with me.”  Human nature often causes people to want to point the finger everywhere except where it belongs.  When you’ve made a mistake, overlooked an important detail, or in some other way erred, say so. 
• Avoid explanations.  The Toyota ad doesn’t attempt to explain what happened, it focuses on the future — and that’s what you should do to.  Rather than explain away mistakes, talk about what you plan to do to correct them and ensure they don’t happen twice. 
• Analyze faulty systems.  To ensure you don’t repeat the mistake, do a thorough analysis of why it happened in the first place.  You can bet the folks at Toyota are doing just that right now. 
• Reiterate your brand values.  If you’re typically known for prompt response time and something fell through the cracks causing it to be late, make it clear that you continue to value quick turn around and that this is what you’ll be striving for in the future.  By saying it out loud you create the scenario for others to actually see the behavior you want them to see and remember.

TAGS: Congress, corporate faux pas, personal branding, Toyota, Toyota commercial

At Thanksgiving dinner this week, parents and other relatives are bound to ask their Gen Y children, “How’s that job search coming along?”

While some people fear this question, I encourage job seekers to embrace it. Why not use your family’s interest as an opportunity? If you’re comfortable asking your loved ones for help, there are several ways you can enlist their support — appropriately — in your job search efforts.

Listen to some tips on this topic in my new podcast.

TAGS: Generation Y, Job Search

Thanks to those of you who shared your experiences with office romances.  For those of you who didn’t read my post from last Wednesday (11/18) you might want to check it out. 

So the end of the story is this, in the midst of the difficulties, Carol was recruited away by another company for a fantastic job with an even larger salary than she would have received with the promotion.  She is now living with the man who she was dating at her previous company and both are thrilled with how it turned out.  It looks like marriage might be in the cards for them.

Both E.D. and Donlyn nailed it — my recommendation was that she find another job.  The office romance was not going to help her career and she didn’t want to give up the relationship.  Another example of how when you vote with your feet you often wind up better off than waiting out a difficult situation.  More importantly, beware of romantic involvements with co-workers.

TAGS: dating co-workers, dating in the workplace, Office romances

A coaching colleague recently consulted with me about an interesting case that may apply to you.  Her client  (let’s call her Carol) works in a male-dominated industry and has worked hard to get the respect and recognition she deserves.  Soon after starting a relationship with a man in a position senior to her, a promotional opportunity became available.  Carol was considered a strong candidate for the job and had high hopes of snagging it. 

Her office romance became public knowledge when she and the man attended an office party together.  They had nothing to hide — she didn’t report to him and both were single.  But suddenly she was no longer the lead candidate for the promotion.  The company could legitimately find plenty of reasons to promote someone else, but it was clear her relationship played into the equation.  Her coach told her that the company might assume that there was a conflict of interest or that she didn’t really “need” the promotion if the relationship turned into marriage. 

Carol felt betrayed by the company and thought that it was unfair that her personal life played a part in the decision.  Whether it did or not, Carol left herself in a vulnerable position given the fact that she was one of the few women in management at this company and was dating one of the executives.

We all know that people meet their ultimate spouses in the workplace, but it’s not without a price.  I’m sure some considerations (legal or not) here included:

• Could Carol be trusted with confidential information?
• Would Carol ultimately marry the man and go off to have children leaving the company in need of senior manager?
• Was Carol taking her career seriously or was she just out to find a spouse?
• Would other managers and be candid with Carol knowing she and this executive were in a relationship?

You get the picture.  There’s nothing wrong with dating someone from the office, but it can negatively impact your career opportunities.  We all have to live our values and follow our hearts, but if we’re serious about our careers we also have to consider the ramifications of our choices — particularly if we are in senior positions. 

Before I tell you the end of the story, tell me what YOU think.  What should Carol do?  What would YOU do?  After I hear from you I’ll tell you what happened.

TAGS: dating co-workers, dating in the workplace, Office romances

There are small money savings that can be habit forming and profitable.  Take directory assistance for example.  Do you use it?  We all have at some point and know it can be pricey to get that information.

Well, here’s a number worth putting in your mobile phone or on your home phone speed dial:  1-800-GOOG-411.  Instant gratification!  You get free assistance with any phone number you need and the automated operator will even connect you. 

The service has been around for a while – but like all good things – not everyone knows about it.  And all of us could certainly benefit from using it.  If you dial 411 from your mobile phone for telephone directory information, it can cost you $1.49 or more per call (some carriers allow you to get up to three phone listings for that price). 

