Should You Play the Role of June Cleaver or Miranda Priestly to Win at Work?

(Editor’s Note: If you are offended by the b-word, you might want to click away from this article.  There are a few choice curse words within this lesson. You nice girls might get a little offended.)

Whether women should play the nice girl role or act like a bitch in business is a debate as old as time itself.

As an empowered career woman you want your own slice of Aretha’s R-E-S-P-E-C-T pie.

But, you don’t know as a business strategy whether you should unleash your inner female dog or let your nice girl run free.

As more women enter the executive suite in record numbers, I ask you, who wins in business: the June Cleaver, baking-cookies-nice-girl, or the Miranda Priestly, Devil-Wears-Prada-acting bitch? Read the rest of this entry »

Selecting the right business partner is no different than picking a spouse.

With a husband you have love, fidelity, beautiful kids and hopefully great sex to blind you from his faults.

With a business partner the perfect match is all about finding someone to help execute the big idea and make you money–without the perks of heavy breathing, a big wedding and the ultimate, leg-shaking orgasm.

Romance and sexual compatibility aside, people make huge mistakes in partnering with the wrong people and it often leads to a loss of money, friendship and ultimately the death of a business. Read the rest of this entry »

Why Payback Is No Reason to Become an Entrepreneur

Got fired or demoted?

Want to unleash a little small business startup revenge?

Before you make plans to become an entrepreneur, think about your career motives.

Is your desire to start a small business clouded by payback and vengeance?

I’ve even been passed over for promotion, by people who were less qualified and competent than I.

So I can relate to the real human feelings of revenge and bitterness that can rise out of the depths of a career disappointment.

But the discontent alone does not give you an excuse to retaliate by starting a small business.

Because the knife you are wielding to stab your old company or boss in the back could be the fatal blow to your own small business dream, before it even starts.

Read the rest of this entry »