Thanks to our very own, Kovie Biakolo, for having the guts try out this week’s #MCGConnect chat sponsor- Barre Bee Fit!  Kovie is much more equipped for this type of… er, testing… than I am.  Today’s post is part 1 of Kovie’s 2 part series.  To win free BBF classes, join #MCGConnect chat tonight (Wed 1/18 at 8pm CST).  Not in Chicago?  Don’t worry, we’ll be giving away a Jamba Juice gift certificate too!  Also, get excited for Kovie’s regular column “Kovie in Chicago” which will be posted on Thursdays starting TOMORROW! -Nicole

I always feel awesome when I’m at the gym and people ask me if I’m an athlete. I mean I run a couple of times a week (though I will admit less so in the winter). I also do strength training, even if it means I do it at home with Chris Freytag.  I do Zumba, cardio kickboxing and yoga fairly regularly too. Some people think I’m kind of a health nut, and in addition to working out, being a vegetarian/pescetarian strengthens this view.  Any health nuts out there who can relate?!

Still, I went through a two-week period without working out in December.  Additionally, I like cookies and wine so my health “nuttiness” is well balanced with those two things. I think working out is very important for your body and for your mind. I also think enjoying life is very important for your body and your mind which sometimes means enjoying food. Sure, like anyone else I might over do-it on the cookies once in a while (cookies really are my thing) but for the most part, I eat healthy and exercise does not intimidate me. To be honest (and obnoxious), I generally tend to think I’m pretty good at it. Who else would say they are pretty good at exercise?  What do you do for your workouts?

So, you can imagine how confident I was when I got the opportunity to work out at “BarreBeeFit.”  For the record, it’s pronounced “Barbie” and that said, I was thinking –“how hard can it be?” I mean it’s called “BarreBee Fit!” How hard can a studio called “BarreeBeeFit” work these muscles? What, am I going to do? Lift  2 pound weights and feel the burn?  I showed up to the studio sniggering with that thought in mind (and with red shorts and a bright yellow shirt) and my overconfident athletic abilities.

You know what they say, “Confidence is a funny thing- not enough, and you think you’re a fool;  too much and you are the darn fool.” And that’s all I’ll say for now. But I do want to know, what do you think of when you think of when a studio is called “Barre Bee Fit?”

Stay tuned for part 2 of my Barree Bee Fit experience in my follow-up post “My Post Barree Bee Fit Experience!”

What resolutions should you be making in the new year?

When the calendar flipped to 2012, it ushered in a new year of potential and possibilities. As a job seeker looking to take the next step in your career, now is the time to make a resolution to turn the new year into a successful one.

As the world leader in workforce solutions, we know what it takes for professionals to succeed. So to help you, we’ve put together a list of recommended resolutions that can help you land your next great job.

Reassess your Career

Did you love your previous position? Did you want more out of your day-to-day? Is part of the reason things didn’t work out because you needed a more positive work environment?

Now is a good time to ask yourself these questions and determine whether or not you want to continue in the same line of work. John P. Strelecky, author of The Why Cafe, suggests that being unemployed is the ideal time to evaluate what you want to do with your career. According to Strelecky, 45% of Americans aren’t happy in their jobs, and if you are currently out of work, you are in the perfect position to explore a variety of options.

If you’re looking for a career change, try taking classes, volunteering or working on a contract or temporary basis to get the experience employers want to see. You’ll learn more about the industry and improve your chances of securing employment at the same time.

Refresh Your Online Profiles

Today, employers turn to social networks when evaluating candidates like you. That means Facebook isn’t just for friending old high school buddies. LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Plus and other online networking sites can also be great platforms to present and market yourself. Of course, you also need to check your privacy preferences to make sure the information you post can only be seen by appropriate audiences. You wouldn’t want a recruiter stumbling upon photos from your wild weekend getaway.

Your LinkedIn profile is especially important, as it is the most popular professional networking site. Click here for a list of recommendations to help you get the most out of your LinkedIn profile.

No matter what service you use, be sure to keep your information up to date to increase visibility and catch the eye of recruiters or potential employers.

Revamp your network

Building up a network of professional contacts – and potential references – could help you in your job search. After all, “who you know” is often just as important as “what you know.”

