Photo by Pete Ashton

I am very fortunate to have become involved with an organization called The Story Exchange. This group was created by Victoria Wang and Sue Williams to help create awareness of and support for women entrepreneurs world wide. Their website offers stories about women from all walks of life who have become successful entrepreneurs and inspires women to live their dreams and uncover their full potential. The following guest blog post was written for us by Victoria Wang.

Entrepreneurial Women: We Need You!
by Victoria Wang,

One of the things I’ve heard from women everywhere is that women need more female role models. And after climbing the ranks of the financial world, it’s something I personally know all too well. Throughout my career, I often wished there were more women for me to share experiences with on issues both business and work/life related.

Although things have improved since I first started, in part due to the ability to share information more easily, there is still a serious shortage of stories that women can watch to see successful women entrepreneurs in action.

If you turn on the television or browse the web, you might find a few clips here and there, but no one is telling the real stories about the real women—we’re not talking about the Kim Kardashians of this world—who are starting businesses.

That’s why we started The Story Exchange: to bring the stories of successful women entrepreneurs who can be role models to other women, wherever they are. It’s all about women inspiring women through short, broadcast quality videos that are available to anyone on the web.

Have a look at our video called WHY – on the reasons why women entrepreneurship needs to be fostered and supported not only in the U.S. but the world over.

One of the inspiring stories we have on our site is that of Deborah Olivo, a New Jersey-based business owner. After losing her job in the great recession Deborah launched a business manufacturing and selling VidaAire, an organic sanitizer.  Today, you can find her products in Whole Foods and that’s just for starters.  Watch her video and you will see why we call her our “unstoppable entrepreneur.”

We would love to hear your about your experiences starting a business as well. We’ve put together a brief survey where you can tell us your story, which will appear on our site. We use these submissions to write blog posts and to help us find compelling stories for future videos.
http://thestoryexchange.org/category/yse/

About Victoria Wang
Victoria Wang is the co-founder of The Story Exchange. Wang is a former banker and marketing consultant with more than three decades of experience in the financial world.

Photo by John Federico

I am sure many of you can only imagine how my breast cancer has permeated my life. And, many of you know only too well based on your own cancer experiences.

For me, the doctor’s call at 10 p.m. bearing the “verdict” changed my life forever. The world stopped, my heart stopped, I clutched my husband’s arm and squeezed. Adrenaline rushed through my body and blind panic overcame me.

Over the weeks, I have settled into my new identity. I have gained strength both physically and mentally and have had much reflection time. I don’t want to diminish the horror, but along with my diagnosis, I have received unprecedented gifts. I have received compassion, advice, the ability to help others and the opportunity to reflect.

But in reading a recent article by Peter Bregman, I can see that there is a whole new way to look at my situation. I have condensed Peter’s blog below, and I think you’ll agree that he says it all.

An “unplug-and-stop-everything-for-a-minute” strategy might be a pretty good solution for whenever things aren’t working in life.

That point was reinforced for me in a recent cell phone call I had with Eleanor, my wife, while she was traveling. We were having a difficult conversation and each of us had the feeling that the other one wasn’t listening. Then the call was dropped. We tried calling each other back but only got voicemail. So we sat there for a minute, each of us in our respective places.

Unplugged.

When we eventually connected again, the tone of the conversation changed radically. We were softer with each other. More attentive. More forgiving and loving. Better at listening and rephrasing what we heard the other one saying. I never thought I’d say this but, for once, I was happy that my cellular network is unreliable. It gave us both a minute to breathe and get some perspective.

Unplugging and waiting for a minute is an unexpected strategy because it appears passive. You aren’t actively developing new strategies, arguments, or viewpoints. In fact, you aren’t actively doing anything.

When you unplug and wait for a minute, you restore yourself to your factory default settings, which for most of us tends to be generous, open-hearted, creative, connected, and hopeful. That makes us more likely to be effective when we plug back in.

In a meeting that’s going nowhere? Take a break. Making no headway on that proposal you need to write? Stand up and take a walk. Fighting with your kids? Give yourself a time-out. Unplug for a minute and breathe.

I have been given an opportunity to reset – to pause, evaluate and choose the manner in which I would like to emerge. I can shed the pieces of my lifestyle that we, as women business leaders, move into; rushing, harrowed, no time for ourselves. I recommend trying Peter’s suggestions whenever you feel overwhelmed.

