Wanting to start your own business feels a lot like a bug bite. It itches and you scratch at it all day long. When it bites — some bite back. Others simply spread ointment over it and call it a day. I tip my hat to women in business — the ones that say, “screw the ointment, I’ve got to scratch this thing.”

Last night I had the chance to sit through a Junior League of Dallas speaking engagement, “How to start a business?” featuring several local female entrepreneur who shared some interesting stories.  Here are several insights that I learned while listening to women that apparently said no to the ointment.

On Discovery – Discovering your talent is rarely a choice.

Discovery is often born out of the shadows. Many of the female entrepreneurs that spoke last night  (and that I’ve read about) had no idea that they were onto something or how valuable their talents were. Their entrepreneurial talents were simply disguised as “things that they do”.  As one panelist put it “ You kind of figure out along the way what works best for you.”

The birthplace of entrepreneurial talents can reveal itself within one of several categories. Some of the ones we heard about last night were:

▪ Crafts and hobbies
Interior designers, florists and bestsellers tell us time and time again that they’re simply doing something they love. I know it’s corny — but I’m actually starting to believe it. Many of the women out there pursuing their dreams and profiting from it are doing it well because they love it.

▪ Survival techniques
One woman spoke of her desperate need to flip her house once she’d divorced. She’d done it so well that she realized she could actually make a living off of it. I’m constantly amazed by the amount of women who didn’t have an opportunity fall out of the sky and into their laps — but instead were hit over the head with a challenge. The skills that these women needed to survive then morph into profit bearing tactics —  and they never look back. Brilliant.

▪ Obsessions
Healthy eaters, fashionistas, bloggers and filmmakers. They’ve all got one thing in common. They can’t escape their passion. These women are normally not only outstanding female entrepreneurs — but they’re often on a roll with a huge niche following, plenty to share with their communities and endless personal fulfillment.

▪ Lifelong Skills
This could apply to just about anyone — but I point it out for women in particular because it’s often the precursor to entrepreneurial efforts in male dominated fields.

Whether this further supports the idea that current the lack of women in these fields can be attributed to the educational system is another post entirely — regardless, a lot of the reading and listening that I’ve done reveals that women excelling (and starting women owned businesses) in male dominated fields were raised with an early introduction to it.

On Execution- What pushes the female entrepreneur to act?

Each of the female speakers last night that had started their own businesses had heavy external influences. It isn’t just about the desire to make money (although indeed it’s one of the end goals)— but they’re also seeking a certain lifestyle, trying to survive, or looking for more fulfillment. Three incentives I pulled from the panel last night?

▪ Financial Hardship
The female entrepreneur is often born out of necessity.

▪ Unfulfilling work environment
She is also born out of frustration.

▪ Perfect Partnerships
Whether it be the spouse, best friend or a perfect stranger— finding another talent that complements their own is a big incentive for women.

On Achievement – When do women say to themselves, “job well done!”?

How these women gauge their own success is probably the most valuable takeaway. Because the fear of failure is the greatest barrier to any sort of entrepreneurship, benchmarks  — whether too high, low or just right — are pivotal to any businesses survival.

The majority of last night’s panel was pretty clear about what they considered success — positive publicity. Whether it was news story coverage, winning a competition, magazine cover spots, or a radio station shout-out, recognition from the community as an established brand and business was a key indicator of having reached a certain level of success.

What I’ll leave you with.

Many of us will avoid scratching bug bites. It hurts, it may leave scars and half the time the pain heavily outweighs the relief. But what many of us have to realize (despite what we may have been taught) —  is that the relief is more than worth it, the scars will heal, and your skin grows tougher. There’s nothing “unpretty” about it. So — to the women who scratch their bug bites, let’s rejoice in your relief and celebrate your accomplishments so that more of us will follow your lead!

Do you feel the entrepreneurial bug bite?  Are you scratching it or sticking it out in corporate america?  

