We reached out to Cooke to discover the secret to her success and gain advice on ways to successfully sell a business.

In the right place at the right time

When Cooke joined Echo Global Logistics, she had the opportunity to wear a lot of different hats. Cooke started in sales and trained new hires. She also helped to create an enterprise sales division, managed teams, and had a lot of other duties. “I was lucky to be there in such a growth period and roughly four years after I joined, the company went public on the NYSE,” Cooke says. “It was such an exciting time and the company really needed individuals that could be resourceful and move forward as fast as possible.”

Her next stop was at Groupon, where she was VP of Business Development. Groupon had the same founders as Echo, so they knew how much value Cooke could bring to the organization. “Again, I was very lucky in the sense that so early I was able to spread my wings and explore numerous incremental revenue opportunities.” Since business development included sales and partnership from a variety of sectors, she was able to work with Oprah, Gap, and Forbes, among other big brands. “My goal was to help grow the company as fast as possible — which we had great success at doing,” Cooke says. “We experienced a tremendous rate of growth and I was there through the transition to a public company.”

After she left Groupon, Cooke was exploring her options, and says the opportunity arose to take over EVENTup. “I partnered with Lightbank (the VC firm by the founders of Echo and Groupon) and we took over the company in 2014,” she says. “We grew EVENTup to great heights and were approached with an offer to sell our business early this year — we decided the timing was right so we made that happen.”

Advice for successfully selling your business

If you’re thinking about selling your business, Cooke offers the following tips:

1. Start looking for a buyer on day one

“Start by making a list of competitors and other companies within your space,” she says.  “Companies that are not direct competitors today — but have a similar customer base — are a great starting point because you never know their expansion plans.”

Cooke admits that might sound like a risky move. “You do not want to reveal your ‘secret sauce’ and have someone duplicate it,” she says. “However, it is worth a conversation and forging a relationship as once they decide to start offering a product similar to yours or expand into your space, you will be the first place they head for acquisition — which is often more cost effective than building from scratch.”

Cooke says it’s also important to maintain these relationships. In fact, she says you should initiate contact with them at least once or twice a year.

2. Be ready

“It is easier to have a buyer approach you versus actively trying to sell your company,” Cooke explains. She says timing is critically important, so you should always plan ahead. “If a potential buyer reaches out with interest, hear them out right away, even if you are not quite ready to sell,” Cooke advises. Not only will you be able to gauge how serious they are, but you can also gauge their goals and motivation. And she says this will give you the opportunity to understand how serious the potential buyer might be and also understand their goals and what’s motivating their desire to buy.

3. Know what you want

Cooke says it’s unlikely that you’ll get everything you want. “However, having a written list of what is important to guide you along the process is extremely beneficial,” she explains. “The process is exhausting and exhilarating at the same time and decisions are generally made quickly so you need to be prepared to negotiate on exactly what you want and know exactly what you are willing to give.”

The post Jayna Cooke Explains How to Successfully Sell Your Business appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

Before co-founding Phone2Action, Hartsock was national director of grassroots for an education organization, and prior to that, she was a member of the Executive Cabinet of DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, serving as the director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, and later as chief of staff of the City Administration.

When Hartsock managed membership and outreach as national director of grassroots, she ran hundreds of campaigns across the country and learned that many people didn’t know who their lawmakers were or how to contact them. “Having previously served as a high-level government official, I know first-hand how important it is to engage with constituents,” she says. “My twofold experience as a government official, and later, as a grassroots organizer, provided a unique perspective, and in 2012, I realized technology could bridge the gap between people and government.”

While civic engagement was not a catch phrase back then, Hartsock knew that it would eventually become a mainstream concept because people tend to be passionate about the issues that they care about.

Phone2Action actually launched in 2013, and the same year, it won the Best New Tech award at SXSW. By August 2013, Phone2Action raised $600K in seed funding. By June 2016, it raised $4.6 million in Series A Funding. In 2017, the company hosted the 1st Annual Good Tech Summit, and launched Social Pulse, a social media advocacy management feature.

So what does Phone2Action entail? “We build a comprehensive suite of digital grassroots tools that can connect people with lawmakers via email, phone, and social media,” Hartsock says. “We were pioneers in the design of social media advocacy tools and voice recognition advocacy — we also built a platform that in minutes enables patch through calls.”

She believes that one-size-fits-all campaigns are dead. “The new tools for civic engagement meet the advocates where they are, and today’s advocates want to personalize their communications to elected officials using pictures, gifs and by sharing their personal stories.”

