SAWLF

The Balancing Act

As women of the workforce, we strive to achieve a balance between our demanding careers, our families, our social circles, and the time that we allot to ourselves. With timetables, planners, calendars, appointment books, etc, the task at hand seems almost impossible. Finding that fine balance between work and life is not only an accomplishment that women in the west strive for, but is a universal challenge to all women. Take a look at how South Asian women in India cope with their hectic lifestyles.

http://www.indiatoday.com/webexclusive/dispatch/20000624/raval.html

The Big iDEA!: Broadcasting with Ann Curry

Interviewed by Jasmin Thankachen

Ann Curry
Co-Anchor/Correspondent
NBC’s Today Show

The Today Show includes some of the most well known faces in America, one of which is Ann Curry, an ethnic-looking woman whose remarkable poise is admired by the many who watch. Born in Guam to an American career Navy man and a Japanese rice farmer’s daughter, Ann never imagined herself to be an on-air personality. Growing up, she never really saw women on TV, especially women of color, but through her determination to prove that she could make it in the television industry, Ann began her journalism career. She accelerated into becoming one of the most widely recognized morning show hosts, joining the ranks of Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, and Al Roker. Ann has been recognized in many ways for her meaningful work, including two Emmys – one for her coverage of the October 1987 Los Angeles earthquake and another for her coverage of the explosion of a gas pipeline in San Bernadino. She has also won many Golden Mike Awards, an NAACP Award for Excellence in Broadcasting, and the Japanese American National Museum Award for Excellence. Ann currently lives in New York with her husband and two children. Take a look at what Ann had to say to SAWLF members about her career, the purpose of journalism, and her tip on networking.

1. What are some of your professional influences?

Now, it is myself. I am influenced by my core sense of ethics for this job, by my core internal voice. I don’t do this job for the fame or fortune. I do this job to help other people. I do this to shine a light in places of darkness. I really believe that the American people can make a change and I believe in the American public.

2. How did you know that journalism was “it” for you?

Watergate and the Vietnam War were both big events that influenced my decision to get into journalism. I learned that you can’t place your faith in the government, but you can place your faith in the American people. I found that without reporters, the truth would not be known. Only when people knew the truth could there be democracy.

3. What is the one thing that you wish you had known before entering this industry?

That I had to wear make-up. That I had to look good all the time. But seriously, I wish I had known that it was a daily battle to keep your ideas, to stand beside your ideals. I wish that I knew that there were going to be battles with my core beliefs, ones that I did not want to lose. In news, there is a lot of scandal, I’m not proud of that. There is a difference between need to know and want to know and I think the media feeds into what the public wants to know. In my heart, I’m a hard news woman in an industry that has grown soft.

4. What are some challenges that women face in the TV industry? Where do you see journalism in the next decade?

It is definitely not a level playing field. Women have been blocked in many respects from reaching higher ground. But we have made progress within the past decade and can only continue to. Behind the scenes, you don’t see too much diversity, in fact at the Today Show, there is only one African American producer. On-air, there are have been some changes in who you see reporting the news and we hope to see more in the next generation. I know that the change has started and is not stopping.

5. How has your professional network helped you in attaining the position that you hold today?

My professional network is not what really helped me. I believe that the public likes my work and I’m successful because I take care of the public and they take care of me. My network did provide me with moral guidance, a place where we can share our experiences and learn from each other. No one has really made my road easier, I have done the work and I am successful because of it.

6. What are some things that our readers need to know before entering the television/media/journalism industry?

Always know that your success is ultimately based on your own determination and hard work. What you achieve is not something that God gives you, but something that you decide to do. Also be very smart in the way you cross hurdles, in essence you are paving the way for people behind you.

7. How has being Japanese-American helped you in your career?

Well, because of my culture, I was able to make my own beats, and was made the go-to person. I brought a different voice to the news because of my ethnicity. I wasn’t raised like others either, I was raised poor. That gave me an advantage to recognize issues that affected everyday Americans and allowed me to be a voice among the voiceless.

8. You have covered September 11th in such great depth with exclusive interviews and follow-ups – How do you think journalism has changed since that day?

I think journalism has gotten more schizophrenic. The American public can’t handle too much of the truth, in turn allowing the news to cover world issues inadequately. News is now more frivolous than serious. There is definitely a lot more hype to what is going on.

9. Are you living your dream job? What is you ultimate goal in your career?

I can’t see my future right now. That’s something that I’ve been recently thinking about. My ultimate goal was to be the next Tom Brokaw and that’s still possible, but not probable.