WHY do you think you feel the entrepreneurial itch?

A big welcome to Melody Kiella!  This is Melody’s first guest post on MsCareerGirl.com!

Recently I made a job change that required me to reevaluate my career goals, step out of my comfort zone, and resign from my first professional position. I had been working as an in-house attorney for a small Atlanta-based company for a little over a year when I started to feel antsy, and in mid-September my eyes began to wander.

My wandering eyes had nothing to do with the people I was working with or my working environment.  It simply had to do with the fact that I wasn’t being challenged enough and I wasn’t growing at the rate that I wanted to be growing at. During my down time I started looking into potential job openings. Since I work in the legal field I wasn’t too positive that anything would happen, but in mid-November I got an email from a young lady indicating that her law firm wanted to interview me.

I went on the interview with no expectations and no plans. Part of me didn’t want to get my hopes up, and the other part of me knew that I had nothing to lose. I had a job and an incoming paycheck so there was no added pressure on me to nail the interview and please everyone I talked with. For the first time in my career I was able to actually enjoy the interview process and not stress out about what I said or didn’t say.

When the lunch interview was done I knew that everything had gone well. I had no doubt that I would be called back for another interview, and I was. The second interview was a little more intense because I met with about seven attorneys at the firm for a three hour period, but three days later I got the call that I was being offered the job. The second I got off the phone with the law firm I called my husband and we both cheered together. It was a great opportunity for me professionally and for us financially.

It wasn’t until the following morning that it hit me that I would have to tell my boss, whom I greatly admired and enjoyed working for, that I was leaving to go work somewhere else. I knew that he was going to be completely caught off guard and shocked, and I wasn’t looking forward to answering his why questions. Why are you leaving? Why didn’t you tell me you were unhappy?

The week leading up to “the talk” I asked a lot of people for their advice. Many of them told me that quitting was not a big deal; quitting was simply part of business. One of my friends told me that employers know when they hire young professionals that the chances are high that they will leave when a new opportunity arises. While I knew that all of this was true, it didn’t make going into my boss’s office any easier. I ultimately decided that breaking the bad news was best to do on a Friday. My husband convinced me that Friday would be the best day because it would allow my boss time to collect his thoughts over the weekend.

The week leading up to the Friday of “the talk” I wasn’t really that nervous, but when Friday morning arrived I could feel the nerves expanding in my stomach the closer I got to the office. When I arrived at the office I typed out an official resignation letter emphasizing how much I enjoyed working at the company and even typed out exactly what I wanted to say when I walked down to his office. I found that going over what I was going to say a few times in my head made my nervousness dwindle ever so slightly.

When my boss came in around 9 I walked down to his office with my shoulders pushed back and my head held high. I quietly knocked on the door and asked if he had a minute to speak. I sat down and tried to gather myself, but the moment I saw his happy, smiling face sitting across from me all of my preparedness went out the window. I took a deep breath and got right down to the facts. I was resigning. I was putting in my two weeks. I had a great opportunity that I couldn’t turn down. I was not leaving because I didn’t enjoy working for the company. Please don’t take this personally.

I am not going to go into details about what happened exactly (because that is between my boss and I), but it was not easy to tell someone that you enjoyed working for that you were resigning. In fact, I got teary eyed when I broke the news to him. Something about the shocked look that slowly crept onto his face and the close, personal bond that we had established throughout my tenure with the company made it impossible for me to keep my emotions inside. Looking back I wish I had refrained from letting those few tears come to the surface, but what could I do? I am human after all.

After the meeting was over I felt as if a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. While I was sad about leaving my position and the people with whom I had grown close with, I was excited to have my first resignation under my belt (and hopefully my last) and have a new opportunity to learn and grow from.

