by Solange Lopes | Dec 1, 2017 | Career
Weekly News Roundup
Welcome to our weekly career, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and fashion news roundup! Think of it as your online watercooler/work gossip station/coffee break spot for now…Want to add anything to our list? Email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
- In royally good news this week, the Wall Street Journal reports that Prince Harry is engaged to Suits’ actress Meghan Markle, and we couldn’tbemore excited;
- The Glassdoor Blog lists 25 awesome companies hiring like crazy in December;
- Forbes Woman gives us a few pointers as to how turn Linked In connections into mentorship opportunities;
- Worried about spending the holidays with family? Ellevate Network advises how to survive the holidays and keep sane;
- Don’t have a college degree? Business Insider lists the best states to work;
- Slacking off at the end of the year? The Daily Muse actually suggests 12 ways that may be more productive than you think;
- Making Sense of Cents shares 8 ways to change your holiday spending and make this year more meaningful than ever;
- Ellevate Network shares the essentials to prepare for a job interview;
- Black Enterprise describes how Impostor Syndrome may be ruining your career;
- The Corporate Sister explains what it means to network like a girl;
- Into The Gloss shares the holiday beauty survival guide.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 1, 2017 | Career
Our guest contributor Dorcia Carrillo shares 3 must-do’s you should have when entering a new contract.
If you are reading this, you have likely entered into at least one legally enforceable agreement. You have probably signed a car rental agreement or clicked a button to accept the terms of service for a particular website. Car rental agreements and terms of service are adhesion contracts. That means they are boilerplate forms companies make their customers sign. Consumers largely cannot negotiate an adhesion contract; they either take it or leave it. People usually do not read them but I encourage you to at least review the contract to understand your rights and responsibilities. For example, a lot of social media users would be surprised at what social media platforms can do with user data, even though those terms are spelled out in the terms of service. Take a look at Facebook’s Sharing Your Content and Information provision if you are interested.
Turning from consumer to commercial matters, I strongly encourage businesspeople to pay close attention to the contracts they draft and/or sign. Compared to consumers, businesspeople typically do have leverage to negotiate favorable terms but also do not have consumer protections against seemingly unfair terms. I am going to lay out a few tips on drafting, negotiating, and managing business contracts. I always recommend working with an attorney who can provide specific advice relevant to your particular business needs.
Do: Proceed with Caution When Using Templates or Online Resources
The prevalence of online resources may make drafting a contract seem easy because you can answer a few questions and minutes later have a contract. The problem with those resources is that they react to what you request rather than guide you to what you need. You may think you need a non-disclosure agreement when you actually need a non-compete. Using the wrong template will obviously produce the wrong result.
By relying on a template instead of individualized legal counsel, you risk running into a serious issue. For example, I reviewed an employment agreement for a friend who wanted to hire unpaid interns. I identified some provisions that should have been in the agreement, but more importantly, I informed my friend of the regulatory requirements for hiring unpaid interns. When I asked if her company had the necessary compliance infrastructure, her response was no. The online resource she used produced an agreement without accounting for regulatory requirements. Accordingly, I recommend that businesspeople invest in legal counsel to help with analyzing, strategizing, and drafting agreements.
Do: Leverage Your Competitive Advantage in Negotiations
As I mentioned, in commercial transactions, businesses have some leverage to negotiate. Use your business’s competitive advantage to negotiate pricing, warranty, licensing, and other substantive terms. I have worked with small companies that are unique in the marketplace and therefore have power to successfully negotiate with larger corporations. Conversely, if you operate a business in a competitive market, be prepared to be more flexible.
You may not gain business because of your paperwork but you could absolutely lose business if your papers are too long or too burdensome. More clearly, if the industry standard for your business is a one-page plain English agreement, do not use a five-page contract laden with “whereas,” “notwithstanding,” and other legalese. I recently drafted a succinct single-page service agreement for a wedding vendor. The agreement adequately protects the vendor’s interest and is also customer friendly. The point is that your business’s market share and industry standards should be considered when drafting and negotiating contracts.
