Supernatural Botanicals

“People think at the end of the day that a man is the only answer (to fulfillment).  Actually, a job is better for me. “ Princess Diana

Join us today on Blog Talk Radio with Girlfriendology at 2:00 EST to listen in to our girlfriend chat.  Debba Haupert, founder of Girlfriendology.com, will be hosting.  You can call in and chat with us.  Follow the link below.  Talk to you soon!

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“I learned about the strength you can get from a close family life. I learned to keep going, even in bad times. I learned not to despair, even when my world was falling apart. I learned that there are no free lunches. And I learned the value of hard work.” Lee Iacocca

A Penn State University study found that when men cry, they are often viewed as sensitive and caring, while when women cry, they are frequently seen as incompetent.  

People who get inadequate sleep are more vulnerable to infection than those who are well rested.  In one study, researchers injected healthy volunteers with a cold virus.  Those who slept less than 7 hours a night for the previous week were 3 times more likely to develop symptoms than those who got 8 hours or more.   In another study,  people who got only 4 hours sleep for several nights in a row had a weaker immune response to the flu vaccine than those who slept between 7.5 and 8.5 hours. 

Don’t skimp on your sleep.  It’s only going to de-rail you down the line.   People seem to wear sleeping to little or working too hard as a badge of honor.  It’s not.  It’s a sign of being unbalanced.  In actuality, it’s a sign of not handling your life properly.  So the next time you hear someone bragging about how much they work and how little they sleep, let them know they are setting themselves up for failure.  Buy them a box of tissues, because they’ll be needing it for the cold they are about to get.

If you are part of the majority, you’ve fallen in love with AMC’s Mad Men.  Mad Men is a show about an advertising agency in Manhattan on Madison Avenue, thus the moniker Mad (Madison Avenue) Men.  The crazy vintage style makes you swoon!  It was a time where women were extremely sheltered, yet they smoked cigarettes and drank scotch from rocks glasses all day long….while pregnant.   Boozing and smoking are also commonplace in the work environment.  The blatant sexual harassment and gross neglect to identify women as equals to men is surreal.  It’s ironic to look at that era of time.  It was a time when politically correct or dysfunctional never crossed their minds.  The retro decor and fashions are delicious, with the main character, Don Draper, always in an impeccable suit.  Joan Holloway is the resident sex-kitten with pin-up girl looks and curves.  This is definitely one to Tivo!

   Nothing is more stressful than being unprepared.  Get organized so you’re ready for the next day, taking a few minutes to make a to-do list of all you want to accomplish the next day.  Knowing you’ve got everything covered means you’ll be less likely to think (and worry) about work in the evenings.  When you start the day, you’ll have the sense that you’re in control of your life and your day, and are being proactive in your battle over stress.  This sets a positive tone for the day, which can help you get more accomplished.

     Barbara Turf is the first woman CEO of Crate and Barrel.  In an economic time when Linens n’ Things filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and other high end cookware retailers, like Williams-Sonoma, has revised its revenue guidance downward, Crate and Barrel seems to be forging straight ahead, largely due to Turf’s leadership.

Turf’s career has certainly been a Cinderella story, or sorts.  After all, she went from walking through Crate and Barrel’s doors in Chicago 40 years ago to interview for a part-time sales clerk position, and landed the job.   Today, she is their first women CEO.

Although women in business leadership were a rarity at that time, Turf displayed incredible courage when she found she was making less money than one of her colleagues.  She brought it to the owner’s attention, and got a raise on the spot.  (We hope to see less and less of this thanks to the Fair Pay Bill that President Obama just passed.)

Via Pink Magazine, Turf shares with us 5 Success Secrets:

1. Work a little harder, get a little tougher, and you’ll reap rewards. Women are such a powerful and important group of decision-makers and consumers, and it’s more important than ever that we make our voices heard as leaders.

2. Life/Work balance can be achieved, but you must have the desire and be very energetic, because you have to put a lot of effort into work and also have energy left over.

3. As leaders and business owners, it’s always a good time to look to the future. We at Crate and Barrel believe that the best ideas often come from the next generation.

4. Success isn’t about money or the power you have. It’s about staying true to who you are, to your gut, and being happy.

5. Do what you love and the successes you achieve will just be the icing on the cake.

Mondays are a perfect time to reconnect with your inner positive self, and to look at your goals.  Instead of typical Monday Mayhem, perhaps we should look Monday straight in the eye and feel confident because (A) we are learning to be fearless leaders and (B) creating a plan for your life and career makes the walk through the corporate lipstick jungle far less fearful.   Be inspired by women like Barbara Turf.  Learn from their trial and tribulations.  One of my favorite quotes, by another fearless woman leader is, “When you know better, you do better.”  Maya Angelou.