Archives for June 2013

Happy Anniversary Equal Pay Act!

 

thumbn_2595700750-1Lessons about inequality…the men’s room, getting tanked & a frog.

I graduated from college in 1985 and secured a position at a small public relations firm. It was a gateway job to a better position. After the acceptable 365 days of employment, I searched elsewhere. My salary was abysmally low and while most of my friends headed off to work in management programs at banks or investment firms my job was more like a Seinfeld episode.

My boss, Mr. K, was a fast talking public relations guy. If a client (had a dearth of those as well) called, we were directed to conduct an extensive search. If he was in the men’s room knocking was required.

Though I patted myself on the back for being a college graduate and I loved to write, I was clueless and there was no training program. The senior account executive showed me the ropes. Our major account was Pan Am. We arranged radio promotions across the country to increase airtime.

I enjoyed creating promotions and writing copy for on-air announcers. There was also press release writing and other responsibilities. I was exposed to different disciplines and the responsibility line was blurred.

Now for the Seinfeld part of the story. I also answered Mr. B’s phone, he had lots of famous friends. Mr. B, who was getting on in years, was a former Pan Am public relations executive. Pan Am asked us to house him. I was so green behind the ears, it took me a month to realize that Mr. B was inebriated pretty much every day. When he returned from lunch and attempted to sit, I worried he would miss his chair. He couldn’t get my name straight, and when he saw me in the elevator he had no clue who I was. For Christmas, he bought me a frog filled with bubble bath.

After 365 days, I found a job at Revlon. A big company, better pay (though not great), no Mr. B, restroom knocking or a bubble bath bonus. I had made it big or did I?

Mr. K told me that I wouldn’t like it because I was accustomed to working in a small agency and I would have limited responsibilities.

After a week, I quit. This was very out of character for me but Mr. K was correct. The position was limited and very administrative which was not how it was sold to me. This was the clincher, when I quit I was actually congratulated.

My boss took me out for a farewell lunch and said, “I don’t blame you.” He then regaled, “There’s a woman down the hall from me that holds the same position that I do and makes significantly less money…plus she’s been here seven years longer.”

That was 23 years after the Equal Pay Act was signed. Today marks 50 years after its passage, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics women working full-time earn 77 cents for ever dollar men earn. However, the figure is closer to 91 cents when you take into account women work in lower-paying institutions and those who leave the workplace.

Among college graduates women one year out of college are paid, on average, just 82 percent of what their male peers are paid according to research conducted by the American Association of University Women in 2009.

For more information about this topic, take a look at this Sunday’s New York Times article by writer Stephanie Coontz.

P.S. – Mr. K tipped me off about a marketing job at Pan Am and I was hired! I just want to go on record as saying I personally have nothing against frogs!

Photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelrn/2595700750/“>bethcoll</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com“>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/“>cc</a>

We’ve Come A Long Way

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My mother and her sister circa 1940s

Yet There’s More Work To Be Done

My son wants to know why my blog is all about women. Well, for starters maybe it’s because I’m a woman. I can’t say I was involved in the heyday of the feminist movement or I ever burned my bra but what I can say is that from an early age I’ve known the importance of having “opportunities” and “choices.”

This is the story of my mother who was born in 1929. Her parents were Italian immigrants. Her father journeyed to America first and then her mother followed. My grandfather was a master tailor who worked tirelessly in New York City’s garment district and saved every penny he ever made. He was fastidious and quick and since compensation was calculated by the piece he wasn’t liked very much – but that was okay with him. He had three daughters and a son. There was no discussion of college or careers for any of the girls. Though my mother graduated from high school, she went off to the garment district as well, along with her three sisters. The majority of their pay went to the household.

Not long after she graduated high school, my mother fell in love. They were a striking couple but unfortunately the marriage ended tragically. She found out shortly before they were married that her fiance was very ill. He had a heart condition. At 27 she found herself a widow with a three-year-old son and limited skills to earn a living. She ended up living in her parent’s basement apartment.