Some of Phone2Action’s areas of involvement and clients include the following:

• Human Rights: Doctors Without Borders
• Civil Rights: Women’s March on Washington
• Education: National Humanities Alliance
• Environment: League of Conservation Voters
• Healthcare: American Heart Association
• Technology: AT&T

“Civic technology is growing fast and it’s exciting that our industry is still in diapers, so we have a great opportunity to build innovative tools,” Hartsock explains.

Challenges of being a woman in tech — especially trying to raise VC capital

It’s no secret that we need more women in technology, and Hartsock believes that one of the challenges of being a woman in tech is that it can sometimes be lonely. “Another major challenge is that too often we get the wrong advice and this makes us too cautious and skeptical,” she says. “In addition, there are not enough open networks for women entrepreneurs — you need to have good connections to enter elite entrepreneur circles and this contributes to the segregation of entrepreneurs of color (Hartsock is from Chile) and the limited perspective of investors.”

She advises women to be prepared when trying to raise capital. “You need to know your market size, your business model, your P&L — don’t forget your cap table.” Hartsock says she hears women say that they’re bad at math and use this as an excuse for not knowing the numbers. “That’s inexcusable — if you want to be taken seriously, take yourself seriously and learn.”

Hartsock says the lack of a record of success is a big hindrance. “Most successful companies in the U.S. are run by men, and investors don’t often get to meet or ‘spot’ promising women who eventually turn into successful serial entrepreneurs,” she explains. “We owe it to the next generation to beat that track record, so we need to keep working hard in our companies, get funded, grow the companies, take them to success, and have the opportunity to exit them.”

As the midterms approach, Phone2Action is a powerful reminder that your passion can make a difference in your community. What do you love — and what does your world need? As the saying goes, where those two meet is where your greatest success lies.

It certainly worked for Dr. Hartsock.

The post Dr. Ximena Hartsock: Using Tech to Advance Civic Engagement appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

Smith’s “clean food” epiphany changed more than just her health.  “After I saw the benefits of a whole foods diet, I scrapped the pasta shop idea and decided I needed to find a way to help other people who needed to eat clean, either by choice or because of health issues.” Motivated by that desire, Smith founded Simple Mills in 2012, and a year later was selling her first three baking mixes on Amazon.

“I decided to start with baking mixes, because none of the mixes I found on grocery shelves had the kind of clean label I was looking for — that is, with ingredients I could pronounce, and without gluten, grains, soy, GMOs, excessive sugar or anything artificial.”  Soon after she started selling her mixes on Amazon, Smith got her first Whole Foods store placement. And today?

“Today, Simple Mills products are sold in more than 14,000 natural and conventional grocery stores,” she says.

But Simple Mills has expanded well past the original three mixes. “We sell baking mixes, crackers, cookies and frostings — all made out of nutrient-dense ingredients like almond flour, coconut flour and sunflower seeds, and completely free of gluten, grains, soy, GMOs, excessive sugar, gums, emulsifiers or anything else artificial,” Smith explains. And it’s plain to see that consumers agree with the company’s approach. After all, sales don’t lie.

“We provide the number one best-selling natural baking mix, the number one best-selling natural cracker, and the number two best-selling natural cookie, and we offer a wide variety,” Smith tells us. From Artisan Bread and Pizza Dough Mixes to Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Almond Flour Crackers, the company has more than 28 different products.

In addition to skyrocketing popularity among consumers, Simple Mills has also acquired several awards from publications like Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Self, Clean Eating, Delicious Living, Paleo Magazine and Yoga Journal.  The company has also received a Chicago Innovation Award, and a “Fab Five” ranking as one of Instacart’s top trending foods in 2017.

On an individual level, Smith has been included in Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30, Inc. magazine’s 30 Under 30, and the Progressive Grocer Top Woman in Grocery list for two consecutive years, but she’s quick to shrug off such accolades. “We obviously are in the right place at the right time in terms of consumers’ interest in healthy eating,” she says, “and all the work we’ve done to provide clean food that also tastes good has paid off.”

Luck = Preparation, Passion, and Sweat

How did Katlin Smith manage to create such an effective and successful company? It’s easy to look at the outside and think she just got lucky; that — like she says herself — their product was simply in the right place at the right time. But that’s only part of the story. Like any ‘overnight success,’ the reality is Smith’s success involved a lot of hard work and planning.

Consider the fact that she is a former Deloitte Consulting management consultant who worked in the food industry before starting Simple Mills. When she opened her company, she was strategic about her team — and hired veterans of Fortune 500 food companies. They all, with Smith, saw the need for healthier packaged foods, and committed to helping drive the change. What’s more, Smith didn’t just ‘happen’ to be in the right place at the right time — she had the savvy to see the opportunity before her. She has tapped into a consumer backlash against Big Food, driven by factors ranging from increasing food sensitivities in both adults and children to concerns about GMOs, sugar intake and unrecognizable ingredients in manufactured foods.