So how can you build a solid network? You can start by reaching out to former colleagues, bosses and associates immediately. Solidifying these relationships can take time and effort, and you don’t want to miss out on potential opportunities or potential references.

You should also be selective when it comes to building your network; don’t contact people in the hopes of getting a recommendation for a position if you have no prior history with them. Instead, start a conversation on a blog or social networking site, comment on statuses, offer advice where appropriate, and position yourself as a resource. Remember that maintaining your network is a continuous endeavor and remaining in contact with your colleagues will be a vital part of your success.

Rewrite your Resume

Without a doubt, your resume and your cover letter are two of the most important pieces of content in your job search. They are the first things recruiters and hiring managers see and a poorly written or unprofessional looking resume can cost you a job even if you are a great match. That’s why it is so important to make sure yours is up to date and appeals to prospective employers.

According to US News, there are a few steps you can take make a good first impression with your resume. First, tailor your resume to the job. Create unique resumes for each individual opportunity in order to highlight the skills that are specific to the position. Furthermore, be sure to read the application carefully and follow all the instructions. This simple step can provide you with a leg up on other candidates who are applying to jobs without taking the small details into consideration.

Lastly, keep your resume simple. Leave out any irrelevant information, personal information, and photos, etc. You want your resume to be easy to read for the employer. If it takes too much time or effort to review your application, a potential employer will likely move on to the next candidate.

Revitalize your marketable skills

The Government of Alberta detailed the three critical skills that employers are looking for:

• Transferable skills, such as computer and technology aptitude, are very flexible and useful in a variety of jobs and industries.
• Time management skills and the ability to effectively manage your workload and schedule are also paramount.
• Work-specific skills, the ones you will use every day in your chosen career path, should be continually refined. In addition to taking professional development courses, temporary positions can help you gain real world experience and bolster your skill set to appeal to future employers.

As an Adecco associate, you’ll have free access to our online skills training programs.  We offer access to thousands of courses across professional fields that will enable you to brush up on your skills- or learn new ones.

You have the power to make 2012 a truly awesome year. Take the time to enact these resolutions in order to enhance your job search and land your dream job.

But remember, these tips are just the start when it comes to putting your dream job within reach. For more tips and career advice, visit Adecco Staffing Services or contact your local Adecco office today.

And now for a Contest!

Adecco USA will be running a “New Year, New You” contest starting January 15, 2012. Check out the Adecco Facebook page for more details, and find out how you could win daily prizes throughout January 2012!

One grand prize winner will  receive an interview suit and laptop- stayed tuned, and you could be on the path to career success!

Ms. Career Girl Contest

Now that you have these great New Year’s resolutions, which one are you going to stick with? Do you have another resolution that would be great for women in the workforce? Leave a comment here and the best idea will win a $50 visa gift card!  The winner will be announced on our Facebook page on Friday January 13th at 5pm CST.

Thanks to Samara Zimmerman for today’s post on overcoming the fear of failure!

Failure – curious word – seems so indistinct and feeble when it slips off the tongue. But its bitter sting is in that very vagueness that masks a word so powerful – because “failure,” “failing,” is truly in the eye of the beholder, and as a result its influence can be very broad and paralyzing.

When we are younger, we are never told that it is ok to fail – that failure is acceptable, that sometimes we fail in order to succeed. No, rather, we are always directed to chose paths, lives, situations that are more guaranteed to direct us away from even the possibility of failure. Failure – it’s like the other F-word – profanity in its own right.

I wish when I was in grade school they stressed the importance of your mistakes and that mistakes are ok, its being afraid of making mistakes, fear of the failure itself, that is not. My entire life I have always been afraid of failure, and in many ways that has hindered me and made me live a very measured life. If I’m honest with myself it is this fear of failure to a certain extent that has stopped me from pursuing the profession I deep down wanted for myself, the relationships I desired, even the lifestyle I crave.

