Little Things

Happiness is truly a choice, and even on this freezing, rainy, miserable day, there are some bright spots. A few of the things that have kept me smiling today are:

-Bright pink lipstick (specifically this shade which I'm wearing)
-This article from Levo League featuring Your Coffee Break
-That the sassy sisters of Georgetown Cupcake are the "Guest Bartenders" at BaubleBar
-That I get to wear my moss green hunter wellies (not to be confused with the fabulous pink ones Sophie and Katherine rock).
-That there's a tiger game tonight

I'm sensing my obsession with the color pink growing. So even though my editor just said "It's literally flash flooding outside," and there are icicles hanging off our steps, I'm smiling.

Words of Wisdom

 

{via here}

It's Monday, so heaven knows I need as much wisdom as I can get. Thankfully, my morning routine of checking Levo League hit the nail on the head. It's no secret I've had entrepreneurship on the brain, and my curiosity for people behind the brand is always indulged on Beyond the Pencil Skirt (BtPS). 

Today's wisdom is from one such BtPs with Rank and Style:

Our Career wisdom for young professional women:

Follow your gut, trust your instincts. And don’t hesitate to ask someone you admire out for a cup of coffee–you’ll be surprised how often people are willing to help. Then pay it forward.

What inspired you to found Rank & Style?

Sarika: Starting my own business was a life-long dream, but I was waiting for the right idea, perfect partners…and courage.  Working at a growth company taught me so much about the adventure that is building a brand and solving a problem through an innovative product/idea. The experience inspired me to want to do the same and Rank & Style occurred to me when I was planning for a vacation and shopping for some travel essentials.  I felt strongly that women deserved a comprehensive, trustworthy, and efficient research platform and was determined to find a way to make this happen!

Pooja: Sarika. I was also at the point in my career where I was looking for a new challenge. I also come from a family of entrepreneurs—architects, crane manufacturers—we have it all! It’s a little scary to create something that’s your own from scratch, but sometimes you just have to give uncertainty a chance. Especially when it feels right.

Sonal: I’d always had entrepreneurial aspirations and after seven years practicing law, I was ready and eager to make a change. I was excited about the idea for R&S, felt passionate about our mission, believed in our team, and decided to take the leap!

Best piece of advice ever received:

Sarika: “Passion fuels persistence, productivity and ultimately success so make sure you feel real, tangible passion for what you do every day.”

Pooja: “Never put off for tomorrow, what you can do today.” A quote by Thomas Jefferson and words my parents encourage me to live by.

Sonal: Don’t die wondering, never look back and make every day count.

Consider my DVR Full This Fall

Thanks to the always-helpful Levo League article on 7 leading women to watch on the small screen this fall, I am officially addicted to three new shows that haven't even started yet.

While I fully trust Levo's judgement (as seen here) and am sure that all 7 are flawless, my personal interests left these three as top runners for favorite tv show (up there with The Americans and PLL).

1. Hostages
As per Levo's description it promises to be packed full of drama, twists, and turns. Don't believe me? Check out the "first look" below.


2. The Crazy Ones
On a lighter note, who doesn't live SMG and Robin Williams?!


3.  To My Future Assistant
No first look/trailer just yet, but if Brittany Snow stars as a stressed out, over-worked legal assistant, you can count me in.

Speaking of counting me in... who's ready for The Americans Season 2?! Is it January yet?

App-ly Yourself

Okay, I know I'm a little too obsessed with reading career-building books and articles, but this stuff is actually very helpful. Case and point, 5 Free Apps for Working Women (courtesy of Levo League). I'm especially excited to try Mint, CardMunch (let it be known that I think this is a terrible name for an app), and DinnerSpinner.

Nike Training Club: 
With Nike Training Club, you can pick the level of fitness (beginner, intermediate, advanced) and then select a workout from the different types of 30- and 45-minute workouts. Once a workout is selected, the app “trainer” tells you exactly what you need to do, for how long, with what weight, and all the other details. If you don’t know how to do the exercise, they have instructional videos or step-by-step pictures of each and every exercise used in every workout. It’s amazing, and the workouts will definitely make you sweat! Another big plus is that your music plays through the workout so you can listen to your jams but still be able to hear the trainer.