Smith says she learns something new every day, and it’s clear she applies it to her business.  As the CEO of Simple Mills, there are five keys in particular that she says makes all the difference when building a business — and becoming a not-so-overnight ‘overnight success.’

#1: Hire people who share your passion. “That’s what’s going to build your business and get you through the stressful times,” Smith says. “Every person on the Simple Mills team has a personal interest in health and wellness, and joined the company to help others interested in clean eating.” She believes their commitment has been crucial to the company’s success; they’re not just in it for the paycheck. If you care about what you’re doing, it’s important your team cares, too.

#2: Sweat the small stuff a little less. “Details are important, but learn what you need to worry about yourself and what belongs on someone else’s plate,” Smith says. “That’s the only way you’re going to be able to grow your business and stay sane at the same time.” Delegation is essential for great leadership; you simply can’t do everything yourself, so don’t let yourself stress over it. You hired a great team; now trust them.

#3: Find mentors. A great mentor can make a powerful difference in your growth. “Their guidance and encouragement can not only keep you going, but also make you think bigger than you might have otherwise.” Smith knew she wanted to start a company that would change the way people eat, but didn’t have a specific vision — until a mentor told her the company had the potential to become the next Betty Crocker. “That helped me get where I am today,” Smith says. A mentor can help you see those possibilities — and teach you how to reach them.

#4: Don’t compromise your principles. These days, audiences care a lot about integrity — don’t sell yours short. “That can undercut your success, especially if you’re leading a purpose-driven company like mine,” Smith says. “Every concession undermines the original mission and creates a ‘death by 1,000 cuts’ scenario likely to eliminate any differentiation or competitive advantage you might have had.” Give your customers something to support and believe in; not just a product to purchase.

#5: Enjoy the journey. Don’t get so caught up in your goals and growth that you forget to appreciate your victories. “That includes the little moments along the way,” Smith says. “The first time you tell someone what you do and they actually recognize your brand name, hearing from one of your consumers about how she teared up in her grocery store because her son could eat bread for the first time, your latest market share report or revenue milestone — whatever it is, remember that you made it happen. Celebrate!”

If you want to build a powerful business, follow the example of Katlin Smith: combine passion and integrity with dedication and strategy. That’s the basic recipe for what everyone else calls ‘luck.’

The post Capitalizing on Clean Food: Katlin Smith Saw A Need And Took A Leap appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

And yet, you don’t know if your boss thinks you’re doing a good job or not.

Before you put in your 30-day or two-week notice and start looking for another job, take a giant step back and consider the source. There could be several reasons why you’re not receiving any feedback, and many of these reasons have nothing to do with you.

Your boss could be overwhelmed with work, or preoccupied with personal issues. Or perhaps your boss isn’t a very expressive person and assumes you know you’re doing a good job. On the other hand, some bosses only comment when there’s a problem. In this case, the lack of feedback means you’re doing very well.

But suppose you don’t know your boss well enough to discern their management style? These are 5 subtle signs that your boss is impressed with you and your work performance.

You’re receiving additional work

Trust me, if you’re weren’t doing a good job, you wouldn’t be getting extra work. If anything, your work load might be decreasing.

“Managers generally have multiple competing commitments at all times, and don’t always have time to review the work of their team, or train new team members,” explains Ray Luther, executive director of the Partnership for Coaching Excellence and Personal Leadership at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

While it might not be fair for you to get more work than everyone else, Luther says this could definitely be a good sign that you’re impressing the boss.

You’re asked for your ideas

When people value your work contributions, they tend to also value your opinion. “Ideas can be a dime a dozen, but being asked for your ideas means you’ve probably shown how you can make sense of your work and the bigger picture of an organization,” Luther says. “If your ideas are being sought, there’s a great chance your manager values your strategic thinking skills.”

You’re brought into meetings

Unless you’re there to take the food orders, being brought into a meeting is a good sign.  “While no one really wants additional meetings on their calendar, invites from the boss are a great sign that you’re impressing her with what you know,” Luther explains. “Being at the table is half the battle to greater influence and an ability to show your stuff.” And he says this greater visibility can only help your career and provide more opportunities to move up the ladder.

You’re given less direction but more responsibility

I know, I know: when you’re given more responsibility, you want more authority, a pay raise and a new title. But this could be the first step. “An increase in autonomy is a great sign that you’re capable of independent work, and that your manager trusts you without the need to constantly check on you,” Luther says. “It’s a wonderful time to think bigger and show what you can do.” Instead of grumbling and complaining, use this opportunity to create an even stronger positive impression of your performance.