She was a single mom, a young widow with abundant talent and a shortage of opportunities or choices. Her father thought work was the only path for his daughters and did not view school as a choice for them.

My mother eventually married my father and had my sister and me. I remember my mother telling us, “It’s fine to get married, but get married after you go to college and you can support yourself.”

I’m not sure how many women in the ‘70s preached this to their daughters but my mom did and she started when we were young. She had a few happy years after marrying my  father but tragedy followed her once again and she died of breast cancer at 45. I was 11 years old.

I never forgot her message and I’m thankful for the opportunity to graduate from college and the choices I have had. I think if my mother was alive she would be surprised that there is still a wage gap and that there are so few women in corporate leadership and politics.

So, that is why I write about women.

Let’s Blame Mom!

Why are our politicians so out of touch with reality? Moms and families need support not criticism.

It’s funny how women seem to be at the root cause of every societal issue supposedly bringing the country down. Now, apparently working moms are getting the blame, or should I say are being called out on this issue now, because really we’ve heard this before. The difference is that it came out of the mouth of someone who was voted by the good people of Mississippi. Governor Phil Bryant (R) said that America is so “mediocre” in educational outcomes because “mom is in the workplace.”

He also said America seemed to be losing ground internationally in regards to educational outcomes because other nations began to invest more in their school systems.

Incidentally, this political slip of the tongue is in the wake of the new Pew Research indicating that women are the main breadwinners in 40% of households with children. This is up from 11% in 1960 but instead of celebrating this achievement the research also indicates that think this is a “problem.” Some people just won’t cut June Cleaver loose!

I thought we were in a good place about moms and work. Yes, there is all this discourse about the lack of leaning in and opting out – but there’s also a renaissance of relaunchers, an increase in female entrepreneurship and the growing number of women earning advance degrees. Someone is always judging – whether we choose to stay-at-home or work outside of the home while raising children – and it seems like moms are always fair game.

Some sobering statistics on how our country does not support moms or families:

  • When Australia passed a parental leave law in 2010, it left the U.S. as the only industrialized nation not to mandate paid leave for mothers of newborns. 178 nations around the world, including some of the poorest provide universal paid leave for new mothers.
  • The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 guarantees new parents their jobs for 12 weeks after the arrival of a new baby but they do not have to be paid and exemptions apply for small companies.
  • A Families and Work Institute report found only 16 percent of the companies it surveyed offered fully paid maternity leave in 2008, down from 27 percent in 1998.

The real issue and the real issue alone with education in our country is money. Schools that perform well are in areas where kids are supported, nurtured and fed. We need to stop cutting programs that can help families like early-childhood programs and mandate paid leave for new mothers.

We need to fix our economy, increase jobs and revive the middle class so kids can do better in school. These are the steps our politicians should be making instead of blaming moms for the slippery slope our education system is in.

Crafty Mom Designs New Product

inventor_head_shotThat Girl Is Amazing: Karen Stellato-Sa, Founder of Drink Duets. Love this story! After identifying a household need, this mom stepped out of her comfort zone to create a new product. Hope she inspires you!

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It’s easy to get crafty with Drink Duets.

Karen-Stellato Sa likes to describe herself as a crafty mom – so crafty that she created her own product to solve a household dilemma.

Those pesky water bottles that would accumulate all over her house, especially when she had company, were weighing on her. First of all it was impossible for her or her guests to keep track of their drink. This was particularly true at her beach house, when it was easier to use individual water bottles. So she did what any multi-tasking, craft-loving mom would do she created her own product. Her new product called Drink Duets are foam tags that slip over the top of water bottles or other beverages.

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Ready for company!

They are great for the beach or soccer sidelines and come in 12 bright colors for easy identification. The reusable bottle tags are large enough to decorate or write your name. Each package contains 12 different colored bottle tags and they retail at $4.50 a pack.