As I know from personal experience, putting in your two week notice can be extremely nerve racking and difficult. While you are bound to be nervous before you walk into your boss’s office, remember that at the end of the day business is business no matter how much you like working for a particular employer. Your boss knows that resigning and moving on is a part of life. I am sure they have resigned from positions before and understand that sometimes an opportunity is too good to turn down. The most important part about giving your two weeks notice is to be respectful and to allow your boss enough time to find someone to replace you.

I am a firm believer that when it comes to your career and your life you need to take all of the opportunities that come your way. You never want to look back and wish you had done something different. So, if you are blessed with a new career opportunity but are scared of letting your boss or current company down, just make the decision that is best for you and never look back.

Have you ever had to leave a job you enjoyed?  How did you deliver the news?  What was your boss’s reaction?  

What tips do you have for others who want to resign with grace?

I worked for a content marketing agency that convinced its clients that the buying cycle has changed. It was there that I realized — there’s a lot that  recent graduates can learn from content marketers.  For those of you who don’t know what content marketing is — here’s a drilled down definition from a sort of pioneer of the new trend, Joe Pulizzi.

Customers don’t want to learn about products the way they used to anymore. They don’t want to learn from the company television advertisements. They want to read online blogs that are interesting to them and to skim reviews that seem more personal.

I’m here to share with you that, not only has the buying cycle changed, the hiring cycle has changed.  Employers don’t learn about or evaluate potential employees the way they used to. They’re overrun with applications, resumes, phone calls and email. As a result, we have to change the way that we deliver our own specialties, stories and skills to them. We’ve got to market ourselves differently.

The new trend? Adding interesting, new and thought provoking qualities to the traditional, informative and standard characteristics you’ve already mastered in your job-hunt approach.

What should recent graduates take away from this trend? Find better ways to get in front of your employers.

How to take your Job Hunting to the Next Level

Get Pretty  —  Use Infographics for resumes
Not much to say here other than infographic resumes are easier and more fun to look at.

Keywords: easier and fun.

They also have a greater tendency to go viral (depending on where you’re placing them) . If a black and white resume doesn’t make the cut with it’s first viewer, there’s absolutely no reason to pass it on. But a colorful, creative and attractive resume is shareable in and of itself. Not to mention, for more creative companies it shows initiative in the field of choice.

Get Even — Show Facebook your middle finger — Use LinkedIn as your professional social media page
Of course, I’m sure HR will or has already taken the time to peruse your Facebook page in search of evidence of you chugging a beer bong, but at least having a professional social media page shows you have created a distinction between your personal and professional life.

Now, I know that in one of my recent posts I referred to LinkedIn as a “useless rolodex”. What can I say? I’m an “in the field” kind of person. But I’ve definitely used it for quick reference, names and company positions — friends of friends, etc.

Plus, HR is continuously shifting its attention to LinkedIn’s platform and away from the traditional job boards. Here, Dan Schawbel refers to the job boards as “black holes” and encourages all professionals to add using LinkedIn to find a job to their job hunt strategy.

Get Personal — Use Youtube videos to show companies your personality, spunk and that you’re anything but shy
You may not use this if you’re applying for a librarian position — but if you’re doing anything related to sales rep, business dev, marketing, public speaking… or even teaching, letting influencers experience your personality through Youtube can be key to getting you in the door.

Dear Valve. Hire Me. — An awesome video animation by a young gamer looking for a job.

Google. Hire Me. — Another approach to using youtube to get a job.

Tweeting to communicate with potential employers
Now — I’ll preface this, (and anything I write about twitter — ever) by saying that I absolutely hate twitter. I really do.  I don’t really “believe” in its “powers”. I think the only way to be successful with it is by allowing it to totally distract you all day— unless you just tweet crap for the heck of it.

BUT — I do believe it’s a great casual way to get your voice on a company’s radar. PLUS! Companies are literally posting their jobs on Twitter now. Not too big of a surprise. No. But take a look at this snapshot of Totem.

See that guy David Maw that they retweeted right above their own tweets? I bet you anything that if he applies and is even remotely qualified, they’ll consider him over a blank face. You tweet merely to get in front of people — all of these things are ways to stay top of mind. Remember that.

