Escape from Cubicle Nation

Gloria Steinem says Ms. Magazine was a "blogging culture with 19th century technology"

I hinted the other day that I was going to interview Gloria Steinem, the renowned feminist, author and modern day cultural icon of women's liberation.  The conversation came up as a result in her participation in Greenstone Media, the first women-owned national radio network which is launching this week in New York. I am going to attend the launch party tomorrow, so look for some photos upon my return!

I was invited on the call with a number of other female bloggers, all chosen to participate in the interview because of their strong voices on women's issues.  I imagine that we are all within about a decade of each other's age, so for most of us, we first learned about Gloria Steinem through our mothers.  All of us were a bit tongue-tied, nervous and humbled at the thought of spending an hour on the phone with one of this generation's most influential female voices.  And she didn't disappoint.

She kicked off the conversation telling us about her excitement at the launch of the Greenstone Media venture, and the opportunity to fill a void in talk radio for women.  In a prior keynote address at the Conclave Learning Conference, she had said:

"It seems to me that commercial talk radio has become less about community and more about conflict.  Less about information and more about repetition.  Less about improving ourselves and more about being angry at the world."

She explained that they wanted to conduct a "revolution from within" and shake up the programming available to smart female listeners.  All this with the first women-owned radio network in the country.

Talking about her interest in blogging, she referred to her days in the early 70's as a founder of Ms. Magazine:

"Ms. Magazine had a blogging state of mind with 19th century technology.  We wanted the same thing we do now with blogs; new information and voices into the media."*

*I don't have the recording yet so this is as close to the exact quote as I can get with my notes!

Each of us had the opportunity to ask her a question, on the topic of the new venture or not. We had the "to be a mommy blogger or not to be" discussions, wondering if the label detracted from the message.  (I find much great insight on this topic in Kathy Sierra's  I am not a "woman blogger" post, and in fact recommended that Gloria read it in a follow up email)  We talked about regaining political stamina and strength after a string of disappointing years.  Mostly, we listened to her amazing mind and sharp sense of humor, such as when she said:

"We have no right, in the name of the people, to bore the people."

For my question, I focused on the topic of this blog and asked her how she knew this venture was going to be successful, in the face of dismal data on female talk radio and huge competion from "new media."  I was thinking about all of you out there who may feel passionately committed to your business idea but find you have to sell the idea to a bored, uninterested or unwilling people in the marketplace.  She replied by saying that this was an "unprecedented time" in radio's history because there are so many capable women in leadership positions.  The team she is working with is experienced, passionate and committed to the project and feels there is a true need in the marketplace. 

She chuckled as she explained that one of the biggest challenges was "Helping the largely white male advertisers get over their fear of me and Jane Fonda."

She told me she even invested some of her own money in the venture, the first time she has ever done so in her life. 

I am very curious to participate in the launch event tomorrow night and hear more concrete plans, since the idea of intelligent, funny and informative radio is long overdue.  I plan on taking copious notes, lots of pictures and will follow up with more about what I learn.

For additional accounts of the interview, you can check out my comadres' blogs at Mommy Needs Coffee, Motherhood Uncensored, Her Bad Mother, Leah Peah, Three New York Women, Brazen Careerist, Mom 101, Almost Literary, (Que Sera Sera is another blog but I can't get the right link - I'll update later)

On a nice follow up note, Gloria said that she was sorry we were out of time and she wanted to give us more time for questions.  So she asked us to email them to her.  Some of my aforementioned bloggers were big enough to ask their readers for input.  I was totally selfish and did it myself. Since I had asked more of a business-related question in the interview, I wanted to ask a question that fascinates me personally.  Here is the wind up and question:

As I mentioned on the call, I work with people who feel trapped in corporate jobs and help them break out and start their own business.  Corporate America these days can feel like a very oppressive place, and I find that many people are disconnected from their true voice that tells them what work they are meant to do.  So a big part of the process is helping them become introspective and listen to the honest voice within (I have been very inspired by my mentor Martha Beck who wrote "Finding Your Own North Star" and is a monthly columnist for O Magazine - she says, which I fully believe, that all of us has a natural navigation system within which will lead us to our right life, and we just have to remove the crap in the way to listen to it).