10. How do you keep a balance between being an anchor, a wife, and a mother?

I can tell you that it is very difficult to keep a balance, but I have been able to do so by giving 100% no matter what, to that particular area. If I’m with my kids I’m with them and don’t think about other things.

11. What is it about news/journalism/NBC that keeps you coming back everyday?

Simply put, it’s the chance to do good and to help others. I have always and will always believe in that concept.

What's the Big iDEA!: Facts and Trends

Did you know...

FACTS

That 1,400 American businesses are started daily by women?
24 Percent of workers shop online atleast once a month?
The average U.S. Employee takes 6 sick days each year?
That 59% of workers have dated a co-worker?
That 52% of the workforce has stayed at their job for under 3 years? and 48% has stayed for over 3 years?

TRENDS

Ever thought about what an ice cream taster does and then thought, "Wow! That's a real job?" Well here's another job that'll make you wonder the same thing and perhaps make you wish you had that job. Here's the Big trend:

Nail Polish Namer
The current best read at the nail salon is polish bottoms, especially the Essie ones: Sand of a Beach (get it?), Boca Rattaned, Can't Filmfest.

Essie Weingarten, the pun-loving woman behind the titles, has been namestorming since she launched her company 23 years ago. At the time, salon hues were designated by numbers. To be different, she dubbed them cute yet silly names - Bordeaux, Autumn Leaves, Baby's Breath.

Today silly rules the world, but Essie still takes the prize. Consider You're Fired!, a recent red. (You got that, right?) Then there's Shop Till I Drop and A-Red (read Rod) for New Yorkers. And every season has something a little racy like, Not Now! Well, explains Essie, "whenever you have your nails done, you come home and what do you say to your husband? Not now!"

Essie, who works the pun board alone, discourages suggestions. "Everyone thinks they can do it. My insurance man's wife said, 'I'm going to help you!' It was one more pathetic than the other." After compiling her personal favorites, Essie runs them by her staff. They veto anything that's too racy (conservative customers tend to complain) or insulting, like Prune Face, a label Botox-loving Californians "personally affronting."

Currently there are more than 200 active Essie colors and 300 retired. "Names are fun," says the Bordeaux-toed Essie. "They entertain me. If I'm entertained it makes everything easier."
There's a name in there somewhere.

GENDER WATCH: WHO WEARS THE WALLET IN THE FAMILY?
By Brain Grow
BusinessWeek August 16, 2004

Some Macho industries are getting in touch with their feminine sides. Home Depot will spend $1 billion this year to add softer lighting and brighter signs to 300 stores in a bid to match archrival Lowe's long-standing appeal to women. And Best Buy, sparked by the realization that women buy 55% of electronics items, will add personal-shopping assistants in some stores to explain geek-speak such as "megabyte" that some female customers may not grok.

Women may be paid less than men and make it to the CEO suite less often, but the U.S. economy is more and more female-driven. U.S. women control about $3.3 trillion in annual consumer spending and $1.5 trillion more in business outlays, according to management guru Tom Peters' latest book,
Re-imagine!

What's more, women are expanding their influence: New studies show that women decide 92% of vacation plans, 62% of car purchases, and 52% of home-improvement projects, says Martha Barletta, CEO of consultant TrendSight Group. And women control 51% of America's personal wealth, says the Federal Reserve. Even the oil change is getting a makeover: Jiffy Lube International will spend some
$8 million to overhaul shops, put Vogue magazine in its waiting rooms, and train its repair staff to explain "transmission fluid" on invoices. Now that's a female economy.

Big iDeas! for the Workweek

Tips and trends to cope with your workweek for a better you!

Curse of the Working Wounded
Doug Dollemore
Prevention Magazine

If you feel like a zombie, stay home. Sick workers aren't just unproductive; they cost the company money, says new research from Cornell University Institute for Health and Productivity Studies. "Presenteeism" - the stoic practice of showing up no matter how sick you are - can cost a business more than absenteeism and medical and disability benefits combined. Why? Sick workers are slow, sloppy, and sometimes contagious. Stop suffering and do the right thing. Take sick days; get medical treatment you need.

Negotiate a Shorter Workweek

Requesting flextime should be all business

* First write up a proposal. Include achievements for the company, flextime policies, a plan for fulfilling responsibilites and pay options. In general, one workday equals one-fifth of your weekly salary.

* When you broach the topic, give your boss the proposal. Don't expect an immediate answer - you'll probably have many discussions before it's settled.

