Women's Exchange of Washtenaw

As businesswomen we have all had a piece of priceless advice given to us at one time or another.  Someone gave us a great referral, suggestions on whom to work with, or possibly tips for how to get through a difficult time.



With this in mind along with the spirit of the holidays WXW decided to give a little something extra to Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan.  At the Merry Mingling event a “Best Interview Dress Tip” contest was held to pair with the donations of business clothing.  Imagine the excitement of the women receiving not only professional clothing to assist them in returning to the workforce but also the guidance of some of the most successful businesswomen in Southeastern Michigan!



The winner of the “Best Interview Dress Tip” contest was Donna Copeland, “Always dress professionally regardless of the type of job you are interviewing for!” Donna has won a guest pass to the January visioning & Goal Setting Workshop.



Since everyone can benefit from a WXW how to dress tip below are the responses from over forty women who attended the event.  As the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan is currently selecting the winner of our contest the order is entirely random and does not reflect their selection.



1. I would recommend a red suit; I’ve heard it referred to as “a power suit.” Wear something that is neat in appearance that you feel comfortable and confident wearing. If you look in the mirror and question whether I should be wearing this, take it off and find something else to wear. If what you have on is not making a positive impression on you, it certainly won’t to someone you have not met. I would also recommend manicured nails; I don’t mean they have to be professionally done; sometimes it’s the little details that count.



2. Avoid powerful perfume, or just skip it altogether



3. Dress to fit in with your new team! Before your interview, call your prospective employer and ask about their dress code. If they wear khakis and button-down shirts, then you should too (+ great shoes, matching belt, and hip jewelry of course)


4. Depends on the job you are interviewing for… a job in progressive area such as PR or advertising, etc., may require less traditional yet professional dress. In a more traditional business setting, a suit or black pants with a jacket may be in order. Whatever you choose bee comfortable in what you are wearing!



5. Wear something that makes you feel AWESOME. The confidence boost is worth it.



6. Black pants, dark shoes, flattering top and lipstick.



7. Show attn to detail: bring mini lint roller & b4 interview duck into bathroom to remove all lint & dirt.



8. Be yourself! Put some personality into your outfit and wear something unique to be remembered.



9. Be as natural as possible for an interview, less make-up, fragrance, accessories, let your personality shine through your words



10. Bag the nylons! Nothing worse than feeling like a sausage!



11. On phone interviews, smile when you are talking – they will hear it and it speaks volumes!



12. Confidence is the best thing to wear



13. Wear a colorful scarf or something tasteful – but memorable



14. Be on time



15. Polish your shoes!



16. Fabulous underwear…leads to inner confidence and a lovely smile.



17. Get to appointment 15 minutes in advance to check to see how you look



18. Wear a business suit that you have worn at least 4 times (Navy Blue)



19. Don’t wear skirts that fall above the knee. And  dress according to the weather



20. Accessorize to show your personality



21. Wear comfortable shoes and allow yourself to wear a good luck charm!



22. Always dress professionally regardless of the type of job you are interviewing for!



23. Don’t wear perfume



24. Wear a cheerful color – scarf, top, etc



25. Wear your most confident smile



26. Conservatively, black is always good



27. Wear muted colors and simple styles so it won’t take away from you.



28. Always wear dark hose to match suit pants or skirt and polished shoes – minimal jewelry



29. One ring on each hand! Watch the cleavage. Look fab!



30. No ankle bracelets. Don’t smoke – smoking makes people smell and it stays with you



31. Always wear your smile and confidence you can never go wrong wearing a tailored black suit



32. Lint brushes can really help



33. Remember to accessorize



34. Be tall – wear slim-line clothes and heels



35. Check out the culture of the company that you are interviewing with and dress up – just one notch



36. Have a firm hand shake – look people in the eye and smile with your eyes



37. Perk up you basic black/navy suit with a bright color (just not a whole bright suit)



38. Dress for the position. Have an action plan prepared for position to hand to interviewer. Plan would cover your first 90 days in the position



39. Wear shoes that you can walk comfortably in



40. Look professional but comfortable – if you’re uncomfortable you’ll be distracted from doing your best



41. Clean and neat – no jeans for a professional job



42. Dress based on your new prospective employer. Go to office and look how everyone dresses



43. Always carry an extra pair of panty hose



44. When in doubt, less is more with accessories. Wear subtle jewelry.



45. Be creative and prepared



46. Wear something that makes you fell like the way you want to be perceived ‘professionally’ or ‘confident’ etc



47. Always wear confidence



48. Try everything on the night before an interview – no last minute panic!

The Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw (WXW) held their holiday mixer for women business leaders on Tuesday, December 8, at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. Merry Mingling attendees were asked to donate their gently worn business suits for donation to the Women’s Center of Southeast Michigan, a local non-profit that helps disadvantaged women acquire job skills, coaching, and professional attire so they can succeed in work and life.