I think that is why I have always been attracted and drawn to people in the arts and entrepreneurs. When I watch my favorite musicians on stage at a concert they look so uninhibited – so free – in their own skin. And when I hear how casually an entrepreneur discusses all the risk he undertook to implement his latest business venture, matter of factly as if he had the power of premonition, I think how wonderful to feel that self assured. I used to think these people were free and unrestricted– perhaps even born special – that they had to just follow their path. But I think I mistook a free spirit for a high-risk tolerance, for people who are not afraid of failure. Because when you are a creative or an entrepreneur, failure and rejection is just par for the course. But it’s the not fearing that failure that keeps them going, keeps them free.

But here is the good news – my own personal fear of failure is a failure in and of itself. What could be good about that you might ask? Because through the miscarriage of fear of failing I have learned a great deal about myself – about what I don’t like about how I’m living my life, about how I really do want to progress through my life, and about the smalls steps I can take to get me to where I want to be. And that collection of knowledge, information learned from my shortcomings, is priceless.

That’s the great thing about failing – it’s like that quote from the movie Vanilla Sky, “Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around” – you can take what you experienced from a situation that didn’t work out and use it to maneuver into something that will. Sometimes you fail because you are supposed to fail. It brings the clarity and the momentum to move you from a wrong situation into the right one.

Like Mary Pickford said, “Supposing you have tried and failed again and again. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down.” And it’s pretty thrilling to know that life has multiple do-overs that don’t discriminate because of age or circumstance, that new beginnings that can rise up at any point in your life as long as you don’t allow the fear of failure or so-called failure itself stop you from pushing, moving, towards what you want.

I have experienced times where I have failed, and probably will experience such times in the future. While it can be intimidating to admit that to myself – that with life it is inevitable that there will be times of failure – failure itself is no longer as threatening. Rather, I’m failing my way to success!

I was watching a great Ted Talk given my Cameron Herhold (former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK) last night which mentioned that many successful CEO’s and Entrepreneurs have bi-polar disorder (manic depression).  In fact,  this phenomenon is so common that many business writers & bloggers refer to it as “CEO’s disease.”  This whole idea really surprised me, so I dug a little deeper to find out who has it and how they’ve managed to accomplish so much despite their condition.

An article by Richard Elsberry says that bi-polar disorder was common among some of the most creative people in history including: Ernest Hemingway, Leo Tolstoy, Virginia Woolf, Mark Twain, Paul Gauguin, George Handel, Gustav Mahler, Cole Porter, and Winston Churchill. Other articles I found claim that Steve Jobs, Ted Turner, Bill Liechtenstein, and all 3 founders of Netscape show signs or were properly diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.

Mr. Herhold suggests in one of his articles that Bipolar Disorder helps people run successful companies because, “in their highest moments they dare to dream, and in their lowest moments they confront the most bleak and problematic parts of the company instead of avoiding them.”

Tim Ferriss (author of The Four Hour Work Week) writes about “CEO’s Disease” on his blog in an article called, “Harnessing Entrepreneurial Manic-Depression: Making the Rollercoaster Work for You.”  He even showed a “transition curve” (shown above) and suggests actions to take (and not to take) while in different stages of the “mania” curve.  For example, if you’re feeling manic don’t do anything with the budget or money- you won’t spend wisely.  If you’re feeling down, make projections, plan the budget because you’ll be cautious.  If you’re in a state of serious identity crisis, Tim recommends cleaning out cabinets or going for a walk- anything simple to get out of your rut.

• Does your boss or CEO seem to have some of the symptoms of Manic Depression/Bi-Polar disorder?  How do you deal with it? 
• Do you think Steve Jobs was bi-polar?  How do you think it helped him create so many products that “changed people’s lives?”
• Do you think the association of CEO’s, creative geniuses and successful entrepreneurs will help lift the social stigma of manic depression and bi-polar disorder?

So you’ve landed the dream job or at least the first step to your dream job, then what? As an individual who went from grad school to grad school drop out to intern to copywriter and now editor in the span of a year, I have finally entered the industry I’ve wanted and yet Ambition, like an annoying monkey stuck on my back keeps me asking, “What’s next?”

Ambition, passion, and drive are important, but sometimes it’s good to realize that getting where you want will take time. You might be in your early twenties envying the woman in her 30s who has your “dream job” or you might be out of college and just envying the employed. Wherever you are and wherever you want to end up, sometimes you need to remind yourself that it’s ok to rest for a while on the career ladder.