So here is the question:  What do you feel is your unique purpose for being on earth?  How did you find this out, and how has it shaped choices you have made about what to do with your life?

My assumption is the you MUST be in touch with this higher purpose of your wouldn't have done as much as you have in your lifetime.  But I could be wrong ...

I eagerly await her response, and of course will share it with you!

If I hadn't been so selfish and polled you readers, what question would you liked to have asked Gloria Steinem?  If you act fast, I can try to get an answer tomorrow night.  :)

I take off at the crack of dawn tomorrow for New York.  Stay tuned!

Podcast episode 2: Plan your life, then plan your business

This week's podcast is on the topic of the importance of thinking about your ideal life before you get busy writing your business plan.

It is just under 4 1/2 minutes.

I included a simple exercise you can do when you have a few minutes time.  Please let me know how it goes, if and where you get stuck, and how it changes or impacts how you are thinking about your new business.

I had many people offer generous assistance to take my podcast to the next level .. .thanks in particular to Alex and Matthew for your great advice and information.

I will implement some of their recommendations in the next edition on September 25.  For now, I used the same low-tech approach.

The Escape from Cubicle Nation Podcast is broadcast every other Monday and will have subscription information available on September 25.

Extrasensory customer experience

The other day, I went with my husband and baby son to the Apple store here in Scottsdale, Arizona to pick out an iPod for my birthday.  I thought it was time to get with the 21st century and walk around like everyone else with little white headphones in my ears, especially since I am anxious to listen to some great podcasts.

I don't remember the last time I was in an Apple store, but as soon as I walked in, I felt very engaged.  The atmosphere was simple and stylish, and I didn't feel overwhelmed by screaming advertisements or mounds and mounds of computer equipment. A very cool, friendly and knowledgeable young man came up to me and in a very relaxed way asked what I was looking for.  After I told him I was looking for an iPod, he steered me over to an easy-to-understand chart and asked a few simple questions:

• What was I planning on using it for?
• How much music or how many movies was I planning to download?
• Did I prefer white or black?

The technically savvy among you may groan loudly at my lack of technical finesse but I have to share something with you - my eyes glaze over and my head rolls back when I am forced to discuss too many bytes or bits or megs or rams.  I just want someone to listen carefully to what my intended use of the product will be, use their vast technical expertise to recommend what I should buy, and stick out their hand to accept my credit card.

And that is exactly what happened at the store.  This cute, cool techno sales kid got me the exact product that I wanted, put it in my hands in less than 5 minutes, rang my sale with a handheld remote credit card processor so that I didn't have to stand in line to pay for it, and did nothing to hype me into an extended warranty plan.

To top it off, while I was being taken care of in the aisle, my husband and baby son were sitting on comfortable, kid-sized beanbag chairs at a low table and playing educational games on Macintosh computers.  My husband was so enchanted by the whole thing that he was ready to buy my son a new Mac right then and there.  I had to remind him that our son just barely started to walk and talk and that perhaps we should wait until he doesn't try to eat the mouse before buying him a computer.

This is just one example of a retail location that does so many things right, and takes its target customer's needs into account with their entire sales model.  They don't force you to buy, they seduce you into buying.  Other favorite retail experiences:

Whole Foods Market, which is like a blast of fresh, healthful and refreshing colors and smells every time you step inside.  I actually feel physically better when I am inside the store.  They make homemade, healthy food in their deli, carry fun extras like aromatherapy candles and massage oil, and have a gigantic abundance of fresh fruit attractively displayed right when you walk in the door.

Peet's Coffee, especially the Lake Merritt location in my old home town of Oakland, California.  Peet's is not just a place to get coffee, it is a community center.  Their coffee is like diesel fuel, just my style.  They have good pastries.  Their servers are genuine, nice people and they look you in the eye and ask how you are doing.  I was voted "customer of the week" by the staff two months after moving to Lake Merritt based on the following wonderfully subjective criteria:  "You have to come in a lot and we have to like you."  They took a Polaroid snapshot of me and placed it on the counter, gave me unlimited free drinks all week and generally made me feel like a cherished celebrity.  It wasn't forced, and I didn't have to punch out 250 boxes of a "frequent buyer card" to attain the honor.

