Get Into the Game of Golf
A membership in the Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) offers many personal and professional benefits for career growth and business networking.  You can build connections with a diverse group women from coast to coast, and in Canada and Europe too. Engage in year-round golf, social, education, and networking events geared for busy women at all golf skill levels. Here are some key benefits: • Golf gets you outdoors and provides time just for you. • Golf has long been a sport for doing business - don't let your resume be without it. • Golf is all about relationship-building. • Golf with the EWGA is more than a game - it's a lifestyle. EWGA is currently offering several courses that can get you started, reveal the benefits of golf to your business, and help get financial assistance to those that need it. GET GOLF READY Get Golf Ready provides all the basics to help a new golfer become comfortable on the golf course.  The "Get Golf Ready" program is an industry-wide initi...
Author: Site Contributor

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. Does...
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 way that is superior to competitive offerings. This allows 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 importance 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, 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 spend their entire budget and no...
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

Press Information for w2wlink.com
w2wlink.com is the premier community dedicated to professional women, helping you get to where you’re going – faster. We provide you expert knowledge, tools to overcome obstacles, and connection with others in our online groups.    Hot Topics: women business, women networking, women entrepreneurs, executive women and women mentoring.   Click here to download the w2wlink Media Kit. The w2wlink Team publicrelations@w2wlink.com o: 214.866.0299 f: 214.889.8001
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w2wlink.com Announces Ascendancy Awards for Business Women
w2wlink.com Announces First Ascendancy Awards for Business Women in Eight Cities and an "At-Large Any City" Category Dallas, TX. (January 13, 2009) -- w2wlink.com, the premier professional women community announces its first Ascendancy Awards for Business Women. The awards will go to outstanding women who have "ascended" to achieve and innovate in Corporate, in Entrepreneurial and in Career Transition settings. w2wlink.com initiated the Ascendancy Awards to recognize, reward and inspire women to maximize their potential in their careers. Lisbeth McNabb, Founder and CEO w2wlink said "Our vision is to inspire and recognize women who are ascending professionally and mentoring other women around them--as these key steps will link to driving higher levels of women in the executive ranks, more entrepreneurs with growing businesses and more female directors on boards in the next decade." w2wlink.com is accepting nominations for candidates from eight cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas...
Author: Site Contributor

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.  Wage Earning Facts 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 earn 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.  Consider these statistics: 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 ...
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
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! 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 by Veuve Clicquot and fashion show featuring d...
Author: Site Contributor

Four Ways Women Are Redefining Leadership
Evidence shows that women bring distinct personality and motivational strengths to leadership roles—and do so in a style that is more conducive to today’s diverse workplace. In a study conducted by Caliper, women leaders showed themselves to be different from their male counterparts. The study revealed four major findings: Finding 1:  Women leaders are more persuasive than their male counterparts Finding 2:  Women leaders feel the sting of rejection, learn from adversity and carry on with an "I'll show you" attitude Finding 3:  Women leaders have an inclusive, team-building leadership style of problem solving and decision making Finding 4:  Women leaders are more likely to ignore rules and take risks Read the entire article on the study. About Caliper For nearly half a century, Caliper has been helping companies achieve peak performance by advising them on hiring the right people, managing individuals most effectively and developing productive teams. The accuracy, objectivity a...
Author: Site Contributor

Certification as Women-Owned Business
From my firsthand experience with successful women business owners, I have found trends and characteristics of high achieving women entrepreneurs and fast-growth businesses. This article will cover certification as a woman owned business. To read “Traits of Top Women Entrepreneurs,” the introductory article, please click here. Accomplished women entrepreneurs frequently do business with their local and national government entities and invest time in applying for certification as a woman-owned business, such as that from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). WBENC is the nation’s premier third-party certification organization for women-owned businesses. Organizations such as The Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO) are one of 14 regional affiliates of WBENC. Research has found that leading edge companies are 2.5 percent more likely to be certified as a woman-owned business than others. According to the Center for Women’s Business Research, women-owned ...
Author: The Women Presidents' Organization

NAWBO Women's Business Conference
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Power Your Dreams Women's Business Conference Chicago 2009 June 24 - 26th, 2009 In business, when a keen sense of urgency combines with the deep vision of forethrough, powerful opportunities emerge. The NAWBO Women's Business Conference 2009 propels these opportunities to the forefront. Executives from among America's 10.1 million women-owned businesses - from diverse cultures and perspectives - will gath together on June 24-26...to Power their Dreams.  Cick here for more information: 
Author: Site Contributor

Women on Boards 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

Share your Success Story or Nominate Others Around You
w2wlink.com's 2010 Ascendancy Awards for Business Women will go to outstanding women who have "ascended" to achieve and innovate in Corporate, in Entrepreneurial and in Career Transition settings. w2wlink.com initiated the Ascendancy Awards to recognize, reward and inspire women to maximize their potential in their careers. "Our vision is to inspire and recognize women who are ascending professionally and mentoring other women around them--as these key steps will link to driving higher levels of women in the executive ranks, more entrepreneurs with growing businesses and more female directors on boards in the next decade," stated Lisbeth McNabb, Founder and CEO w2wlink. w2wlink.com is accepting nominations for candidates from eight cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C. They are also accepting nominations for at-large candidates from any other city. Three winners from each category--Corporate, Entrepreneur, and Career ...
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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 th...
Author: Site Contributor

Be Heard in Meetings
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 persistence a...
Author: Stacie Nevadomski Berdan