Photo by West Point Public Affairs

My first pink week was filled with love and compassion. My girlfriends, who are all successful in their careers, have been marveling at my bravery. I really don’t think I am brave but rather willing to tackle what I can’t control. I have made some observations this week while I slowly swim to the surface shedding the pain and confusion. These insights can certainly be applied to how we, as women business leaders manage adversity and curve balls.

1. Control

As women business leaders we are required to be in control and manage as many facets of our lives as we can. But what happens when the uncontrollable strikes? When I was first told that I had breast cancer – there was actually nothing I could do to change the situation, even though I have always prided myself as being a problem solver, a creative thinker and a go-to person others depended on to help with unmanageable issues. When told about my diagnosis a co-worked said “I don’t know how you are staying calm – if it was me I would be hysterical and out of control – I could not function.” It occurred to me that I may not always have control of what happens in my life but I always have control of how I react and deal with the situation. The ultimate control is having control of how we react to an uncontrollable event.

2. Bravery

I was somewhat surprised to be referred to as brave, For me bravery does not come into the equation. It’s not about being brave — it’s about living your life to the fullest. So facing adversarial situations is more about figuring out how to take experiences in your life and weave them into your life’s tapestry. Where do you put them and how do you deal with them?

3. Authenticity

I am really not interested in hiding my current situation both physically and conceptually. This probably plays into my identity of having breast cancer and feeling a certain sense of pride that I have been able to endure this.

Right now, to me,  it seems so unnatural to want to physically disguise what I am going through.  Actually, as I become familiar with my new transitional body, this has been a great opportunity to examine my authenticity and use it as a way to further develop “my personal brand.”  To those who have experienced similar situations, I wonder … what were your thoughts about this as you processed your new body image?

As I recuperate from identity-altering surgery wearing my pink boxing gloves to fight breast cancer, I have had much time to ponder and imagine how my days in recovery are removed from my usual routine. My sensitivity and consciousness has been heightened as I catapult into reality. As I explore this new space,  I really have no choice but to live in the present by feeling and experiencing every moment.

In a recent article, Dan Pallotta makes some good points on how to stay present with the following tips:

* Make consciousness a business priority. Offer regular training on it. I say regular because virtual reality isn’t going away. It’s a chronic illness like Type-1 diabetes, and it requires regular, unending treatment. I love Eckhart Tolle’s statement, “To be unable to stop thinking is a terrible affliction.” Most of us have it. To pay it short shrift is the same as ignoring it.

* Make time at the beginning of your day to be present. In whatever way works for you — prayer, stillness, a brisk walk outdoors, insight meditation, or whatever gets you out of the trance and into present.

* Make time during the day to break the trance. Schedule five minutes at the top of each hour to become conscious of all the chatter and separate yourself from it. Schedule five minutes of stillness before you get on the phone with anyone, so that you are present during the call or the meeting.

Instead of spending your waking hours in a sort of “virtual” reality … try to turn off the background noise and make a real effort to be present in your own life. This has been forced upon me by my own body.

What has been the wake-up call that helped you to refocus on your true reality?

Photo by dreamcicle19772006

I am lucky enough to live on the bayfront and run my business in an attractive and desirable city on Florida’s west coast.

Prior to my breast cancer diagnosis and surgery, my normal morning consisted of walking or jogging over the bayfront bridge as I monitored my time and breathlessly figured out how I would maximize my work out and get to my morning meeting. This activity was a scientifically timed event where my “getting to work” routine was carefully crafted into five-minute segments; shower, make-up, hair, outfit, breakfast (If there’s time) – you get the idea!

In all this activity, I may have smelled the coffee but I certainly did not smell the roses.

I am just now starting to get back into some sense of normalcy, and I decided to go for a walk yesterday. Bound by my weakness and wounds, I surprised myself by stopping to sit on a bench facing the bay. I imagine this bench was a fixture that had been there all along, but I had really never paid attention to it.

As the bench beckoned me and I contemplated how lucky I am to be alive at this moment in Sarasota, I realized that I had just received a gift – among all the flowers and well wishes over this past week I had the opportunity to really smell the roses! Hopefully this is a lesson I won’t soon forget.