Do: Have a Contract Management Process
Once your attorney has drafted and negotiated a contract, the parties will sign it and live happily ever after. Except drafting and negotiating are the beginning and not the end because you still have to manage the contract. As with anything, mismanagement can lead to problems. I worked with a business client who unknowingly entered into an evergreen agreement and wanted out before the term ended. An evergreen agreement is a contract that automatically renews after the initial term. When you are busy running a business, you may forget to manage contract expiration dates and end up continuing a contractual relationship that is no longer beneficial. For this reason, it is important to take note of the term and termination clause(s) and put a process in place to alert you when action is required. The process can be as simple as using Outlook reminders or as involved as utilizing a contract management software. The volume and complexity of your business agreements will determine what is most suitable. The key is to be sure to track and monitor contract provisions such as termination dates, payment and delivery schedules, and reporting requirements.
I know businesspeople put a lot of effort into fostering business relationships, which is why I recommend they put the same effort into drafting, negotiating, and managing the agreements that govern those relationships. Do your business a favor and make sure its contracts are strategically drafted and negotiated and effectively managed.
Dorcia Carrillo manages a business and corporate law firm, the Law Office of Dorcia Carrillo PLLC, where she guides clients, including entrepreneurs and executives, through the intersection where business deals meet legal documentation. Dorcia likes helping growing businesses with practical legal advice and workable solutions. She is an avid magazine reader and ardent supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 30, 2017 | Career
Our Woman of Impact feature presents women who are breaking barriers in their careers, businesses and lives. These women are inspiring us to do our best work and live our best lives.
Our Woman of Impact is Dorcia Carrillo. She’s an attorney and entrepreneur who manages a business and corporate law firm, the Law Office of Dorcia Carrillo PLLC, where she guides clients from entrepreneurs to executives through the intersection between business deals and legal documentation. Dorcia likes helping growing businesses with practical legal advice and workable solutions. She is a New York Giants fan and ardent supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Dorcia and I virtually met through Twitter, as she kindly offered to contribute with her legal and business expertise to TCS.
Hi Dorcia! Can you tell us a bit about you and what you do?
I’m a lawyer and have been on my own, in my own practice, for just over a year. The one thing I’ve learnt is that you can never start your marketing or self- promotion too early. I was in a company previously, and in the legal field there are conflicts of interest, but still if I had just started really tapping into my network, that would have provided a better foundation for when I started on my own. That’s the one thing I let everyone know, if they’re looking to go on their own, or start their own business, it’s never too early to start marketing yourself and tapping into your network.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I don’t have a normal day because I have such flexibility now, but I do try to maintain some sort of schedule. When I first started, not having any commitments and not having a client base yet, I found myself staying up all night and not being as productive as I wanted to be. Now I don’t have a strict schedule but I do make sure I put something on my calendar, have some kind of networking event or event that forces me to get out of the house. Last night, I was at a business planning and succession meeting at the local library, so I try to have something like that once a week. I do have a bedtime now. Although I feel like I’m most productive at night, and a lot of people feel that way, it’s important to keep a schedule and get a good night’s sleep.
When I decided to leave my job, I decided to get a part-time job in retail, which I had never worked in retail prior to this. I thought I could maintain my wardrobe while at the same time giving me some structure. I know I’m busy for two days, so I have to focus more on the remaining 5 days. It’s actually something I really like, as I style people naturally. Even as my business grows, it gives me time to relax, especially since being a lawyer can be very stressful.
What made you decide to start your own business and get out of corporate?
It was a number of factors. Mainly, I wanted more edification. I worked in Compliance, and everything was about what you can or cannot do. I wanted more creativity in my work. In other legal areas, there is more creativity, but not so much in Compliance. I was getting disheartened with it. I was also in the Defense sector, which didn’t align with my values, and which I didn’t have much interest in. That was coupled with a desire to have more fulfillment, being proud of what I did and who I was working with. Looking for opportunities and not finding them, I decided then I could create it myself.