2 scenarios where you should step back and breathe:

1. I cannot figure out what I want to do with my life!

When you leave college, a graduate program, or transition jobs, you might try and find that one special something which will help you get up in the morning, grab your cup of coffee and make you want to go to work. Finding your passion can happen overnight for some people while others take years exploring different passions. Sometimes it’s enough to be happy with where you are because you can’t force inspiration, you have to explore different avenues and hopefully what you really want to do will come through.

2. I have my dream job but now what?

Personally, I find myself grappling with this position all the time. I am finally on the career path and know where I want to make my living, but up until now there has always been another goal. You worry about the next assignment, succeeding on the next project, and wondering how long it’ll take before I’m CEO (just kidding on that last one). One of the dangerous things about ambition is that once you’ve set out and achieved your short-term goals, the long-term goals take priority. If you’re like me and you’re not patient, waiting for the next step of success can be excruciating. Find the ability to “be in the moment” and enjoy the learning process, laugh at your mistakes, and remember, patience is an evil virtue which we all must alas, practice.

This is the fourth post in a series of 5 posts about blogging: why to start, how to start, how to get readers, how to build community and how to monetize your blog.

The title of this post is a bit misleading. Read on and you’ll understand why.

If there’s one person who I admire in social media, it’s Gary Vaynerchuk.  He’s the author of one of my favorite books, “Crush It” in addition to being somewhat of a pioneer when it came to applying social media to a regular brick-and-mortar business.  Gary took his family business – a liquor store in New Jersey that he ran with his Father- from a couple million dollars a year to $50 Million per year.  Yep, a liquor store. He did this by building community online (one channel you may have heard of is Wine Library TV), being passionate about his product and caring about every single person who emailed him, tweeted him or asked him what wine goes with fish. (Sidenote: Gary tweeted me back this morning and I am totally star struck!!!  It’s pretty ironic considering I was in the middle of writing a post about how much he cares about his community.)

The reason I said that the title of today’s post is a bit misleading is because building community is not as black and white as the other topics we’ve discussed in this week’s series and is debated by many.  I can’t make you a list, or show you a process or turn on a plugin to make community grow.

Instead today’s topic is very subjective. Therefore, I want to hear what YOU think about building community online. I also want to know what blogs and online communities you admire the most.

Gary Vaynerchuk is one of my favorite speakers ever.  Therefore I want to share this video below with you.  Gary will illustrate the concepts of building community online way better than I could in a written post.  He is so animated, so funny, so unique. Warning: he swears. A lot. If this offends you, beware.  I take his swearing as pure passion.

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do!  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

There are many marketing consultants out there who will charge companies thousands of dollars to give bad advice on building community.  There’s not a magic bullet, an algorithm or a piece of software that can effectively build a long-term community.  There must be a genuine human element that is REAL.

Like Gary says in this video, building community is about passion, patience, caring and pure HUSTLE.

The truth is that without passion, you couldn’t really expect to have patience, nor could you care enough to pump out great content day after day and respond to all of your readers.  And if you don’t have passion, you definitely aren’t going to want to work around the clock and sometimes that’s what it takes.

I have been getting a lot of emails from people who want to know how busy Moms or those who work full-time can build their side business.  The answer is quite simple.  Do something you love and work A LOT. Yep, this means making changes in your life to accommodate your goal.  It means working really hard right now in order to change the course of where you’re going.  No one said it was going to be easy.

And another misconception: just because your business is on the internet doesn’t mean it’s any easier than a traditional business.  Don’t start an internet business or a blog expecting that you can put a few hours in and get hundreds or thousands of dollars in return.  You must be patient, you must hustle, you must have a plan.  If your goal is, “I want to get a ton of readers” it’s not enough.

Another great point Gary makes is that people have huge “bullshit detectors” these days.  Lots of the big brands are failing at social media and community these days.  Why?  Because they are trying to disguise their content as genuine, but it’s really a self-promotion.  They don’t care.  They don’t have passion.  People smell it and people run the other way.

Ok, it’s your turn.