Thank you to all who are keeping me in their thoughts throughout this journey.

Photo by charlie llewellin

Throughout the weaving of my life’s tapestry, I have collected many identities, including daughter, friend, sister, wife, mother, designer and many iterations of career titles. As I matured, I became the recipient of the not-so-pleasant divorcee title which, through a circuitous route, led me to become a business owner and somewhat of a leader. Now I am a second wife,  mother-in-law, grandmother, entrepreneur, blogger, mentor and community leader.

Out of all of my identities, one of my favorite is “marathon runner” and now that I am indelibly marked with breast cancer, I carry a new flag. How I carry it will be determined by what I have learned about myself, how I perceive others and most of all how I want to be perceived. I choose to wear this pink badge with grace, compassion, strength and maybe even pride – pride that I can bravely embark on this journey and find ways to help others as I go.

How does this relate to women business leaders? Right now, I am a novice in this space, but here are some initial lessons I am learning as I embrace my new identity:

1. Get to know the “new you”
   Give yourself time to understand all of the nuances of how this affects you.
2. Be an adventurer
   You are in new unexplored territory – approach the situation with curiosity and awe.
3. Find others in your space
   Reach out to others who have experienced similar situations and learn all you can from those who have gone before you – they may not all have reacted the way you choose to.
4. Be sensitive to how you are perceived by others
   I know I always talk about being authentic, but I find that being sensitive to those I care about actually takes me out of the victim role. Some people have a hard time with knowing what to say and do – help them through it.

I hope I am offering ideas you can use and that I am encouraging more thought about this subject. I look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions.

My Dear Readers,

I know you’re out there because I continually get feedback. Writing this blog has had a dual purpose for me; I have been able to provide help and mentorship to many women and, at the same time, I have been learning and growing from your experiences. Well, I am now on a new journey, which I am going to share with you because I know there is much to learn from each other.

How does a woman business leader cope when she hears that she has breast cancer?

I have recently learned that I am joining the army of women in pink. I received the news a few days ago after a three-week bout of angst over a suspicious annual mammogram. In fact my blog, 6 Ways Women Business Leaders can Overcome Negativity,  was written with the hopes that all was OK!

I have noninvasive in situ breast cancer. The good news is that it is noninvasive, the bad news is that the 3-by-4 centimeter hole in my breast did not placate the enemy. My case was evaluated by a tumor team and the recommendation based on family history, rate of growth and MRI was that I undergo a mastectomy. I have opted for a bi-lateral with reconstruction.

So what happens to “little miss positive” now? I am going to share my journey with you from the perspective of a woman business leader. Who am I with this new identity? How do I share the news with family? Staff?

I will be having surgery this week and have full confidence in the medical team taking care of me and will be blogging again at the end of the week. Stay tuned for what I expect will be the ride of my life……….I intend making it a good one!

Photo by Ocean blues

For women business leaders to be truly effective with social media they must integrate it into their lifestyle rather than relegate it to an afterthought. I have found that the more I actively participate, the greater the rewards and impact of my efforts. I actually feel that balancing social media within my daily activities enhances my professional effectiveness.

Adopting a social media lifestyle may not be for everyone, but Ali GoldField’s list of tips to add social media to your everyday life might give you some ideas:

1. Coffee and Twitter
   For most of us, a morning cup of coffee is sacred. Try to incorporate tweeting with your morning coffee. Instead of reading the newspaper, read your stream to find interesting articles to share with your followers. If you still need to read the paper, know that most publications these days are online and make sharing with your networks very easy.
2. Change the way you look at the world
   Instead of walking through your day with blinders on, as most of us do, focused on the tasks we need to get done, try looking at the world with a different set of eyes. Examine everything — images, articles, conversations you have with co-workers — and use it as fodder for posts, blogs and tweets.
3. Blog on the weekend
   Blogging for business is an important factor to getting found online. It improves our SEO, increases our professional credibility and lets our audience know who we are and how we interact. Blogging can also be the most time consuming part of any social media plan. Save the blogging for the weekend when your schedule is more open.
4. Set an alarm
   In adopting a social media lifestyle, it works to break your social media plan into bite-sized chunks, making it more manageable during the course of a busy day.  At first, it may take some time to incorporate the social media lifestyle into your work day so setting alarms to remind you to take social media breaks – which are just as necessary as a coffee or bathroom break — can help at the beginning.
5. Be mobile
   I can’t stress enough how being mobile, whether it’s with an iPad, smartphone or laptop, can help integrate social media into your lifestyle. Whether it’s waiting in line at the bank, riding the bus or taking a five-minute water cooler break, being mobile help you to stay connected, with the ability to tweet or post right at your fingertips.