Stellato-Sa, took on a hands-on approach creating the prototype herself, procuring material and building sales. She chose a company in Delaware to manufacture the product.

Yet, Stellato-Sa’s creative juices haven’t stopped; she just introduced a new product called Glass Skirts. Made of the same material as Drink Duets, Glass Skirts encircle the base of a wine glass to make the task of finding your wine glass easier. Glass skirts are available in packages of eight and are priced at $4.50 per pack.

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Look how great the glass skirts look on wineglasses!

 

Good news is that Stellato-Sa is not alone. Mothers are inventing products every day. According to the National Women’s Business Council patents granted to women jumped 35 percent in 2010. Almost 30 percent of those patents weren’t assigned to private companies indicating that more women are starting their own businesses.

Drink Duets was just featured on Good Day Sacramento (a CBS affiliate). Women Invetorz Network (W.I.N) an organization created by Dhana Cohen and Melinda Knight hosted the segment. Dhana and Melinda created the network to inspire, nurture and promote women inventors! Love that! Check out their segment and see Drink Duets live: http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXTxHBDuVs8&feature=youtu.be.

In addition to creating these neat new products, Stellato-Sa is a group media director for Omnicom Media Group Direct. She shares company responsibilities with her husband, Orlando, and so far is financing the business herself.

Drink Duets can be ordered at www.drinkduets.com, further information can be also be found on the Drink Duets Facebook page.

An Amazing Second Act

get-attachment-17“There’s A Sense of Fearlessness About Following Your Dreams In Your Forties.”

I love this story and hope it inspires you!

Beth Schroeder’s trajectory from banking executive, stay-at-home mom, and law firm employee to registered nurse is not for the faint of heart. Roadblocks included not one but two heart attacks, a shattered kneecap, resulting in a week long hospital stay, and rejection (from Nursing School that is).

These roadblocks may have crumbled some but not for this mother of three teens who wasn’t giving up on her dream. Her Dad, who was a doctor, encouraged her to follow in his footsteps but Schroeder decided she would stay far away from that field and earned a BA and an MA in Economics. She worked in banking for eight years and left her Vice President position for a stint in commercial real estate.

When she had her third child, she opted out of the workforce and enjoyed staying home with her children and becoming a serial volunteer. Having experienced both the working mom and stay-at-home lifestyle she has positive feelings for both choices. After 8 years out of the workforce, she took a position at a law firm writing hospital appeals.

The work conjured those old but suppressed feelings, Schroeder was a candy striper as a teen, and six words popped into her head, “I want to be a nurse.”

She started taking prerequisite courses and another, albeit unwelcome sign occurred. Schroeder had a heart attack at 36 years old. Initial reaction from the doctors was that her symptoms were panic attacks.

A nurse on duty whispered in her ear: “Don’t leave this hospital until they figure out what’s wrong with you.”

Schroeder was more committed than ever to follow her dream. Six years later, Schroeder experienced another heart attack. One year later, a home accident resulted in a shattered kneecap requiring major surgery and a one week hospital stay.

She was in debilitating pain but found solace in a kind nurse who held her hand until the pain subsided – another sign to follow her dream.

“I decided then and there that I was going to do what I always wanted to do,” said Schroeder.

So a little rejection, despite a 4.0 GPA, from the nursing program she applied to wasn’t going to stand in her way. She applied again and was admitted. Looking back she says it was the hardest thing she’s ever done and credits the incredible support she received from her husband and friends.

“I love people, I love to laugh and there is nothing like holding someone’s hand when they are sick,” shared Schroeder. “I had an ‘angel’ when I was hospitalized and I want to be that ‘angel’ for my patients.”

“I’m the mom of three teens, I figure I can do anything,” added Schroeder. “Showing my kids the hard work required to meet a personal goal has been an extra bonus.”