• Which online communities or brands are you a fan of and why?
• How do you build community in your own blog?
• Does the thought of building community scare you because it requires you to put yourself and your personality totally out there?

Today’s Guest Post is by, Dave Thomas

In a day and age where the economy has been on life support in the eyes of some economists, why on earth would you want to quit your job to start you own business?

Are you nuts? Have you lost your mind?

Those are likely some of the responses individuals get when they tell others they are thinking of or definitely quitting their job that provides a reliable paycheck for the unknown.

Are You a Gambler?

For those individuals who feel leaving a steady paycheck for the unknown is their destiny, they’re not exactly castaways.

As the economy has been stuck in neutral for some time now, more and more individuals who are either fed up with their current jobs or have gotten laid off, feel now is the time to go into business for them.

If you find yourself getting the entrepreneurial itch, then now might very well be the time to scratch it.

Before you do, however weigh the pros and cons of such a decision.

On the plus side:

• You have freedom to make decisions and do not have to answer to anyone other than yourself;
• You set your own hours, although expect in most cases to work more hours now than you did under someone else;
• You have the ability to have an unlimited income as opposed to having a set salary under someone else.

On the down side:

• You are making all the decisions and the ability to consult with co-workers and get their advice is removed;
• If you are not disciplined, you could find it hard to put in the necessary time commitment for the job, especially with a family involved;
• In the event your business takes a while to get going, what are you going to do for a regular source of income?

If the decision is a go to open up a new business, do you have the business plan up and running?

What? You’re not quite sure how to go about the business plan?

This can be your first and biggest obstacle.

Conceive the Business Plan

One of the biggest mistakes start-ups make is not having a well thought out business plan in place. Remember, starting your own business is not something you just dive into.

Prior to writing a business plan, be sure to research your market and compile up to date industry data. If you’re unsure about how to write the business plan, take note that there are a variety of business plan software packages available to new entrepreneurs. Many of the packages offer document templates, sample plans at no charge, along with advice on conceiving a plan.

As you put your business plan together, don’t be afraid to ask for advice from family or friends who run their own companies. Once the plan is completed, make sure that a friend or family member/s reviews it to look for any holes or unanswered questions.

In the event you are going to require funding to get your business up and running, you will likely be required to produce a formal business plan that speaks to your needs.

Finally, determine if your writing skills are up to the challenge, as the last thing you want is turning in a plan that is riddled with grammar issues, etc. If you will require financial information that is either above your abilities or unavailable to you, consider working with a certified professional accountant.

Make the Gamble Pay Off

With a business plan in tow, the necessary funding (if required), and support from your loved ones, you could very easily make your own business the centerpiece of your life.

Remember, your dreams and hopes that may not have been achieved under someone else could now be for the taking.

Are you ready to take that gamble?

“All growth starts at the end of your comfort zone” – Tony Robbins 

The last two posts I wrote on Ms. Career Girl chronicle leaving my job in the world of finance for life as a marketing manager at a start-up and balancing a busy life which was written during a period in which I was working until 9pm most days during the week.  Now it’s time to reflect.

I’ve been in my new job as a “Community Marketing Manager” for YouSwoop.com (one of Chicago’s top daily deal sites) for just over a quarter now.  It’s been a fun and exciting ride; one that I often refer to as “Entrepreneurship Bootcamp.”

During the last few months I’ve done several things for the first time: I created a detailed quarterly marketing plan, I’ve hired and managed people for the first time and  I co-created a street marketing team program (which now has 100 members).  I’ve led meetings, trained staff, had tough discussions with team members, created marketing campaigns that weren’t as successful as I had hoped, made big decisions on how to spend company money and have been held accountable by both our founder and our CEO.  I had never done ANY of this during my 5 years after college.  Not to mention I’m hosting my first Ms. Career Girl event in Chicago at the end of this month which, for me, was terrifying.

Is my “dream job” everything I thought it would be?  Yes.  BUT, just like any job, all that glitters isn’t gold: the glitter factor is highly dependent on your attitude.