Social media is a big part of my life and something I participate in both professionally and personally. For more on adopting social media to grow your business, type  “social media” on the search bar above.

Photo by tvanhoosear

Do you ever think about what entrepreneurial characteristics business leaders need to rise to the top? I am always compelled to look at successful people who I come into contact with and then try to distill what it is that makes them unique. I have one friend/mentor who is extremely successful, and I would describe him as strong yet conservative. If I look at another, I see someone driven with passion and somewhat unpredictable mannerisms. So what is the commonality? How do we theorize trends for success for women business leaders?

Author Kentin Waits outlines some compelling characteristics for success and captures the diversity in entrepreneurship in his recent article. I’ve condensed the main points for you here:

1. Creativity
   The seed of entrepreneurship is the ability to see things differently. Whether it’s with new products or new processes, entrepreneurs are driven by the uncanny knack to see holes in the marketplace and devise innovations to fill them.
2. Suspicion of predictors
   Entrepreneurs tend not to labor under the assumption that data is the sole predictor of an outcome. One study by Inc. magazine found that nearly 60 percent of Inc. 500 CEOs had not written business plans prior to the launch of their companies, and only 12 percent had done market research.
3. Comfort with uncertainty
   Similarly, a distrust of prediction and analysis creates an atmosphere where uncertainty rules. Indeed, uncertainty is the very essence of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs are comfortable existing in that space between raw idea and successful product, and they tend to thrive in the wide middle ground of experimentation, revision and testing.
4. Openness to experimentation
   The ability to experiment with products, processes and outcomes, no matter where the results may lead, is the key element of this quality. Most people are comfortable testing new products or systems with a range of one or two possible outcomes. But for entrepreneurs who are bringing something new and novel to the marketplace, experimentation can be truly…experimental.
5. Functional humility
   Egos can destroy the very best ideas. Entrepreneurs who are committed to solving a business problem or reinventing a product or service display a functional humility. They understand that their egos are only useful in moving the idea forward, not dictating outcomes or wrestling to make results conform to a preconceived notion.

What entrepreneurial characteristics do you think are essential for success? For more on being a successful entrepreneur, read my blog: “Entrepreneurial Tips for Women Business Leaders from Author J. K. Rowling.”

Photo by tracie7779

If you read my blogs, you know that I am always searching for ways to improve and maintain a healthy business while ensuring that, as a woman business leader, I maintain balance in my life. It is through my blogs that I share what I know with my readers and hopefully learn from your experiences as well.

Here are some of my observations on building a business that is sustainable:

1. Maximize dreams and aspirations
   As you imagine “what can be” open your mind a little wider and imagine the path to get there.
2. Seize opportunities
   Stay open and tuned-in to opportunities by focusing on the outcomes rather than fear of the unknown.
3. Accentuate your strengths
   Don’t put energy into working on your weaknesses, rather use and cultivate your strengths, which will override your perceived weaknesses.
4. Cultivate a culture of care and service
   This notion extends to everyone who you come in contact with — from your customers to your co-workers and everyone in between.
5. Focus and commitment
   Once you have set your goals, stay committed and focused on where you are going and articulate this to your team.
6. Innovate
   Continually look for new ways to solve problems and come up with solutions that meet your needs and your principles. Look beyond the norm and what is expected with creative ideas that can be put into action.
7. Develop win-win strategies to benefit all
   I know that the notion of “win-win” sounds like a cliché, but it’s all about balance. Make sure that your partners, co-workers and associates feel comfortable with outcomes.
8. Lead & brand
   Be a leader in your field and stay true to your value proposition.
9. Listen to & reward your team
   Believe that people on the front lines are literally your most important people. Ensure that every team member feels valued and is essential to the overall health of the company.
10. Stick to principles & core competencies
    Markets change. Competitors appear. Do not compromise the essence of what your business is and the principles for which it stands. Stay passionate and true to your beliefs.