Being Inspired By Chocolate By: Mary Foley | - Inspiration is everywhere if we're open to it. Not long ago after several long ten to twelve hour days, I was dragging. I was working hard and had gotten a lot done, but I had more to do. The problem was my mojo was running low. So, I did what so many of us do when we need that temporary jolt of energy. I headed for the chocolate!
This time it was a special box of chocolates that I'd been given a month ago as a gift. I reached into the cupboard for that familiar gold crested ... Tags:Inspiration, chocolate, bodacious, motivation, inspiration
We Can Do It Again! By: Mary Foley | - "We Can Do It!" is the banner across one of the most well-known posters during World War II encouraging women to join the workforce for the war effort. You probably remember it - the image of a woman with a red bandana on her head, rolling up her blue shirt sleeve as she makes a fist. It always communicates to me a woman's strength and determination. Recently I picked up a book titled "Rosie the Riveter" about this amazing workforce shift in American history and came to appreciate just how mu ... Tags:self esteem, self confidence, confidence building, women, support for women, women in business, business women, bodacious, mary foley, motivation, ins
We All Gotta Little Bodaciousness By: Mary Foley | - "Bodacious, is that even a word?" I've been asked. Absolutely! The dictionary definition of bodacious includes descriptors like bold, outstanding, and courageous. I define it as "the courage to be in charge of your life." I love the word bodacious because it captures a positive spirit of freedom, choice and being all you can be.
Think Strategically, Act Bodaciously By: Mary Foley | - "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, and remarkable. Take those attributes to work and you're on your way to building a fulfilling, bodacious career. Does having a bodacious career sound exciting to you? It is! After starting as an $8 an hour customer service rep, I rose through the ranks of AOL, accepting four promotions and surviving over six layoffs to become the head of corporate training for 12,000 employees. Along the way I learned I needed to be bodacious to achieve the career ... Tags:Bodacious, Mary Foley, career, business, self improvement, career skills, business women, promotion strategy, job search, corporate ladder
Embrace Office Politics By: Mary Foley | - "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, and remarkable. Take those attributes to work and you're on your way to building a fulfilling, bodacious career. Does having a bodacious career sound exciting to you? It is! After starting as an $8 an hour customer service rep, I rose through the ranks of AOL, accepting four promotions and surviving over six layoffs to become the head of corporate training for 12,000 employees. Along the way I learned I needed to be bodacious to achieve the career ... Tags:bodacious, mary foley, office politics, business, business relationships, women in business, business women, women execs, business strategy
Know Your Worth By: Mary Foley | - "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, and remarkable. Take those attributes to work and you're on your way to building a fulfilling, bodacious career. Does having a bodacious career sound exciting to you? It is! After starting as an $8 an hour customer service rep, I rose through the ranks of AOL, accepting four promotions and surviving over six layoffs to become the head of corporate training for 12,000 employees. Along the way I learned I needed to be bodacious to achieve the career ... Tags:Bodacious, Women in Business, Professionalism, Job Promotion, Career Women, Career, Work Life, Job Change, Salary Increase, Asking for a raise, women
Thrive On Shift & Change By: Mary Foley | - "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, and remarkable. Take those attributes to work and you're on your way to building a fulfilling, bodacious career. Does having a bodacious career sound exciting to you? It is! After starting as an $8 an hour customer service rep, I rose through the ranks of AOL, accepting four promotions and surviving over six layoffs to become the head of corporate training for 12,000 employees. Along the way I learned I needed to be bodacious to achieve the career ... Tags:job change, careers, bodacious, personal development, promotion, career advancement, women in business
Take A Stand By: Mary Foley | - "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, and remarkable. Take those attributes to work and you're on your way to building a fulfilling, bodacious career. Does having a bodacious career sound exciting to you? It is! After starting as an $8 an hour customer service rep, I rose through the ranks of AOL, accepting four promotions and surviving over six layoffs to become the head of corporate training for 12,000 employees. Along the way I learned I needed to be bodacious to achieve the career ... Tags:women in business, career building, empowerment, bodacious, mary foley, motivation, job satisfaction
