A Culture of Caring Defines This Fast Growing High Tech Business
Imagine working in a 65-employee, profit sharing, high tech company where 60% of the employees are women; and the final question before hiring a woman is: “Can you kick-ass?” Last night, I attended an event titled: Inspiring Business Cultures at the fun-oriented offices of Boulder-based SurveyGizmo. The online survey company serves 300,000 customers in 144 counties in marketing and market research. When the company launched in 2006, by Co-founders Christian Vanek and Scott McDaniel, Christian was only 21. One of their first hires was a 15 year old computer savvy kid, who is now the second most senior employee in the company. By 2011, their startup was ranked the 13th fastest growing software company in the U.S., and offered as a user friendly alternative to their competitor, SurveyMonkey, whose CEO is married to Facebook’s COO and Lean In author, Sheryl Sandberg. I learned this, and a whole lot more at their World Cafe style meet-up facilitated by a woman who described her job as Culture Coach. I met people who held titles like Director of Happiness – the Director of Human Resources who formerly ran HR for a multi-campus hospital, Customer Service Heros – those involved in customer support, and the company’s Onboarding Expert, a friendly tech savvy guy named Griffin, who described the company’s marketing strategy as more focused on word of mouth and blogging survey success tips for customers, not advertising. Employees describe their workplace as a “culture of caring,” where it’s OK to cry when times get stressful, and OK to talk through your frustrations with a manager – a sort of “talk therapy” – that...
LOVE, HOPE, & LEADERSHIP. THE WORD OF THE DAY IS LOVE.
What does it feel like to say the words “I love you” … to someone? To yourself? To a child? Yesterday, I talked by Skype with a woman who lives in Africa. She had been reading my book, The 10 TRAITS of Women of Power and Courage and said: “This is amazing!” She said this several times. It helped her understand why the men, in her culture, have a hard time saying “I love you” to their wife, or children.” Why? Because, over history, many men – as hunters – have been *hardwired* to suppress their emotions in order to focus on “the hunt” and “the kill.” The message “I love you” … starts in your heart, and is expressed in your smile and your eyes. Alexia Parks is a virtual mentor with the United Nations UN-Habitat, a science journalist, and technology pioneer. Called “one of 50 people who matter most on the Internet,” by Newsweek magazine, she uses communication technology and the New Science of the female brain to inspire and motivate a new generation of leaders. Website: AlexiaParks.com Twitter:...
This Non-Profit Runs a Billion Dollar Social Enterprise Business
About 20 years ago, I was handed a copy of the Red Cross business plan. When asked what is the business of the non-profit Red Cross, most people respond: disaster relief. My response, after reviewing their document, is that the business of the Red Cross is selling blood. It’s a billion dollar business. And the Girl Scouts? Money from cookie sales fuels the Girl Scout programs and summer camps. Mi Casa? The Latino community and working families served by this non-profit gain access to resources for improving education, after school enrichment, business training, and career development. Most non profits are risk-adverse. They don’t want to – or are unable to – borrow money and go into debt to fuel their programs. So the idea of a for-profit social enterprise that is tasked to make money for the non-profit is a new, innovative concept for many organizations like Mi Casa. Over the past seven years, after the loss of major government funding during the Bush Administration years, Mi Casa has made steady progress to identify a money making social enterprise that would both align with their mission statement, and bring in a steady cash flow to fund their non-profit programs. Last December, they launched TalentSource Staffing, a full service staffing agency in Denver, CO. After a slow start, they are now experiencing exponential growth and a welcome cash flow that goes directly to support services and resources that the non-profit offers. A second Mi Casa social enterprise that will teach financial skills to Latina women, is just launching. The addition of money making social enterprises to fund the work of...
Food, Nutrition, Climate Change and Women As Leaders
What global women’s movement would you lead, or support? Says Zainab Salbi, CEO and founder of Women for Women International: “We cannot build sustainable democracies, economies, or solutions for climate change and food shortages if we do not fully incorporate women in policy responses.” Is more than half of the sky held up by women? Or is it more like 70%, or even 90%? Salib explains: “In our agricultural policy, we fail to consider issues like nutrition and food security, climate change, and the significant but often unrecognized fact that 70% of the world’s farmers are women. Women produce 90% of the staple food crops, such as rice and maize—the crops that feed the world. Women also prepare these crops for household and community consumption, eating last or not at all when food is scarce. And women do the majority of tasks that involve close proximity to the environment, such as farming and fetching water, and hence shoulder a disproportionate amount of the danger associated with pollution and climate change.” Read more HERE or at...
10 TRAITS ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP
The Leadership Project SUSTAINABILITY 2020 Alexia Parks 10 TRAITS Academy is the only science-based leadership training program in the world that is based on the New Science of the female brain. It is designed for students who are committed to self-development, personal integrity, increased social influence, and strengthening an inner will to lead. Organized into teams of five, participants will gain valuable civic leadership experience and a DIPLOMA for taking part in this 2-day training intensive. Accepting applications now! An Invitation to Become Part of Something Great 10 TRAITS science-based leadership training based on the New Science of the female brain includes team building, conflict resolution, speed mentoring, facilitator training, and deep cybernetic goal setting. You will gain civic engagement credit for learning then leading the Sustainability 2020 visioning process at a sponsoring corporation or local school. ALEXIA PARKS 10 TRAITS ACADEMY IN COLLABORATION WITH NON-PROFIT: THE EDUCATION EXCHANGE INVITE 100 COLLEGE WOMEN TO A 2-DAY LEADERSHIP TRAINING INTENSIVE BASED ON THE NEW SCIENCE OF THE FEMALE BRAIN TRAINED IN TEAM BUILDING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION & HOW TO FACILITATE A SUSTAINABILITY 2020 PROGRAM FOR CORPORATE SPONSORS OR LOCAL SCHOOLS. 20 FOUNDING CORPORATE SPONSORS Are you filled with passion? Are you looking for a sense of purpose in life? Do you sense that now is the time for you to discover your 10 natural leadership traits? Do you want to experience your life as it was meant to be led? In a supportive community of like-minded people you will learn how to tap into your full potential. You will experience what it feels like to be all you can be, in EVERY...
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