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Archive for the ‘Career’ Category

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The New Moonlighting – Starting Your Own Company While Keeping Your Day Job

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

By Guest Blogger Alisa Ahlstone Lewis

Are you ready to start your own business? Do you have your brilliant idea, the passion, smarts and confidence to make it happen, and a fabulous support team around you? Are you are totally ready to go for it? Just remember, you may not want to quit your day job just yet…

I am conservative, or maybe just practical, when it comes to major money matters in my household – especially when it comes to cash flowing into my bank account. I knew I wanted to start my company, Sweet Peas & Stilettos, and I knew it was going to be a huge success one day, but I was not ready to give up a steady paycheck to make it happen.  I decided to start my company at the same time I was already juggling life with an active toddler and a demanding job that required me to travel every week. Some people told me I must have been crazy and completely out of my mind – I like to think that I was highly efficient and organized.

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Posted in Career, Motherhood | 17 Comments »

R.I.P. Whitney Houston 1963-2012

Sunday, February 12th, 2012

If you follow this blog, you know that I take the weekends off to rest my head in order to come back refueled for the week with fresh content. But I had to acknowledge the death of one of my music idols, Whitney Houston. The year was 1986 when my parents took me to see Whitney Houston.  It was the second concert I had ever attended (second to Michael Jackson). We sat second row center.   I knew EVERY word to every song. There I stood for two hours mesmerized– braces, perm, dancing to all her hits. I remember it like yesterday. When Whitney threw me some of her autographed photos, I felt like the luckiest little girl in the world. I still have them today.

Today, I opted not to report the history of her life, nor her rise to stardom, nor her tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, nor her drug addiction. I think we all have the story somewhat straight. We all know she grew up a musical prodigy, surrounded and inspired by strong and soulful female singers; daughter of Cissy Houston, cousin of Dionne Warwick, and goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.

Today, I simply wanted to honor her memory. Whitney’s music will live on in all of us. But I weep for her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, too young to go through life without a mother. And for her mother Cissy, who should not have to outlive her child.

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Posted in Career | 9 Comments »

Trading a Career for Mommyhood: 5 Power Tips

Friday, February 10th, 2012

By Guest Blogger Brooke Menoni

I used to think I had the life. I was a Fashion Director for a national magazine, had private drivers, hair and spa treatments that were paid for, a closet full of designer shoes, front row seats to New York’s Fashion Week, celebrity filled parties and a pay check to match.

But, although from the outside my life seemed exciting and glamorous, it was filled with anxiety, stress, sleepless nights, and a constant need to prove myself to a group of people I cared little about. I knew deep down that this was not the path I was put on this earth to travel and I continually lived in angst trying to figure it all out.

About two years ago, while pregnant with my daughter and a 10 month old at home, our company announced that, due to the economy, our magazine would cease publication that week. While my counterparts around me cried tears of fear and grief, I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders.

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Posted in Career, Kids, Motherhood | 29 Comments »

What Every Woman Should Have…

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

I have to thank my good girlfriend Allison who forwarded this to me. It is said to have been written by Maya Angelou. She has denied the claim.

I love sharing good wisdom every few Wednesdays. I think this is powerful.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own even if she never wants
to or needs to…

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Posted in Beauty, Career, Marriage, Relationships | 11 Comments »

Why Madonna Didn’t Stand A Chance

Monday, February 6th, 2012

I love Madonna. I have loved Madonna from the moment she burst onto the scene in fishnet stockings, too much hairspray and a bad die job.

If my IPod playlist isn’t enough proof, well frankly, I don’t know what is.

So you can imagine how excited I was to see Madonna perform the halftime show at the Superbowl. In fact, I love Madonna so much, I went to her concert in Montreal a few years ago with my girlfriend AND my barf bag. I puked for nine whole stinkin’ months throughout both my pregnancies, and I would throw up any time, any place. But when I heard Madonna was coming to Montreal, I just couldn’t miss it. Not even if it meant dancing on my feet for 3 hours, 9 months pregnant, 40 pounds heavier, with my barf bag in my purse.

But, let’s return to halftime at the Superbowl. I left my house at 5:30 last night for a “girls” dinner when too much testosterone walked through the door after hockey practice at 5. There were big men and little men. It involved the Superbowl, Dominos Pizza, a lot of chicken wings, and a ton of junk. I decided to put on my “awesome” mom hat, and buy the kids junk galore for a change, since I’m usually the killjoy who puts out tangerines and vegetables. Dads Oatmeal cookies are generally as rough as it gets around here. But anyhoooo, I got gummies, jellies, kettle corn sweet n’ salty popcorn, chips, swedish berries, etc… Let’s just say, my boys were proud. After all, didn’t we learn on the last blog that if you were making a Superbowl party, to keep the foods colorful. ;)

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Posted in Career | 27 Comments »

10 Lessons From 10 Years in Business: A Mompreneur’s Tale

Friday, January 27th, 2012

By Guest Blogger Virginia Champoux-Sokoloff

When I was young, no one told me what to expect out of life. They’d just say life is filled with ups and downs, so you gotta learn to roll with the punches. Good advice? Maybe. But what if all you needed to do was invest in what you have, trust your gut, go after what you want, and have fun doing it?

I graduated with a degree in Communications. I then climbed the professional ladder and landed a high pressure, demanding job in Public Relations for the International Air Transport Association. In the midst of it, I met an amazing man and got married.

From the very moment my husband Jay and I decided to share our lives together, we were faced with serious decisions. Jay suffers from cystic fibrosis, so a regular 9-5 job would be difficult since he would likely spend lots of time in the hospital. It then became our priority to shape our life in a certain way, so that we could deal with unexpected hospitalizations.

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Posted in Career, Kids, Marriage, Motherhood, Relationships | 7 Comments »

Erica Diamond’s 5-Step Career Tune-Up on Canada AM

Friday, January 13th, 2012

Is your career in in a rut? Are you stuck in a dead end job?

It’s January– the time we make resolutions, commitments, and set our career path on the right track. Now is a good time to take a hard look at your current job situation. If you’re truly unhappy in your current situation, make the firm commitment to yourself that you will make changes and take action. Now is the time to get off the fence.

Here is my 5-Step Career Tune Up from my segment yesterday morning on CTV’s Canada AM (click on image to go to link).

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Posted in Career | 4 Comments »

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