Washington DC Business Coaching for CAHMs; Control Your Personal Brand and Reputation, Even When You’re Not Around

This is an especially relevant business coaching article and newsletter for Career at Home Moms (CAHMs) transitioning back into the workforce, building and recovering personal reputation, and managing sometimes conflicting online and offline perspectives of your past and present experience.

In his October 2009 Newsletter, James Bowles, Washington DC’s leading Executive Business Coach and career transition consultant, outlines the facets of your personal “brand” and reputation – that stand to scrutiny when you’re not around. What do people say about you when you aren’t around? Or more importantly, what does your boss, current (or future) client, or other key stakeholders and partners say about you when you aren’t around? For example, in a compensation review meeting (when promotions to key positions are being discussed) or simply when your work and additional opportunities to hire (or fire) you are being considered?

The things that people say about you when you are not around is usually called your reputation. A better way to think about it is that it’s your personal “brand” – and this is one of the biggest factors in your ultimate success on the job, with clients and around your community. Here’s the good news: for the most part, YOU completely control it! Here’s the challenge – to control it appropriately, you may need some essential business coaching, to learn some essential facets of personal brand marketing, reputation management and talent management (a.k.a. “human resource management”).

Three things make up your brand – your skills (i.e. what you know), your experience (i.e. what you’ve done well), and your attitude (i.e. how you act). These are the things that others remember and discuss when the conversation becomes about you, without you. However, having a great brand may not be enough by itself – like any developing brand, marketing yourself is required. Key stakeholders need to know your skills, experiences, and attitudes…so check around. Who needs to know, who do you need to influence? It’s wise to make your brand known to everyone, but it’s crucial to know who will be making the decisions you care about. Also, it’s important to know who influences the decision makers.

Once you know them make a list – then determine the following:

• Have they heard of you?
• Do they know you?
• Have they seen your work?
• Have they been positively impacted by your work?
• Do they know what you want to do?

Work through this list, thinking of how you can have an impact on the decision makers. Turn the answer to these questions to “yes, absolutely!”. Find ways to work on projects that they care about, or be on teams that work on their projects. The key thing here is that the relationship needs to be give-and-take. Do something positive for them to establish your brand, and maybe they will respond by helping you down the road. Quite literally, the most powerful force for successful career change and accomplishment for executives and business leaders is active personal marketing and partnership with stakeholders to obtain feedback, reflect, and act upon it.

This sort of internal “reputation brand marketing and management” is essential in your career, especially if you’re seeking a career change or in fact re-entering the workforce from a layoff, as a Mom returning to work, or establishing new independent career goals. If in fact your career change results, like so many of these do actually do, in reliance on decision makers and stakeholders you don’t actually know (for example future clients or employers learning about you on the Internet), your personal brand and reputation management actions require a degree of Internet Information Marketing and Management skills. This is to ensure you come across the way you desire when people search for you, or your services, on the Internet, in social media channels, or through business and information directories.

For more information regarding DC Business Coaching, Executive Leadership Training, and HR Talent Management, contact James Bowles, Washington DC Executive Coach and HR Consulting. For more information regarding Personal Online Marketing and Reputation Management, contact KME Internet Marketing.

Continue reading about “The Word on the Street (About You)”…

Moms Returning to Work – Northern Virginia Education Options

Here’s a really good article on ‘Moms Returning to Work, by Suzanne Rhodes“

She says:

“As a stay-at-home mom running a home day- care business, I struggle with the question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Six years ago, I left my telecommunications career to stay home with my children. I grapple with my career options as I realize my youngest will enter fi rst grade next year. I’ve toyed with the possibilities of labor and delivery nurse, genetic counselor, and accounting. The jury is still out. “

That seems to be typically what happens as we migrate back through the WAHM/CAHM and possibly to Employee status…lots of possibilities, lots of potential career choices. My advice? Inventory your skills, contacts, experience, interests – and get busy with work that enables you to leverage some or all….

