Melinda Love’s Post

If you're struggling at work ... If things feel heavy ... You have a new boss and don't "get each other" yet. Or you're spending all of your time dealing with politics. Or there's been a misunderstanding with a client or team member. Or you have something going on at home. Wires have been crossed. Frustration is high. Or one of a million other things - and things feel heavy. Take all that time and energy spent stewing on the negative and ... FOCUS. ON. THE. WORK. I've *never* had anyone give me grief for doing great work. It also helps to center back on the reason you are there to begin with. Get out of your head and get back to what you do well. 🤟 #lovewhatyoudo #leadership #marketing #advertising #digital #creative #agency #inhouse

I'm saying the part no one wants to out loud. 1. As of Nov. 6, when Norah O'Donnell steps aside, all mainstream news outlets will be anchored by men. 2. Today, a large PR firm announced its new (but not so new, white male) CEO. 3. The Whole Foods CEO shares his daily routine, allowing him to work out twice daily (assuming someone else cares for children and/or aging parents). Some of my strongest supporters, clients, and mentors are men. This post is not anti-men. It's pro-community. All these men might deserve precisely where they've gotten. As a GenX woman who learned the hard way, I can tell you this: women will only succeed if we help one another. Here's how: > Surround yourselves with diverse women you admire and respect and want to be like. > Refer business to one another. > Say their names in rooms where they aren't. > Introduce women to other women, particularly those who complement each other through diverse life experiences, skill sets, knowledge, and experience. > Read nonfiction books by women authors. > Mentor other women. > Share mistakes and what you've learned with other women. > Give back to organizations that support and lift diverse groups of girls. > If you see other women struggling, ask how you can help. > Model healthy alliances of diverse women for less experienced staff. > Vote for candidates that support women's issues. > Read and support research that supports women's leadership, growth, and trends. > Follow women reporters. > Share the content you love. Like, comment, repost (and tag) them. > Support women of all ages, races, and life experiences. > Applaud ALL women, praise them, lift their achievements high. Do it. Live it. Say it — out loud. For insight into leadership and growth, I recommend you follow: Amy Diehl, PhD Shelley Zalis Barbara Huson Cindy Gallop Deb Boulanger 💫 Jennifer Welsh #lovewhatyoudo #leadership #women #opportunity #diversity #growth #networking #influence #community

What to do if you're number two. If you have been in the running for a position and someone else was chosen, do this: Send a gracefully written note of gratitude to the most senior person you met with (CEO, CMO, etc.). Send another note to the recruiter you've been working with. Yes, even if they've ghosted you, kept you hanging for weeks, all the things ... Write that you were grateful for their time and the opportunity to learn more about their business and to stay in touch. Depart with your head held high, regardless of their actions. You're leaving the door open. The number one pick doesn't always work out. Or rise to the level one would hope. Or they get a call back three months into that position from their dream company. Things happen. Leave. The Door. Open. Either way, you've done the right thing, with honor, with intention. Eyes forward. Heart open. #lovewhatyoudo #talentcuration #hiring #bestpractices #grace #marketing #advertising #digital #creative #pr

If you’re fighting inaction, perhaps “fear-setting” instead of goal setting is for you…

Make it make sense.

Soooooooooooo, um, really - with that salary range? I get that product designers in tech pay well, and you might be in different parts of the country, but this seems pretty extreme. What am I missing? #lovewhatyoudo #talentcuration #salaryrange #bestpractices #recruiting

Important survey here. Please participate if you can. Understanding experiences in the workplace are extremely important in moving things forward. Thank you, Sarah Pratt Olszowy. #lovewhatyoudo #research #leadership #workplace #trends #data

The Mommy Penalty. This post by Alexandra Panousis stopped me in my tracks today. THIRTY YEARS AGO, in 1995, I was introduced to my new boss (a man) in a 30-person staff meeting two weeks shy of giving birth to my first daughter. A mere four weeks into my maternity leave, I returned to work because my team was ready to leave (including my replacement). I went on to grow the department, was reinstated with a raise, and was there for six more pretty great years - and my former replacement is now a lifelong friend. In the end, it worked out - but at what cost? Primarily to me and for the things I missed that my daughter will never remember. Fast forward to 2015, when, as a single, working mom of two, I was asked to cut a hard-earned vacation short to attend a new business pitch. I was told other senior-level women were changing their plans. My children were now teenagers who resented my job for taking so much of me. I held firm. The vacation fiasco was only one of many compromises I was asked to make. After learning that I was making 20% less than others, running a team twice as big with historic profit margins and low turnover, I decided the Mommy Penalty was too high of a price for me to pay. So I left a fancy title, salary, parking spot, admin, everything. My hope is that my daughters won't have to choose. And in the end, the reality is this: Mommies make the world go 'round. Literally. Without us, there would be no "you." As for the business community: We. Get. Shit. Done. So, if you're lucky enough to hire a Mommy (of any age), thank your lucky stars. And, if you are in a position of authority... offer flexibility pay fairly and don't assume that because someone isn't at their computer every time you call, they aren't working. They are. It might be 2 a.m., but they're working. Thanks to Millenials, yes, I said that last part out loud - I'm seeing a shift. Here's to kicking the Mommy Penalty to the curb because, damnit, 30 years is way too long. 🤟 #lovewhatyoudo #mommypenalty #equity #truthbomb

Thanks to Jeff Stevens, Founder of WellBeing Brewing Company, for supporting Hope Creates at our upcoming event on Thursday, October 10. Early bird tickets are available. Link in comments for purchasing tickets. See you there!