WXW Merry Mingling attendees donated 41 business suits as well as several professional winter coats to help stock the Women’s Center’s career clothing closet.



“Thank you so much for supporting our Career Closet, which helps women in our community have appropriate professional attire for job interviews and early days in their new jobs,” said Kimberli Cumming, Executive Director of the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan. “Clothing can be such a barrier for women who are starting over and picking up the pieces. Our own job-seeking clients, and women living in area shelters who also use our Career Closet, are much more likely to be successful in efforts to get back on their feet because of generous women like you.”



The mission of the Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw is to host unique events where women business leaders talk through their issues, share experiences and ideas, and form lasting connections. WXW was founded in 2007 by Ann Arbor business women Carrie Hensel and Debra Power to fill a need for an organization dedicated to women who are building strong and growing companies. Today, the WXW serves more than 700 women with interactive events and networking opportunities.



Workshop Facilitators:
Eleni Kelakos (Eleni Kelakos Enterprises) & Carrie Hensel (Inner Circle Media)

Recommended Reading:
WISHCRAFT by Barbara Sher
2nd BOOK CLUB MEETING
January 27, 2010
Time: 6:30 PM
Location:  Nicola’s
Westgate Shopping Center
Jackson Av. & Stadium Blvd.
2513 Jackson Av.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Anyone who mentions the WXW bookclub when purchasing Wishcraft, will receive 10% off the book. Books will also be available for purchase at the workshop.

In January WXW offers an intensive, inspiring visioning and goal-setting workshop.

Get ready to connect with your true potential and accomplish marvelous things in 2010 by attending this intensive visioning and goal-setting workshop. WXW offered this interactive seminar at the 2009 WXW Forum in May and received such great feedback from participants that facilitators, Eleni Kelakos and Carrie Hensel, have agreed to do it again!

During this 2 hour workshop, participants will assess the vision and goals for their company, team, or career. They will learn how to articulate the vision in inspiring ways, set strategies and goals, and measure progress toward those goals. Participants will complete a visioning and goal-setting workbook and leave the session with plan to accomplish their goals for 2010.

Here are a few testimonials from previous workshop participants:
“One of the best events/presentations I have ever attended! Carrie & Eleni were superb!”
 
“Visioning was great! Practical and inspiring at the same time. Carrie & Eleni rock!”

“Interactive, fun, informative.”

 ”Amazing & so inspiring”.

 “I can not help but reflect on the WXW forum and how impressed I was with the turn out and presentations for an event that is only in its second year. Well done! I am not sure what compelled me to participate in the “Creating and Executing Your Vision” but I could not have made a better choice. Meeting both of you (workshop facilitators Eleni Kelakos and Carrie Hensel) had a profound impact on me and made me realize what I need to do in order to succeed personally.” 

Date: January 21, 2010
Time: 11:15 – 1:30 (Please arrive by 11:15 am. Workshop will begin promptly at 11:30 am.  Lunch will be served during this workshop. )
Location: Polo Fields
Cost: $30.0o

FOOD SPONSORED BY:

Ring in the season with other women business leaders at WXW’s Holiday Mixer. This event offers non-stop networking, savory hors d’oeuvres, and tasty wine & beer. At 5:30 PM we will offer a celebratory toast to our attendees’ accomplishments in 2009.

Help support the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan(http://www.womenscentersemi.org/)

Please bring your gently worn business suits for donation to this local non-profit who helps disadvantaged women acquire job skills, coaching, and professional attire, so they can succeed in work and life.  All sizes welcome.

Join in the fun!

Merry Mingling Contest

Submit your best “Dress for Interview Success” tip to WXW and we’ll pass along your ideas to the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan. The winner will receive a free ticket to the WXW Goals Setting event in January.

Submit your tip by:
1. Posting on the WXW FaceBook wall
(www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13833494481)
2. Tweet your tip and include the hashtag #WXWcontest

 Entries are due December 11th

Event takes place December 8th - 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Location: Michigan Theater 603 E. Liberty Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Cost: $10.00

Join us for the first meeting of the WXW Book Club. Our Professional Development Committee chose three books focused on goals setting which we announced at our Event on October 15. Read one or all of the books and come to Panera Bread for a lively discussion. This is a free event, and there is no need to register.