What are the lessons to learn from these examples as you plan your business?

• Respect your customer's style.  Even if you are a 5th degree black belt in Java programming and could slice electrons with your bare fists, save your techno-babble for someone who cares.  When you see a clueless, pressed-for-time and credit-card bearing customer like me walk through your door, become a consultant and help me make an informed purchase without forcing me to listen to information I don't understand or care about. 
• Make it easy for the customer to buy from you.  Analyze the steps that your customers have to take to purchase a product from you.  If you have a web-based business, how can you make it "1-Click Amazon" simple?  For a retail store, how can you do like Apple and avoid the line at the cash register altogether?
• Let people mess around with your stuff.  I learned from a savvy salesperson that the key to getting someone emotionally ready to buy is to let them "test drive" your product.  Find ways to let them try on, hold in their hands, eat, listen to and play with your products.  If you are a service-based company, offer a free sample of a great audio program, assessment tool or video.
• Don't be afraid to be funky and use humor.  One of the appeals of the blogging world is the free speech, humor and open communication.  This medium is growing because people are hungry for real conversations with real people.  Let your true self show through in your business.  Don't use boring "business language" to describe your products or services. You can still be professional, smart and fun.
• Use color, art and style in your brand.  We are sensual creatures!  The more we see, hear, taste, touch and feel beautiful, rich, colorful and pleasing things, the more engaged we are with them.  Make your facilities, website, product packaging, business cards and all other marketing collateral pleasing to look at.  You don't have to spend a fortune, just engage a smart and talented artist to help you.
• Hire genuine, caring and knowledgeable employees.  I have no patience for gum-chewing, irreverent and bored employees.  Anywhere.  Make sure that you, and your employees if you have them, respect your customers.  Care about them. Listen to them and thank them for their business.  My worst pet peeve?  When I politely say "thank you" after purchasing an item in a store and a bored-looking employee rolls her eyes and says "You're welcome."  Make your customers feel like rock stars, not lucky to do business with you.

Calling all 20s-early 30s women who made the leap from corporate to entrepreneur

It has been a busy media week ... I just got a ping from someone looking to talk to a few young women in their 20s-early 30s who successfully made the leap from corporate employee to entrepreneur.

Are you such a woman, or does your wife/daughter/former colleague/neighbor or niece fit this criteria?

• You were indeed a corporate cog
• Your biz is full-time and up and running (doesn't matter what it is - the more variety the better)
• You fit the age guidelines of 20s-to early 30s
• You can respond by tomorrow, Thursday Sept. 7 at 12pm PST

Please email me back at pcs(at)ganas(dot)com with a few brief sentences about your story and complete contact info.

I am forwarding this along with no promises for fame and fortune, but the hope that one of you gets lucky and gets a bit of press about your business.  I feel good if I can grease the wheels and make a few connections. 

Speaking of "I am woman, hear me roar," I am interviewing Gloria Steinem tomorrow for a post about the upcoming launch of Greenstone Media, which I will be attending in New York next Tuesday.  I can't wait to hear her take on starting a new business in an arena (radio) that some say is being eclipsed by new media.  Stay tuned.

There must have been a few surprised Intel employees amidst the cuts

I read the news today that Intel plans to cut 10,500 jobs, or 10% of its workforce.  Savings are said to be about $3B a year after the inevitable couple years of adjustment. 

Whenever I read things like that, I can't help but think about the dramas unfolding tonight in the kitchens and living rooms of some of those that were laid off.  Despite all the impending signs, I can bet with total certainly that there were some affected employees totally unprepared for the news.  They went home with a dazed look on their face and realized:

• They have no savings
• They have no idea how long they can go without working
• They don't have any "gig" on the side to bring in some extra cash
• They have no idea what their next career move is going to be
• Their network is solely made up of work colleagues from Intel
• They didn't think that their job would be on the line this time around
• They have no idea how to market themselves

The power of denial is very strong in many of us (myself included sometimes!).  Until you actually receive notice that you are losing your job, you rarely do anything to prepare for it.  So if you don't want to find yourself in the same place as some of those poor souls today, please do the following:

