National Conference
NAWBO 2008 Women's Business Conference -Together: Rising In 2008, women business owners will create a rising tide of entrepreneurship, shaping the larger business environment as they build greater success for themselves. Uniting around their common goals, these powerful women will define new standards of ownership and prosperity, changing the social, political, and economic landscape forever. In celebration of this rising change, NAWBO is holding its 2008 Women’s Business Conference June 12-14 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix. This premier event will draw women entrepreneurs from across the country looking to grow their businesses, advance their leadership skills, and create lasting change in the business culture. Make plans now and plan to attend this essential event.  For more information: www.nawbo.org/section_70.cfm 
Author: Site Contributor

Make Networking a Way of Life
For many professional women, time truly is a precious commodity, and unfortunately, networking is often put on the back burner. The busier the woman, the more networking tends to fall behind in priorities. Often it is only done sporadically for a pointed purpose. Or it is done in an ad hoc way as it is convenient. In both cases, women are missing a tremendous opportunity to grow their careers exponentially. There are many preconceived notions about networking, including the "right reasons" to network. The truth is everyone can (and should) network, and each will have her own legitimate reasons for doing so. Those who truly excel at networking, and therefore benefit the most, understand that networking is a way of life. Others use networking as a sporadic strategy that is only followed when you have a specific or urgent need. Think of it like dieting; people usually begin diets when they want to lose weight – perhaps for a special occasion like a wedding or reunion or because of a dan...
Author: Marny Lifshen

How to Hire a Babysitter or Nanny
Hiring a babysitter used to be such a simple process: plan a night out, call the neighborhood kid to come over, pay her $3/hour and enjoy your evening. But with today's caregivers undergoing special training, putting together detailed resumés, citing personal references and actively seeking jobs online, child care is no longer confined to the cul-de-sac. In fact, it's like hiring your own employee, except she works in your home instead of your office. With the increase in options, convenience and technology also comes the increased need for an effective way to screen these potential sitters and nannies. A quick but effective way, that is, since working parents are especially pressed for time. As the founder and CEO of Sittercity.com, and author of “Love at First Sit,” here is the simple four-step screening process we recommend to families across the country. Step 1: Check Online Reviews Good child-care Web sites allow parents and sitters to leave reviews for each other. Doe...
Author: Genevieve Thiers

When a Short Request is Acceptable
In the work place short requests are not uncommon. There are many times when a short request is appropriate and necessary, but would seem rude in a social situation. William Swanson, well-known for being the CEO of Raytheon Company, and author of Swanson's Unwritten Rules of Management, stated a goal in rule number 14, to strive for brevity and clarity in all oral and written reports. "Rudeness is in the eye of the beholder," says Dr. Barbara Griffin, organizational psychologist, from the University of West Sydney, Australia. She goes on to say that "rudeness is purposeful or non-purposeful lack of courtesy."  Considering the fact that the context of business is clearly different than social, the rules change. That being the case, rudeness can still happen and will have an undermining effect on the bottom line, according to Chris Young, founder of the Rainmaker Group; however, since the rules are different and there is more need for brevity, the leeway for targeted, generally briefer...
Author: Jean Lewis

Maximize Value Through Differentiation - Porter Strategy
Differentiation is one of the classic Porter strategies and it means creating an offering that is percieved as unique in a valuable way that is superior to competitive offerings. This causes the price point to be more flexible as customers show more brand loyalty. Costs to differentiate usually include core competencies in market research, product development, creativity to innovate, distribution channel network, marketing skills, ability to communicate the important of the unique selling proposition, and the ability to attract highly skilled, creative people. Cost effective differentiation adds value by helping customers save decision making time and increases the overall value of the brand, however intangible, relationship or association of the customer to the brand becomes a strong competitive advantage because to best it, a rival cannot merely invest in an obvious feature, but must work against a non-concrete invisible barrier. Cost effectiveness is critical because one can spen...
Author: Jean Lewis