Your boss chats about business with you

According to Simma Lieberman, a Berkeley, CA-based inclusion expert (who was also the recipient of the 2017 Global Diversity Leadership Award), if your boss engages in conversations about business with you, this is another sign that you’re doing a good job. The fact that you’re being informed about the company’s plans means your boss wants you to be knowledgeable and up-to-date.

Remember, you do have the right to ask for and expect feedback from your boss. You don’t have to wait until your mid-year or end-of-the-year performance evaluation. You can either ask for a formal meeting, or have an informal discussion. Either way, it’s best to receive feedback in person so you can also gauge facial expressions and body language to avoid any confusion. And even if you receive feedback that is less than positive, remember that criticism is a gift that helps to make you better.

The post 5 Subtle Signs You’re Impressing Your Boss (Even If It Doesn’t Seem Like It!) appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

Do Less and Obsess

“What will get you hired is showing your interviewer/potential employer that you don’t just work hard, but you perform well by obsessing over the tasks that can bring about the most success,” says UC Berkeley management professor Morten Hansen, author of GREAT AT WORK: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More.

When you work between 30 and 50 hours per week, Hansen says your performance will improve. “However, once you’re working between 50 and 65 hours per week, the benefit of adding additional hours drops off.” And when you get to 65 hours or more, he says your performance actually starts to decline. Hansen’s philosophy is to “do less, then obsess.”

His book is based on a five-year study of over 5,000 managers and workers. Only 16 percent of the 5,000 scored very high on the statement, “He/she is extremely good at focusing on key priorities, no matter how much work and how many things he/she has to do.” On the other hand, 26 percent scored very low on this item.

Working extra hours can also create the impression (whether true or not) that you are not organized, you’re not disciplined, or you don’t have the skills necessary to perform at a consistent level.  So do yourself a favor and don’t discuss your workaholism during a job interview.

Make a Name for Yourself

Even if you’re interviewing within the same company, don’t expect to be selected based solely on your work performance. “If you’re a “heads-down” type of employee who doesn’t engage outside of the team, network, or make a name for yourself with other hiring managers, you may not be the candidate selected for the next promotion,” warns Kori Renn, career coach lead of undergraduate career services at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. “Why not? No one knows you’re interested in the job or what you’re capable of,” she explains.

You might not be the type of person who brags on yourself or says, “Hey, look at me!” But there are other ways to get noticed. “In order to be upwardly mobile, you have to raise your hand for projects beyond your team, for leadership positions within professional organizations outside your organization, and make it known that you want to grow,” says Renn. “If other managers aren’t aware of your work, it’s not your current manager’s responsibility to market you.” It’s also not in their best interest to do so! Some managers want what’s best for the company, but some want what’s best for themselves. If you’re an excellent worker, they might want to keep this knowledge hidden from others.

“In today’s work environment, employees are intentionally given more work that one person can handle,” Renn says. “A gap on a team can create quite a bit of hardship for a manager, so as an effective employee, don’t expect your manager to be quick to find an advancement opportunity for you.”

Whether interviewing for an internal or external position, she says you have to market your skills and translate what you’ve done previously to the next role. “You really have to think from the context of the hiring manager: what specifically does this person need to get done now, and how do your previous experiences prove that you can do it?”

Mastering your public speaking skills can also make you a more viable candidate, while honing your negotiation skills can help you shape the terms of your new job to your advantage.

The post Working Hard Won’t Get You Hired — But This Will appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

Last month, the Oprah Winfrey Network announced a new, unscripted series staring Dellinger, “Mind Your Business with Mahisha,” in which Dellinger will help female entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level.

“I was inspired to become an entrepreneur as a result of my experience in corporate America,” Dellinger tells HER Magazine.  “My manager was trying to get rid of me and I was a single mother; this man had my financial destiny in his hands, and it was extremely stressful.” While Dellinger was initially discouraged, she credits this event as the catalyst for change. It wasn’t the first time that she needed to take a negative situation and produce a positive outcome.

Dellinger grew up in the mean streets of Sacramento, CA, surrounded by poverty, drugs, and crime, where she says gunshots and police helicopters were familiar sounds. However, Dellinger resisted the pull of the streets. Her mother worked often, and at the young age of seven, Dellinger was already preparing herself for school, making her own meals, and exercising the discipline required to complete her homework with no prompting. “I think that going through tough times strengthened my resiliency,” Dellinger says.

That drive pushed her to complete her education and land her first job at a major corporation.