What’s the best part about what you do?
The best part is when I connect with a client, learning their business about what they do. Instead of working with the same internal customers who do the same thing for the same people all the time, I get to learn a variety of businesses, see how people across a variety of sectors operate and bring my skills and knowledge to help them. I’ve been working with an environmental company recently, and since I’m good with understanding how processes work, I’ve been able to help them and they were really happy about it. That really makes my day.
How do you face the uncertainty of being an entrepreneur?
The uncertainty in my mind is linked to financial security. Am I going to make enough money? In my experience on this Earth, I’ve had more, I’ve had less, and I’m still here. It’s not that big a deal. The second piece of advice is you can never have enough money. You can never save enough. They tell you to save six to 12 months of living expenses. You can plan as much as possible, but for me, I saved six months of expenses. I ended up having steady business for the past 4 months, and I was living as I did before, and then business slowed down. I had to find other ways to save on expenses and generate more income.
There’s also uncertainty in corporations. I was in a company previously, and survived 4 rounds of personnel reduction. So there’s not much of a difference, because you can have a job and get downsized or laid off. You can have your own business, and in that case, even have more control, because you can identify more ways to increase your revenue, expand your product base, expand into new markets. That’s how I deal with the uncertainty by not framing it that way. And also realizing that with a job, there’s uncertainty as well.
What resources do you use in your business and daily life to be as efficient and productive as possible?
That’s’ a great question. One of the reasons why I started this was to create more opportunities for people who look like me. Right now, I’m a one-woman shop. It’s great because there are so many applications, right from my phone, that I use to manage my time-keeping, billing and invoicing. I use the Microsoft Suite for Outlook and anything administrative. There are so many tools that are free or relatively low-cost. I recommend Tiny Invoice, that’s what I use for my billing and I love it.
Other resources that I tap into is the Ellevate Network, that I use for education, listening to some of the webinars, for networking opportunities. I’ve also had that platform for some of my articles, as well as your blog which has also been a platform for my publishing.
What are the main challenges you face on a daily basis?
The main challenges are articulating how I can help people. Lawyers are a dime a dozen, and I’m always refining my elevator speech. I’m more of an introvert, although my mom wouldn’t agree. I’m not an in-your-face kind of person, I’m more into listening and figuring out what your issues are. The challenge is being able to respond efficiently, and letting you know: “Yes I can help you with that!”
There are other things, because I’m on the younger side and I’m a Black woman. Many times, I am the youngest and only woman of color in the room. I don’t’ see those things as challenges any more, as I do want to serve a community that reflects me, and I’m happy when I have a client who might feel uncomfortable with a traditional law firm and I can provide the same or a better service because I know where they come from.
As a Black woman blazing a trail in your business and industry, what can you tell other Black women about taking a leap of faith and follow up on that dream to create something new?
Tap into your network. We have networks, whether it’s Ellevate, or part of a Greek association or even our churches. There may be resistance at first, but that’s ok. They talk about the old boys club, but we can also have the young girls’ network, or any other type of network. We just have to find ways to tap into them early and often. When I started out, the pastor in my church gave a shout out in my church. People have contacted me because of that. Even if I haven’t worked with them, I was able to give them a reference and plant a seed there.
Shameless self-promotion, we really have to get better at that. We can start doing it organically by tapping into the groups we’re already a part of.
What are you reading or what have you read lately?
I was actually trying to get a book club started aimed at books by Black women. I was reading Luvvie Ajayi’s “I’m Judging You”. I also just finished Gabourey Sidibe’s autobiography, “It’s Just my Face”. I also read a book on micro-resolutions, the title escapes me, but it was about making micro-resolutions, which helped me with productivity. After reading the book, I came up with the small tweak that I don’t get on my phone for social media until noon, and not after midnight.
What music are you listening to?