Career and Work at Home Moms – Now’s the Time for Coupons

While turning to coupons for everyday family grocery shopping isn’t obviously a new tact for saving money at home, especially during these difficult economic times, it can come in especially helpful as a time management and supplementary income feature of your career and home management balancing act. And you can save 50% or more.

And it’s an especially fun challenge to, each week, “trip the brakes” of the grocery store’s financial management systems!

The system I’ve been using this past year is part online “Grocery Game“, and part home coupon management – and it adds up to BIG savings, especially when supermarket prices are rapidly declining (see today’s Washington Post) and coupon values are increasing.

In the past few weeks, every time I’ve been to the store with my coupons at-the-ready, I’ve caused problems – the “discount threshold” after the coupons are run is evidently exceeded, and the store manager has to come and approve my order. For example, my bill is $280, with discounts reduced to $130 – it’s usually a savings of more than 50% that trips ‘em up and sounds the alarms, and this is becoming a regular occurrence, and mission.

That extra $150 every 2 weeks or so goes directly to the purchase of things like printer toner, ISP charges, paper and other home office supplies – though sometimes get diverted (way to much, actually) to children’s birthday party expenses.

Let me know if you need more details and tips on reducing your food bill, consistently, by 50% or more.

Creigh Deeds – Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate – Responds Regarding Virginia Women in Business

Heading into Labor Day weekend, it seemed appropriate to query, via my community business Blog “Gateway to Loudoun County”, the Virginia Gubernatorial candidates (Creigh Deeds (D) and Robert McDonnell (R)) about their views concerning Virginia women in business. In disclosure, “Gateway to Loudoun County” is maintained by my company KME Internet Marketing, a woman-owned small business in Loudoun County, VA.

We asked: “What can be done to further encourage, support and maintain the rapid growth of women-owned businesses in this region’s business tax districts, in a manner that also supports work-life balance for dual income families?”

This question regarding working women is especially apropos here at the Fulcrumpoint, which is all about transitioning from full-time Mom to having a full-fledged Career at Home.

Read more about the question, and a great answer from Creigh Deeds…specifically for working women in Virginia, but equally enlightening for CAHMs or WAHMs in any state.

A CAHM Fulcrumpoint – All Children Back in School!

This week, all 4 of my children are now safely ensconsed in their new learning environments, happily at the same school – for the first time in the last 12 years. I’ve anticipated this for many years, while transitioning from corporate work, to stay-at-home, to WAHM and now to CAHM, with my own business. Summers have been exceedingly difficult, balancing the home corporate office with increasing demands by the kids for entertainment, outings, continuing education (i.e. summer reading) and food. Nonstop food – it’s really time someone else fed them!

Examining the new lockers first day at school!

Now I’ve got 7 and 1/2 pure working hours a day in front of me – a clear, broad horizon of endless business growth possibilities and professional growth to look forward to. Maybe even a trip to the Hair Cuttery. Already I’ve indulged in the luxury of mid-day client meetings (offsite!), straightening up the accounting process, buying a new printer, twittering with intent – i.e. all the basic home office block-and-tackling that typically wilts under the onslaught of daily childcare.

It’s really unbelievable, looking back, how much didn’t get gone while I actually had hours and hours each day to myself – before the kids. Now I’ve got this very focused window of entrepreneurial opportunity every single day, all to myself – that’s a transition I’m truly looking forward to.

Squeeze It In – Back-to-School Exercise for WAHMs, CAHMs

As a Career-at-Home-Mom (albeit now with a lot of extra “work” time, now the kids are out of my hair and safely back in school!), the balance between work, family and healthy self-maintenance typically doesn’t favor the latter. The pile of plates and cups around my computer attests to that, and what used to be on those plates didn’t necessarily reflect “nature’s bounty”. However, it’s utterly essential to maintain some movement, exercise on a routine basis, especially for WAHMs and CAHMs. Here’s something totally up our alley – SqueezeItIn.com.

This is a DC-are based business started recently that promotes home exercise techniques, videos and community targeted at Moms, Women and stay-at-home parents…and it’s especially helpful for those of us returning to career work at home (typically a very sedentary activity, working mostly on the computer, phone, blackberry). The trick is to work exercise routines into your daily patterns of housework, cleaning, home chores, etc. It’s actually very surprising how little effort, but how much benefit, comes from a few squats, press-ups and leg lifts – in between the laundry and emails.

