013: Be Bold Not Bitchy

Explicit content warning

03/13/15 • 42 min

Women Rocking Wall Street - A podcast dedicated to women in financial services

Erin Donley: Be Bold Not Bitchy

The words we tell ourselves and tell others are truly powerful. Erin Donley is here on this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street to tell us how to use our words wisely. It’s important to examine our words, Erin says, and to act with compassion through them. In a world of instant communication through email, phone and social media, people don’t often think about what they’re saying before hitting send. But learning the art of communication examination can elevate you as a leader in the business world and show that you’re a communication role model. Rather than acting on emotion and impulse and being construed as impolite, it’s important to think about our message before sending or speaking. Erin suggests asking ourselves questions such as, “Is there a selfish need in this email?” “Am I being impatient?” “What do I secretly hope will happen if I send this email?”

When we’re emotionally tethered, “communication blind spots” occur. And this can sabotage what we’ve worked so hard to create in the workplace. Remember the saying, “You can’t read the label from the inside of the bottle.” It’s hard to see ourselves objectively, which is why it takes practice to communicate effectively. After all, email tones can be distorted through unexpressed expectations and stereotypes of both the sender and receiver. Communicating with thoughtfulness and creativity is sure to make you stand out from the crowd—all it takes is a little confidence and practice!

To speak with Erin and learn more about effective communication, check out her online communication training course: “How Should I handle this?” which explores communication roadblocks. Erin also offers in-person trainings. For more information, check out her website at erindonley.com.

Stay tuned next week for my chat with Ana Melikian, Book Yourself Solid Elite Certified Coach, who specializes in helping self-employed professionals with online marketing.

Erin Donley: Be Bold Not Bitchy

Stay tuned next week for my chat with Ana Melikian, Book Yourself Solid Elite Certified Coach, who specializes in helping self-employed professionals with online marketing.

Previous Episode

012: Time to Get In the Game

Pat Roche: Get In the Game

Pat Roche is never one to shy away from a challenge. In college, she took on four internships—back when internships weren’t even a thing. By age 24, she founded her own company, Business Boomers, which helps business professionals find success through marketing, promotions and events. And eventually she found a very interesting niche—Golf For Business Bootcamps. These training courses cover everything from learning golf etiquette, to volunteering at golf events, to making connections on the course. Pat has found a unique career helping people feel comfortable around a sport that affords opportunities to not only make business connections, but also raise money for charity.

From a birdie to a bogie, Pat makes it her mission to teach the fundamentals of golf. Like etiquette at a dinner party, the game of golf requires certain manners that can help golfers not only enjoy the game for the sportsmanship, but also for the potential business connections they can make on the links. As Pat says, it’s about learning to be comfortable in the country club and on the course. It’s also about setting a foundation of credibility on the course that can get people interested in the game and also help them in the business world. Remember that it’s never too late to learn something new. Reinvent yourself!

For more information about Pat’s services, contact her by email at [email protected], phone at (973) 809-4445, Facebook under “Business Boomers”, or on her website at thebusinessboomer.com.

Join us next week on Women Rocking Wall Street when communication expert Erin Donley shares with us how women can communicate with boldness and thoughtfulness.

Also coming up March 9 is the Women in Pensions Network (WiPN) Networking Event in San Francisco, where I’ll be presenting “Surviving in a Wired World.” Check back soon for a registration link!

Next Episode

014: Keeping An Open Mind

Ana Melikian: Keeping an Open Mind

You can imagine my excitement when a fellow podcaster agreed to be this week’s guest on Women Rocking Wall Street! Ana Melikian is the brains behind Mindset Zone, a podcast designed to help us all cultivate a “growth” mindset that fosters learning and new possibilities. The concept of fixed vs. growth mindset comes from psychologist Carol Dweck. In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, she explains why people succeed or fail based on a closed or open frame of mind. Ana says it’s particularly important for entrepreneurs to keep a growth mindset. For instance, some business owners may say to themselves, “I’m not good at sales. I just wasn’t born with that skill.” But having this fixed, limited way of thinking can be detrimental to a business. Even if you aren’t selling products, you’re still selling your services as a business owner. So don’t sell yourself short!

Our beliefs can determine who we are and what we achieve, so remember never to limit them! If you assume you won’t be good at something, then you’re closing the door to a possible opportunity in your career and life. Let’s say you tell yourself you’re bad at art, even though you’ve never really tried to draw. How do you know you’re bad? You may not become a famous artist, but you could pick up a new skill or hobby with a little effort and expand your mindset. Viewing it as “I was born with this skill/I wasn’t born with this skill” doesn’t foster growth. Rather, changing your mindset to “I have a choice” can help you find unexpected opportunities. To quote Viktor Frankl: “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”

To get in touch with Ana and learn more about her podcast, visit Mindset.zone.

Join me next week with guest Amy Glynn, president of Pension Resource Institute. Have a great week!