Blogging to show industry knowledge or expertise
Now this, I do believe in. Blogging to show industry knowledge is a great way to show passion, timeliness and industry authority (or in your case, blossoming industry authority).

Here’s a blog and website of a friend of mine. She’s a great photographer and I love her combination of blog and site here to exhibit her skills.

Also, check out this post from boston.com. Apparently creative industries aren’t the only industries that appreciate reading their job applicants’ blogs. Here a recruitment manager for EnerNOC talks about his love for reading engineer blogs before hiring.

Another thing that I love about blogs is their ability to connect you to influencers and allow other influencers to witness your conversations. Remember what I said at the beginning of this post about customers wanting to read personal online reviews and  blog conversations? Well, this is pretty much the same thing.

Here employers can see the positive responses or praise you get from other influential industry members in exchange for posting great content and sharing your insights and opinions.

Ok, so are you all believing the hype yet? No? Good!

Fortunately for you, I’m not the marketer or blogger who pushes the same solution for everyone.

There’s still a long way to go and a lot of consideration to be had before sending in your content with a remarkably unique approach. Point being — the message can be lost on the wrong audience.

I was looking at a Lifehacker post on infographic resumes today and couldn’t overlook the comments section where professionals applying to different types of companies had to tailor or curb their desire to get creative with their approach.

So, do I think that appreciation for creativity and unique job hunting approaches is industry specific? Absolutely. For now, at least.

In fact, my dad asked me the other day if he thought he should get a twitter account to go with his website. My first thought — why in the world does an attorney need a twitter account?? He doesn’t have enough time in the day to tweet every two to three hours, and I don’t even want to imagine the legal liabilities that could come out of absent-mindedly dropping legal advice all over a twitter account.

So, in the spirit of selective marketing and promotional tactics if an IT applicant comes to me with questions for submitting a resume to a company of 500 or more — it’s very unlikely that I’ll suggest she send an infographic.

I might, however, suggest that while in an interview or simply on a coffee date with someone influential she slides out her iPad and casually points her audience’s attention to her industry blog or perhaps a monthly newsletter when asked how she keeps up with industry changes— or whether she has a strong enough voice to be an advocate for the company.

The Bottom Line is…

I love that content marketing encourages professionals in all sectors to use different strategies, platforms and buzz techniques to tell their stories in order to win the hearts and minds of their target audiences.

As it does traditional marketers, content marketing teaches recent graduates that to reach their target audience they’ve got to be willing to go the extra mile to make their story interesting to the employer, and not just strategic for themselves.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

It’s the time of the year where (if you live in the United States at least) you sit around the table and eat turkey, or maybe tofu turkey, if you’re one of those vegetarians (I’m a vegetarian, I can say that. Although I might be joining the “meat” side this Thursday, we’ll see).  For me, Thanksgiving and the holidays in general have become a time for me to reflect. So, this post is a dedication to one of my reflections prior to saying thank you for all my blessings tomorrow.

This year has been a year of growth for me in many ways.   Every year ought to be a year of growth, but over the past few years I have tried to characterize each year by something. For example, I would say 2010 was a year of “getting it together” because I’ve characterized 2009  as “my hell year.”  Why was 2011 a year of growth? Well, because for the first time in my life, some big decisions didn’t go the way I thought they would and had left me without titles- something that I have ended up being grateful for.

After graduating from college in May, I headed to Chicago.  I had my sights on going to Loyola law school and one of my brothers lives here, so I had free room and board for the summer at least!  However, life is what happens when you’re making other plans, right?

Well, I’m not in law school.

What was my plan B? My plan B was to go to Spain’s University of Navarra to do a “Bridge Year Program.” What happened?

Well, I didn’t go to Spain.

What was my plan C? Oh, that’s right, I didn’t have one.

