The Female Insight Zone

Surviving – and succeeding – in corporate America while adapting to the different business cultures of Walmart, Campbell’s and Jim Beam. That’s what our guest, the “Velvet Hammer”, Mindy Mackenzie has done. She’s a speaker, author, CEO consultant and lecturer.

In this episode, Mindy shares the success she had when her executive team delivered a 106% return to Beam, Inc. in a span of 4 years.

Then, Mindy talks about her decision to take a step back from the corporate world to pursue other activities. You’ll hear about the decision-making that went into her declining an amazing offer that would have potentially made her the first woman CEO in the spirits industry.

Lastly, she gives advice on how to choose the right mentor for you and how to turn a low-caliber team into an elite group of A-players.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to execute your ideas better.

• How to choose your mentors.

• The strategies on how to develop a top caliber team.

Big Takeaways:

• Strategy is never the thing. People can come up with beautiful strategies but at the end of the day, it’s the execution that matters. And the key to great execution is your relationship with people; because you get things done through people.

• Finding the right mentor starts with setting-up your boundaries and having a concrete expectation of what you want to get out of the relationship.

Related Links & References:

• Mindy Mackenzie official website: www.mindymackenzie.com

• The Courage Solution: www.mindymackenzie.com/books/

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

• Mindy’s email address: mindy@mindymackenzie.com

• Mindy’s Twitter handle: www.twitter.com/mindy_mackenzie

• Mindy’s Facebook profile: www.facebook.com/mindy.mackenzie

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In this episode, Marie Rand, co-founder and managing director of phaware global association and manager of a Broadway production company, talks about the steps she has been taking to bring global awareness to pulmonary hypertension (PH), a complex lung disease which currently has no cure.

She relates her own fight for her daughter’s life against the disease, and how she has been helping the PH community by bringing her expertise into the nonprofit field. She also discusses the actions she has done to bring large-scale global awareness to the disease, such as by spearheading major research efforts and leveraging trends in social media.

Through her experiences, she shows the importance of networking, marketing, and using new perspectives in order to bring a lot of attention to a dangerous disease that is affecting millions worldwide.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How modern perspectives helped expand the reach of a traditional nonprofit organization.

• That marketing is helpful to all organizations, whether for profit or nonprofit.

• The dangers of pulmonary hypertension and how to raise awareness on the disease.

Tweetables:

• If we can lengthen someone’s life, if we can make someone feel better on a daily basis, if we can give them knowledge, that’s powerful ROI.

• We’re going to change the course of research. And that will change the way we diagnose people.

Big Takeaways:

• Nonprofits can benefit greatly from concepts and marketing techniques currently used by for profit organizations. Even nonprofits can use business models that make good business sense.

• Large-scale global awareness starts with networking within your current social circles and expanding your reach through constant marketing efforts.

• It can be necessary even for a nonprofit organization to do game-changing things in fields like research and marketing to bring about awareness and help more people everyday.

Related Links & References:

• PH Aware’s official website: http://www.phaware.global/

• PH Aware 365: http://www.phaware365.org/

• Breathless on Broadway: http://breathlessonbroadway.com/

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In this interview, hear from Lih Fang Chew, Global Vice President of Marketing at Quadion, as she talks about her experiences in breaking the glass ceiling and moving through different fields to experience numerous successes and achievements.

Listen as she talks about her growth and development when she shifted careers, from graduating as an electrical engineer, to becoming a marketing expert for a well-established industrial company.

Lih Fang also relates her own thoughts and encounters regarding gender and cultural stereotypes. She mentions as well some lessons she’s learned over the years on how to handle different kinds of people, despite many challenges.

Through perseverance and discipline, Lih Fang shows that anyone can achieve success, as long as they take the risk and not take no for an answer.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance of being flexible and disciplined, no matter what field you enter.

• How to persevere against people’s stereotypes and perceptions.

• Why you don’t need to use an English name to succeed in an international market.

Tweetables:

• My advice is to evaluate your options, see what you like, take a leap of faith, and take the risk. You’ll never know what you truly excel in if you don’t try.

• I don’t take no for an answer. Just because I am a woman doesn’t mean that I can’t do things that I want to do.

• Do not put yourself down and do not listen to people when they tell you no because of your gender or that you can’t do something.

• An achievement for me is being able to do what I strongly believe in and change the mindset of people, the perception they have of me as a woman and as an Asian.

Big Takeaways:

• It is not impossible to make radical shifts between careers. Just remember to carefully evaluate your options, make your choices with confidence, and persevere against any challenges.

• There may be people who will stereotype you because of your gender, race, etc. However, if you strongly believe in what you are doing, people will respect that and may even change their perspective towards you.

• It may be difficult to get a mentor nowadays, but networking can be helpful in your overall development.