In 2002, Dellinger decided to stop using harmful chemicals on her hair and opted for a natural hair style. However, she found that maintenance was a problem, since most of the natural hair care products were oily, or contained unpronounceable ingredients. And, since she was looking for a business idea that would allow her to leave corporate America, Dellinger thought about the potential of starting a natural hair care line.

Thankfully, Dellinger avoided some of the mistakes that many new entrepreneurs make. She prepared extensively before launching her business, and took $25,000 from her savings to hire a cosmetic chemist. Dellinger worked with the chemist to create hair care formulas that did not contain sulfate, parabens, silicones, and other ingredients that could damage chemical-free hair.

Another key to Dellinger’s success was knowing when to spend money and when to cut corners to save on expenses. She set up her own e-commerce site and initially sold products out of her garage. “I’m a big believer in living below your means — I wasn’t always like that, but I’ve learned to adopt this philosophy over the course of my adult life,” she says. “I didn’t go out and get an office right away, because you should get your bearings before you incur additional expenses.”

She admits that there are some costs that can’t be removed, like imaging and branding. “However, cut corners when you can,” she says. “I saved on overhead and put everything into the packaging and image of the brand, because this is how you come across to your customers.”

These days, there’s no shortage of other natural hair care products on the market — so how did CURLS makes its way to the top of the pack?

By staying focused on the product.

“There’s a lot going on in this space — lots of competition, more than ever before,” Dellinger says. “But our focus is on the product, making sure that it is wholesome and performs well, and also making sure that consumers know the benefits of the brand, the performance of the products, and our great ingredient story.”

CURLS products — for women, children, and babies — are currently sold in every major retail outlet, including Target, CVS, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Sally’s Beauty Supply. “We have new products coming out all of the time,” Dellinger says. “Target is launching our Cashmere and Caviar Collection, and we’re going into the snack industry with Vitapoint popcorn.” Dellinger explains the new snack is infused with over 15 essential vitamins, 10 grams of protein, and available in 5 flavors.

For other women considering entrepreneurship, she stresses the importance of preparation. “Always do your due diligence and research before investing time and money,” Dellinger says. “Have someone help you through the process. For example, SCORE.org will connect you with a mentor in your industry for free,” she explains, and adds that’s where she started.

However, this is a task that might prove difficult for Dellinger herself, considering the impressive level of savvy she brings to every project and business she begins. Even with a new product, a network television show, and a growing business empire, Dellinger has no plans of slowing down any time soon — and we can’t wait to see what she builds next.

Watch the premiere of “Mind Your Business With Mahisha” on Saturday, August 11 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The post Mahisha Dellinger, CEO of CURLS: From the Projects to the Penthouse appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

But now, you’re wondering if you made a mistake — because this new person isn’t meeting your expectations. What do you do now?

First, realize that people learn and perform at different levels. “Some employees perform better than others for many reasons, and one factor can certainly be skill set,” according to Jessica Jensen, global director of marketing at Qualcomm. “The more skilled a person is at their job from the beginning, the easier it will be for them to accomplish a lot in a day, but also do it with grace and confidence.”

However, since skills can be taught, Jensen says eventually all employees should be performing at the same level (all things being equal) – but this doesn’t always happen.

The next consideration is intent. “Does an employee have the will or fortitude to make a difference at work?” Jensen asks. “What is their intention each morning when they wake up?”

“This latter group will often need coaching, confidence building, and mentoring from leadership to build them into a change maker,” she explains. However, there’s another group to consider. Jensen says these are the people who just want to come to work and do a job for a specified period of time, and then go home to have dinner with their family and watch Netflix on the sofa.

“I believe this third group is the most challenging to motivate, because for them, work is a job,” Jensen says. “It is not a definition of who they are or a path to make their mark on the world.”

However, even these employees are not a lost cause. Jensen believes that inspirational leaders and camaraderie with coworkers can motivate them. And because these types of workers are so dispassionate, she believes they would make excellent moderators and negotiators.

It’s also important to be honest and objective when you find yourself let down by a new hire.  “Identify specific reasons why they are a disappointing hire,” advises Simma Lieberman, a Berkeley, CA-based workplace inclusion expert. Examine any biases to ensure that you’re not disappointed for personal reasons that have nothing to do with the job. For example, if they like to drink and party, but you don’t, this is not a valid reason to be disappointed — unless these activities affect their work performance. On the other hand, maybe they’re very religious, and you’re not. Again, this is a personal difference.

Sometimes, managers and leaders have a “this is the way I want it done” mentality that is completely based on personal preferences. But just because you wouldn’t have done it that way doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

If you’ve determined that your concerns are valid, Lieberman recommends having an honest, direct conversation in which you provide feedback regarding their performance. She says it’s critical to support the employee as they get better. However, if they don’t get better, Lieberman says you ultimately need to let them go — and learn from the experience.