CardMunch: 
Keeping track of business cards in an almost paperless world is getting a bit tougher. CardMunch allows you to snap a picture of a business card and store it virtually on your phone. It’s also connected to LinkedIn, so once the business card is saved it can search for the profile on LinkedIn, allowing you to be even more connected with the person. This is a great app for networking, business development, client management, or just even keeping your collection of business cards organized.

EverNote: 
I love lists. Whether it’s making a work to-do list, planning a workout, or tracking future topics to write about, lists definitely keep my life much more organized. Plus, it always feels good to scratch things off on a list and see how much you’ve accomplished! With Evernote, you can keep track of your life through recordings, notes, pictures, and categorize and organize it all. Another great thing about Evernote is that it is available on every mobile device you use, so it’s there all the time.

Mint: 
Hello to all you ballers on a budget! Mint is an awesome financial planning and management app that allows you to track your spending, set budgets, and find out when bills are due. Especially today, with credit and debit cards, keeping track of spending can get out of hand if you’re not careful. Mint will let you know if that new pair of heels you have been eyeing will either break the bank or be totally worth the money!

DinnerSpinner: 
For those of you in a time crunch or not so well-versed in the kitchen (me!), DinnerSpinner is a great app. Got only 20 minutes to whip something together before your friends come over… and you have no idea what to make? Want to spend 45 minutes or less on dinner? Plug in your ingredients (or a main protein), the dish type, and how long you want to spend on it, and presto! Recipes at your fingertips!

Know of any others?

League of Extraordinary Women

In an attempt to stay relevant in the workings of career-pathing and general networking benefits, I try to read articles and books (my latest is Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook-- a gift from my equally fierce and career-minded mama and so far, so good). I stumbled upon a great article earlier this week on a website called Levo League, and have since noticed that the site is full of useful nuggets for those interested in reading about careers/job advice/or just pure curiosity.

A few that I've found today include the following:

 1)  Article: "Working With a Sibling Can Be Crazy, But Also Crazy Wonderful" By Meredith Lepore

Topic: (in case the title didn't tip you off) Sisters who work together professionally:  aka Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Venus and Serena Williams, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, all seven of the Kardashians, etc.

More about Author: "Meredith Lepore is the former editor of the women's career site, The Grindstone. Before that she was on staff at Wall Street Letter and Business Insider and was a contributing writer for Learnvest. She earned her Masters in Magazine, Newspaper and Online journalism from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University after graduating with a degree in Brain and Cognitive Science from the University of Rochester. Meredith resides in New York full time and enjoys reading, jogging, shopping and playing with her puppy, Otis." 

2) Article:  "7 Ways Busy, Young Professionals Can Volunteer"

By Candace Faber

Topic: (again, in case it isn't obvious) "Studies show that volunteering makes people happier and healthier, but contributing to a cause you believe in has other benefits as well, from expanding your professional network to providing leadership opportunities you might not get in the workplace for years to come."

More about the Author: "Candace Faber is a foreign policy and gender issues expert who has worked for the U.S. Department of State in Afghanistan, Belarus, Poland, Russia, and Washington, DC. Before becoming a diplomat, she served as editor-in-chief of the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs and co-edited the 8th edition of Careers in International Affairs. She holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and bachelor's degrees in political science and Russian from the University of Washington. Candace currently lives in Seattle, Washington, where she enjoys racing triathlons, writing short stories, and working on her latest book project, a compilation of interviews with trailblazing women."

3) Article: "Beyond the Pencil (skirt): Meet Sarah, Teen Vogue " By: Kathryn Worsham

Topic: Behind the scenes at work with Teen Vogue Assistant Fashion Market Editor Sarah Pillai

More About the Author: "Kathryn is a Communications Associate at Levo League and the writer and photographer of Beyond the Pencil (Skirt). Follow her on Twitter @kaworsha"

So, if you fancy this type of networking/reading, join, or simply read up on things that interest you (there are tons to choose from).

For Example: 

 

{click here for above article}

{click here for Two Jobs are Better Than One}

And a personal favorite:

{click here for The Golden Rules of Happy Hour}