Of being a newly minted nurse at 49, Schroeder laughs and responds, “There’s nothing like a female middle age returnee in the workforce, I saw it in my old law firm. Give them the work and they get it done.”

 

 

 

5 Great Apps!

These are five great apps for blogging, writing, working or having fun!

I joined the WordCount Blogathon and I’m blogging every day the entire month of June. WordCount is featuring a theme day today which is “Your 5 Favorite Apps.”

I consider myself a very basic app user, so I reached out to friends and family and came up with some interesting apps:

  1. TeuxDeux – This recommendation is from my niece Laura, the most organized college student in the free world! What she likes about TeuxDeux is that all of her “to-dos” appear in one place and items are crossed off when done and carry over automatically to the next day if they aren’t. The creators dub it a “simple, designy to-do” app. Their website syncs to the app, which she finds helpful. What she doesn’t like about it is that you can’t set reminders.
  2. Hipstamatic – This recommendations is from my friend and app developer, Anne Clark who’s working on her own photo app called Memorability, coming out soon! She’s a photo guru! Hipstamatic is a camera app designed for the iPhone that allows you to  change the camera’s lens, flash and film with just the swipe of a finger – no separate editing needed. The creators mission is for users to “tap into their inner artist.”
  3. C25K – Couch to 5K is the goal. Another recommendation thanks to my niece Laura. She likes it because it is goal oriented and designed for beginners. The eight week plan allows users to train in intervals between running and walking. You can choose from a choice of trainers and it takes a very realistic approach to running.
  4. Merriam-Webster Dictionary and iThesaurus – These are my apps and are pretty boring but I love having access to the dictionary on my phone as well as a thesaurus. When you are obsessed with words it’s a must have.
  5. Snap Chat – This app is a favorite among my daughter and her friends. It’s really silly – but believe it or not I told some friends about it and they use it all the time (I doubt we are in the demographic!).Snap Chat allows users to take a photo or a video and send it to someone for a few seconds and then the photo disappears. You can also send a caption. Snap creators say it is “the allure of fleeting messages that reminds us about the beauty of friendship.” I agree with that especially when my friend Tammy sends me snaps! It’s a nice way to keep in touch during a busy week!

 

Making The Grade

I live in a very competitive community; there are many of them out there in the Northeast. Grades count. I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with grades being important. If you ask my teens, they will tell you that my husband and I are very interested in their grades.

My lament is that once upon a time school was about learning, character building, friendship and community. The academic environment has become increasingly more and more about numbers – for students and teachers.

Like any parent, I want my children to perform well and I spent a great deal of time focusing on grades until my daughter taught me something far more important. As she moved from grammar school to middle school, she found her school work increasingly difficult. I became guilty of hovering over her to help, provide guidance and improve her grades. Long nights at the kitchen table spent doing projects, memorizing and reviewing helped but she also became fixated on the numbers. Have you ever heard your child say, “If an assignment isn’t graded, who cares?” I believe the average American student is not experiencing the true purpose of school – which is developing a lifelong love of learning.

Students are over tested. There is no time to think, dwell and relish material. Additionally, the most unfortunate result of this situation is that effort and I mean the effort of each child to work to their potential yields no reward.

Who did I learn this from? I learned this from my daughter. As I backed away, I began to admire her resolve to work hard. She may not have earned the highest grade in the class but the behind the scenes effort was truly inspirational. When she decided on her own to drop out of an accelerated class, I was hesitant. I began to discuss this with other parents and one declared, “Oh those are the kids you want her to be with.” The absurdity of this comment hit home. My daughter is not any less of a person because she is in a regular class.

Our society’s fixation on grades has nothing to do with learning or character. Just think about all the cheating scandals in the media today – high school students cheating on the SAT and teachers rigging standardized tests. This is the run-off when the goal is just the grade.