“If you were the one who made the decision to hire them, revisit the reasons for your decision,” she says. “Determine whether there were signs you missed and think about what you could have done differently.”

The post The Best Way to Deal with a Disappointing Hire appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

However, as Cristal Glangchai, PhD, understands it, kids will have jobs in the future that we can’t even imagine today, and she’s on a mission to develop the next generation of creative leaders and entrepreneurs.

Glangchai, a scientist, entrepreneur, mentor, and author of Venture Girls: Raising Girls to Be Tomorrow’s Leaders, founded VentureLab to provide an opportunity for girls to learn about the STEM fields and to apply those concepts to create new products and companies. So far, VentureLab has been such a success in connecting STEM with entrepreneurship that it has since added programs for boys to learn as well!

She founded VentureLab in San Antonio, TX, in May of 2013. “I was inspired to launch the company by my own experiences as a woman in STEM, and my frustration with the lack of women in these fields and many others.”

At the time, she was teaching at Trinity University in San Antonio, and discovered that it was difficult to get female students to take her entrepreneurship classes – and those who did would often end up dropping the classes. “They seemed intimidated and unconfident in their abilities, both in STEM fields and as potential business leaders,” Glangchai explains.  “I thought about my experiences in college, being one of the few girls in mechanical engineering, and I reflected on my time doing investor pitches for my nanotechnology company.” In these male-dominated settings, women were a rare sight.

Challenging Gender Stereotypes

But instead of just wondering and reflecting, Glangchai decided to take action. “From my experiences, I realized that girls really need a certain type of confidence and risk-taking that’s not specifically taught to them.” So how did she manage to be successful?  “I feel like I had learned this entrepreneurial mindset and immigrant mindset from my dad, who had 3 daughters, but had always wanted sons.” He ended up treating his daughters as though they were that son he always wanted. “We grew up playing sports, building things, fixing cars, etcetera, and never realized girls ‘should not’ do certain things — because we always thought we could do anything.”

As a result, Glangchai was never afraid to ask questions in school, didn’t hesitate to join the engineering club, and thought it was normal to be different.

In fact, when she was teaching in San Antonio, Glangchai started sharing entrepreneurial concepts with her daughters and sons, who were all under the age of 8 at the time. “My daughters’ teachers would come up to me after school and ask what I was teaching them,” she says. “The girls were more confident, speaking up more in class, trying new things, and coming up with creative ideas and solutions to problems.”

This is when it dawned on Glangchai that kids in general, and girls in particular, must be taught to be creative and confident at a young age – before they are exposed to preconceived notions of what girls and boys should be and do. “I wanted to teach them to have confidence that they can create things, and yes, even create their own company,” she says. “I wanted to teach them to have the courage to get in front of an audience and show their accomplishments – and overall, I wanted to create an environment that felt safe for girls to reach their fullest potential.”

She knew she was the perfect founder for VentureLab. Previously, Glangchai had founded NANOTaxi, a drug-delivery company that developed disease-responsive nanoparticles for cancer therapy. While at Trinity University, she was director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and assistant professor of Practice. Currently, she is the director of the Blackstone LaunchPad at the University of Texas at Austin, and director of the Texas Entrepreneurship Exchange. Founding VentureLab was completely in her wheelhouse.

VentureLab works with schools and nonprofit partners to provide free K-12 curricula, programs, and teaching training.  The curricula integrates ESTEAM (Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) concepts, and VLab helps young people learn how to harness technology to turn their concepts into real-world products and services, or pursue other ESTEAM-based careers.

Why Girls Need to be Involved in STEM at a Young Age

STEM skills – especially technology – are critical in a variety of industries ranging from healthcare and manufacturing to education and hospitality. “Unfortunately, we are leaving girls behind: in elementary school girls excel at math and science, and 74% of girls are interested in STEM,” she says. “However, by the time girls reach their teens, only about 20% are interested in pursuing STEM careers.” Even as tech careers increase, she says the gender gaps are also increasing in these industries.

But if girls can be taught STEM principles such as curiosity, creativity, and solving problems at a young age, she believes they’re more likely to retain these traits when they reach the peak of peer pressure as teenagers. “That is why we need to give girls the confidence to believe that they can do anything; they can 3D print an engine, create software, or start a company beginning in pre-school.”

Glangchai doesn’t think every girl needs to pursue a STEM career, but she does believe that all girls should feel comfortable around STEM and have a basic understanding of these subjects. “And it is critical that we engage them in STEM at a young age, so that we have a world where both boys and girls are creating the future.”