• Get your financial house in order.  If you get stuck or overwhelmed, call a professional.
• Get out of your comfortable circle and meet some new people.  Go to an interesting conference where there are people from all kinds of companies and industries.  Take a night class at your local university, volunteer in a professional business association or check out some new online forums.
• Start working on a side gig.  I think that the way the world and the economy are going, we ALL are going to have to know how to generate income from more than one primary source.  You can start small - do one consulting project.  Sell a piece of your artwork.  Get a paid gig with your garage band.  Invest in a rental property.  You need to start experimenting with different ways to make money so that you don't paint yourself in a corner if your job goes away.
• Take your training and learning seriously.  This is not the time to slack off at your job, it is the time to drink great mouthfuls of the fire hose of information spraying at you.  Don't be the smart-ass student in your communication skills class, be the teacher's pet.  Take on new and different projects that develop new skill sets.  Complete certifications, take advantage of tuition reimbursement and attend all relevant in-house training that you can.
• Spend time thinking about your next career move.  If it is your own business, start working on it.

Please don't fall victim to the "I didn't see it coming" syndrome. A pink slip (especially with a severance check stapled to the back) can be a great blessing if you are prepared. 

Good luck soon-to-be-former Intel'ers!  I hope your transition is better than I imagine.

Labor of love

My first job was at Swensen's Ice Cream Parlor in San Anselmo, California.  I was 12 years old.  My nursery school pal's Mom was the owner of the store, and I am sure I broke some labor laws by working so young.  But I loved it.  It was 1978 and I admit that my main motivation was to save enough cash to buy a pair of Candies shoes, Danceskin skirt and leotard for the upcoming 7th grade dance.

I started as a dishwasher and found it strangely satisfying to clean huge piles of sticky, sugary bowls for hours and hours until the sink was washed clean.  I worked my way up to ice cream scooper, then Assistant Manager at 14, earning the coveted Employee of the Month award two times in two years. 

I learned so many things from my first job:  the importance of being on time, customer service, how to work a cash register, employee relations, the art of food display and a lifelong passion for Mocha Chip ice cream with crushed walnuts.  But mostly I learned that I love to work, a feeling that has stayed with me to this day.

For better or worse, I only feel this passion for work that I enjoy.  If I am uninspired, I am a hopeless procrastinator.  So I have steered my career in directions that have intense personal interest and enjoyment.  So far, so good.

On this day that celebrates the labor of all of us out there fretting and sweating in our daily jobs, I wanted to share a passage from one of my favorite writings of all times, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran:

On Work

Then a ploughman said, Speak to us of Work.
And he answered, saying:
You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth.
For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life's procession, that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite.
When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music.
Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent, when all else sings together in unison?
Always you have been told that work is a curse and labour a misfortune.
But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of the earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born,
And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life,
And to love life through labour is to be intimate with life's inmost secret.
But if you in your pain you call birth an affliction and the support of the flesh a curse written upon your brow, then I answer that naught but the sweat of your brow shall wash away that which is written.
You have been told also that life is darkness, and in your weariness you echo what was said by the weary.
And I say that life is indeed darkness save when there is urge,
And all urge is blind save when there is knowledge,
And all knowledge is vain save when there is work,
And all work is empty save when there is love;
And when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God.
And what is it to work with love?
It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.
It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.
It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy, even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.
It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of your own spirit,
And to know that all the blessed dead are standing about you and watching.
Often I have heard you say, as if speaking in sleep, "He who works in marble, and finds the shape of his own soul in the stone, is nobler than he who ploughs the soil.
And he who seizes the rainbow to lay it on a cloth in the likeness of man, is more than he who makes the sandals for our feet."
But I say, not in sleep but in the over-wakefulness of noontide, that the wind speaks no more sweetly to the giant oaks than to the least of all blades of grass;
And he alone is great who turns the voice of the wind into a song made sweeter by his own loving.
Work is love made visible.
And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.
For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger.
And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine.
And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man's ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.

_____

My wish for you today, and every day?  That you find work you love.

Happy Labor Day!