There are so many dimensions to our children and far more important traits than being in the top of the pack. I’m proud of my daughter and prouder of her work ethic. I’m not sure she’ll realize how great she really is while she’s in high school – but then again who does?

 

 

Making Gluten-Free, Worry-Free!

That Girl Is Amazing: Joan Schmidt and Barbara Callanan

Sisters Joan Schmidt and Barbara Callanan were both looking to reinvent themselves, so they decided to pool their skills to form their own business. Schmidt, a registered nurse who also holds an MBA in healthcare and hospital management, had been a stay-at-home mom and volunteer while her sister Barbara, a Culinary Institute of America graduate with an MS in Management, had been working in the food service industry.

Callanan who was diagnosed with celiac disease later in life, after years of misdiagnosis, was eager to a fill a gap she felt was sorely needed for those suffering from celiac disease and gluten intolerances. Though celiac disease and the gluten-free lifestyle have become more mainstream, Callanan still found going out to dinner problematic due to lack of gluten-free options and the question of safety. She found that many restaurants that did offer gluten-free items lacked education regarding method of preparation making the food unsafe.

If there is cross contamination, even a sixth of a teaspoon can make someone sick,” said Callanan. “There are also many products that contain gluten which would surprise the average consumer such as soy sauce.”

So necessity proved to be the motherhood of invention. The sisters formed JCB Consulting to educate food providers and the public. The business provides gluten-free dietary solutions to the hospitality, healthcare and education sectors as well as individual client care.

Callanan found teaming up with her sister, Schmidt a registered nurse, has given them a competitive edge in educating establishments regarding the medical necessity of maintaining a gluten-free lifestyle for those suffering from celiac disease.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder whereby the body attacks the villi in the small intestine when gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye is eaten causing malabsorption of vital nutrients which leads to malnutrition and other health maladies.

According to The Celiac Sprue Association one in 20 Americans have some form of gluten sensitivity and one out of 133 Americans have celiac disease.*

“Serving this population the right way can be a new if not increased revenue stream for restaurants,” said Schmidt.

For commercial clients such as restaurants, JCB’s customized plans focus on developing nutritionally sound gluten-free menus and recipes, implementing policies and procedures including safety guidelines and educating and training staff. They can also guide establishments in obtaining agency certification as a gluten-free venue.

Individual counseling includes pantry stocking, recipe and menu planning and kitchen safety to aid the newly diagnosed or long-term celiac or gluten intolerance sufferer.

For further information visit www.consultjcb.com or call 516-384-6165 or via email at info@consultjcb.com

*University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research


Renovating An Empty Nest

Letting go is a matter of the heart

I was reading The New York Times last week and found an article about empty nesters titled, “After The Children Have Grown.” Originally drawn in by the illustration I immediately became absorbed in the authors’ observations about her three sons journey to adulthood. It wasn’t until I finished the article that I saw it was written by the psychologist and author Madeline Levine. I’m familiar with her work since I attended one of her speaking engagements. She is a wonderful speaker. As a psychologist she certainly has the credentials to relate to parents but it was the personal stories she shared about her children that resonated with me.

Emotionally I believe for most parents, this topic tugs at the heart. There are so many emotions involved with creating and sustaining a life and then watching as that life ventures out leaving you behind. Besides the more commonplace issues, Levine does raise two interesting observations. One is that she is flummoxed by her sense of loss and the other is that people assume since she’s had a successful career versus being a stay-at-home-mother that she wouldn’t harbor these sentiments. Levine’s stay-home-friends response is, “Luckily you have so many other interesting things in your life.”

As someone who left a career to stay home with my two children, I can understand their reaction but more surprisingly I found Levine’s response enlightening – that whether you work outside the home or not letting go is a matter of the “heart.” As she explains her work does not occupy that same psychological space.

Perhaps, it’s a sign of weakness and despite my stay-at-home stint I like to view myself as someone whose life does not revolve around just my kids. Who am I kidding? I’ve spent more time mothering than anything else I’ve accomplished. My core identity, like Levine’s has been mother, but as their needs dwindled I’ve found more and more of myself.