Entrepreneurship is a fun way to introduce girls to STEM and STEAM. “To me, entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting companies — it is a skillset and a mindset that includes the ability to seek out opportunities, create opportunities, problem solve, and think laterally and creatively.” A variety of skills are needed to bring products and services to market, including website design, financial analysis, etc. And, as Glangchai explains, “It’s all of these attributes that make [entrepreneurship] the perfect gateway into creating STEM-curious and confident girls.”

The post How To Get Girls Involved in STEM? Cristal Glangchai Has A Plan appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

And, according to Olga Mizrahi — a national speaker, marketing expert, and instructor in the Digital Marketing Program at the University of California, Irvine — as a freelancer, you should always be looking for new clients.

Why It’s Important to Always Attract New Clients

“It’s important to diversify your client base,” says Mizrahi, author of The Gig is UP: Thrive in the Gig Economy, Where Old Jobs are Obsolete and Freelancing is the Future. “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” Serving a variety of new and different clients as you grow your business ensures that if one big client leaves, the departure won’t cripple you financially.

However, while you need new clients, Mizrahi recommends a specific type of new client. “I would say that it’s more important to attract recurring clients, than set up a pipeline of a string of new clients, who may or may not renew,” she explains.

So how do you attract recurring clients? “Make yourself stand out by understanding the unique reasons why clients choose YOU over someone else in the first place,” she says. “If a client has a clear picture of what you offer that others cannot or will not, you will lead the pack in being chosen again and again.”

Mizrahi has worked with a variety of brands through her 12-year old ecommerce and marketing firm, ohso! design, her blog ChunkOfChange.com, and her books: “The Gig Is Up” and “Sell Local. Think Global.” “I’ve had the opportunity to observe, first-hand, the universal struggles that entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and freelancers face, and the pleasure of helping a variety of individuals transform and thrive.”

How to Attract New Clients

Believe it or not, according to a survey by the McKinsey Global Institute, 30% of working-age Americans don’t know that they can earn money using digital platforms. “There are potential clients waiting for you on the other end of the net,” Mizrahi says. “You just need to get in front of them.”

She recommends asking yourself how you can strive for excellence and also aim to make someone’s life easier. Combining talent and ease-of-use is the winning combination for gig success.

If you’re not sure where to start, she suggests turning to some of the online gig platforms, such as Upwork, Task Rabbit, Care.com, or Fiverr.

“The other important site you may have overlooked is LinkedIn,” she says. “Be sure you have a complete LinkedIn profile, are connected with people you’ve worked with and for, and have at least a couple of good recommendations on your page.”

Don’t underestimate the importance of your network – it’s the most important resource you have. “Put yourself out there in the public news feed and tell your network what you have to offer and what you’re looking for,” she says. “You may be surprised who the people in your network know, and who may be willing to hook you up.”

Why It’s Important To Be Ethical

As a freelancer, your success will be based on many factors, including the ability to be ethical. “Business ethics serve several purposes: they align expectations between you and your client, they serve as a reminder about what you will and won’t do (when the going gets rough), and they establish a clear-cut set of standards by which you work,” Mizrahi says. “Honestly, having your own code of ethics is more for you than it is for the client.” If you have taken the time to outline what does and does not work for you, you’ll have fewer headaches down the road.

The post Why Choose YOU? How To Attract New Clients In The Gig Economy appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

However, it’s not the only scenario that requires negotiation skills. Women who expect to succeed in the workplace, especially if they aspire to be leaders and entrepreneurs, need to know how to negotiate. HER Magazine asked several experts in this area to weigh in on the importance of negotiation skills, and provide some tips on how to develop this skill set.

Why You Need Negotiation Skills

“Negotiation skills are critical because just about everything is a negotiation in some way,” according to Jeb Ory, CEO of Phone2Action. “People tend to think of negotiations as limited to job offers, or annual or semi-annual reviews, but in fact negotiations happen every day, many times a day.”

As an employee, you need negotiation skills when relating to your boss, peers, and even vendors. “If your manager has stated that your internal goals this year include achieving an unrealistic 150% more in cost reduction than you did last year, you will need to approach this negotiation diplomatically and strategically,” says Bryan Eaves, PMP, CPA, of Sourcing Business Solutions. “On the other hand, if one of your largest external vendors proposes at 4% price increase for materials at your company, doing your research upfront and being fully prepared for the discussion are important to optimize the value and benefits of the vendor contract and partnership.”

As a leader, these skills are even more important. “Advocating for a potential hire, working through contractual terms with a prospective client, and making a case for a certain course of business action are all negotiations,” Ory says. “The more competent a manager is at negotiating the more successful that person will be overall.”