Peer Groups: A Networking Goldmine
Many people tend to think of networking in terms of attending events with a large number of people or building relationships on an individual basis. In fact, some of the most powerful networking happens while participating in small gatherings such as peer groups. What is a peer group? A peer group is made up of people at similar places in their careers who act as a personal advisory board for one another. Peer groups can be an important part of your network, as they provide you with a trusted group of colleagues that you can turn to for advice, resources, connections and support. Ideally, peer groups offer an open and safe environment to test business ideas, discuss challenges and opportunities, and to gain honest feedback. How do I find a peer group? Peer groups can be informal, occasional gatherings of a select group of people, or a more formal organization, with dues, bylaws and specific membership requirements. In some cities, the local chamber of commerce organizes formal ...
Author: Marny Lifshen

Career Transition for Women
Since the late '60s, as an outgrowth of the racial equality movement, there has been increased emphasis on the equality of women. In spite of this, the facts facing women in the workplace affect their ability to change jobs and "climb” the corporate ladder.  When women begin their careers, out of college or graduate school, they earn about as much as men do. From ages 25 to 29 women earned 90 percent of what their male counterparts earn. But that all changes when they become mothers, and by the time they're 44 years old, their wages are down to 71 percent of what their male counterparts earn. The prime years for having children are also prime years for establishing a career.  Half of the women from the graduating class of Stanford in 1981 left the workforce by 1998 and one out of every three MBA-earning women of the same class were not working full-time jobs at that time. In comparison, only one out of every 22 male MBAs of the same class was not working full-time in 1998.  Forty-thr...
Author: Tony Beshara

The Risk of Heart Disease in Professional Women
Heart disease is the number one killer of women, and with the pressures that professional women face, heart disease is an especially important issue to that subgroup in particular.  To some of you this may come as a shock, but I assure you, this is nothing new. In fact, over the past decades while the death rate for heart disease in men has been declining, for women it is increasing.  There are many reasons for this discrepancy, including the fact that women have not been included in major studies looking at heart disease.  Even to this day, on average, only 25% of studies on heart disease include women.  Needless to say, women need to know their risk and how to do something about it, so they don’t become just another statistic in this epidemic that was once known as only a man’s disease. It was recently overheard that, "the more women live like men, the more they are going to die like them."  There are multiple risk factors that lead to heart disease besides age and family history, s...
Author: Suzanne Steinbaum

Brilliantly You Awards Celebration
15 Jul 2008 - Sherri Shepherd, Co-Host ABC's The View, Tina Knowles, Dee Lincoln, Casey Shilts And Other Extraordinary Women Take A Little Time To Celebrate The Brilliance Within! Dallas, Texas July 15, 2008 -- Women That Soar celebrates its second year of their memorable Brilliantly You Awards Celebration September 19, 2008, at the Dallas Arboretum, from 11:30-1:30 p.m. This amazing event honors 10 extraordinary women in the fields of art, entertainment, sports, business, civic, fashion, and media. "The women we are honoring have made great personal and professional accomplishments. They have paved the way for so many of us. Some of them have been magnificent in their pioneering and advancing of women. It is their life journey that they share with other women that allows us all to soar and celebrate the brilliance within us," said Gina Grant, Founder and CEO Women That Soar. This stellar celebration will include an unforgettable luncheon, a glamorous champagne reception sponsored b...
Author: Site Contributor

Women Board Directors Equal Strong Financial Performance
Fortune 500 companies with the highest representation of women board directors attained significantly higher financial performance, on average, than those with the lowest representation of women board directors, according to Catalyst’s most recent report, The Bottom Line: Corporate Performance and Women’s Representation on Boards. In addition, the report points out, on average, notably stronger-than-average performance at companies with three or more women board directors. The study, which is the second of Catalyst’s Bottom Line reports, looked at three critical financial measures: return on equity, return on sales, and return on invested capital, and compared the performance of companies with the highest representation of women on their boards to those with the lowest representation. “Clearly, financial measures excel where women serve on corporate boards,” said Ilene H. Lang, President of Catalyst. “This Catalyst study again demonstrates the very strong correlation between corporat...
Author: Site Contributor

w2wlink.com Joins WPO as Media Partner
For immediate release: w2wlink.com w2wlink.com Joins Women Presidents’ Organization as Media Partner DALLAS- w2wlink.com, the number one professional women’s site, has officially been named a media partner of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO). The WPO is the premier membership organization for accomplished women presidents and CEOs who have guided their businesses to at least $2 million in gross annual sales (or $1 million for a service-based business). w2wlink.com is a resource and community website. It addresses the complex needs of today's educated, savvy, professional women. w2wlink.com and the WPO work to support and help business women excel. In addition to promoting excellence in women leaders with WPO through expert articles and interviews, w2wlink.com is covering the WPO 11th Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts the week of April 23rd, 2008. The membership will come together to learn, share and grow in a series of workshops, seminars and speakers. It is cuttin...
Author: Site Contributor