When I decided to stay home, I didn’t have a plan. The older, wiser me is now planning the second half of my life. I’ve committed to my dream of being a writer, picking up where I left off when I left my career and becoming involved in the discussion about women and work. I have a daughter and son who will face these challenges in years to come. The good news as Levine reports is that many women find the post parenting years the best years of their life.

Either way my nest is still intact for now but I know the day will come, and it’s not that far off, where my nest will be empty. Oh, but I have plans for that nest. I plan on jumping in, albeit I will refrain from major renovations, lest it’s unrecognizable when the former habitants visit – for they will always, always be welcome.

You Can Go Back Again

Ready For Reinvention 101?

Three years ago I found myself on the corner of hope and hopelessness. I was tired of standing on the sidelines as I watched the world move on. I was hit with a sudden sense of urgency to get back in the game.

Oh, I was attending games. As a stay-at-home mom, I was the point person for extracurricular activities, school functions, PTA committees – you name it. It wasn’t so much the maddening schedules or volunteer work that compelled me to move on but the realization that my kids were growing up. As a result, signs of the “old me” were starting to emerge and I was starting to crave a world outside of “mom central.”

So, I did what any book loving English major would do in this situation, after doing a Google search, I purchased the one promising book I found on this subject, Back On The Career Track by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin.

What I loved about the book was that these were two real women who successfully ventured back into the workforce – yet not only that they’ve made it their mission to help others. The media seems to sensationalize the many women who have stepped off the career track as Sheryl Sandberg laments, “Where are all the women?”

Well, they are coming back. To complement their book, Carol and Vivian have developed a host of resources to help women reach their career potential after a break. Their iRelaunch website features tons of success stories, proving that our paths don’t all have to be linear. Each story is inspiring and unique. Relaunching is not for the faint of heart and Carol and Vivian also cover obstacles you may encounter along the way.

When an iRelaunch conference landed in my city, I attended the gathering and found an energized group of women eager but somewhat bewildered on how to get back to work. From the panel of those who have successfully relaunched to resume tips, the conference provided valuable and relevant advice. Here are some of the best tips I picked up along the way:

  1. Develop A Plan – This is the hardest part of the conundrum. Many women take this chance to do something different. Take the time you need to decide what will work for you and your family. There are many personality assessment tests you can use to get started.
  2. Get Current – Realize that the world has changed and update yourself accordingly. For some women, it may mean a trip to the hairstylist while others may enroll in computer classes.
  3. Stay Flexible – You will need to be flexible and realistic.There’s no walking right back into the job you held 10 years ago.
  4. Get Out And Network – If you feel like the words from “Barney” will flow out ofyour mouth once you get out there – you will need practice. Develop an elevator pitch and use it. Many relaunchers get hung up on the logistics of their resume and forget about networking while others flood online job postings. This is not the best way to get you inside the door. Work who you know, they can vouch for you and many companies welcome employee recommendations. Don’t hold back, whether you are on a soccer field or at a school function Networking is still one of the best ways to land a job.
  5. Believe In Yourself – Don’t expect anyone to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself. In many ways, I feel like I’m a much better version of my younger self. Raising children has allowed me to develop a true sense of wisdom, empathy and better listening skills. Staying at home to raise a family, although a privilege is still a sacrifice but it is not a “Scarlet” letter type of marker. The conversation is about what your goals are now.

As for my career journey, I set out to update my credentials. One of the reasons I found the iRelaunch resources so helpful is that Carol and Vivian realistically help women determine what it is they want. I’ve gone from being a stay-at-home mom and volunteer to a freelance writer and I’m working on building my business. I also help small businesses with their marketing needs by developing e-mail marketing campaigns. This blog is another dream of mine, so it’s time for you to go out there and do what you love!

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