That’s because influence is one of the most important traits in a leader. As best-selling leadership author John Maxwell would say, “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” But, how do leaders influence others? Brute force is unethical and illegal, and thinly veiled threats will cause employees to jump ship. So leaders have to use more nuanced approaches. “Persuasion, which is getting someone to do what you want, is a vital leadership skill,” according to Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow, clinical assistant professor of management and business law at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. “However, some of the most important relationships leaders need to develop require a delicate dance of give and take between the leaders’ best interests and the interests of employees or third party vendors and suppliers,” says Westerhaus-Renfrow, who teaches courses on negotiation.

“Successful negotiators can use these skills to get someone to give them what they want and need in a manner that bolsters and solidifies long-term business relationships and leaves everyone feeling like they won,” she says. “No doubt about it, people like to work with and for a winner, when they also feel like they come out a winner too.”

In essence, the effectiveness of a leader is based on that individual’s ability to motivate others to do what needs to be done. “Effective negotiation results in the best ideas coming to the fore and guarantees that strategy is formulated and decisions are made in a manner that builds consensus in support of those actions among the subordinates, peers and superiors who will be tasked with executing those plans,” according to Stephen Hayford, professor of Business Law and Ethics in the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

“Mastering the negotiation skills set is reliable way to increase your personal power, legitimating and magnifying your position/title power, propelling people to believe that you deserve to be the boss, the leader,” Hayford explains. “You become a leader when people choose to follow you and, they will choose to follow you because of the way you make decisions, resolve conflict and exercise the power you hold.”

The Path to a Successful Negotiation

However, successful negotiations don’t just happen by chance. Westerhaus-Renfrow compares them to competitive team sports. “Skilled negotiators — just like winning coaches — prepare winning strategies, which are the pre-formulated game plans, objectives, and approaches that guide them in reaching their goals.” She says they have to learn and practice effective tactics over and over. “At the end of a win-win negotiation, the scoreboard will indicate that both sides have scored a decent amount of points — the distinctive key in negotiations is that both sides are satisfied with the ending score, and most importantly, they are eager to negotiate with each other again in the future.”

According to Westerhaus-Renfrow, these are the six steps to preparing for a negotiation:

• Research in advance and have adequate background information about your counterpart
• Know your goal
• Prepare a plan, complete with every imaginable scenario and contingency plan to mitigate surprises
• Always have alternatives. The side with the most alternatives will get most out of the negotiation
• Have a strong walk-away alternative
• Have the confidence to walk away from a negotiation for legitimate and objective reasons.

Hayford agrees and adds, “Successful negotiations is based on, springs from an accurate and complete assessment of the relevant facts, the people involved, the risks and opportunities presented by a given conflict, decision or change event– the world as it is, not as you wish it were.” Hayford says it should be win-win. “Successful negotiations reflect an optimal balance between creating value.”

Preparation examples

Now that you know the steps, Eaves provides a real-world example of preparing to negotiate with a vendor or customer. “Preparation includes understanding market pricing, industry expected service levels, obtaining input from any stakeholders at your company, and understanding the importance of your relationship with the other party,” he explains. “For example, if you work for a large bank, it would be extremely important to understand the deposits and loan amounts that the other party has as a customer of your bank prior to your negotiation process,” Eaves says.

Remember that the goal of negotiating is to reach an agreement that is satisfactory to both parties. Ory warns that what is important to one party might not be a priority to the other party. So, he recommends the following three steps:

• List what matters most to you in order of priority. If it’s a promotion, then things that matter the most might include: title, responsibilities, salary, bonus, and time off. If it’s advocating to exhibit at a conference, things that might matter include: number of people that will attend, cost, expected return, sponsorship packages, etc.
• List what you think matters to your negotiation partner. What is their preferred order of items? For example, time of delivery, service after the sale, price, etc.
• Understand the rules and possibilities before you negotiate. When his company raised capital from our investors, Ory applied skills from business school to ensure that they got better terms.

It’s also important to understand that negotiating is a skill that must be developed.  You might not be successful the first time, but the key is to learn from your mistakes, and make tweaks and adjustments as necessary. Also, don’t be deterred if you don’t get the desired response.

“You can learn great negotiation skills and yet still fail to hit the mark if you are not confident enough to negotiate past one key word — ‘no,’” Westerhaus-Renfrow says. “Confidence in the valley of ‘no’ can enable the negotiator to turn contrary signals into positive opportunities to problem-solve, identify and clarify interests, and create value for both parties.”

The post Negotiating 101: How to Hone Your Negotiation Skills appeared first on HER Magazine ™.