I had the honor of watching a presentation given by Tony Robbins‘ son, Jairek Robbins, last week and he gave some incredible advice.  He asked, “Are you living a life of ACTION or REACTION?”  He said that successful people are those who are in control of how they feel.  They wake up and say to themselves, “today is going to be a great day” rather than, “I wonder what will happen to me today.”  They go into work and have already decided how they will respond to issues before the issues even happen.  They don’t let other people effect how they feel.  Reactive people do the opposite, everything they feel is dictated by others.

Are you willing to get uncomfortable so you can start growing into your ideal life?

If you’re stuck in a rut, stop and write down the questions you’re asking yourself.  Are you saying things like: “Why does this always happen to me?” or “Why do I hate this so much?” Ask, “How can I enjoy what I’m doing more?” or “What is my favorite part of what I’m doing?”  Shifting the questions you ask yourself automatically shifts your focus.  When you shift your focus, you start thinking about, and maybe even visualizing, your ideal day and your ideal situation.  Once you get a bit of emotion attached to your ideal life, your actions will follow suit and only then is manifestation possible.

Today I challenge you to take a step toward increasing YOUR “glitter factor.”  Choose your attitude and then do something totally uncomfortable today.  Share your “uncomfortable action” in the comments section and let us know how it felt and what came of it for you.

By, Joanna Lindenbaum

Take a minute and write down your top three fears, doubts, and concerns. Once you have them written down, you may notice that outside help could really assist you in overcoming each and every one of those fears, right? The trick lies in not just asking for help but delegating responsibility within your 3-tier support system. Delegating is such an important tool because the more successful you become – and want to be – the more responsibility there is. Fortune 500 companies aren’t run by one person and YOU are not supposed to do it all on your own.

A great leader knows that to accomplish their goals, you need to enlist others to help you out. By asking for support on your projects, soul-centered goals, and in your life, you don’t just achieve your goals, you achieve them more quickly and easily – while avoiding exhaustion and being overwhelmed. Sounds pretty simple, right? It is and here’s the added bonus: when you enlist others to help you out, you are empowering those support individuals by putting responsibility and power in their hands.

There are three different types of support that you need: support on basic tasks; creative and intellectual support; and emotional and spiritual support. They may sound basic but it’s important that you understand the 3-Tierd Soulful Support System.

Tier 1: Basic Task Support

The first tier includes those people you can delegate tedious, everyday tasks to. In a sense, it may seem like you’ve asked for support from someone who’s a personal assistant but these tasks are the one that annoy you, distract you, or take up too much of your precious time. Examples of basic tasks to delegate are: cleaning your home, scheduling your clients, doing your accounting, doing the laundry, writing press releases and sending them out, doing research on just about anything, sending invoices, setting up your newsletter, etc.

While you don’t need a ton of people in this tier, you do need some. Take a moment and make a list of all of your everyday tasks. Then make a list of people who could potentially fill those roles. Fulfilling this tier is as simple as making the calls needed to get the help you need- trust me, you will feel a huge weight off your shoulders!

Tier 2: Intellectual/Creative Support

In the second tier, you need people to brainstorm or provide you with new ideas or resources. These are your colleagues, mentors, Board of Directors, coaches, and teachers.

Coming up with fresh ideas or solutions to issues on your own in your career, business, creative work, relationship issue, or personal project can add up to be a huge task and there are always wonderful opportunities to learn, move forward, problem solve and create. It’s important to have people around that you feel are creative and smart to bounce ideas off of.

Make another list but place people you respect and believe could help you with the intellectual and creative parts of your project. These are people who you’ll enjoy receiving their wisdom, plus they might be flattered at having been chosen to share them with you!

Tier 3: Emotional and Spiritual Support

The third tier is often the most overlooked group, but they are the true backbone to your success and your sense of connection and joy in the world. We each need our own group of cheerleaders and supporters and these are people we know will hold us up, keep us going, and believe in us – especially when we don’t believe in ourselves. Those moments do happen and you need people like husbands, wives, sisters, parents, childhood friends, clergy members, coaches, and therapists to cheer you on and support you.

Now, write down your top two to five people that can (or already do) support you. Then remember that one person can’t do it all alone, those people on your list could be helping you with a different area of emotional support.

When you have these three areas of support in your life and dream project covered, you are setting yourself up for maximum success!