Related Links & References:

• Lih Fang Chew’s Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lih-fang-c-4050782

• Lih Fang Chew’s Twitter handle: twitter.com/nmni

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Learn how you can remain authentic while still presenting yourself in the best possible way in this interview with Sheila Anderson, a certified corporate image consultant with over 20 years’ experience in the corporate world.

Listen as Sheila talks about the importance of personal branding, especially in today’s modern society. She relates, in particular, the need to be true to who you are in order to be more memorable. She also discusses the importance of the impression you make in 7 seconds and about the first 12 words you use with a person. She touches on color psychology and gives some tips about effective body language use as well.

As some people do not realize the significance of how they look like or how they present themselves, Sheila speaks about how to enhance your image while remaining true to the real you.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What NOT to wear when delivering bad news.

• How to use color psychology and body language to deliver your message effectively.

• The importance of being authentic when coming up with your own personal image.

• A few tips on how to enhance your impact in big ways.

Tweetables:

• Why makeup and hairstyle do matter – and more is not always better!

• If you tie in who you are in everything that you do, then it becomes more you. It becomes more memorable.

• There’s a lot that goes into what you can wear on the outside that can help project the message that you want to send.

• I want you to know the rules, but we can break them to make them more you.

• I don’t want to change anybody into something they’re not. I just want to enhance them.

Big Takeaways:

• While a lot of people may think that how they present themselves is of little consequence, everyone must realize that many people make snap judgments about others in 7 seconds.

• How you present yourself helps define your attitude. If you feel confident about the clothes you wear and the image you project, you will exude that confidence as well.

• Personal branding is not about choosing the most expensive brands. It is about molding all aspects of your personality into your image, and it has to be authentic.

• Body language plays a big role in how people perceive you. Use it to your advantage.

Related Links & References:

• Image Power Play’s official website: http://www.imagepowerplay.com/

• Sheila’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilamooreanderson

• The Power of 7 Seconds: http://www.imagepowerplay.com/your-image/power-of-7-seconds/

• Blink by Malcolm Gladwell: http://gladwell.com/blink/

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Going through divorce can be one of the most difficult and expensive things anyone can go through. In this episode, Candace Bahr, talks about the resources available through the non-profit that she co-founded: Women’s Institute for Financial Education (Wife.org).

Wife.org has helped thousands of divorcees across the country with Second Saturday, a program that has provided assistance to many men and women in dealing with the legal, financial, and psychological aspects of divorce.

Candace also touches on her own beginnings as a financial advisor, as well as some insights about working with her husband as a partner in business. She opens up about her philosophy behind her practice in financial planning, as well as some tips to help couples and families straighten out their money situations.

Life-altering events such as divorce may be difficult to go through, but having contingency plans, even on the financial side, can help anyone go through any challenges with a clear head. Learn from Candace as she discusses her experiences and thoughts on helping divorcees find peace after divorce.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What kind of help divorcees can expect from Wife.org, through their volunteers, in their Second Saturday program.

• The importance of knowledge, especially in household financial affairs.

• How to work with your husband as a partner in business.

Tweetables:

• Divorce is something you would want to go through when you’re absolutely clearheaded, when you know all the issues you need to face.

• For most of the things we do, we decide to take a path and continue to take the small steps day after day to get to where we want to go.

• A man is not a financial plan.

Big Takeaways:

• Divorce can be a struggle for a lot of people in all kinds of aspects: emotionally, psychologically, and physically. There are a number of programs by certain organizations, such as the Second Saturday program by Wife.org, that can help them go through such tough times.

• Financial planning is not just about managing money, but also looking into your own life and educating yourself about your finances.

• Everyone should be involved in a family’s financial affairs, even if it means setting aside time at least once a year to talk about money matters.

Related Links & References:

• Candace’s Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/candacebahr

• Women’s Institute for Financial Education: www.wife.org

• Second Saturday: www.secondsaturday.com

• Bahr Group: www.bahrgroup.com

• It’s More Than Money — It’s Your Life!: The New Money Club for Women by Candace Bahr and Ginita Wall: www.moneyclubs.com/store-moneyclub-promo.htm

• The Money Club: www.moneyclubs.com

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In today’s interview, hear from Meridith Elliott Powell, a business strategist, keynote speaker, and award-winning author who was voted one of the Top 15 Business Growth Experts to watch.

Listen as she talks about how she worked her way up from an entry-level position to becoming a notable C-Suite executive whose career expands over several industries. She also explains how she rose up the ranks not through drive alone, but through connections and strategic sacrifices.

Meridith also speaks of the most important leadership skill she ever learned, and how it helped her career really take off. She then touches on working with Millennials and gender diversity, and how her new book “Own It: Redefining Responsibility” provides solutions in engaging people of different backgrounds.