I do love music, and do listen to Hot 97 which is a NY city, mostly because the conversation is interesting but still light-hearted. Or the top 40 of R&B, or Hip-Hop. In general, whatever’s on the radio and is upbeat.
Where can we find you?
You can contact me online at http://www.dorciacarrillo.com. Feel free to email me at attorney@dorciacarillo.com. I also live in the Norwalk, CT area, so if you’re in the area, I’d be happy to take someone out for a cup of tea to discuss anything legally-related.
I also specialize in handling business transactions for startup operations, especially as related to the acquisition and selling of additional business. Anything related to contracts, distribution agreements, etc. I’m also happy to look at anything related to your business and if it’s something I don’t handle, I’m happy to refer you.
Thanks so much, Dorcia for an amazing interview!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 30, 2017 | Career
Workwear: Bell Sleeve Dress – Photo credit: anntaylor.com
Our Workwear feature presents various pieces of work-appropriate attire at different price ranges and sizes.
I’m loving the play of proportions of this bell sleeve flare dress from Ann Taylor. This chic and elegant number is perfect from desk to dinner. The jewel neck and 3/4 sleeves with ruffle cuffs, inverted box pleats and side pleats add a touch of glam to an otherwise pretty classic dress. It’s $129 at Ann Taylor. It’s also available in pink and black.
In a similar style, I also like this Lacy fluted shift dress, also from Ann Taylor.
What pieces of workwear would you like us to feature? Email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
This post contains affiliate links and The Corporate Sister may earn commissions for purchases through links in this post. Thank you!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 29, 2017 | Career
Workwear: Cocoon Coat – Photo credit: jcrew.com
Our Workwear feature presents various pieces of work-appropriate attire at different price ranges and sizes.
Coat season is here, and I’m blushing over this J. Crew cocoon coat! Loving the Italian stadium-wool cloth fabric, perfect for the winter, which provides comfort minus the bulk. The cocoon silhouette is flattering and well-fitting too!
In a similar style, I also like this lodge coat, also by J.Crew.
What pieces of workwear would you like us to feature? Email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
This post contains affiliate links and The Corporate Sister may earn commissions for purchases through links in this post. Thank you!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 29, 2017 | Find Your Purpose
As you’re reading this, you may also be scrolling through your Instagram feed, looking at all the successful and fulfilled entrepreneurs and career women and men jet-setting all over the world…You may be checking out Queen Bey’s pics on her yacht parked on the Amalfi coast in Italy, or drooling over that influencer’s unbelievable wardrobe…
What your Instagram feed won’t show you though, are the less-than-perfect pictures of those times when these same successful men and women were crying themselves to sleep because of failure. When they’d wake up tired and despairing over the very existences you’re dreaming about right now. What many will not tell you is that it the average success story takes 10 years, and that the path to greatness through purpose is littered with heartache and obstacles.
No, what your Instagram feed and social media in general will tell you is that it’s easy. That you can just up and leave your job, buy a network marketing package, and achieve your wildest dreams in a pinch.
Not too many successful entrepreneurs and career women and men will tell you about the actual process, what it takes to get there, the sacrifices, disappointments and failures along the way. Yet, even more than their successes and achievements, it’s the difficulties along the journey that make the successful who they are. It’s the many obstacles that teach them to win by losing first, and to build the character needed to keep growing their empires.
I too, was very tempted to believe in all the hype around the overnight success stories of this entrepreneur, or that mogul here and there. Don’t get me wrong, it gives us hope, lets us dream, right? However, the reality of success is only “real” when you experience it firsthand.
As I, and so many others, are taking leaps into pursuing our purpose and chasing our dreams, here are some of the lessons we’re sometimes painfully learning along the way:
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Failure is certain!
Whenever you embark on a purposeful journey, write down these words: “Failure is par for the course!”. If one thing is certain, it is that you will fall on your face at some point or another, in one aspect or another of your venture. It may be in a personal way, or in a business or professional way, but it will happen. So make peace with it! Actually, you should celebrate it, for it is the only way that you truly learn.
