18 Aug Milestones are Everywhere
The most magical milestones might not be first steps or a lost tooth...
08 May The 9 Secrets To Thriving As A Working Mom
Now that we have started to confront some of the workplace issues that can hold us back, it is time to address our lifestyle challenges and the opportunities to solve them....
24 Mar 11 Ways To Win At Public Speaking
Whether you are asked to speak at your industry conference, say a few words at a birthday dinner, visit your child’s class to explain your career, or nail a sales presentation, your skills will be on display. Public speaking matters as much for you as...
08 Mar How to Find Your Confidence, ‘Lean In’ Style
Samantha Ettus playing tennis at 17 We have been conditioned to look outside of us for confidence but what if you looked to yourself? Here is an exercise that will result in an infusion of your own courage. Start by thinking of a time when you were...
23 Dec 4 Easy Ways To Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick
There isn’t a soul among us who has lived their life free of the “New Year’s resolution trap.” You make some giant goal and fail to keep it because it is unrealistic or you haven’t owned it. You’re not alone; by June, 54% of New...
04 Nov This Woman CEO Is Changing The Rules And Building An Empire
Stacey Bendet, CEO and Creative Director of Alice and Olivia, breastfeeding daughter Athena at her office. When Stacey Bendet returned to work just six days after giving birth to her third child, it wasn’t at all what you might think. As with most newborns, Bendet’s slept...
27 Aug 6 Ways To Keep Your Workplace Safer
One week ago, security expert Paul Viollis invited me to join his showto talk about workplace violence. Coincidentally, the interview was yesterday, only hours after the tragic on-air shooting in Virginia. We talked about ways that employers and employees can keep their workplaces safer, and the...
07 May Six Reasons An Earnings Gap Shouldn’t Mean Inequality At Home
“How can I get my husband to share household and parenting responsibilities despite the large difference in our salaries?” What happens when the primary breadwinner uses making more money as an excuse for doing far less or none of the childcare and housework? Lately this question is coming...
17 Feb 5 Ways That One Word Will Change Your Life
In improvisational comedy, there is the golden rule “Yes, and…” You agree to what the person before you said and add something of value to the scene. We can all learn a bit from improvisation; if we respond with “no,” we close all of the...
17 Nov The Morning Routines of 12 Women Leaders
We thrive from the consistency and efficiency of routines; they reduce our deliberation and in turn, our stress. So it is no wonder that these 12 extraordinary women adhere to strict ones. Each of these women is at the top of her industry. On average she wakes...
16 Sep 9 Ways To Bulletproof Your Daughter Against Domestic Violence
On the heels of Oscar Pistorius and Ray Rice, I sought advice from top experts on how we can raise daughters who are immune to the hands of violent men. Far from victim blaming, we are talking about early prevention. High self-esteem increases a girl’s likelihood...
08 Sep 5 Ways To Help Mom Get Even With Dad In The Workplace
Every time women see a piece like “The Motherhood Penalty vs the Fatherhood Bonus,” you can hear a collective sigh of hopelessness. Reading about the intrinsic bias in the workforce, the glorified way in which fathers are perceived at work in comparison to the “flaky”...
17 Jul The Real Work Life Imbalance
I am sure that PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi has some fantastic lessons on leadership that we could all benefit from. She could teach us about managing boards and shareholders and telling a story through the press. But when it comes to parenting, I suspect Nooyi could...
16 Jun 7 Ways To Get Noticed At The Office
No matter what your role or where you are performing it, you can shine – anywhere. Regardless of where on the totem pole you start, true talent will rise to the top. Here are 7 ways to emerge from the crowd: 1. Seize Your Opportunity I will...
24 Mar 19 Ways to Be More Effective Today
We tend to get overwhelmed by change because when we think of making changes we think big. Moving, marrying, divorcing, becoming a parent, career transitioning. But often the most effective change comes in smaller forms. It is seemingly minor lifestyle changes that can lead to...
17 Jan Why You Can’t Live Without High Expectations
The dirty little secret about expectations is that whether internal or external, we tend to meet the expectations set for us. I love the story of Minnesota educator, Lois Beckel. When asked what the “magic” was in getting a group of toddlers to nap together on...
