The Must-Read Books For Women Entrepreneurs

I recently had a chance to participate on a very popular website by sharing my favorite book for women entrepreneurs. It was so hard to pick just one book; I’ve read so many and refer them to people who are in different stages and processes in their career. As I was forced to narrow it down though, I chose one that I still think about often and has really made an impact on me. The site, Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, just went live and is already ranked on Google’s first page - very exciting! Check out the tip from #92 - she seems very smart. :) "The Must-Read Books for Women Entrepreneurs" is brought to you by Toilet Paper Entrepreneurs (great blog for small business owners).

Meanwhile, this picture of the stacked books represents the pile on my kitchen table that I need to get through. Ugh, how do you squeeze more time out of the day?

The Compliment Guys Making a Stop in Atlanta

Just reading this AJC article made me happier. Two Purdue University students have become famous for giving out compliments. Yes, you heard me right.

They used to stand outside one of their buildings on campus and just say nice things to fellow students going to class. Kodak now sponsors them and they are traveling on a 10-city tour, encouraging people to look on the bright side of life. Recently they were in Centennial Olympic Park calling out compliments and high-fiving people walking by. I have had a lot on my mind in general trying to acclimate to being a working mom and family/life balance. If I saw these guys I probably would’ve walked the long way around the park to avoid them and most likely would’ve thrown a dirty look their way.

I think what these guys are doing is very cool. I can definitely use a little more positivty in my life and sure many others could too. I wonder if we can hire them for our clients’ conferences and meetings? I think they’d definitely generate buzz!

My Initial Twitter Experience

I REALLY didn’t want to begin twittering and have resisted for a long time. I am already feeling the time-suck of social media by writing two different blogs based on two completely different interests, trying to beef up my LinkedIn account and navigate all its capabilities, maintaining a personal FaceBook page where I post pics of my baby, and helping my company utilize our corporate Delicious and FaceBook pages.

I decided to start VERY slowly with Twitter. I created an account and then sat on it for days. Then I gradually searched and followed experts and thought leaders to see what they were doing. I have changed my profile about 10 times and will probably keep changing it until I decide what my objective and strategy is for Twitter so that when I finally narrow my focus I will already be up and running. Three of my observations:

-I am not tweeting with my best friends and I don’t necessarily want to. I am on Twitter to follow the experts in a field and soon hope to establish my own niche and develop an expertise. This is not my FaceBook account and the two audiences are very different.
-Again, it’s not so much the tool. Twitter is just another medium in which experts get their message across.
-I really like that I can access Twitter from my BlackBerry. While the application is a little slow, it gets the job done.
-Writing a compelling message in 140 characters is actually pretty difficult

Social media will dominate you and your time unless you proactively take control, know your purpose and objectives, and set aside time in your schedule. Most importantly ABIDE by that time. If you have a Twitter account, follow me here: @jennymunn

The Future of Organizations: Flexible Hours and Change

Working a 9-5 job? Having to sit in an office five days per week? That is SO last year.

I have been preaching for awhile now that a flexible work schedule and the ability to work remotely is going to be the future. I live it and work it and can praise for days the benefits. The new generation is not going to tolerate the rigidity of the past and talent will be hard to come by as the millennials seek to work in organizations that are flexible and offer work/life balance. As I talk to people I hear more and more that they are being granted flexibility, which is great.

Also, I was reading an article on NCR moving its headquarters to Atlanta. The article was giving some history about the company, and one specific quote caught my eye: “The first 75 years they were ahead of the curve…the last 50, they’ve been chasing.” For the giant corporations that have a lot of history, change is very difficult and slow to implement. The adaptable, nimble organizations of today’s times know that smart, effective change is a must-have. The constant evaluation of business practices is a must. After we emerge from this recession, it will be interesting to see which companies (and people) will be the trendsetters and which will still be lagging behind, struggling to keep up.

Why I Will Do a Great Job For My Company

The poop was everywhere. Not only did it burst out my baby’s diaper but it had run up his back, through his outfit, and somehow in the process of cleaning him up it got all over his hands, arms, and into his hair. Ugh. I was just about to leave and drop off my baby at my in-law’s house so I could get some work done and now I was late. But you know what? I didn’t care.

I didn’t care that I was running late because I am blessed with a VERY rich work/life balance in that I only work 25-30 hours per week, have flex hours, and can work remote ocasionally. So I don’t think the person I’m about to call on will mind if I call an hour later than I originally planned. :) And my boss won’t mind because he knows I’ll get the work done. And I don’t mind because it allows me to be in the moment with my baby Collin and then later on when I do start working I’m 100% involved in my work and I won't be feeling guilty that I’m not spending time with my baby. (Okay, well maybe there’s still a little guilt)

So I was able to enjoy the moment with my 6-month old baby, laugh about the poop situation, and enjoy the bath I had to give him that caused me to run 45 minutes late. My time with Collin as a baby is so precious and fleeting.

This benefit and balance not only makes me want to do a great job for my company; it’s WHY I will do a great job for my company. And that is a big difference.