I used to think that failure was shameful and an indication of weak character. What I’ve learnt, and know for sure, is that failure is necessary and vital to the building of a strong character. The best lessons are acquired through failure. The strongest characters are formed in the midst of failure. It’s only when you fail, and get back up, that you internalize the lesson and dare to apply it. It’s only in the face of failure that you dare to go against the grain, leave behind what others will say or think of you, and move forward.
Failure is training ground, it’s a blessing in disguise. So don’t be discouraged when it doesn’t work, it means you’ve just learnt another way that is not effective on your way to uncovering what really works for you. Those who never fail, never learn, and you’re not one of them.
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Lots of work, little pay!
That paycheck that drops every two weeks in your bank account as a trade for your time and effort? It doesn’t drop when you pursue your purpose in business or in the career of your dreams. What drops is a lot of sweat equity that you pay forth in advance, in exchange for rewards that may take longer than expected to arrive.
Many an entrepreneur or successful woman or man, has been homeless, had their lights cut off or their belly going hungry. They may not share that part of their journey, but what is sure is that they have paid a lot up front for dreams and aspirations that have only manifested way down in the road.
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Very few will understand your journey
If you expect the world to share in your purposeful journey and get you, you’re in for a surprise! Very few will grasp your vision. Most will actually reject it, deny it, and try to shut you down in the process. It’s normal, the vision was given to you and no one else. It has to be birthed through you, by you, and no one else.
Don’t blame others, even your close friends and family, when they don’t support your vision. Many times, they simply don’t see it. Other times, they may refuse to give you the credit because as human beings, we get threatened by the ambitions and the desires we ourselves couldn’t bring to fruition.
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Growth requires mourning (and sacrifice is only valid when you have other options)
Pursuing your purpose as you’re building your empire, toiling at the career of your dreams, or just being more of who you were created to be, will require you to grow. You cannot have what you have not grown to be able to have. Neither can you maintain what you haven’t built the character to keep.
Your purpose through your business or career will ask of you to address those areas of your life and character that need to elevate. As you work on yourself, you will lose parts of yourself that are no longer serving you. You will also lose people whose part in your journey is over.
It will cause you to mourn and bury the dead things in your life and on your path that you no longer have room for. As your capacity to expand and create something larger than yourself increases, you will need to make room. And the process of making room will also cause you to mourn what you have to let go.
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Sometimes leaping is the only option
Many times, we want to pick the safest route. Keep a foot in at the job, and another building our legacy. Or staying in the defective relationship, as we pretend to work on ourselves. We build compromises that won’t let us express the breadth and width of our capacity.
As you follow Purpose, sometimes leaping into the unknown will be the only option. The true measure of sacrifice only comes alive when we have other options. When there are other alternatives in front of us, but we decide to follow the straight, narrow path instead. Sometimes, the only way to do it is to jump and work at opening the parachute on our way down.
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Success is sweet, sour and lonely
How do you define success? Is it the bright, glaring light of Oscar ceremonies and red carpets? Is it the personal fulfillment of running your own race? Or is it laying on the beach in Rio de Janeiro savoring the pleasures of jet-setting?
What many don’t share with the rest of us, is that success certainly has a good part. It also has the sour and lonely part of dealing with new demands, new commitments and new levels. It also invites new devils into our everyday lives, that we must learn to deal with while still continuing on our journey.
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The timing is never perfect
It’s never going to be the right time. To have a baby, build the business, start the career, or leave it all behind and start over. There is no right time, because the time is not supposed to be right. If it were, then there wouldn’t be a cost to being all we can be? Then, we would not fail and stumble and learn and become ourselves.
8. Faith Will Take You There
Last but not least, when all is said and done, faith, this undying belief in yourself and who you were created to be will take you there, against all odds. However, faith is strengthened under pressure. It’s only though the trials and difficulties along the way that you will grow this confidence and belief in yourself, and in your higher purpose.