Social Network Website For Professional Women Launches
w2wlink.com, the premier website community for professional women has launched and is dedicated to providing expert content and a free private online networking environment for women at different stages of their lives and careers.  Using the site, women everywhere can log on any time that fits their busy schedules and changing needs.  The website makes it simple to find resources, seek advice from peers, discuss topics of common interest and offer personal viewpoints using the SmartComments tool. The site is designed around four core subject areas that include Work Smart, Inner Self, Connections and Wellness.  Each information area features articles and videos from nationally recognized writers, expert business and life coaches, top academics and experienced executive women who want to share their expertise and help women develop their professional and personal lives in an online community environment.  An additional unique feature of the site is the proprietary Network Circle tool. ...
Author: Site Contributor

Damned or Doomed - The Double-Bind Dilemma for Women
Gender stereotyping, one of the key barriers to women’s advancement in corporate leadership, leaves women with limited, conflicting and often unfavorable options no matter how they choose to lead, according to a recent study. The Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Damned if You Do, Doomed if You Don’t was  released  by Catalyst, a nonprofit organization working to advance opportunities for women and business. This report, the third in Catalyst’s in-depth series examining the pervasive and damaging effects of gender stereotyping in the workplace, focuses on the consequences of gender bias and three specific “double-bind dilemmas” frequently experienced by women business leaders. The study also suggests organizational solutions to counter the persistent effects of gender stereotyping. Catalyst findings strongly suggest that gender stereotypes lead organizations to routinely underestimate and underutilize women’s leadership talent. The 2006 Catalyst Census shows that, even thou...
Author: Site Contributor

Be Heard in Meetings: The Art of Interrupting
Many women complain about the difficulties they have in being heard by men in meetings. When we learn to understand the gender differences in a positive and constructive light, we can learn new ways to increase the effectiveness of our communication that will increase our productivity and success. This four part series of articles is geared to helping professional women communicate more effectively during meetings so that they will be more successful in having her ideas accepted and utilized. Four skills will be discussed, starting with the art of interrupting for professional women. How to View It: The first specific skill that professional women need to learn is the art of interrupting. This is hard for women, because as a group they are interested in sharing and listening. The custom for women is to listen with the understanding that after someone is done talking it will be your turn. This behavior pattern begins in very early childhood. When women talk with each other the custom...
Author: Robert Schwarz

Is Networking Different for Women and Men?
The concept of networking can be deceptively simple. So simple, in fact, it would seem natural to assume that networking is pretty much the same for men and women. But is this really true? The correct answer to the question of whether networking is different for men and women is actually no and yes. It is true that many of the basic philosophies, strategies and tools of networking apply for both men and women, and that anyone can learn to be a successful networker, regardless of gender. But in reality, women face different opportunities and challenges in the workplace and in networking. Balancing career and motherhood, the glass ceiling, and sexual harassment are just a few examples of the unique trials women face. Our networking experiences can actually be quite different from men – even at the same event, within the same organization, or in the same industry or community. While there is no question that we girls have come a long way in the business world during the past thirty year...
Author: Marny Lifshen

Countering the Myths of Working Abroad – Part 1 of 2
When I speak to professional women at all levels across various industries, I hear many reasons why women think they, in particular, “can’t” go abroad. I would like to dispel these myths among my female compatriots because the evidence continues to mount that working internationally is probably the single greatest opportunity for women to fast-track their careers. Going global deserves a serious look.  To that end, I’ve listed the 10 most commonly voiced “myths” and the reasons they just aren’t true below in the first of a two-part series.  Myth #1: Women don’t do as well as men overseas.  Fact: On the contrary, studies indicate that women have an 18 percent higher success rate than men. Women possess traits deemed critical in cross-cultural situations, such as style flexing through adaptability; skill at building teams and relationships in a non-threatening way; communication skills such as listening closely to the verbal and intuiting the non-verbal; patience and persisten...
Author: Stacie Nevadomski Berdan