The job market was not remotely appealing to me during my senior year of college and not only because of this economy, but because I just didn’t know what to do with my life. I can tell you what I want to do in 10, 15 years but right after college and to some extent even now, I am not so sure.  So, there I was in July, a young lady with a Business Marketing degree, without a plan and without any titles. I mean, you can only stretch the college graduate thing for so long, right!?

This past summer I read and re-read the American Classic, “Gone With the Wind” and one of the quotes from the book that really stuck was, “with enough courage you can do without a reputation.” I love it. I have always been the kind of person who didn’t really want to be identified with a crowd, a group, a title, etc. I’ve always just wanted to be Kovie Biakolo, maybe with a “the fabulously awesome woman” to follow.

Even during college (when I was an international student, in a business fraternity, in a sorority for a time, an RA one year, a leader  of a cultural organization) I like to think that I successfully escaped being put in a box, other than maybe being known as a “sassy girl” (which I liked). That’s when I realized I was finally getting the true experience of being without titles.  My plans were un-clear and my immediate future, even more so.  So, rather than worry and fret about what-ifs, and what to tell people when they asked, I decided that I would be courageous enough to be without a reputation.

What is a reputation?

A reputation is what people know you as professionally and personally. It’s not like I wanted a bad reputation; I just decided that my character would simply have to speak loudly enough to thrive without a reputation. For me, this is what “courage to be without a reputation” means. Growing up for many years, a girl with three older brothers (I have a sister who I’m 10 years older than), I have never really been short of confidence. Furthermore, growing up with educated, wise parents who have always taught me to be resourceful and above all hard-working, I was confident that this “limbo” period of my life would be one that would be tough, but one that I would look back on as a defining period in my life.

What am I doing now?

Well, a lot of things. After much ado with job searching and indeed I still am, Nicole Crimaldi (the founder of this very blog) let me to step on board as an Event Coordinator for her Ms Career Girl Connect events and as a project manager/account executive for her online marketing agency, MCG Media Inc. I say “sort of” because being true to my story, we are uncertain what my title should be.

I am learning a lot about  the digital marketing world, the social media world and getting an opportunity to really know what it means to develop a business. Now don’t get me wrong, kudos to all the people who are in a traditional job setting but the truth is right now, I wouldn’t want to be any place else.

As Nicole reminded me after our last connect event of the year last week: I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I always tell the story of how I met Nicole through Twitter, then how I asked if I could help with her events via email. And now, just a couple of months later, here I am working on growing a business, getting more job and life experience than I ever thought I would.

You really never know where life can take you if you maintain a strong character, a positive attitude and a willingness to let go of what you think should happen or who you think you should be.

So, to everyone who wonders and even struggles about what their titles are and to some extent what their reputation is; to everyone who wonders if they’re in the right place or not, I say: be thankful for what you are and where you are.

If you have a title, be thankful. If you don’t, be thankful and see it as an opportunity to grow and be someone you want to be.  Be thankful for these, but also be thankful if If you have a thanksgiving dinner to go to, a warm bed to sleep at night, and most importantly family and friends who love you.

Everyone’s story and life path is different, professionally and personally. In the end, however, the best things about life are not your titles or reputation or even your finances. The best thing in life is when you become who you are meant to be, when you know you are making a difference, when you feel loved and when you are grateful for every challenge, every win, and every gift you have, especially the gift of life. So tomorrow…just be thankful.

Cheers,

Kovie

I’m 24, living in New York City and refer to both my tiny apartment on the upper west side and my parent’s home in upstate New York as my “home.” Besides the fact that I haven’t been able to disconnect my “home” in New York City with my “home” in upstate New York, there are other things that I feel have prevented me from feeling like I’m totally grown up.