19 Nov The Rachel Zoe Interview: Lifestyle of a Fashion Mogul
Rachel Zoe has propelled from celebrity stylist to reality star turned entrepreneur. Her fashion empire boasts a self-named collection in more than 250 stores as well as online retailers, and The Zoe Report, her daily fashion bulletin, is emailed to 700,000 subscribers. Now she is...
13 Oct 25 Working Moms To Follow On Twitter 2013
These 25 women have been selected for our list because they have reached the top of their fields and they share their experience and their lives in raw form through multiple daily tweets. They are prolific, personal and inspiring – all have children and demanding...
20 Aug Seven Ways To Speak Up Smartly At The Office
Speak up, make your voice heard (Photo credit: HowardLake) We know that advocating for yourself at the office is essential, but how you do it determines your success. I recently had lunch with a C level executive at a public company. She had been promoted to COO...
19 Jul 9 Ways to Make Yourself Easy to Work With
Lilywhite Huddle (Photo credit: Wikipedia) 1. Make a Connection Being a great person to work with requires curiosity – yours. “The better you know your colleagues or clients and their needs, motivations and goals, the better able you are to work with them,” explains customer loyalty expert, Cindy Solomon. 2....
21 Jun 8 Great Reasons to Keep Working After You Have Kids
Colleagues at Jenn David Design, San Diego Work and family life don’t need to conflict; they need to coexist. It is time to stop glamorizing the alternative and talk about the big bonuses of keeping up your career after you have a child. Here are 8...
10 May Beyond Sheryl Sandberg, Marissa Mayer and Oprah: Add These 5 Women to Your Radar
Heading in to the Forbes Women’s Summit, I was feeling a bit demoralized – some days the statistics just get to me. - Women hold only 16% of board seats at Fortune 500 companies - Only 45 of the Fortune 1000 CEOs are women - Women...
29 Apr Lifestyle List: 25 Ways to Win as a Working Mom
All great trips require preparation. Your adventure as a working mom is no different. You can be the best parent in fewer hours per week; it isn’t about how many hours you spend at home, it is about how you use them. Here goes: Be unapologetic...
20 Mar Why the ‘Retro Wife’ Threatens America’s Economy
Though I wish America could ignore New York Magazine’s “Retro Wife” cover story, the lesson of Phyllis Schlafly forces us to pay attention. The “Retro Wife” here is Kelly Makino, who stays home with the kids, “spoils” her husband, and wants her daughters to “have...
26 Feb Et Tu Brute: Marissa Mayer Never Wanted to Be Your Poster Girl
From the beginning, Marissa Mayer didn’t want to be the working moms mascot. When she announced that she was only taking two weeks of maternity leave, Marissa Mayer was saying “I won’t be the working moms poster girl.” Months later, her war on tele-commuters is met...
21 Feb Seeking Work Life Balance? Be French
America’s parenting culture – 100% sacrifice and devotion – dooms working parents and it certainly doesn’t reflect our reality; 70% of children now live in households where both parents work. Even the research shows that intensive parenting causes kids to suffer. The reality and the...
14 Feb How Do You Know if You Love Your Work?
Do you love your work? Given the deadlines, politics and responsibilities, on some days this can be a hard question to answer. Here is a solution. I have taken 8 popular love quotes and substituted the word “business” for “love.” If you agree with these...
18 Jan 9 Mistakes for Working Moms to Avoid at the Office
As working moms, we have some unavoidable time constraints which can lead to extreme performance pressure. How we behave at the office can make a world of difference to our success: 1. Limit the Family Photos Having more than two photos on your desk makes people think that...
31 Dec 5 Fixes for Your Unrealistic New Year’s Resolutions
Chances are you have never accomplished your New Year’s resolutions. By June, 54% of people have abandoned theirs and by the end of year, just forget about it. So instead of pie-in-the-sky resolutions that require unrealistic leaps, focus on small lifestyle changes with achievable and permanent results. Here...