Recent Information About w2wlink.com
The Frisco Enterprise Star Women of Vision Announces Mentor of Year (Saturday, October 27, 2007) Women of Visionary Influence honored outstanding mentors at its recent annual Mentor Recognition Awards Luncheon. Frances Pelley of the Texoma Council of Governments was named Mentor of the Year. Community Mentor of the Year was Carol Martinez of State Farm Insurance, and Education Mentor of the Year was Dr. Julia Shahid of Austin College. Each year, the awards recognize women who clearly encourage and motivate other women in the workplace, provide special value to their organization, and impact measurable growth in the development of women and their organization. Pelley, executive director of Texoma Council of Governments, is active in Sherman community organizations and has served as a role model throughout her career. During the flooding in Cooke, Grayson and Fannin counties, she helped many navigate the channels of governmental agencies. Pelley is also a long-time advocate of Aus...
Author: Site Contributor

C-Link Suite Interview with Dr. Marsha Firestone
Deciding to start your own business is a monumental decision, and to help you make the decision or better execute it, w2wlink.com conducted an exclusive  interview with Dr. Marsha Firestone, founder and president of the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO), a womens' organization whose members are a select group of entrepreneurial women presidents. Membership in the group requires annual gross revenue be over two million dollars. Dr. Firestone in 2003 was appointed to the National Women's Business Council. The Council reports to the President and Congress on issues of importance to women in business. Dr. Firestone understands what kind of mindset it takes to start, grow and lead a multimillion dollar woman-owned business better than most. The average member of Women Presidents' Organization grosses $12M. During our interview Dr. Firestone speaks about the entrepreneurial mindset of the WPO members that distinguishes them from women entrepreneurs who have not flourished quite so quick...
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w2wlink.com and NAWBO Sign Media Partnership Agreement
For immediate release: w2wlink.com w2wlink.com and NAWBO Sign Media Partnership Agreement   w2wlink.com, the premier online community for professional women in times of growth, and the National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO®) have signed a media partnership agreement to join together to help business women reach their goals. NAWBO has over 9000 members in 80 chapters across the U.S. NAWBO will be providing three representative models from their organization to be interviewed in w2wlink.com’s C-Link Suite Sunday interview series sharing advice from model women business leaders. w2wlink.com founder and CEO, Lisbeth McNabb, will speak on a social networking panel at NAWBO’s 2008 Women’s Business Conference which is promoted in the event section of w2wlink.com. "We are pleased to partner with NAWBO to promote and support women in business," said Lisbeth McNabb, CEO and Founder of w2wlink.com. "NAWBO has been a trailblazer in advocating the entrepreneurial spirit of w...
Author: Site Contributor

Application of Sophisticated Management Practices
This article is the third in a series that addresses the characteristics of high-achieving women entrepreneurs and fast growth businesses. The following will detail the second characteristic, application of sophisticated management practices. To read the introductory article, “Characteristics of Accomplished Women Entrepreneurs,” please click here. To read “Investment in Professional Advisors,” please click here. What constitutes a sophisticated management practice? As the founder and president of the Women Presidents’ Organization, I’ve had the unique opportunity to learn from successful, fast-growth entrepreneurs over the last 11 years. In this role, I’ve discovered that regardless of their level of education in business, the most successful over time apply what are commonly referred to as “sophisticated” management practices. To clarify, “sophisticated management practices” are those developmental and management strategies that create structure, internal effectiveness and fi...
Author: Women Presidents' Organization

Life Balance for Professional Women
Midway upon the journey of my life I found myself in a dark wood, where the right way was lost. --Dante, the Divine Comedy   Women at midlife have one of the highest levels of stress found in our culture today. This is not surprising, given the multiple roles they carry, the expectations of our culture and the speed of our lifestyle. Midlife women are working in positions of responsibility on a scale never previously reached by women. At the same time, there is a 50 percent chance they are single and another 50 percent chance that they are caring for children or parents (or both) in some capacity. More than four out of 10 adults in the United States between the ages of 45 and 55 – mostly women – are caring for a child as well as for an older adult, usually a parent. Of those caregivers, 64 percent are employed full or part time, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving. What are we talking about when we talk about life balance? I was prompted to write this article when I rea...
Author: Jennifer Wright