 1-800-GOOG-411 (which translates to 1-800-466-4411) is a totally free service that’s especially great when you’re on the road.  Let’s say you’re heading to a meeting at an unfamiliar location and – even if you have your GPS guiding you – you don’t have the phone number.  Program 1-800-GOOG-411 into your phone’s speed dial, hit the button, say where and what you’re looking for and GOOG-411 will connect you. 

Did I mention that it’s free?  Yes.  But let me say it again.  These days services that cost you nothing are too good not to know about and use.

 Here’s precisely how it works.  You’ll hear a voice at the other end saying:  “City and State?”  You respond.  The voice then says:  “Business, name or type of service?”  You respond.  The voice on the other end says:  “Connecting” and the location you requested answers the phone.  That’s it.  It’s nationwide and – did I already say it’s free! 

You don’t need a computer, an Internet connection or even the keypad on your phone or mobile device to use GOOG-411 because it’s voice activated.  So you can access it from any phone – mobile or landline – in any location at any time.  All for – free.  And if you’re calling from a mobile device GOOG-411 can even send you a text message with more details and a map.  Simply say “text message” or “map it”. 

Just a reminder – you should not use GOOG-411 if you need emergency help since the service isn’t able to provide your location information to emergency providers.  As always, if you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1. 

Here’s to your health and wealth

TAGS: directory assistance, Free information, GOOGLE 411

I’m excited to announce a brand new podcast series I’m creating for MyPath.com, a new online career management website guided by Manpower, one of the global leaders in employment services.

MyPath provides you with a variety of tools and services to help you plot and plan your career journey. As MyPath’s “College to Career” blogger, I’ll be recording a weekly podcast on a timely job search or career management topic for entry-level job seekers.

Click here to listen to my first MyPath podcast, “How to Get a Job Now.”

Have a topic you’d like me to discuss on a future MyPath podcast? Please share in the comments!

TAGS: Generation Y, Job Search

I love this story.  Julie Craig of Newberg, Oregon was shopping at her local Safeway and when she went to check out realized her wallet was missing from her purse.  How many times have we all left our purses unattended in the shopping cart?  But in Julie’s case she kept her purse on her shoulder, but it was unzipped.  Within minutes of having her wallet lifted the thieves had charged hundreds of dollars on her credit cards — two shopping carts filled with groceries. 

Julie was not going to be a victim.  She went to the management of Safeway, got the surveillance tapes for the period she was in the store and had her local television station broadcast the tapes.  Within a few days the thieves were under arrest.  Why do I love this?  Because Julie wouldn’t allow herself to be a victim.  She took action to ensure those who had taken advantage of her and stolen her identity would be caught.  On The Thin Pink Line we often talk about being an advocate for yourself and this is a good lesson in how to do it.    I didn’t even know you could ask to see the surveillance tapes.  Lessons learned here include:

• Don’t expect the authorities to resolve your problems.  With a little extra effort you might be able to do it yourself. 
• Be ever-vigilant about your money.  This includes what’s in your wallet, bank account, or portfolio.  Don’t just turn the latter over to someone to watch for you.  No one will keep better track of your money than you will yourself.
• Don’t be a victim.  Victims are those who allow others to take advantage of or abuse them.  When you don’t advocate for yourself you give the victimizer permission to victimize you.

TAGS: Identity theft, taking charge

Joanna Krotz, in collaboration with Town&Country, has just published The Guide to Intelligent Giving. This is a book that needed to be written ─ a definitive guide covering everything from discovering where and how you personally should give to practical considerations about taxes and picking advisors.

While we have written here before about the power of giving, Joanna’s book is full of inspirational stories about those who have “decided to wield the power of one” by making the decision to give their time or their money to change the things in the world that they want to change.  A superb writer, Joanna does a terrific job of balancing their stories  with important information anyone considering should know.

I was delighted to learn that women are giving more than ever before. And, they are giving more that men do. Krotz reports that according to the latest IRS reports, women gave $22 billion dollars in 2005 compared to the $15 billion they gave in 1997, when the last gender analysis was done.

Source: The Intelligent Guide to Giving

So if you haven’t found your philanthropic passion yet, you need to get started.

Other reasons this book a “must read”:

• Giving smart requires more than just writing a check; you should make sure that the money you give works as hard for your charity as you worked to earn it.

• While money matters, your time, skills and attention matter too. A lot.

• Be smart about to whom you give. Check out the charities carefully.

Something else that will please you – the publisher will donate $1.00 to unicef for every book sold.

TAGS: charity. philanthropy, living a rich life, living your values