Brigette and Jenny have totally cornered the market with their idea, expertise and attitude – it’s up to us CAHM/WAHMs to now put these exercise routines to use, and ramp up our collective working at home energy burn!

One other point, this type of consistent, incremental and integrated exercise during the day is especially useful if you’re training for some kind of race (like a triathlon or road race) – I’ve found it really difficult to maintain a consistent training schedule with the very hard-to-plan and competing demands of family plus work. When the training regiment simply isn’t possible – a few in-home exercise and tuning techniques combined with the rapid-fire, “good-enough” housework that goes on, can really help maintain flexibility and muscle tone. SqueezeItIn.com is a very important addition to my weekly exercise choices – as it should be for most other WAHM/CAHMs.

Choose an Attitude Adjustment – as an Executive Mom

Here’s some great advice from a Northern Virginia Executive Coach I very much respect, about choosing your attitude. Every day, beset with the twin stressors of handling the kids and handling the clients, I must choose a different attitude every 10 minutes. As it turns out, the more times I choose to engaged, thoughtful and responsive – the more my children and clients act the same towards me. And the day flows more peacefully, and sometimes the receivables show up quicker.

From James Bowles’ “Washington DC Executive Coaching” site, August Newsletter:

Positive attitudes drive business results.
I had to go to the doctor’s office for my annual cholesterol check the other day. Getting blood drawn after fasting for 12 hours was not exactly a highlight of my week. When I got there, there were 6 people ahead of me, so I had to wait almost an hour. But when I finally was called, the nurse had a lot of energy, and took the time to chat and joke with me. She laughed and smiled through the whole procedure, and had cartoons taped to the wall to read while she worked. Before I knew it I was done and on my way to work, with a Snoopy band-aid taped to my arm. I had forgotten about the wait altogether.

On the way, I stopped to celebrate my health with a fast food breakfast. (Yes, fast food was my first stop after a cholesterol test). When I ordered, the cashier barely looked at me. The people putting food on the tray looked tired and bored. They handed my order to me without a word. These people were not enjoying their morning.

I bet that you run into these situations every day. What’s the difference between these two situations?

The nurse was intentionally inflicting pain to a steady stream of people who really did not want to be there. Most were probably in a hurry, and like me annoyed that they had to wait. She could have very easily taken on a surly demeanor, but she chose to make an effort to engage and have fun. By doing this, she made the whole experience more relaxing. This not only helped her customers, but I’m sure that it helped reduce the stress level of her job, too.

The fast food clerk on the other hand was providing delicious (if not healthy) food to willing people, and chose to be unhappy about what she was doing. I bet that she is counting the minutes until she gets off of work.

The key word here is CHOOSE. There are a lot of things in life that are not within our control. However, your attitude is one thing that is almost totally within your control. Each of us chooses how we respond to what life throws at us every day. Those choices have an impact on your own internal mindset, and an impacts those around you. You can choose to have an attitude that helps your situation and has a positive impact on others, or you can choose the opposite. In any case, you have ultimate control over your attitude and resulting behavior.

Just to clarify, choosing attitude is not the same as choosing emotions. Emotions come and go naturally. Part of being human is experiencing and dealing with emotions. Choosing attitude is about how you decide on an appropriate reaction to those emotions, and how you treat others as you experience them. It’s certainly not about always being happy, since displaying sadness and anger are sometimes totally appropriate.

Victor Frankl, the famous author, psychologist, and holocaust survivor said it best when he said that “Everything can be taken from a man but … the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Read more….

CAHM/WAHM Baby Boomer Tips – 3 Must-Do’s For Your Elderly Parents

Here’s great advice from Janie Behr, a Louisville KY Personal Life Coach, regarding making sure to take care of your parents…an especially critical and growing concern for those of us already juggling home careers and children. Welcome to the “sandwich generation”!

