Jennifer Folsom is the DC Metropolitan area Director of Momentum Resources, a boutique staffing firm specializing in placing professionals in flexible and reduced hours positions with smart organizations.
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Things We Love
Use Your Spending Power
To Create A
Cleaner, Greener World
introducing diane maceachern
by Julie Kang
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 01:04 PM
In the last blog, 11 questions were posted. In this video, Diane MacEachern, the founder and CEO of Big Green Purse, addresses the first 6 questions. Please refer back to the questions as you watch the video.
1) How/why did you come up with the name Big Green Purse? 2) Was there an epiphany moment that led you to becoming a “green” expert? 3) When did you become more aware of the need for women, in particular, to lead the change to a clean and healthy environment? 4) What are some of the immediate green changes that women can make in their lives? 5) How did you start your companies? 6) What were your greatest challenges and rewards in the beginning? And now?
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In the next blog, Diane will answer the following questions...
Are you driving a hybrid car? Are you using your own bags at the grocery store? Are you recycling?
Me? I proudly drive a Toyota Prius. That is my small contribution to the environment. Though I have to admit, my motivation for purchasing a Prius wasn’t entirely because of the environment. In California, if you drive a Prius or Honda Civic Hybrid, you qualify to obtain a sticker that allows you to drive in the carpool lane. For those who live in Los Angeles, this is a HUGE deal. Unfortunately, by the time I purchased my Prius, all of the stickers had been issued. I had a tantrum but I’m over it now.
I love the “green movement” for 2 reasons: 1) It makes some people extremely passionate about a specific cause that positively affects everyone; 2) It creates JOBS.
This week’s HeelsConnect Workingwoman, Diane MacEachern, the founder and CEO of Big Green Purse, perfectly exemplifies how pursuing a passion results in professional success. Diane is passionate about empowering women to use marketplace clout to protect the environment, and built a company to execute her passionate cause. She is truly an inspiration and a great role model.
Diane’s company transforms women’s environmental concerns into tangible improvements. She believes that women hold the key to helping our world to be more “green”. Why? Because of our purchasing power! Did you know that 70% – 80% of buying decisions in the U.S. are made by women? So it is no surprise that our purchasing behavior makes an enormous impact on the environment. Diane took time out of her very busy schedule to share some of her wisdom with us...
Going to a first interview is similar to going on a first date. Even though both parties agree to meet, typically one is more interested than the other, which translates into leverage. After the initial meeting, the power can and does shift at times.
Have you ever found yourself on a date with a guy you were reluctant to go out with, but your friends persuaded you, so you went? You may even have arranged an “escape plan” with a friend, just in case. C’mon, we’ve all done that… haven’t we? I love the scene in Break Up where Jennifer Anniston’s character is out with a total dud, and she fakes a call from her best friend, who is supposedly having a crisis, to run out on her date.
So you’re on a date. The “escape plan” is no longer necessary because you are having a fabulous time. And all of a sudden, the guy who could not have been less interesting turns into Prince Charming. You’re already planning your wedding in your head while he’s talking about… you don’t even know – nor do you care. That is when the power shifts from YOU to HIM. In a perfect world, he is just as into you as you are into him. Yes, it does happen, but not always. In fact, the perfect equilibrium is difficult to reach.
Same principle applies when you’re interviewing for a job. The company may have contacted you several times to entice you to interview, or you may have been knocking on their door persistently to secure one. Let’s say it’s the latter. You have to be at your absolute best. You have to be quick on your feet – no matter what questions are fired at you. You have to win them over with your intelligence, charm, and persuasion. This is the job you’ve always wanted; you can almost taste it.
After several rounds of interviews, you’ve won them over. And now, you have leverage. Translation: ...
The old saying “Under Promise & Over Deliver” makes more sense. This is because one’s happiness is relative to his/her expectations.
My Jack Russell Terrier mix, Rocket, is a good example. Since adopting him 4 months ago, we have established a daily routine: Walk for an hour every morning and go to the park for 2 hours in the afternoon. We rarely deviate from this routine, so Rocket now expects it. On a rare occasion like today, when I couldn’t fulfill his expectation, he was very disappointed (I only took him out once for 2 hours… goodness, most dogs would be ecstatic with that). But, if I began by taking him out for 30 minutes a day, and took him out for 2 hours today, he would have been thrilled instead of disappointed.
I’m sure many of you have received online orders in the mail earlier than the “standard 5-7 business days” often promised by companies. If they guarantee 3 days, and you receive it in 5, you’re pissed. But 5 is good when you thought it could have been 6 or 7 days. It’s all a mind game – whether you realize it or not - and we all play it in some point in our lives.
So should you always under promise? Do you “undersell” yourself during an interview hoping your performance on the job will exceed company’s expectations? Perhaps even gain an increase in salary as a result? Of course not. It is unlikely that you will land a job by selling yourself short.
Never sell yourself short during a job interview...
Before we explore this question, here are some examples of double standards between men and women:
- An aggressive woman is condemned for being a “bitch,” an aggressive man is admired for being “driven”. - When a woman is in a bad mood, colleagues say “it’s that time of the month”; when her counterpart displays the same behavior, they say “he must be dealing with a tough work issue.” - A successful forty-year-old single male is a great catch; the same person in a female body is not as appealing. - A guy who sleeps around is a stud; a woman who does the same is a whore.
It made me wonder, do the double standards applied at a young age help predicate them for adults? (Boys being allowed to date or stay out later than girls, for example.) Perhaps because of these types of rules between boys and girls, women often accept the double standards imposed on them, and even expect them at times.
I’m not suggesting that there aren’t double standards that are advantageous for women and work against men. A man who takes time off from work to care for his newborn is considered to be “weak,” while it’s perfectly acceptable (in fact, expected) for a woman.
I acknowledge that everyone suffers from double standards in some context. I’ll even admit that some women are just as guilty of creating them for other women. The issue I want to address is: Do the double standards that exist in the workplace today hinder women from advancing to leadership positions?