As a kid I think most of us fantasized about what we’d be when we grew up, where we’d live, what we’d name our three kids and what kind of dog we’d have… or maybe I just shared way too much personal information and that fantasy wish list was just me?!  Regardless, I’m starting to feel like I’m getting to the age where some of my friends are actually engaged, married, starting a family or thinking about all three.  Is it crazy that I don’t feel remotely close to such monumental events? Should I be? Is this my quarter life crisis? (Don’t I have another few months until I hit my quarter life?)

My parents were married when they were 23 and already had my brother by the time they were 25; not to mention they had a house, a car and a yard!  I’m pretty sure by the time I hit 25 (in July) I definitely won’t be married, won’t have a kid, will still be renting an apartment and will have traded in a car for a $104 monthly subway pass.  The thing is, I don’t feel like I need to be further along at this point in my life.  Apparently, in 2008 and in New York, the median age of a woman’s first marriage was 28, so according to statistics I’m A-OK!  Thank goodness I don’t live in Utah where the median age was 24, whew!

All kidding aside though, I feel okay where I am in my life.  I love the freedom I’ve created for myself by moving to an amazing city, I love my job in a start-up environment in an office on the Hudson River, and I love that if I really wanted, I could go home after work and have an ice cream sundae.  Your early/mid 20s seem like a time when you get to discover who you are as a person.  You’re past the college years where you could do your experimenting, but you’re not (or I’m not) quite ready to buckle down and commit most of your life to other people (your potential husband and kids) – you’re really in a middle ground that promotes self discovery and self interest!

Some things on my list to do before buckling down:

• Run a marathon
• Travel abroad
• Go skydiving
• Take a cross-country road trip
• Go skiing out west
• Attend Mardi Gras
• Fall in love
• Learn how to use the Adobe Creative Suite
• Sell a piece of artwork on the streets of NYC

Clearly there is no magic age when you’re supposed to get married, start a family and buy a house, it’s really unique to every individual person – where they are, where they want to go and who they want to go there with.  It’s a challenge sometimes, especially for someone like me who does wonder about the future, to open your mind, follow your heart and just live a little.  There really aren’t any expectations of you out there and your life is really what you make it – so go out there and just do you, you deserve it!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Have you ever felt pressured to get married, have children or get to a certain level of your career?  Why or why not? 

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?

I’ve been fantasizing about the day I’d get to write this post for a long time.  It’s official: a new chapter of my career has begun.

For those who don’t know my story, I have a finance degree.  I got a finance degree because I wanted to have “job security, even in a bad economy,” I felt I needed a degree which gave me “a trade,” and I wanted to “always be able to support myself and my family.”  Not sure why I felt Finance was the only way to achieve these things, but regardless, that was the lame advice floating all around me and I took it as truth.

The funny part is that, until high school, I hated math.  In addition, I’ve never been Ms. Serious nor am I one to do well with lots of policies & procedures.  Getting too caught up in details drives me a bit nuts and I’m from a very entrepreneurial family in which small business was praised and “big corporate america” wasn’t.

It seems pretty obvious looking back that majoring in Finance was an odd choice for me.  But I was hell bent on achieving the “status” of a finance degree and overcoming the challenges that came with it.

So I did it, knowing deep down it wasn’t for me.  Then I proceeded to get great internships in finance/banking and work in the industry for almost 5 years after college graduation.

It’s funny how things shift after graduating college.  Your first jobs are never quite as you imagined them, and often times you feel a sense of disappointment.  In addition, life throws you lots of curve balls: big bills (is that considered a curve ball?), failed relationships, changing friendships and most importantly finding out who you are.

Thankfully, the right side of my brain thirsted for some creative, after-work stimulation. So I started MsCareerGirl.com in November of 2008, which opened up a whole new world to me that I didn’t know existed: twitter, social media, online marketing, making money online, the power of brand building via the internet etc. You don’t learn about that stuff in Finance.

Little by little I learned more about how the technology works, I reached out to meet people from the blogosphere that were way more brilliant than me, I read books on the subject, and I attended lots of events and conferences. About a year in, I established the fact that if I am devouring marketing books and meeting new people for coffee every week to pick their brain and learn about the subject, I probably love this stuff. And hey- maybe I’d even be good at it.