Know How You Want To Be Treated By: Mary Foley | - "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, and remarkable. Take those attributes to work and you're on your way to building a fulfilling, bodacious career. Does having a bodacious career sound exciting to you? It is! After starting as an $8 an hour customer service rep, I rose through the ranks of AOL, accepting four promotions and surviving over six layoffs to become the head of corporate training for 12,000 employees. Along the way I learned I needed to be bodacious to achieve the career ... Tags:empowerment, women's issues, self esteem, confidence, boundaries, personal development, bodacious, mary foley, business promotion, entrepreneur, women
Actively Market Your Value By: Mary Foley | - "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, and remarkable. Take those attributes to work and you're on your way to building a fulfilling, bodacious career. Does having a bodacious career sound exciting to you? It is! After starting as an $8 an hour customer service rep, I rose through the ranks of AOL, accepting four promotions and surviving over six layoffs to become the head of corporate training for 12,000 employees. Along the way I learned I needed to be bodacious to achieve the career ... Tags:Bodacious, career, marketing, self promotion, business women, women in business, female careers, careers for women, self esteem, career building, gett
Take The Work Out Of Networking By: Mary Foley | - "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, and remarkable. Take those attributes to work and you're on your way to building a fulfilling, bodacious career. Does having a bodacious career sound exciting to you? It is! After starting as an $8 an hour customer service rep, I rose through the ranks of AOL, accepting four promotions and surviving over six layoffs to become the head of corporate training for 12,000 employees. Along the way I learned I needed to be bodacious to achieve the career ... Tags:Networking, Business, Women in Business, Business Women, Bodacious, Entrepreneur, marketing, career
Create Deliberate Relationships By: Mary Foley | - "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, and remarkable. Take those attributes to work and you're on your way to building a fulfilling, bodacious career. Does having a bodacious career sound exciting to you? It is! After starting as an $8 an hour customer service rep, I rose through the ranks of AOL, accepting four promotions and surviving over six layoffs to become the head of corporate training for 12,000 employees. Along the way I learned I needed to be bodacious to achieve the career ... Tags:career, entrepreneur, women in business, business women, business leaders, management, personal development, relationship building, bodacious, mary fo
Don't Take It Personally By: Mary Foley | - "Bodacious" means to be bold, outstanding, and remarkable. Take those attributes to work and you're on your way to building a fulfilling, bodacious career. Does having a bodacious career sound exciting to you? It is! After starting as an $8 an hour customer service rep, I rose through the ranks of AOL, accepting four promotions and surviving over six layoffs to become the head of corporate training for 12,000 employees. Along the way I learned I needed to be bodacious to achieve the career ... Tags:Bodacious, self improvement, selh-help, self esteem, motivation, women in business, business coping, office politics, gossip, rumors, business women,
10 Things You Want Your Reputation To Say About You By: Mary Foley | - When it comes to building your business or your career in a company, how people perceive you is often to the difference between more sales, promotions, and certainly your satisfaction. Here are ten things you want your reputation to say about you. Use it for yourself and share it with a friend to help her build her business or career (these tips work for personal relationships, too!).
Feeling Secure In An Insecure World By: Mary Foley | - If there's nothing else carved on my tombstone, I hope it says: "Here lies a Bodacious Woman who knew how to thrive on shift and change!"
I believe we've just begun to taste the rate of change the world will experience this century. Hold onto your hats, the ride has just begun! We might as well enjoy it (because if nothing else, the alternative really stinks).
Every Women Entrepreneur Should Watch American Idol! By: Mary Foley | - I almost can't believe I'm recommending this! Now let me tell you why. Because the "America Idol" TV show is great learning about what it takes to stand out in the marketplace. That's what all these singers are trying to do. I've never intended to watch the show but when I was channel surfing during a commercial break of another show I was enjoying, I was pulled in. There they were; this beautiful group of young guys and gals performing. They were performing their hearts out and then they ... Tags:Branding, Marketing, Entrepreneur, Women, Bodacious, Business Women, Marketing to Women, Women Business Leaders, Business Strategy
Stop Taking It Personally And Start Living Bodaciously By: Mary Foley | - We can all remember a time when we took it personally, right? We spent all this time, energy, and emotion on processing how we felt when someone slighted us, what we wished we'd said, and what, if anything, we were going to do about it. And most of the time when it was over and we were slumped in out chair feeling exhausted, needing to face a long list of things still to get done, we wish we'd spent our time on something else, something we cared more about, something more productive.