12 Dec 9 Ways You Should Be Using Twitter
Every day I meet people who ask me why they should be active on Twitter and every day I see Twitter friends try to hide their frustration over those that don’t understand their attachment. Here are 9 great ways to use Twitter: 1. To Create a...
29 Nov 5 Ways to Transform a Non-Productive Day
We all have them – the days when we have trouble getting out of bed and are set off by small things. Or – the days when our minds are wandering and nothing will settle us into the groove of work. Either way, you are...
13 Nov How to Find a 25th Hour in Your Day
More than 20 years ago, American Airlines saved $40,000 by removing just one olive from each salad tray in First class. This fun fact translates to your life where the smallest lifestyle changes can yield the most dramatic gains. Here are 10 ways to steal...
16 Oct 5 Ways to Amp Up Your Creativity
182 - Paint squiggles (Photo credit: MrB-MMX) Whether you are in a brainstorming rut or feel too exhausted to muster up a germ of imagination, here are five action-oriented steps to propel you to the creativity big leagues: 1. Take a New Route To and From Work Inventor...
11 Oct 8 Essential Steps to Raising Confident Girls
Girls today are straddling two worlds – one in which nobody blinks an eye upon seeing a woman run for office and one in which girls are being sexualized at a younger and younger age. How do we raise our girls to believe in their...
02 Oct The Brutal Results of 72 Hours of Uninterrupted Motherhood
In many ways I have a life with great balance; almost every day I spend a certain part of my day working and I spend most of the rest of my time momming. I also have a husband who works and is an involved dad,...
25 Sep When You’re The Mom They’re Laughing At
Fresh from landing on The New York Times Best Seller list, I interviewed Alicia Ybarbo and Mary Ann Zoellner, two of the four authors of the new humor book rocking the mommy world one laugh at a time. Alicia and Mary Ann are Sh*tty Moms...
10 Sep 21 Ways to Win at Public Speaking
English: A Sennheiser Microphone (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Public speaking is an essential skill — not just for CEOs and Oscar winners — but for each and every one of us. Whether you are asked to give a toast at a wedding, say a few words at...
13 Aug Pregnant? 6 Steps to Ensure Your Baby Has an Involved Dad
Newborn (Photo credit: lotopspin) I have yet to see a successful working and married mom with a husband who doesn’t contribute. Here are six steps to guarantee that you and your husband are partners on the parenting adventure from the beginning: 1. Do the Doctor Visits Together Sure...
07 Aug 25 Ways to Win at Networking
Be Open Source Introduce contacts, never hoard them. Master the Firm Handshake Because wet noodles always flop. Don’t Trash Talk Others It makes people think that they are next on the chopping block. Always Offer Your Business Card They are still used and they are still effective. Always Get Their Business Card So you...
17 Jul Marissa Mayer is Six Months Pregnant: Hooray for Yahoo!
Marissa Mayer (Photo credit: Giorgio Montersino) When Marissa Mayer was announced as the new Yahoo! CEO yesterday, there was a collective wow. A 37 year old woman! An engineer! Another role model – in Silicon Valley, a place in dire need of more women in top positions. And then...
09 Jul What to Know About Turning 40
Natalie Tysdal climbing for her 40th. At every age, I have been a bit proud of the year under my belt. But this one is different. My 40thbirthday arrives this week and I have become a wreck. I want a party. I don’t want a party....
26 Jun Slaughter’s Extreme Kills the Working Moms Conversation
Leaving your family before dawn on Monday and returning home late Friday to be there for short weekends is not the reality for most working moms. Anne-Marie Slaughter’s piece in The Atlanticdescribes a life in the White House that is most akin to a tour...
13 Jun Does the Wage Gap Start in Kindergarten?
Last week was the end of year Parent’s Day at pre-school. The teachers playfully interviewed each four year old with a few questions including: “What does your Mommy do while you are at school?” and “What does your Daddy do while you are at school?”I...
01 Jun 6 Ways to Make the Most of Your Summer Weekend
We all like to think of summer as a blur of beach balls and barbecues but once the weekend comes roaring around it can also be filled with pressure to make the most of it. Here, six experts offer advice on how to maximize your...