So I took some internet marketing courses through the University of San Francisco which definitely took me to the next level in actually putting this passion to use in a career.  After I finished my second class in 2010, I got a message on LinkedIn from some guy who liked my blog.

I noticed he had been a partner/founder in 3 small companies here in Chicago- all of which I had worked with and loved.  We decided to meet for coffee to talk about blogging, social media and our Chicago network.  He ended our coffee conversation saying, “I just don’t see you in finance at a huge company. One of these days I’m going to find a way for us to work together Ms. Career Girl.”

Almost a year later I got a phone call from him saying “I think I found a way for us to work together.  Let’s put something on the calendar.”  So the four months of conversations began.  He was now the CEO of  my favorite Chicago-based Daily Deals site YouSwoop.com and he was looking for someone with just the right personality, Chicago network and skill set to help grow the company.

Yesterday was my first day as You Swoop’s Community Marketing Manager.  It’s crazy how things work out.

Then again it’s not.

For the last 2+ years, I had put all of my focus, extra time and energy into learning everything I could about the online world.  I often times worked on my blog (and even developed a second site) before and after my day job.  I accepted every speaking engagement I was offered, never being paid for a gig once. I worked with lots of small businesses for free- giving them advice, plans and suggesting ways for them to improve their business.

I’m a big believer that your thoughts become your reality. But for those who think sitting and wishing upon a star will make their dreams come true, you are wrong.  Thoughts must be turned into ACTIONS which then become your reality. And they don’t become your reality over night.  For those of you who have a gnawing feeling that you might be on the wrong career path, do something about it.  Just do what you are naturally pulled towards doing.  And, as Stephen Covey says, begin with the end in mind.

This is chapter one of a whole new story for me.  What do you want your new story to look like?  What are you doing to get there?  What do you love doing?  Why aren’t you doing it? If you look at your life in 5 years, do you want to be doing what you are doing today?  What would change if you didn’t do anything?  Not sure what you want to do?  Are you testing an idea every week?  The more failures the better.

I’ll keep you posted as my story develops.  Thanks so much for reading MsCareerGirl over the past few years. Without you guys I wouldn’t have had the confidence to keep learning and growing into my passion which ultimately became my new career path.

Nicole Crimaldi

Ladies (& Gentlemen!), this topic might sound a little off beat in comparision to the usual topics here at Ms. Career Girl.  I decided to include this post in our line up because car insurance is one of those little details that is part of this whole “growing up” thing.  At 26, I’m about to purchase my first car and these are the types of questions I have had throughout the process.  Hope this post is helpful to you now or in the future.  Cheers to independent well-informed women!

By, Miles Walker

Buying a car is a major first step in a young adult’s life, but buying the insurance for the car can be nothing less than monumental. Without age and wisdom, young people are at risk of being ripped off by companies looking for an easy sale and are frequently penalized for being (presumably) a greater risk on the road. Still, it’s possible to navigate the pitfalls and come out the other side with reasonably priced and appropriate insurance, if you’re willing to do a little legwork to start with.

Do Your Homework

Many young people have no idea about what type of car insurance coverage that they will be shopping for – they only know that they must have it. For example, if they own a car that is ten years old, they should be probably shopping for liability only car insurance coverage instead of collision coverage. Many people get ripped off because they speak to insurance agents that try to convince them to purchase more car insurance coverage than they truly need. For a beginner with their first car, only the bare necessities are needed unless their car is exceptionally nice.

Research Companies before Making a Commitment

Caveat emptor is not just a saying – it’s also a great idea. The buyer must be even more cautious when they are younger and less world-wise. It is important to look at each insurance company’s website and read reviews about how well they treat their customers. Ask friends for a referral if they are satisfied with their insurance coverage – this helps to identify the companies with a good reputation and customer service. Never buy car insurance coverage from a company that sounds very similar to well known ones. These are often scams that have been set up by people looking to commit fraud! If in doubt, post a question online to a consumer review site and see if the car insurance companies you are interested in have given their customers positive experiences.