< ... Tags:Motivation, self esteem, positive self image, personal power, women in business, business women, bodacious, networking
Good-bye Good Girl, Hello Bodacious Woman! By: Mary Foley | - If you want to live your life as an exclamation rather than an explanation, it's likely you're going to have to part ways with one of your dear childhood friends. This person may have served you in a number of ways as a young child, but no longer supports you much as an adult. Think I've looked up your history in the where-are-they-now high-school yearbook web sites? Naah. My experience tells me this childhood friend is someone you know very well. She's been with you through thick and thin. She' ... Tags:self improvement, self esteem, confidence, assertiveness, empowerment, conviction, women entrepreneurs, women in business, reinvent yourself
The Best Piece Of Advice I Learned From Katharine Hepburn By: Mary Foley | - The late, great Katharine Hepburn was one Bodacious Woman! Of all the ground breaking things she accomplished, there's one piece of advice she gave that has helped me over and over again. It's this:
Don't over explain; don't over complain.
Hepburn knew it would be tough to be a successful female actress in the male-dominated acting world of the 1930s. She didn't let that dissuade her. She worked hard and smart.
Six Steps For Taking A Stand By: Mary Foley | - We've all been there. Whether in our career, business, or personal life, we've all encountered situations where someone is being, well, let's say, unpleasant. They are trying to push you to do something you don't want to do or they are questioning your work or they are dismissing your opinion or some other wonderful behavior.
Think Like An Investor When Job Interviewing By: Mary Foley | - What's easy to forget when you're looking for a new job is that you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. It's about match and exchange. Do they have what you want? Do you have what they want?
What Most Employers Don't Want You To Know When They Talk Salary By: Mary Foley | - When hiring managers describe a salary and benefits package to you, they have one main objective in mind: To get the best possible talent for the least possible expense. They're not going to volunteer the fact that they can go higher in salary or negotiate concessions in your benefits package. So, if you're in the midst of a job change and salary negotiation, here are some important things to keep in mind: Know How Much You're Worth: Well-managed companies conduct regular labor market asse ... Tags:benefits, employment, salary, jobs, career information, job search, career change
How To Quit Your Job Like A Pro By: Mary Foley | - Knowing when and how to leave a company is an art in today's economy. With constant change in many companies and in our lives, there's always a cycle of beginning and ending. We love beginnings and the fresh energy that comes with them. We often hate endings and shy away from them, dealing with them only when forced to. But, the fact is that on the other side of every ending, no matter how scary it may feel, is a bright new beginning that can be just what is needed.
5 Key Lessons I Learned From Working At Aol About Creating A Brand For Your Business By: Mary Foley | - After 10 years of forging my career at AOL during their rise to global dominance, I consider myself corrupted. The lessons I learned there are seared onto my brain. And, thankfully so, because I've used everything single one in building my own business.
One huge lesson I learned was about BRANDING. By 1997, AOL was the number one online service, but the lead wasn't so huge that Microsoft's new MSN service couldn't take it away. If AOL was going to continue to bust open and tak ... Tags:branding, marketing, business women, women in business, womens workshops, marketing to women
10 Easy Ways To Turn Up The Heat On Valentine's Day That Most Guys Miss! By: Mary Foley | - Hey guys, is your Valentine full of passion and vivaciousness? Is she daring and confident? How about curious and playful in all the ways you want her to be? Well, if you want a woman who is bolder, more passionate, and downright bodacious, then follow my ten easy and fun ways to turn up the heat on Valentine's Day and beyond. Most guys miss this but, believe me, if you do them she's thank you many times over! Happy Valentine's Day!
Not like it okay. Not do it because you know how. Not do it because you've invested so much time and energy into it. I mean LOVE it! The kind of love that makes you want to get up in the morning and get going. Because your work has meaning, significance, and fulfillment. If these aren't words that describe what you do day-in and day-out, then perhaps this year is the time ... Tags:women in business, career, women's careers, entrepreneur, motivation, job search, new careers, career change
The Marketing Formula That Produces Profits By: Mary Foley | - You start your own business to find fulfillment, flexibility, and freedom and to help others. You know you have a terrific product or service. You're talented, and passionate about what you're offering. But how are you going to get customers?
7 Steps Any Solopreneur Can Use To Build A Winning Brand By: Mary Foley | - What does your brand say to your customers? What, you don't have a brand because you're a solopreneur; a one-woman shop? Ah, but you do. If you have business, you have a brand, whether you realize it or not.