* Address how you'll handle communication, scheduling, deadlines, emergencies. Anticipate potential problems and offer solutions. For example, find ways to guarantee that co-workers won't have to cover for you. Ask if the arrangement will affect raises, promotion or benefits like health insurance.

* Assure your boss you'll be flexible - come in for important meetings, respect deadlines, answer e-mails, and calls, etc. - and suggest a gradual transition.

* If your boss is still reluctant, request a trial period.

Source: Kate Wendleton, president of the Fice O'Clock Club, an organization and web site for career coaching.

Making Your Big iDEA! A Reality

Trying to open your own restaurant, salon, law office, public relations firm? Here are some great tips to help you get started.

5 Key Steps to Starting a BusinessGot a great moneymaking idea? Melanie Sabelhaus, deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration, suggest you:

* Educate yourself. Check out sba.gov to learn the ins and outs of small business, from starting one up to financing and managing it.

* Find help in your community. For in-person guidance and access to classes and seminars that'll teach you the basics, contact your Small Business Administration district office, which will refer you to your local Women's Business Center (onlinewbc.gov) or Small Business Development Center (sba.gov/sbdc). The former helps economically disadvantaged women with low tuition fees and financial assistance; the latter may charge fees, depending on the state.

* Write a business plan. Now it's time to put together a polished business plan that'll sell your idea to potential investors and employees. For tips, go to entrepreneur.com (click on business plans under "Starting a Business").

* Learn about loans. Don't walk into a bank to ask for one without a business plan in hand, the confidence to relate your vision clearly, and the knowledge of how much money you'll need (see above).

* Get a mentor. Score.org will match you up with a business pro who has expertise in the area you're interested in for free counseling and advice.

--Complied by Elizabeth Roehrig

The Big iDEA!: Great Innovators

BusinessWeek profiles some of the greatest innovators of the past 75 years. These stories serve as an inspiration to many of us who try to make a change in our world, however small it may be.

Sticking Up for Cities
By Aaron Bernstein
BusinessWeek August 16, 2004

Jane Jacobs had no formal training in city planning or architecture, or even a college degree. But when this daughter of a doctor and a schoolteacher moved from Scranton, PA, to New York City in 1938, a job at Architectural Forcum and marriage to architect soon blossomed into a lifelong passion for understand how cities are built and lived in. From her home in Manhattan's bustling Greenwich Village, the opinionated young woman watched with growing disgust as the urban renewal movement that had swept the U.S. after World War II cleared whole neighborhoods in New York and other cities. In their place rose bland Modernist office towers that spawned a kind of urban apartheid, with downtowns set aside for office workers who commuted in from the swelling suburbs, leaving city cores increasingly dark and deserted at night.

The experience prompted Jacobs to write The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Its publication in 1961 triggered a profound shift in the way we look at cities. Her premise: Cities are engines of growth whose vitality of activities humans engage in there. They should be lively, mixed-use place where people like, work, shop, raise families, and join their creative energies in myriad ways. Cities should be allowed to grow organically; craving them up into single-use sections, as the Modernists recommended, is like thrusting a dagger into their hearts.

Although the so-called New Urbanism movement Jacobs helped to spark took years to be widely accepted, her views are now standard thinking among architects and city planners. Her amateur status didn't stop her from attacking the celebrated powers, from Le Corbusier, who wanted to raze the historic Marais in central Paris (but never succeeded), to New York master planner Robert Moses, who built many city highways in the face of fierce neighborhood opposition. In the 1960s, Jacobs led activists who stymied Moses's pland to put an expressway smack through her beloved Greenwich Village. Nowadays, it's routine for planners to meet with local residents. More broadly, many officials realize that urban life can't always be dictated from the top down. The disorganized nature of cities is a natural ingredient of thier health, allowing their energy to flourish. In the 1990s, Jacobs' ideas about mixing residential and business usage helped fuel the renewed interest in urban cores that has been revitalizing inner0city areas such as Harlem.

At 88, Jacobs continues to rail against what she sees as sterile planning, particularly in U.S. suburbs. "Never before have normal human beings been consigned to such poverty of imagination and disrespect for function," she lamented in a talk at the City Collge of New York this past May. The suburbs were essentially created, she said, by "selling out the country for cheap parking." These iconoclastic views may have been sharpened ove the years by her residency in Toronto, where she and her husband moved in 1968 to protect their two sons from the draft during the Vietnam War. The move was to be temporary, but she never left and still uses her perch in the north to cast a critical eye homeward.