31 May Today: My Unavoidable Life and Work War
Every working parent has one – that day when their home life and professional life are on an unstoppable collision course. In the past, I have profiled other women’s stories of professional/personal collisions. Mine comes today. Because I missed my daughter’s Kindergarten fall play for a prior work commitment, I had...
19 May The Bestselling Woman Behind What to Expect When You’re Expecting
What to Expect When You're Expecting and Self-help Bestsellers With all of the hoopla about the just released What to Expect When You’re Expecting movie, theJennifer Lopez and Cameron Diazfronted ensemble film, it is easy to forget the woman who started it all. Heidi Murkoff has...
14 May 5 Powerhouse Moms and 15 Surprising Reflections
With mothers on the mind, I asked five moms who manage thriving careers – as an editor, actress, entrepreneur, radio host and reporter, to share their secrets: Alison Brod, PR Firm Owner, Mom of 2 Bonnie Fuller, Editor, Hollywood Life, Mom of 4 Mel Robbins, Radio Personality, Mom of...
10 May Working Moms and Their New Mr. Rights
When I arrived at Mom 2.0 Summit last week I was surrounded by leaders and influencers in the mom space. I had just written about the New Mr. Right so husbands were on my mind but it turned out that they were on other minds too. First...
30 Apr Not Married Yet? Look for the New Mr. Right
(Photo credit: Wikipedia) When young women ask me how to have a successful career and a family I tell them to pick the right guy. Easier said than done – especially if you don’t know what to look for. If you want a successful career, a...
19 Apr 8 Lifestyle Edits to Make Tomorrow Easier
Your life shouldn’t be this hard. You are working, momming, juggling, and you are probably exhausted without a break in sight. If this describes you, take respite in knowing that small lifestyle edits can make great changes. Here are 8 ways to make tomorrow easier than...
13 Apr Ann Romney Has Never Worked – For a Paycheck
Ann Romney (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore) Hilary Rosen should be apologizing for what she didn’t say – not for what she did. I once met Mitt Romney at a fundraiser I was invited to by a friend of mine who has always been involved in his campaigns....
09 Apr Dads, Listen Up: Facebook’s COO Leaves Work at 5:30
No excuses. It is time for working dads to get home to dinner. Any mom will gladly swap stories about the brutally difficult but critically important part of their family’s day known as dinner/bath/bedtime. But where are the dads? The answer is all too universal. Even...
02 Apr Olympic Mom: Summer Sanders on Sleep, Marriage and Magic
Each time I have worked with Olympic athlete, Summer Sanders, I have been inspired by her life as a former gold medalist turned TV personality and mother. In this interview, she shared with me an unusually candid look into how she manages her life as...
27 Mar Hot Potato Mom Exploits Child in Vogue Magazine and We Pay
Starving a 7-year-old is child abuse even when it’s cloaked in the beautiful pages of Vogue. While Mad Men’s 1960s misogyny had center stage this week, Vogue Magazine found a way to steal it. The fashion bible came out yesterday with a first person account by...
20 Mar How to Turn Your Man into Mr. 50%
I am thrilled about The Richer Sexscoring the elusive Time Magazine cover but stunned that men at home haven’t caught up with the shifting workplace. Even in homes with two working parents, men are not doing even close to their fair share of the housework. I...
15 Mar When a Professional High and a Personal Low Collide: A Working Mom’s Nightmare
When I heard the story, I instinctively covered my mouth in shock. Nada Jones was describing every working mom’s biggest fear come to life. It was the night of her big launch. Her women entrepreneurs’ conference was kicking off in one hour and she was...
02 Mar Guilt to Great: A Working Mom’s Battle
My heart sank. The winter musical that my five-year-old daughter had been talking about non-stop, was scheduled for the same day I was to speak at the Massachusetts Conference for Women. I had committed to this speaking engagement more than six months earlier and there...
02 Feb 5 Ways To Close The “Ambition Gap” For Girls
Would it surprise you to hear that a future CEO had the following background? She enjoyed weekly manicures with her mother starting at age four, spent her days playing princess dress-up, was not regularly around professional women, and was not told she could achieve anything...