Reading List:

The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Setting Goals, by Keith Ellis
Goals! How to Get Everything You Want – Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible, by Brian Tracy
Designing Your Destiny: Achieving Personal and Professional Success Through Upside Thinking, by Lisa Marie Platske

Blazingly Fast Business Networking, October 15th, 2009.

In business, it’s not just what you know, it’s WHO you know.  Back by popular demand, it’s WXW’s second speed-networking event.  Meet the area’s business leaders and engage in meaningful dialogue – in just 3 minutes.  Bring at least 50 business cards and be ready to meet new people, make connections, and maybe even swap a few referrals.

Date: October 15th, 2009

Time: 11:30 – 1:00

Location:  The Polo Fields Golf and Country Club, 5200 Polo Fields Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Cost: $25, includes lunch!

More than 50 businesswomen attended WXW’s “You GOAL Girl” event on September 18^th where Susan Pollay, Merrill Guerra, and Michele Shannon, shared real-life stories about goal setting.

A few lessons learned that might help you achieve your goals include:

• Put pen to paper (or computer screen). Recording your goals makes them real.
• Identify your goal in enough detail to know when you have achieved it or make the necessary adjustments to reset your goal.
• Make your goal reasonable. Sometimes there is a  need to set intermediate goals that eventually lead to your overall goal.
• Set a time frame for accomplishing your goal.
• For group goals, provide a starting point. Everyone is a critic and you will get them to really think about where the group should go if you provide some place to start.
• Just as you need a business plan to start a business, having goals about where you want that business to go is the only way to will get there.

If you’re interested in reading more about goal setting, check out these recommended reads:

“The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Setting Goals,” by Keith Ellis

http://tiny.cc/QXO3n

“Goals! How to Get Everything You Want – Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible,” by Brian Tracy (author of the also highly recommended “Eat That Frog!”)

http://tiny.cc/blnfE

“Designing Your Destiny: Achieving Personal and Professional Succes Through Upside Thinking,” by Lisa Marie Ptatske

http://tiny.cc/QHP7D

If you’ve set some achievable goals, look for the follow up goal setting event coming in January of 2010!  That gives you four months to jump start your success!

Don’t miss “You GOAL Girl,” the first WXW event this fall.

The morning starts with a high-powered panel of women leaders who will answer your goal setting questions. Panelists include:

• Merrill Guerra, Owner and Founder of RealKidz
• Susan Pollay, Executive Director, Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority
• Mary O’Hare, Professional Development Coach
• Michele Shannon, Pre-Paid Legal Services – Independent Associate and CITRMS

Then, set the stage to meet your goals in interactive exchange sessions. Choose one of four breakout sessions, where you will learn how to set specific goals, develop a plan for implementation, and determine how to measure success.

• Business Wise-Focused on setting goals for your growing business.
• Dot Gov-Designed for anyone working in government or a municipality.
• Be Your Best-Create a set of personal goals for yourself.
• Start Up, Start Over-Created for career starters (younger women and women reentering the work force or women looking to start a business)

During the breakouts you’ll focus on setting specific goals. We’ll ask you to think about what you want to accomplish over the next 12 months. Then, we’ll help you create a set of actionable initiatives to help you attain your goals. By the end of the morning you’ll be ready for implementation and ultimately meeting your goals.

Don’t miss this exciting WXW event!  Register on the events page!

The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is just around the corner, and this year the Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw is going to be there to add to the excitement.

On June 17th we are welcoming you, your family, and fellow WXWers, out for some summer fun. We’ll be under the tent from 6:30pm to 9:30pm with a cash bar for adults 21 and over (id required). The movie, “Twilight,” starts at 10pm.

While attendance is free, please register here!

The Summer Festival has lots of activites planned for the evening, so along with reconnecting with familiar WXWers, and meeting lots of new ones,  here is what you can expect:

Family friendly fun @ Top of the Park …

6:30-8pm KidZone (hands-on activities)

6:30-8pm Global Party (Pan-African Celebration)

7pm Bichini Bia Congo taking the stage (musical performance)

Adult activities @ Top of the Park …

8:30pm Tokyo Sexwhale taking the stage (musical performance)

10pm Film feature “Twilight”

Food will be for sale from the Top of the Park vendors.  For more information on Summer Festival directions & weather updates for the event visit: http://www.annarborsummerfestival.org/

So, wear your WXW orange or blue T-Shirt… What? you don’t have your shirt yet?? Contact Samantha (here) for pre sales, or shirts will be available for sale under the tent the night of the event.

And a big “Thank You!” to our amazing sponsors of this event…

Solutions First and The Whole Brain Group.