Compare Prices and Coverage for Each Car Insurance Company

When comparing car insurance coverage, price should never be the only deciding factor, but the unfortunate reality is that younger, first-time drivers will pay more in premiums simply because of their age. Still, you should do your best to examine the companies you have short-listed and try to get a good deal. Look at how much coverage each car insurance company offers. Some companies will offer more coverage to consumers for a few extra dollars. Compare overall premium rates to see where each car insurance company stands in terms of quality and price. It is important to weigh the pros and cons associated with each company so that you know you’re getting value for money. Consult with a customer service agent from a few of the insurance companies to see what they have to say. It is important to know as much as possible about the company’s procedures and coverage terms so that a decision can be reached.

Take Your Time

So you’re anxious to get on the road and finally start driving. That’s completely understandable – and also bad, because if you’re in a hurry, you’ll end up paying more than you need to! Never jump into the situation too quickly – wait at least a week to sign up for a new car insurance policy. Many customer service agents call or email people that they have given quotes to and want to finish the sale so that they receive their commission. If they become too pushy then ask them to stop calling you. It’s also a good idea to give yourself time to think about it, and about how much you’ll spend versus what coverage you’ll get.

As a final note – never, ever be tempted to drive without insurance. Uninsured drivers are the bane of motorists everywhere, and they’re part of the reason that insurance premiums can cost a lot of money. You might think that you’re a good driver, and one short trip won’t hurt, but you’re not the only driver on the road – and getting into an accident is not really a great way to start your motoring life.

By, Rachel Hansen

After reading Nicole’s Credit Card Confessions, I knew I had to chime in. You see, I’m one of those “frugalistas” Target is always, well, targeting. A coupon-toting, ebay-loving, craigslist-furniture-buying cheapskate. And while “cheap” might not have that enticing, where-do-I-sign-up ring to it, I’m here to convince you otherwise.

But before I get ahead of myself, perhaps I should explain: I’m in my twenties, gainfully employed, and really behind this idea of living within your means. Nerd alert, I know, but seriously. Managing money is important to me because it allows me to protect and provide for my family and the things we value.

Fund your priorities – Not your weaknesses

Another thing that is important to me is traveling. I went to one of those cushy liberal arts colleges where they encourage students to study abroad. I’ll hold back the gushy travelogue and just pique your interest (and jealousy) by saying that as an undergrad I traveled to eleven European countries. I know. You’re jealous. So is my husband. He spent time overseas as a kid, but the majesty of Europe has always been at least an ocean away. That’s why (cue drum roll) we’re planning a trip to Italy!

And I’m not talking about idly dreaming about a far off trip that will occur at some unforeseen (read: indefinitely postponed) time in the future when we have our lives “together” and when the stars and our schedules magically align. This is legit. We leave on Friday.

Many people fantasize about lavish, debt-free vacations, but we’re making it happen! I kid you not, each month we sit down with our computers and checkbooks, not just to pay our bills, but to plan out how to spend/save/invest our money for the next month. It’s not particularly sexy, but this diligent grunt work has enabled us to be successful with our savings goals and intentional about where our paychecks go. I know my penny-pinching, brown-bag-lunch-bringing ways are occasionally off-putting. But the discipline is about to pay off. The money doesn’t just trickle away like it used to. And for the last ten months we’ve been growing our Italy fund.

I’m not gloating

Well, maybe I am, but it’s for a good cause. This is one career girl who would love to inspire some of her peers to dream big about their financial goals. So I bring up Italy with this in mind: for what worthy goal are you currently delaying gratification? You can live vicariously through me if you want, but why not get on board and start saving for your own dreams?