As our lives progress rapidly in the midst of troubled times, it’s absolutely essential not to ignore or forget the responsibilities and proactivity necessary to care for our parents. In particular, those of us solidly representing the “Baby Boomer” generation are now deep into the age where our parents really need help and practical support. Only 2 years away, when the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2011, the oldest of the baby boomers will turn sixty-five. This remarkable generation, the largest in American history, will continue to have an enormous impact on the nation socially, economically and politically as later it ages, transforming old age as no other generation has before in history. It is, however, their newly-gained responsibility to transform the way our parents are managed and cared for, and following are 3 absolute must-do tasks and responsibilities for dealing with your parents as they quickly age.

As men and women born between 1946 and 1964 grow older, their parents are also aging. Those who have not already experienced the impact of aging on their parents will very likely do so in the next decade – and it can happen at absolutely any time, precipitated by any event, whether health, financial or social-related. You may find quickly yourself in a new season of life where you are an adult child of an aging parent. The physical and mental costs of travel, communication, direct assistance and hired help are particularly tough on your family and lifestyle when you don’t live in the same area as your aging parent – but it’s the additional load of worrying and guilt that can be unbearable.

• Is he / she all right?
• How will I know if he / she isn’t?
• Should I be visiting more?
• Should I take time off from work?
• Why won’t others help?
• Can I get affordable help?
• Am I giving enough?

Thoughtful preparation on your part could help to minimize the guilt trip, minimize expenses, and minimize the constant worry and anxiety. Make the most of your visits and the time you can give, whether in person or remotely via the phone and email (as possible). Now more than ever organization and preparation are the keys to your success and your survival.

1) Lovingly Watch Out for Your Parent

Here are a few tips for organizing from a distance.

• Establish a local support network as soon as possible. Make a list of friends, family or neighbors who live near your parent. Let these people know of your concern. They can be extra ears and eyes as well as caring friends. They can alert you when they notice signs of trouble and be available if there is an emergency.
• If your parent lives alone, see if a relative, friend or neighbor will stop by occasionally to see how your parent is doing or perhaps drop off a meal or offer a ride into town. A synagogue, might know of volunteers who can check on your loved one. You may be able to hire a companion to spend time with your family member.
• Learn about any local elder watch programs, for example “Meals on wheels”

Phone calls don’t always tell you what you need to know. Visit your parent so you can see for yourself what’s really going on, and so you can make adjustments to your parent’s home or get additional help when necessary.

2) Visit Your Parent

Nothing is truly more important than in-person visits, companionship and dialogue with an elder parent – it can be incredibly rewarding, satisfying and productive for both you, your family members and most of all your parent. It’s certainly much more effective than long-distance phone calls or emails, though the proliferation of Internet-based communication tools can bridget the gap – for example using online conferencing softward. This, however, requires significant attentiona and maintenance of computer resources; additionally, your parent may simply not be interested or able to leverage it. Look into Internet tools – but plan first and most often to actually visit.

In advance of visiting, plan what you want to accomplish, who else might attend, and anything you might need to discuss with your parent.

If you live far away, organize your visits in advance so you can accomplish as much as possible. If you need to meet with a doctor, lawyer, social worker, religious leader or other professional (or other friends and acquantainces of your parent), set up appointments at least a month in advance, as their schedules get filled quickly. Be sure to confirm these appointments closer to the date, and confirm your parent’s ability to attend as necessary. It’s probably not a good idea to bring the grandchildren to every visit – especially if your primary goal is targeted assessment and assistance of your parent’s basic needs.

When you are with your parent, take a mental and physical inventory of their health and living situation. Try to foresee trouble before it happens:

• Does your parent seem wobbly or dizzy?
• Are they well groomed, or has their personal hygiene deteriorated?
• Is there ample food in the refrigerator?
• Is the food spoiled and moldy, and the kitchen unkempt?
• Are there significant issues with landscaping or home maintenance?
• Are there piles of unopened mail or unpaid bills, notices, or newspapers in the driveway?
• Do they use the computer? Check (or have someone check) its status, whether full of viruses, spam, attempts of identity theft, unusual communications or purchases.
• Are finances in order? Check the visa bill, bank statement, online accounts and checkbook for unusual charges or purchases.
• Do they still do the things they used to, like read, knit, play the piano or do the crossword puzzle?
• Does it appear that they’re getting out, seeing friends? Are they calling on her?
• When they do go out, are they unreasonably forgetful, in appearance, action or conversation?