By being ready to invest in others and open to growth, Meridith shows how to put yourself in a position to be wildly successful while remaining motivated for the right cause.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to climb up the ladder in the corporate world.

• The importance of connecting with other people the right way.

• What female executives can do to set themselves apart in a male-dominated industry.

• How leaders and employees can cultivate a culture of true employee engagement.

Tweetables:

• My career just kept growing because of who I connected with, inside and outside of any organization I have ever worked for.

• At the end of the day, the only way to get whatever it is that you want in life is to ask for it.

• If you can define your vision, point everybody at that vision, and get them to buy into that vision, you will watch your employees become engaged.

• As women, we need to take responsibility for things that we want and walk through that.

Big Takeaways:

• Going up the corporate ladder is not just about drive. It is also about making good connections with people who may just give you opportunities to grow.

• You just cannot assume that people already know how to help you. If you really want something, whether in career or in daily life, you have to ask for it.

• With today’s economic shifts, leaders have to keep their employees engaged to keep productivity up. Good leaders do this by making people buy into their own clear vision.

Related Links & References:

• Meridith’s Twitter handle: twitter.com/meridithpowell

• Meridith’s Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/meridithelliottpowell

• Meridith’s official website: meridithelliottpowell.com/

• Own It: Redefining Responsibility by Meridith Elliott Powell: ownitthebook.com/

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In today’s interview, Lori Price, long-time financial advisor and CEO of Price Financial Group, talks about the challenges people face while planning out their finances for the long-term. She touches on the kinds of decisions that tend to sabotage people’s futures, and some tips anyone should consider to prevent long-term money troubles.

She also tells stories about how she helped her clients remain financially sound for a long time, despite living longer than they themselves have anticipated. Lori gives insight as well on her all-woman firm, and how she has thrived despite starting out with a smaller talent pool.

In addition, she relates her affiliation with organizations that work to help educate young girls and women in the financial world, such as Rock The Street, Wall Street and Second Saturday, and her own initiatives to help raise awareness on charitable giving.

It may be difficult sometimes to make tough financial decisions. However, Lori will help you realize the necessity of making those hard choices, and will ultimately give you a perspective on how to make your dream lifestyle happen.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance of knowing and getting a handle of your spending habits.

• Why you need a nest egg that will last you a very long time, even when you are past retirement.

• In what ways charitable giving may be better than taking some appreciated stock.

• One of the most surprising yet expensive costs retirees pay for and don’t normally plan for.

Tweetables:

• The first thing that your financial planner needs to know about you isn’t your assets; it’s your spending.

• It’s the same whether you’re going to stay married or get divorced. You have to have a cushion, and you have to make those hard decisions.

Big Takeaways:

• One of the first important steps in financial planning is taking a good look into your spending habits. Once you get a handle on your spending, it will be easier to plan for your financial future.

• Controlling your spending through the years will help make you better off on the long run. Sometimes, it will be necessary to make tough-love financial decisions.

• As people are living longer nowadays, it is a good idea to prepare for a long life. This includes looking into future inflation and future health care expenses.

Related Links & References:

• Lori’s Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lorirpricecfp

• Price Financial Group: www.pricefinancialgroup.com

• Price Financial Group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Price-Financial-Group-LLC/161391127222430

• Rock The Street, Wall Street: www.rockthestreetwallstreet.com

• Second Saturday: www.secondsaturday.com

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Ever wonder how women with six-figure salaries ended up so successful?

Learn their secrets from Barbara Stanny, a best-selling author who has been featured on CNN, Fox, CNBC, and other notable publications. She talks about how financially successful women have understood the concept of power from a female perspective, and how they have harnessed that in order to have financial independence.

She relates her own personal and devastating experiences with money, and how she turned her life around by learning from other successful women. She mentions how she wrote her books, like “Prince Charming Isn’t Coming: How Women Get Smart About Money” and “Secrets of Six Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life”, in hopes of helping other women become financially free as well.

Besides advice on money matters, Barbara also gives a perspective on what makes a woman with passion and strength powerful. She talks about the common traits she has seen among successful women, and what they have done to keep themselves committed to what they do.

Being financially successful is something many people yearn for. So listen as Barbara gives helpful tips and advice that can help anyone achieve their deepest purpose while being financially stable.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance of asserting your power in financial matters.

• Three reasons why women tend to under-earn.

• The one thing all successful women have.

• How to prepare for your first TV appearance.

Tweetables:

• My definition of a powerful woman is someone who knows who she is, who knows what she wants, and expresses that to the world unapologetically.

• The number one requirement for going to the next level is the willingness to be uncomfortable, because success always lies outside your comfort zone.

• Having passion was so much more important than their education, their talent, and their knowledge.