Keep going, sis!
What other lessons can you share about the real cost of following your purpose?
To Your Success
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 29, 2017 | Career
Sexual harassment has always been rampant in the workplace. While the recent claims and allegations have brought it to light in the past months, this problem has existed for a very long time. Yet, it has been (and still is ) muddied by the many perceptions about what constitutes sexual harassment and what to do about it. This is all the more prevalent as most of the legislations in effect around sexual harassment are decided on by men, while most of the policies around sexual harassment are also written by men in the workplace.
So how does one go about recognizing sexual harassment and actually addressing it? As a general rule, ANYTHING of a sexual nature that makes you, as a woman, feel uncomfortable in the workplace, should make you start considering whether it’s sexual harassment or not.
Some examples may include:
- Inappropriate sexual gestures
- Inappropriate touching of a sexual nature
- Anecdotes of a sexual nature or lewd, suggestive jokes
- Suggestive emails, letters or notes
- Inappropriate sexual images in the workplace
- Staring in a sexually offensive or suggestive manner
- Sexual comments about one’s appearance, body parts or clothing items
- Sexually inappropriate videos or pornographic images or objects
- Sexual inquiries or questions (for instance, inquiring about someone’s sexual orientation or history)
- Offensive or sexual comments about one’s sexual orientation or gender
According to the Department of Labor, there are basically two types of sexual harassment:
- Quid Pro Quo Harassment: This is when an authority figure or someone in a position of authority decides of your employment outcomes based on the condition of sexual acts or favor from the victim;
- “Hostile Work Environment” sexual harassment: This is when the harassment creates an intimidating or hostile work environment from the damaging conduct of a sexual nature of co-workers, contractors, customers or supervisors.
These examples above are not all-encompassing. If you encounter any sexual action that contributes in creating a hostile work environment, you may be faced with sexual harassment.
What can you do about it?
If you decide to address it, here are a few steps you can undertake:
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Get familiar with your company’s anti-harassment policy
Your company should have a policy that informs you on how to file a sexual harassment claim. Look for this policy in your employee handbook or contract, or contact HR to locate it and have access to it. This document will also inform you as to who you should report your claim, what you will have to provide, and what to do if your claim is not addressed. As a side note, you don’t have to inform your manager of any complaint your share with HR. However, if you choose to do so, it may lessen some of the pressure you experience, unless the complaint is against them.
Keep a record of every sexual harassment incident you may have experienced. Document the dates, names and witnesses involved, as well as a detailed description of the events. Save any email or text communication that can constitute evidence.
Keep in mind that you should maintain any supporting documentation on personal devices other than your company computer or property. Forward any email or incriminating evidence to your personal email. Remember that if you’re fired, you won’t be able to retrieve any evidence from company property.
Know that your company’s HR department is not your only recourse. You may want to consult a sexual harassment attorney even before you reach out to your HR department.
You should know that your employer cannot legally retaliate against you under Title VII. You should also keep in mind that if you’re assisting a fellow co-worker in a sexual harassment claim and lawsuit, you’re also protected by the law.
While it’s understandable that you may want to leave a hostile work environment, you should keep in mind that once you quit, you’re no longer able to file a sexual harassment claim on their policy. If you’re interested in filing a lawsuit, you may want to consider filing first before quitting.
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File a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
In case you have a Title VII complaint, you can file a discrimination complaint with the EEOC. Note that you have 180 days from the date on which you have experienced the discrimination to file. You also do not have to use an attorney to file this complaint. Read more on instructions here.
The EEOC will then notify your employer and begin an investigation. At this point, the EEOC may attempt to settle, file a lawsuit in federal court, or dismiss the charge, depending on the results of the investigation.
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You can file a lawsuit in court
If your case is dismissed by the EEOC, you will be issued a notice to advise you of your right to sue in court, or a “right-to-sue” letter. You may also request this letter if you want to sue in court before the end of the EEOC investigation.
What other tips would you recommend?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