If things seem askew or different than they used to be, it may be a sign of underlying trouble…depression, confusion, illness, diminishing eyesight, loss of financial resources, deterioration of living conditions, or simply a signal to you that your parent needs more help at home and opportunities to get out.

Include some time during your visit to talk with nearby relatives, friends or others who see your parent regularly – both to hear their thoughts and concerns and to thank them for helping in any way that they do.

Check out local services and facilities. See what hospital is best, what nursing homes are acceptable, and what community services are offered. Ask your personal life coach for more information, both to help your parent, and help yourself.

Even though your life is busy be sure to spend some time simply being with your parent, chatting and listening, watching a movie or just sitting together quietly, reminiscing together on life yesterday, now and the many tomorrows ahead. A trip that’s all business misses a critical element. Find time to relax, listen to offer support. Most importantly, try and plan visits that your parent enjoys, whether it includes a lot of noise and bustle (i.e. with the children), or is very tranquil and quiet.

3) Help Your Parent Prepare for Emergencies

• Discuss and call a company that provides an emergency response system to help your parent get immediate help in case of a fall or other health emergency. This can include wireless alerting mechanisms, perimeter alarms, Internet cameras, etc. – there are many very reasonable options available. Wecams in particular are an easy way for you to check in on your parent, at any time, from any location with your mobile phone.
• Set up speed dial to automatically dial out to multiple persons, for help on your parent’s phone and/or computer. Create an easy-to-find folder for emergency medical technicians with instructions of who to call, including pictures of the people they will be reaching. It might also be helpful if your parent’s personal address / phonebook is set up with small photos along with the contact information. This information should be electronically copied and stored as well, forwarded to several others who may be in a position to help – including those who help you, such as your trusted personal life coach.
• Arrange, as possible (if not yourself), to routinely monitor and check the living arrangements for safety and protection – the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, locks on doors and windows, alarms, plumbing and gas fittings, appliances, the car, transit areas in and out of the house, snow/ice removal assistance, landscaping dangers (like dead trees), etc. There are many inherent dangers about living alone, without ability, resources or inclination to deal with the proper upkeep of a living environment.

Above all take care of yourself. Recognize and accept the limits of what you can do and give yourself credit for all you are doing. Don’t hesitate to ask for help or use community services. And finally, get support from friends or a Seasons of Life Coach to help you alleviate stress and guilt.

This article is an update to a series of personal life coaching articles from Louisville, KY life coach expert Janie Behr – search and find many more in addition to personal assistance for caring for elderly parents, at http://www.JBLifeCoach.com.

CAHM vs. WAHM – Top 15 Work at Home Differences for Moms

What is the difference between a Career at Home Mom (CAHM) and a Work at Home Mom (WAHM)? I’ve put together a “top 15″ table for comparison – the ‘level of commitment’ turns out to be the distinguishing factor in comparing the two, and this list is based purely on my own experience, on both sides of the fence.

What do you think? What are some other differences or perhaps similarities between CAHMs and WAHMs?

