Confidence 101
Self-talk, experience and practice builds confidence. If everyone could take a magic pill or read a book to automatically give produce confidence it would still w not replace these three practices. Self-talk is critical because no matter how many times we practice, we need this inner voice to be on our side.
Barbra Streisand still needs to go thru a self-talk before she performs in front of an audience. Experience gives us memories we can retrieve from our history that guide us to what worked and didn’t work. This gives us confidence to be effective and make the right decisions.
My dad taught me the trick of soaking milk on a stain to remove it. It worked recently when a friend got lipstick on his collar at a cocktail party when someone missed kissing him on the check and the lipstick ended up on his collar! With milk, the stain disappeared in about three minutes. Club soda will also work. But milk is more effective due to the white bleaching effect.
Tiny handbags are becoming more popular because of the smart phone which now can hold your credit cards. Small or tiny bags fit well into brief cases and can make everything easier to manage. You must have a shoulder strap when using it for business. Evening bags can have a short handle or wrist strap. My small bag holds a mini coach wristlet with credit cards, driver’s license and a few dollars along with my iPhone 6S and car keys. It also holds a fabric tote (folded up) to use if I want to carry purchases without getting another bag.
A large handbag should be considered a tote that can hold other items besides your identification and credit cards. However, large bags can be a nuisance when trying to find an item. Digging around in a bag is not a polished look. Large handbags can be smart if in a neutral color. My Prada bag / tote is black and perfect for holding a laptop or iPad.
Disagreements are normal when working on a project, vision or strategy. I have always felt a successful end game needs to have different points of view to achieve a positive outcome. Now, that does not mean to always handle disagreements with kid gloves or bare fists. The main goal is to focus on the result. Four key items to remember are:
Recently, a client suggested that asking questions shows ignorance. Smart people ask questions for clarity and to connect to the issue. I like starting the question with a how or a what. The why question only works when you are establishing a reason for the issue. The challenge with beginning with why is that the conversation could go down a rabbit hole or the weeds which may be unproductive.
A recent Chicago Tribune business section piece about critical lessons from successful entrepreneurs brought to mind how relevant the lessons also are for everyone working for an organization. These are the lessons:
Shopping on line has become the way for me to shop whether it is for the house, office or personal items over these last few years. Before 2015, retail shopping meant going to various stores. It was not always fun to shop. In fact, it became more of a chore that a joyous experience.
