February 2012
1 post
Moms & Start-ups: Yes We Can!
I’ve been reading a lot of things lately about women - specifically mothers - in start ups and how they shouldn’t do start ups because they want “flexibility”(whatever that is), and can’t possibly work “start up hours” (whatever those are). From Penelope Trunk’s intentionally provocative TechCrunch article telling women NOT to do start ups, to the sexist reaction to Alison Lindland’s request to...
January 2012
5 posts
A View from the Heights: Unicorns in startupland →
So true. I’ve often wondered where the other moms are. And totally agree, working at a big company as a pregnant woman and mom is no cushier than doing it as a start up.
alisonlindland:
I posted an innocent question to the NY Tech Meetup board a week ago - Looking to connect with other expectant moms and recent moms in startupland - and I was somewhat surprised by the outcome. Or was I?...
3 Ways a Reverse Mentor Can Help You Break Into...
A lot of people in traditional corporate jobs ask me for advice on how to make the move to tech. One of the things I tell many of them is to find a reverse mentor.
A reverse mentor is when the student becomes the teacher. When someone (often) less experienced than you offers valuable knowledge that can open new doors to the way you do things or think. Given that I learned to type on a typewriter...
WWSD? Have a vision. That's what.
I finally read and thoroughly enjoyed the incredibly well researched and written Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson over the holidays (#recommend). Aside from feeling nostalgia for my early days as a PR chick for Microsoft and having the rumors confirmed that Steve was bat shizzle crazy, I was very inspired by his vision for Apple and how he used it to drive the company. Steve’s vision for Apple was:...
Here's To The Average Ones: A Lesson from the Rose...
A few weeks ago, a VC (who shall remain nameless) and I were discussing recruiting for start ups and he told me that athletes from “second tier” colleges were often great workers because they are disciplined, know how to fail, and can work as part of a team. I questioned this, because the athletes at my college were often academically far inferior and much more entitled than the average student....
Kickstarter - Thirty Acres: a Jersey restaurant →
December 2011
6 posts
10 Words StartUps Should Resolve to Give Up 2012
Well, because everyone else is doing their wrap up lists for 2011 and trend predictions for 2012, who am I to not jump on that bandwagon and try to get some page views and followers out of it? Thus, I give to you my view of the words that people in start ups say that - like those nasty smoking, cupcake, and kissing random people at parties habits - need to go away in 2012. And even though Santa...
The Job Search: S/H'es Just Not That Into You
Looking for a job is a lot like dating. And oh the excitement of the first date (um, interview)! You know what it’s like when the magic happens…no lulls in the conversation, you have tons in common. S/He even tells you how much s/he likes you and wants to see you again (uh, I mean come in and meet the rest of the team). And then…NOTHING.
Because, for any number of reasons, s/he’s...
Gratitude as a Business Strategy →
Love it. Germaine to my “Grateful for the Journey” post from last week. http://kristalbergfield.tumblr.com/post/13160109884/grateful-for-the-journey
Not Everyone's Gonna Like You All the Time. And...
This, my friends, is the best career advice I’ve ever gotten. It came 15 years ago when I was a wet behind the ears PR chick for Microsoft and nothing has topped it since. It’s allowed me to push forward in the face of opposition and set me free from worrying (as much) about what people think about me. This has allowed me to get A LOT done.
Many young people (read: women) recently...
November 2011
3 posts
BaD Behavior; Or 3 Do’s & Don’ts of Business...
My friend Maxine Friedman, who runs business development at Clickable, and I used to joke around all the time that we were going to start an anonymous blog called BaDBehavior.com because we were often astounded at the just weird, inconsiderate and yes, mean, things people would do as part of the BD process.
Well, based on my experiences and those of my BD colleagues, I’ve come up with some BaD...
Grateful for the Journey
“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” - Brian Tracy
It’s been a crazy year for me. I made the very hard decision to end a relationship I’d been in for more than eight years. No, I didn’t end a marriage or break up with my...
bijan:
newspeedwayboogie:
Kanye West and...