How A Class Of French MBA Students Taught Me More Than I Taught Them!

I was recently hired to teach a group of students how to create and present a business plan. This was a 9 hour assignment over 3 Monday's and I agreed to do this because I saw an amazing opportunity to meet 40 millennials from France who were selected to come to the U.S. for  a 3 month master program. Really, when else would I have such an opportunity to interact with these intelligent young women and men at a professional level for 9 hours?

My only goal as I tackled this assignment was to have fun and share ideas. As my nerves got the best of me the weekend prior to the first class, all I thought about was how I was going to make the subject of "business plans" exciting, informative and fun! Okay, so the first joke is on me. Unless I performed a stand-up comedy set for nine hours, all I could envision was 40 people staring at me with blank bored faces. I mean, really, business plans are exciting or fun??

These students flew from France the weekend I was fretting over how to have fun in class. They had a full schedule of classes like mine with at least 4 other instructors. They were tired, excited, and my class on Monday was their very first interaction with this program.  Hence, the second joke on me!

I instinctively knew these 40 individuals were smarter than me and I accepted that realization fully and gratefully because I thought, "well, if I don't teach them anything, certainly I will learn from them". I mean, hey, what a great opportunity, right?

After I introduced myself, I felt compelled to share the significance of the date, which was 4/20. Why? Because these students would later venture from their hotels or apartments and "awareness" was paramount to their safety, fun, and diet, or so I thought. For those that don't understand 420, google it.  This day is huge in San Francisco and while I didn't want to know whether they were going to partake in the festivities, this was a lesson better said than unsaid. This became our icebreaker and I wished them well after class.

The second thing I felt compelled to share was the fact I knew they were very intelligent adults and I would treat them as such. This way, if they didn't learn anything from me, it was because they already possessed the knowledge about business plans they needed for the class. Now, the joke is on them.

Seriously though, I had them break up into 5 groups, then create and present business plans. I was right, they are very intelligent and had some great ideas. As I sat with each group, I was able to bring awareness to some some strategies or risks they may not have thought about. I was able to ask them compelling
questions investors would most likely ask. But more importantly, I was able to connect with them and answer their curious questions. I had the opportunity and honor to interact with 40 men and women from France, many of whom were experiencing Americans in the states for the first time. So, who's the joke on now?

Donna Slater

Attract Joint Venture Relationships... While Unleashing Your Financial Freedom

Joint Venture Partnerships are fast becoming a popular sales & marketing strategy for many small business owners. In short, a joint venture partnership is a monetized, nurtured relationship where two business owners share energy, efforts, and passion to collaborate and promote each other. Of course, nurturing a relationship does not happen overnight, but as a small business owner, this is the best strategy if you meet the following criteria:

1. You have plenty of clients, but you work like a hungry beast, 24/7. Desire: work less, make more money.
2. You earn less than $100,000 per year. Desire: go from $50k to $250k in six months.
3. You have a new business, where your email list (opt-ins) is less than 5,000. Desire: building your list over 5k, where 5k is the "hump".

Joint venture partnerships (which I prefer to refer to the term "relationships"), are fast, easy, cheap, and very lucrative. While you do not have to fit the criteria above (joint ventures are usually for everyone), meeting 1 of the 3 criteria above is by far the optimal method if.....

• you're a people person
• you work from home, or in an environment without walk in traffic
• you desire a freedom lifestyle
• you have a great, distinctive product or offering
• you have the ability to fill in product "gaps" for other similar businesses

Joint venture partnerships are not for shy or introverted people. You must have the ability to effectively build a relationship with another person, and give that person a reason to want to promote you! Also, if you possess a license, which certifies you for your business, you will want to research compliance specifications (since you will be paid when an actual product or service is sold).

Thanks for following...hope this is informational to you...Donna 

women4womenclub.us

Why Women In Business Should Do Business With Other Women!

This might be a controversial subject, but one worth exploring in my opinion. I think we would all agree women have come along way in business, especially since the 1960's. I think we would also agree women have much more work ahead of them to have equal access to pay, respect, and relevance in the business world. But are we doing enough to help each other? I worry about this as a business owner.

My stance is I feel compelled as a woman in business (for over 25 years) to conduct business with other women, if possible. I've witnessed the inequality time and time again, and I am determined to see women through probably the most important time of their lives, right now. We need to support and propel each other in business for the following 3 reasons:

• NOW is the time!! Not next year or the year after, but now. Why? Because women in business growth has been on the rise for a few years, and you need to get into the action now. 
• All the stars are aligned NOW! There has never been a better time in history to advocate for and endorse women in business. The internet and technology have given us this perfect opportunity to create and manifest our own passions and results.
• Women can make a huge difference in business, bringing many traits our males counterparts might not possess, like intuition, stability, and passion. Even emotional support during difficult times, such as divorce, or death of a spouse.

I know many will disagree with me and make statements like:

"I need to do business with men in order to stay afloat", or

"I will miss opportunities on half the population", or

"This is sexist"

I am not advocating that we take men out of the mix. I am only suggesting when you have a job to do, and you are the decision-maker or influencer, try to direct your business to another woman with the same qualifications, if appropriate. Many people support men and women alike in business, but how many women support and advocate for each other?

Comments always welcome...

Donna Slater

donnaslater@women4womenclub.us

Why I Will Never Go Back To Corporate America!

