Diversity Woman Magazine

FALL 2014

Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds

Issue link: https://diversitywoman.epubxp.com/i/385684

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 35 of 71

We Mean Business > can make you talk yourself out of doing something that you really want to do," Blake says. "We had names for the two parts of my mind—one is the practi- cal, pragmatic side, and the other is the fighty, fearful side. When I was freaking out, I'd say, 'Tis is the fighty one. Tis is my inner saboteur. Tis is not who I am. Tis is just a piece of me who's creeping in and taking over.'" Lee says helping clients get mastery over their emotions around change is one of the most important things she does. "A lot of clients come to me with business challenges, but often the challenge is ac- tually their belief system, so we spend time working on that," she says. "You cannot achieve your external goals until you deal with the internal—just plain and simple. Sometimes, because we're so close to our own lives, it's hard to see a way out. If you are taking the step to hire a coach, it means that you're trying to ac- celerate your progress." Adapting to Thrive As the working world rapidly changes— due to technology, a more competitive global economy, and even entire job categories becoming obsolete—career coaches are helping their clients keep up. A coach can help you adapt and reinvent yourself so you remain marketable as the changes come. "We used to think that there were cer- tain tasks that could only be done by human beings, like driving, because of the multitasking and the decisions that we had to make," Lin says. "Well, guess what? Now Google has a car that drives itself. What that tells me is that the peo- ple who are going to be able to survive in this fast career-changing market are the people who can adapt, be fexible, and have optimism. Tey're the ones who are going to come out on top." Now more than ever, stepping up to new challenges is key. "People sometimes take themselves out of the game before they even get to play," Lin says. "Unfor- tunately, that's actually more critical for women. We read a book when I was in business school called Women Don't Ask [by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever] about how we're conditioned by the age of seven not to take up so much space. So we decide not even to apply for that posi- tion, and that's devastating." "A lot of people got upset about that Claire Shipman article in Te Atlantic about how men and women difer ["Te Confdence Gap," by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman]," Lee adds. "But having worked with women all this time—and think- ing about myself when I frst started—I know that it's true. Yes, maybe men and women have diferent strengths and dif- ferent ways of approaching things, but it doesn't mean that, as a woman, you're any less capable." Meanwhile, as women navigate their careers, research shows that they often don't get the compensation they deserve because they don't ask for it, and a coach can help with that, too. "Women do not negotiate the way men do," Tanasoulis- Cerrachio says. "It is in the DNA of a man to negotiate a higher salary. My frst questions are, 'Do you think you're well compensated? How do you know? What will the market bear?'" Going Holistic Although it's tempting to segment our lives mentally—into our work life, home life, social life, and so on—experts say that's a false construct. So gone are the days when a career coach focused on a singular goal in isolation, like helping a client get to the next rung on the corpo- rate ladder. Today's best career coaches recognize that their clients are well- rounded human beings with complex lives. "Everything is integrated—your career, your family relationships, your friend- ships," Tanasoulis-Cerrachio says. "So when I work with clients, I like to know where they are in their personal life, as well. Do they have support? For example, if someone has children but doesn't have good day care, that's going to detract from what they need to do at work. I like to fnd out about their life and what kinds of stresses there are. You have to trouble- shoot to get rid of those stressors." Blake says having a good support net- work was key. "Tis was a venture that my sister and I were going to do to- gether," she says. "I had my family and my husband supporting me, and I had a team of experienced entrepreneurs to call for support." And she had Lin to help propel her to- ward her goal. In March of 2013, Blake and her sister opened True Waxology & Skincare in Walnut Creek, California— the same month that her baby arrived. "So they both launched at the same time," she quips. "I wouldn't advise most people to start a business and a baby at the same time. It's crazy, but we did it. Having coaching with Jenn helped me psycho- logically prepare for the hard work but also cut myself some slack." Today, Blake says she couldn't be happier. Her salon offers natural skin- care services, just as she envisioned, and she's proud that her employees are making healthy hourly wages. "I feel like I'm honoring my core values, and that's what brings me the joy—being creative," Blake says. "I'm always chal- lenging myself to create new products and services and learning new ways to market. And I also like being able to make a big impact, not only on our employees' lives but on my sister's life. She's got three kids, and I've seen her life change as she's had this wonder- ful opportunity to learn her leadership style and evolve as a manager. It's hard work, but I feel so energized." DW Kimberly Olson is DW's managing editor. PEOPLE SOMETIMES TAKE THEMSELVES OUT OF THE GAME BEFORE THEY EVEN GET TO PLAY. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S ACTUALLY MORE CRITICAL FOR WOMEN. 34 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N Fa l l 2 0 1 4 d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Diversity Woman Magazine - FALL 2014