Just finished having a very impromptu lunch with a friend and colleague. I was leaving a client meeting and thought I’d touch base with her. She was leaving a speaking engagement. We both hadn’t had lunch. We headed to a great local cafe with wifi. I arrived first and had an iced coffee while I went online to get some work done before she showed up.

We talked over lunch about a variety of topics including:

1. the status projects we are working on together;
2. new projects coming down the road;
3. our kids and daycare, discipline and mommy guilt;
4. local politics and gossip;
5. more ways we can work together. Read the rest of this entry »

As an entrepreneur, you’ve undoubtedly heard the expression “wearing a lot of hats.” You aren’t only the company’s founder and probably the president and/or CEO, but you are also often the CFO, the COO, the head of marketing, you name it. As your business grows, you may begin outsourcing some of those duties so you can wear the hat that fits you best. Or you might begin hiring people to work within your company or yourself.

Then there are the hats that you can’t delegate as easily. Mom, for example, or Wife. Yeah, those aren’t hats you can just pass off even if it would free you up to spend more time on your company.

So what are your hats and how are you wearing them? Which ones have you passed on for someone else to wear? And which ones should you be passing on but haven’t gotten around to it yet? Here’s a look at my hat inventory.
Read the rest of this entry »

We all know the luxury of working in our bunny slippers. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the way I present myself to clients and colleagues, that is, the way I portray myself as a professional in professional settings. Have the bunny slippers gone to my head?

I thought about this especially as I walked into a meeting with one of my top clients and considered my attire:

Hair tied back in a ponytail, a tan ribbed cotton turtleneck, brown velour sweat pants and brown Merrills. Without socks. Oh, but I did have a smidge of lipstick on.

Is this wrong, I asked myself. Instead of feeling embarrassed that I was not in more professional attire, however, I had an entirely different take on the matter starting with:

1. I am the mother of a toddler. If you want me to dress like you dress, please stop by my house and take care of my child while I get ready. I can’t take care of a toddler AND spend time on my hair, makeup and clothing. Read the rest of this entry »