Just look at this beautiful scenery above. This scenery represents peace, calm, presence, and happiness. I made a huge decision to leave my corporate job December 2013. At that time, the decision was practically a no-brainer for me. I had to eliminate stress in my life, and my job was the least of my priorities. Most people will never understand this decision because I had a good job, great colleagues, and I had no job to go to! But, what most people won't understand, these are the exact reasons I left my job!

I worked in Corporate America for over 25 years.  I had a very satisfactory journey, and will not regret one moment.....for the most part! LOL. However, over those years, I've developed quite a perspective of WHAT Corporate America DOES to most people over a long period of time. Here are the 3 top examples:

• IT creates unbelievable stress for employees, because companies are forced (by Wall Street) to squeeze margins, so much that employees are performing the jobs of many people at one time. Corporate America dictates that we do more with less.
• IT creates animosity among employees, because those same employees (who are performing 2 or 3 jobs) are now forced into "positioning" themselves against their colleagues, supervisors, and direct's for the same jobs.
• IT creates horrible client satisfaction, because there is simply not enough people to do all the work client's expect and deserve.

It's all one big snowball effect. Team members become jaded, distrustful of leadership, and create overall office dissension amongst team members. For me, Corporate America turned people (I worked with), whom I've grown to really love and care for, become frantic, distressed, paranoid, and unhappy. 

If nothing else, Corporate America prepared me for how to live the second part of my life, with grace, integrity, dignity, and peace! All that matters now is I will continue to grow, but in my own business, with what Corporate America taught me the last 25 years. And, I know this journey will be amazing without all those factors I left behind. 

thanks for following....

Donna

Women In Business-Does Your Sales & Marketing Coach "Forecast Your Potential Results"?

When you go to market your product or service, the menu of options is vast, fast-moving, and overwhelming. You can literally spend 80% of your day figuring out how to: market your brand, lead generation strategies, and result tracking. No doubt these strategies are important, but my question to you is how do you complete the cycle if your coach or online system does not help you "forecast":

• what sales activities and processes you want to apply daily?
• how many products/service bundles you need to sell?
• which services/products do you need to sell (to maximize your margins)?
• what it takes (in dollars) to ensure you making more than you spend?

When you write your business plan, you "forecast" your sales, revenue, expenses, and risk, right? Why wouldn't your sales and marketing plan include forecasting "what-if scenarios", from safe to aggressive, which you will use as a base for HOW you modify your activities in the future?

donnaslater@women4womenclub.us

 

Women Helping Women-How Can We Support & Advocate For Women In Business?

It's a simple question. Really? Really! Maybe we agree to disagree, but I only accept one answer to this question: JUST DO IT! 

It's time we stop all this nonsense (as my mother would say). It's time we stop all this competition, positioning, mania, and narcissism towards each other! It's time we change the pattern and "woman-up"! We are all guilty at some point or other. 

How can we support and advocate for women in business? Woman-Up!! We need to elevate, inspire, advocate, and support each other. Try these 3 rituals:

1. We are pros at developing and executing our daily rituals, aren't we, women? Try an additional ritual, and gift "a word of encouragement" to another woman in business. 
2. As women, we want to be respected, valued, and relevant. Try just a smile and thank you to another woman in business today.
3. We want our colleagues to listen to our ideas and provide valuable feedback. So, try to converse with each other with kindness, care and sincerity...and truth...and the rest will fall into place.

Simple...really...try, try, try, and just do it!!

Ladies, what one answer will you accept to this question?

thanks for joining me today...donna slater

donnaslater@women4womenclub.us

Women In Business-Why Everyone Deserves To Be "Coached" (Part 4 of 4)

Welcome back! Yesterday I gave you pointed questions to ask coaches and mentors, as you decide which coach is the best fit for you. I also gave you some things to think about as you listen to their answers (to your questions).

I will now demonstrate how you have a "secret coach" you probably did not even know existed. Think about it...

• We are coached everyday either formally or informally. During the normal course of our lives, we tell individuals something of significance to us every day, listen to their feedback, then act on their feedback, or not. If that person engages with you, listens to you, and provides some form of answer, advice, or statement, that moment could be a "coaching moment". 
• It is how you reflect and respond to the feedback which is the act of being "coached". You may or may not agree with their feedback. You may or may not have asked for coaching, but you might have given the other person the impression you were open to coaching.
• We all need an individual, other than a family member or friend, who can be "real" with us all the time. If that person is only there to tell you what you're doing is perfect, then you have affirmation your solutions are on track. Normally, it's another set of eyes and brains which is there to collaborate, brainstorm, offer other ideas or options, or become your partner in crime!

Even coaches need coaches...... which might be a surprise to some of you. Coaches and mentors are fallible, just like you and me, which means not everything they say and think is right or wrong,  and good or bad! It is simply something for you to consider, as you process your thoughts.

I have seen senior management in huge corporations being coached. Many chairman's have coaches or mentors. Not because they are weak, but because they are strong and always learning as a student of life!

I made an admission to myself last year that I am open to any kind of coaching everyday of my life! Yesterday, I was coached by my partner when I explained a time constraint in my day. ALLOW yourself to be coached, as it can be one of the most satisfying moments of your life. Listen to what people say, whether you agree or not. Reflect or act on their statements, whether it is to take action, or not take action.

WHO IS YOUR SECRET COACH THIS WEEK? Please respond and comment if you were the recipient of a coaching moment, and you now recognize that moment as such!

Hope you've enjoyed the 4 part series and have better insight into why everyones deserves to be coached.

donnaslater@women4womenclub.us

www.women4womenclub.us