Big Takeaways:

• Experiencing difficulties with money has very little to do with actual money. It actually has something to do with your concept of power, and learning how you can assert your own power will help you become more financially independent.

• In the world of work, it is important to toughen up if you want to be successful. However, it is also important to have friends, family, and peers that can help support you outside your business life.

• Passion helps you have a deep sense of purpose, and will help you get over all obstacles if you truly believe in it. It is also one of the things that many successful people have that helped propel them to where they are today.

Related Links & References:

• Barbara’s website: http://barbarastanny.com/

• Barbara’s books: http://barbarastanny.com/books-products/

• Money Monday: http://barbarastanny.com/seminars/money-mondays/

• The “Zone of Genius” in Gay Hendricks’s The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear And Take Life To The Next Level: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Leap-Conquer-Hidden-Level-ebook/dp/B0026772QU/

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What does it take for a woman to make her voice heard in a male-dominated boardroom?

Find out from Deborah Hicks Midanek, a seasoned corporate director and executive who has sit across multiple boards and has helped provide solutions for more than 60 companies in corporate America.

She talks about her own humble beginnings, and how she worked to propel herself to the top of the corporate ladder. She also discusses how she claimed her own authority in boardrooms where it can be a struggle to join the dominant conversation.

Deborah then touches on how many companies are opening up to more females in the boardrooms. She also gives tips into what both men and women can do to position themselves at such high rungs in a company.

Power in the board does not always lie in asserting your ideas and making everyone agree to them. Rather, it is about being able to project your views while making others see that you are worth listening to. So listen in as Deborah gives some handy tips on how to communicate your authority in any position.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Tips on how to overcome your fear and other challenging obstacles.

• How a woman can voice her authority in a male-dominated company.

• What leaders in boardrooms are really looking for when getting representatives for the board.

• A surefire way to make men hear the registers in a female voice.

Tweetables:

• There’s no such thing as failure. Every single thing that happens in one’s life is a blessing, and the question is in finding the gift in each individual event.

• The energy that goes into stopping yourself from doing something translates into energy that is propelling you forward.

• Slow down, and don’t try for that opening and play on their terms. Simply play on your own terms.

Big Takeaways:

• You may face a lot of challenges and fears in your everyday life, but learning how to harness that energy into a productive outlet can be a powerful tool that can motivate you to take on bigger challenges.

• Making your voice heard in a boardroom is not about asserting your power and having everyone agree with your ideas. It is about being able to convey your views in the right way while helping to bring the other members into a decision that will benefit the company.

Related Links & References:

• Deborah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahhicksmidanek

• Solon Group’s website: http://solongroup.com/

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The YWCA has had a long legacy for providing social services to a number of different communities. Learn more about its journey of transformation from a 140-year-old social service agency to a twenty-first century social enterprise in today’s interview with Dorri McWhorter, the current CEO of YWCA Chicago and one of the top women innovators listed in Chicago’s #TheBlueNetwork.

Dorri tells the story of how her experience in a number of corporate positions gave her the perspective to find new solutions for the YWCA’s transformation. She also talks about the YWCA, and how it has remained true to its vision while being able to find its own foothold in modern society. She touches as well on her thoughts about having more women tapped for the boardrooms of many other companies and organizations today.

While remaining true to its vision, the YWCA has enjoyed a welcome transition in modern society. Learn from Dorri, as she talks about the YWCA’s initiatives and how you too can be empowered to engage people and be involved with your community today.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance of exposure to different situations in providing new solutions to any organization or company.

• How YWCA Chicago has been able to raise awareness on their vision of eliminating racism and empowering women.

• What women can do to find opportunities for career advancement and boardroom positions.

Tweetables:

• We’ve really raised the visibility of the YWCA and the work that we do, so people are aware that these things are happening… right in their backyard.

• It’s about what you do in your day-to-day work, but it’s also about extending that network and keeping that professional circle well-populated so you can have access to opportunities.

Big Takeaways:

• It is a good idea to be exposed to a number of different situations, as they may give you the perspective to find solutions and growth in a number of different areas in the future.

• Among the first steps to take in helping a community, raising awareness about a key issue is very important. In today’s modern society, there are a number of ways to make people aware of problems that may just be happening in their backyard.

• Career advancement, even appointments to the board of directors, rely not only on the work you do, but also on the network you have. Being involved in communities and organizations will help expand your network and make you open to many opportunities.

Related Links & References:

• Dorri’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorrimcwhorter

• YWCA Chicago website: http://www.ywcachicago.org/

• #NotThatComplicated: http://www.ywcachicago.org/notthatcomplicated/

• YShop.org: http://yshop.org/

• National Association of Corporate Directors’ website: https://www.nacdonline.org/

• The Mayor’s Commission for a Safer Chicago: www.cityofchicago.org/saferchicago

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