What does a Confident Business Woman look like to You?

Today I tweeted the following, "Confident business women recognize someone else's great idea, compliments on that idea, and then humbly asks for permission to use it!". Within minutes, I got the following reply, "I guess. But it would be better to come [u]p with our own.."

On the surface, I completely agree with what the person is saying - plain and simple, it's better to have your own great ideas. But the reality is that we just can't always do it! You can spend countless numbers of hours brainstorming on something and trying to figure something out and never get from point A to point B. That's why we have terms such as writer's block. It happens to all of us - we get stuck and need a little nudging in the right direction. I was stumped on what to blog about and low and behold as a result of the dialogue between me and the other person on twitter, I'm sitting here now typing away.

The point I'm making boils down to this: there are those instances when you've admired something someone else has done and their creativity led to a "Hello Duh?!" moment and/or prevented you from having to reinvent the wheel. What's the politically correct thing to do in this case? Ask for permission to use their template, framework, suggestion or whatever it is - don't use their idea and not give them their props. I've witnessed this on a number of occasions and must admit that I've been a victim myself. Sitting down in a meeting or during a presentation and the presenter (aka - your so called boss!) is highlighting all of your "bullets" and she is taking all the glory. Not a good best practice and certainly not a characteristic of a confident leader.

Confident women are completely comfortable with who they are and what they have to offer. They don't need to downplay others to make themselves look good or feel validated. A confident woman can pay another woman a compliment and not expect one in return. They are content with who they are, both inside and out, and aren't afraid to let it be known. If you're a confident woman, leave a comment and celebrate yourself. Invite your confident friends to do the same.

Photo credit: Chris Nuzzaco

Clutter Diet? What will they think of next...

Ok...as if there aren't already enough diets going around, here's a new one for you - it's called The Clutter Diet. What does it entail? Perhaps rearranging and cleaning out the fridge to get rid of processed foods. Maybe taking inventory of your pantry and throwing away everything that contains carbs, sugars, and MSG. Well, there's definitely going to be some purging and sorting going on and if you choose to start with either your fruits and veggies or non perishable items, that decision is completely up to you. One thing I can guarantee is that once you start, you won't want to stop. And even if you do, there's no risk of gaining back any unwanted pounds in the form of body fat, but you'll certainly end up right back at square one battling the junk drawer bulge!

I had the pleasure of meeting the creator and Chief Executive Organizer of The Clutter Diet, Lorie Marrero, CPO. I'd seen Lorie on CNBC's the Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch and then visited her website ClutterDiet.com. After going to her site, I was thrilled to find out that we were neighbors - she lives right here in Austin. When I found out I was going to be on the Big Idea, I reached out to Lorie for help with doing the show. We weren't able to connect right away (she was busy with CNBC and writing her book) but just so happen, we "bumped" into each other one day on twitter. We met for coffee about a week later!

One thing I'd always wanted to ask Lorie was how do you get people organized by using online tools and resources? Once she explained it to me, it made complete and total sense. There are people who really want to become more organized, but don't want someone else in their homes doing it for them. All they need is a push in the right direction, along with comprehensive strategies to get the job done. Once they implement those strategies, they can then use them all over the house AND office and every other space that could stand to lose a few pounds of clutter. What a cost effective way to hire a professional organizer!

When you visit The Clutter Diet, don't leave without getting your free report: 30 Ways to Find Time to Get Organized. But don't stop there. Come back and let me know how you're putting it to use. We've finally found a diet that really works! Lorie and I are working on a give-away that you don't want to miss! Do you think I'm kidding when I tell you to sign up on my website for free stuff?? Well don't just sit there...go sign up! :)

Talk to you soon...

The Spending Habits of a Diva

As the holiday shopping season approaches, I thought it would be a good time to let you in on some of my shopping patterns and the ways I save money. All of my family and friends know that I'm extremely resourceful and sometimes I can be down right cheap (I like to think of myself as "thrifty"!).

Last month, Oprah devoted several of her shows to helping families overcome the rough economic times. She hosted Suze Orman and Stephanie Nelson, founder of CouponMom.com. I have to admit that I spend most of my Saturday nights in front of CNBC watching Suze. Do I always do the right thing with my money? Heck no, but she's a great money mentor and gives sound advice along with her infamous "Smack Downs". I'd visited Stephanie's website a time or two, but had never implemented any of her easy coupon clipping strategies to combat skyrocketing grocery prices; I have my own system for using coupons and follow it faithfully. Just between us, I couldn't fathom someone outdoing me in the coupon/saving/thrifty department! However, after seeing her in action I decided to give it a try. I used my store's weekly sales ad and bought the items and brands that were on sale. I saved $24 the first week and $17 the following week. Now for some of you hi-rollers, I'm sure that's small change but for me and my family, that was major moolah (I can buy shoes, a purse, and a bra with the $41 I saved!). The new sales ads come out on Wednesday's and I make it a point to be there. I don't get bogged down with trying to go on a certain day and all that stuff, I just go when it's convenient for me.

I encourage each and every one of you to make just one change in your spending habits. I'm asking you to strengthen the relationship you have with your money. Pick something that works for you and stick with it for 30 days. Track how much you save and let that be your incentive to continue on and implement a new strategy. I said earlier that I could've bought about three things with the money that I'd saved, but that's clearly not the objective. Although I do encourage you to celebrate when you reach your desired savings goals.

I'd love for you to share the creative ways you recession-proof your life. Leave a comment and invite a friend to do the same. Do you need an accountability partner? I sure could use a few more! Call me and let's see how we can better help each other.

Talk to you soon...

Donna Coaches Ty in Chicago and Denise in Texas - Repost

Tuesday, 16 Sep 2008

www.DonnaSpeaks.com

Thanks to Mel Robbins, host of a nationally syndicated radio talk show, DonnaSpeaks is getting around! Don’t get me wrong – I put in my fair share of blood, sweat, and tears but it sure does help to have a CNBC contributor in your corner.

I recently helped Ty in Chicago put an action plan together for breaking into the speaking industry. When she initially called me (yes! I answer my own phone!), she admitted that she had some fears and reservations because she didn’t know how receptive I would be to having a complete stranger call out of nowhere needing help. FYI…that’s what coaching is all about. Ty had a laundry list of audiences and topics that she wanted to speak on and only a few of them were closely connected. She talked and I listened and took notes. By the end of the call, I’d managed to help her define her target audience, gave her a topic that would best suit that audience, and a plan that she could immediately execute.

Denise in Texas contacted me for financial guidance. Like so many of us, she had more bills than she had money. She was in a pickle about who to pay and how much and of all things, how to best allocate whatever would be left over. My advice was to pay the “urgent” bills first – the necessities that you can’t live without – shelter, electricity, water, gas, and food. Everyone else could wait! Put the cable, cell phone, and any other miscellaneous bills on the back burner this pay period, but definitely call the creditors to explain the situation and workout a payment arrangement.

This is what I do – one day at a time – one person at a time – listen, connect, and offer practical real life solutions that guarantee results.

Have a question for me? I’d love to chat with you – contact me today. You are not in this alone.