Think of some of the world-wide brands we experience every day Target, Dell, and BMW. Just mentioning these names conjures up a feeling, doesn't it? For example, when you thought of Target you may have felt a bit light and happy because of their upbeat commercials. Whe ... Tags:Branding, Marketing, Women, Business, Entrepreneur, Solopreneur, Women Business Owners, Business Owners
The Difference Between Deal"' And No Deal"' Isn't What You Think By: Mary Foley | - You're in a shoe store. You need a pair of pumps for your suit, but what you really want are those gorgeous Marc Jacobs ballet flats that are oh so comfortable. Or, you're looking for a new computer because your old one has just died, again. Sure, you can get a chunky desktop from CostCo at a basement bargain price, but what you really want is a sleek Sony laptop with a flat-screen monitor that will look great in your office and has the horsepower you need.
4 And A Half Ways To Make New Years Goals Stick By: Mary Foley | - It's that time of year again for New Years resolutions. We've all heard that key to a successful life, career, or business means having setting and achieving goals. Make goals. Post goals. Follow your goals. Goals, goals, goals, it all sounds so disciplined and draining.
Don't get me wrong, I love achieving things that are important to me. Without goals, I couldn't have gotten this far. But I needed a new way of looking at goals that didn't make me tired already. So, I came ... Tags:resolutions, goals, self improvement, motivation, inspiration, women
How To Tell Within 10 Seconds If A Woman Is Bodacious By: Mary Foley | - Bodacious. Whenever I say that word it always cracks a smile on another person's face. What comes to mind when you think of the word bodacious? I've heard everything-wild, colorful, spontaneous, energetic, strong, fearless, courageous, assertive, open, free, gutsy, tenacious, confident, and positive. And the one many people think but don't usually say-ta-ta's.
Being bodacious became a personal rallying cry during my ten years at AOL where I came up with my own definition of bodac ... Tags:self help
Empowerment Starts With No"'! By: Mary Foley | - Of all the words in the English language, you might be surprised that the first, most empowering word for me as a woman is two simple letters: No! Learning to say no was a huge step in overcoming my internal good girl and claiming my boundaries as an adult woman.
One lesson women typically have a difficult time with is establishing boundaries. As little girls, most of us were never taught how to say, No, This is what I want. Think, for example, how Meg Ryan's character in the mo ... Tags:personal development
Live Like Your Nail Color By: Mary Foley | - Wild berry. That's the name of my favorite nail color. To me it says fun, bold, sexy, and just simply makes my fingers and hands look so good. It's a funny name for a nail polish, but then so many women's cosmetics have funny names. There's Mango Spice lipstick, Roaring Red blush, and Whispering Mist eye shadow.
Just saying these words makes me think of walking along the beach on a tropical island wearing a flowered sarong, matching top, and the perfect make-up to highlight my ... Tags:Women's Interest
Why Bodacious Women Would Be Insane Not To Vote By: Mary Foley | - Every November all Bodacious Women in the United States get to vote - for our next President, members of Congress, and other elected positions. Personally, I'm less interested in WHOM you vote for, as much as that you vote AT ALL. This is especially true after reading the following by Jane Saks, Director of Advancement at the College of Architecture and the Arts in Chicago. I honestly had no idea how much our foremothers went through so that women in the U.S. had the right to vote. Tags:women's right
It's Time To Get Bodacious About Your Career By: Mary Foley | - Let me ask you this question: Do you believe that if you work hard at the office and you get along well with your co-workers and your boss, you'll be rewarded with more pay and promotions?
Yeah, you probably do. Many years ago, I know I believed that..
Fresh out of college with my engineering degree, I took a job at America Online as a $8 an hour customer service rep (after deciding I didn't want to be an engineer.) Little did I know, that I was about to embark on ... Tags:career
Do you ever feel like Wonder Woman? I have. As a woman juggling a ton of things I've wondered "what the heck happened to my life?"
In fact, there have been times when I wondered if I had much of a "life" at all.
You know what I mean. As a woman you play multiple roles. You're a daughter, grand daughter, sister, niece, girlfriend, wife, business woman, gal pal, volunteer.and sometimes community leader, politician, or ... Tags:Motivation
Do you spring up in the morning looking forward to another day at work, or do you hit the snooze button at least three times and secretly look forward to scanning the want-ads for a new job? If your snooze button is getting a work out, you're not alone. A recent Gallup poll found that fifty percent of working Americans are dissatisfied with their jobs. Hmmm, that's starting to sound like a familiar divorce statistic.