Top 15 Differences Between a WAHM and CAHM

	WAHM	CAHM
1.	You’re working for money, right now.	You’re working for money now, and many facets of your work are investments in future income and success. You are personally invested in the success of  your efforts.
2.	Most likely you’re performing a service or selling a product for someone else, and while you have a flexible schedule, you are dependent on your employer.	Most frequently you’re creating or building your own portfolio of services or products, with a serious eye towards independence.
3.	Typically seeking supplemental income.	Typically building a primary or entirely secondary family income.
4.	Most often reselling something, for a fee or percentage.	Often selling a direct product or service, and defining your profit.
5.	You’re learning very discrete, incremental skills that don’t always transfer to other opportunities.	You’re truly building a professional career, broadening and deepening your knowledge, experience, reusable and current skills, relationships.
6.	You’re typically a team of one, not many are directly dependent on you, nor you on they, for income-building assistance.	You’re building a team of advisors, partners, employees, contractors and freelancers, while building a client and community base – you depend on many, and many depend on you.
7.	Your work is not necessarily associated with your education, past work experience or future career aspirations. Your work is likely administrative in nature.	Your work is directly related to your education (or continuing education), your career strategy, and your professional goals.
8.	You work hard, but work doesn’t interfere with your personal pursuits.	You work hard and aren’t always able to make every social/friend event.
9.	You’re sometimes building a personal brand, and usually representing other brands.	You’re most definitely building a personal brand, and creating or enhancing other brands.
10.	You use Facebook and Emails for most online communication – you participate in online conversations and communities.	You balance professional communication, representation and networking among the most appropriate online channels – LinkedIn for professional relationships, Facebook for social marketing and communities, Twitter for professional real-time notifications and response, email across several different segments of your extended network. You create online conversations and communities.
11.	You work almost entirely at home, save perhaps for sales calls or meetings, and pickup or distribution of products and supplies. You typically have routine babysitting help.	You work mostly at home, but manage a more complex schedule of meetings, interviews, and service delivery functions both virtually and in-person, requiring a lot of time-management skills, online conferencing skills, and flexible babysitting assistance – but most importantly a Blackberry (or some other PDA with email capability).
12.	You exercise at home.	You exercise at home, and try not to let others on the web videoconference see your push-ups.
13.	Your spouse is frequently able to help in your work.	Your spouse may be less likely or able to help, since your business and career may be quite different than theirs – though when it’s similar, you’ve got a significant built-in partnership to leverage.
14.	Your primary objective is supplemental income vs. building a career or business	Your primary objective is promoting career/business.
15.	You are ‘under-paid’ with regards to your skills and experience, accepting what others pay, with little negotiating room. You’re not satisfied with your professional success.	You are compensated fairly for your efforts, and set your own rates or prices. You’re more satisfied with your professional success and future.

Comments? Additions? Let me know – let’s make a definitive guide.

Get Busy in Your Career at Home

Are you busy? Really?

With regards to achieving professional balance, and with emphasis on an actual “profession” – three kinds of “busy” come to mind: “smart” busy, “required busy” and “simply busy” – the secret is to be busy in all three ways, but with significantly more focus on the “smart” way.

“Required busy” means those activities you must do, as obligations of parenthood, being a spousal partner, and generally contributing to the material upkeep, health and welfare of yourself, your family, friends and social context. I could certainly spend ALL of my time doing “required” things, with my four children under 11, and the un-ending demands of housework, school support and volunteering, after-school activities, shopping for essentials, managing the family finances, general parenting, etc. I could also spend a significant time doing “self-required” things such as decorating, gardening, hobbies or entertainment, blogging, exercise and the myriad of other opportunities to occupy myself at home. Do this – try to cut down and prioritize things you feel are “required”, focus on the basics – material upkeep, health, family management, happiness and welfare – and always put your family and health first.

“Simply busy” means those activities you do out of boredom, to pass the time or “relax” that really don’t end up in productive outcome of any sort. Like watching most TV, chatting on the Internet or phone, re-re-decorating your house, round-trips to Starbucks, reading for entertainment, shopping for non-essentials. I’ll be direct, (since you’re trying to be) – there’s very little time or value in being “simply busy” (assuming your goal is a career at home).

“Smart busy” are those additional things you do (on top of the “required” ones) that result in significant contributions to the wealth and success of you and your family, without wasting time or becoming “simply” busy activities. Examples include focused training or skills-building, professional networking and research, actual productive, reusable work – more on that later, personal productivity improvements (like reorganizing your computer or office), updating your email and contact lists, providing extra homework or educational opportunities for your children, etc. Every minute of your day can be a “Smart Minute”.

Get busy – again, like you were at work – but now at home.