No matter what type of industry you work in, no matter what level of position you currently hold, if you want to move up to a more fulfilling position with more pay and opportunity, there are three things you can do right now to grow your career. In my opinion, these three actions are secrets only because most women don't do them consciously and deliberately. You can be different. You can have a Bodacious Career because you've decided to be proactive ... Tags:career, resume, job, job search, promotion, corporate ladder, career satisfaction, business
I've come the conclusion that to be successful - really successful I've got to love what I do. Not like it okay, not do it because I know how, not do it because I've invested so much time and energy so far. I mean LOVE it! I mean the kind of love that makes you want to get up in the morning and get going. Because your work has meaning, significance, fulfillment. If these aren't words that describe what you do day-in and day-out, then perhaps this y ... Tags:career, success, bodacious, inspiration, self help, motivation, life changes, jobs
What does being bodacious have to do with personal happiness? Well, consider what bodacious really means. The dictionary definition includes the descriptors bold, outstanding, remarkable, and audacious. Being bodacious became a personal rallying cry during my demanding 10 year career with AOL while I also dealt with a difficult marriage. Out of this experience I came up with my own definition of bodacious: The Courage to be in Charge of Your Life!< ... Tags:Bodacious, Motivation, Inspiration, Career, personal development, business advice, self-help
The sad fact is that most Americans hate their jobs. Its pure drudgery and theyre just in it for the paycheck. It doesnt have to be this way. You really can have a dream job, one that you really love and that pays you well.
No, Im not in fairy tale land. For the 10 years I worked for AOL, I can honestly say there were few days I didnt want to go to work. The challenges of each position and the companys ups and downs were ... Tags:Job search, career, career change, life change, new job, now hiring
In June we celebrate Fathers Day, a day when its ok for all men to be a guy. Scratch, sniff, or click, its all acceptable.
When it comes to men, Ive been around plenty. Starting with being surrounded by guys in engineering school, then my 10 years at AOL and now as an entrepreneur, I've had lots of opportunity to interact with and observe men. Ive come to appreciate some of the ways men operate that serve them well in busi ... Tags:entrepreneur, women in business, motivational speaker
As I write this I'm sitting in Dulles International Airport waiting for a flight that departs so early it should be illegal. At least it's a cheap ticket. And even though I've only had three hours of sleep I was amused when the security guard surprisingly said "No beep?!" after I walked through the metal detector. Kinda sounded like an airport security pick-up line. This time I got off lucky with no additional wand scan or bag check. That's not alway ... Tags:women, self love, self confidence, women's humor, bodacious, inspiration, motivation
When I asked several hundred women recently Whats your single biggest challenge to fully living as a Bodacious Woman? one resounding response I heard was More confidence! Now Im sure men feel this way, too. Its just that as women we seem to more openly admit it and, frankly, sometimes, were our own worst enemy.
When it comes to making a decision, sometimes we get so wrapped around the axel were paralyzed and cant move forward. You become captive to your fears. Being in this place is no party! At one point in my AOL career, I was debating whether or not to ask my manager for what I wanted: To go part-time. I had recently been accepted to grad school and I quickly determined that continuing to do 60-hour weeks at AOL along with grad school while finalizing ... Tags:women, motivation, inspiration, self help, fear, doubt, Overcoming, self confidence
Recently I read something in the book Uppity Women of Ancient Times that made me pause:
Slowly, very slowly, women became individuals, people whose consent mattered.
So, the wise women of old are telling me that before others will take me seriously, Ive got to be my own person, someone who takes herself seriously. When I value myself as a Bodacious Woman, others notice and value me back. (The slowly, very s ... Tags:mother's day, bodacious women, women's interest
Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that this little Irish girl - whose grandmother nicknamed herself Spunky Ethel - wrote a book entitled "Bodacious!" Spunky Ethel is my bodacious mother of origin and her legacy continues to this day through all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren, especially the female ones.
"Rescue your dreams." "Never let the odds keep you from pursuing what you know in your heart you were meant to do." These two pages from "Life's Little Instruction Calendar Volume III (and More)" came into my life in the fall of 1997 when I was ready to really hear their truths and take them for my own. Now posted on my refrigerator they still remind and challenge me to live believing in my dreams, believing in myself.
Much of the business advice from male business gurus doesnt quite cut it for women entrepreneurs. These gurus havent figured out how they advice is different for women. Plus, theyve left out some parts all together!
