Kaira Rouda | Kaira Rouda

18 07, 2008

Stop Taking Credit for My Work!

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:29:27+00:00July 18, 2008|employees, Real You Incorporated, Rouda, snarks, speaker, staff|Comments Off on Stop Taking Credit for My Work!

I’ve been in too many businesses to name where a certain employee will continually take credit for others employees’ work. If your organization has one of these people on your hands, you’re dealing with an ego snark—someone who wants what you have and will go to any length to get it. These individuals are crafty, and they’re dangerous. They’ll also destroy your culture if you let them. Ego snarks often do their worst damage before you realize they’re a problem, causing animosity within your team and bringing them down. But you’ve at least spotted this person—hopefully before too much damage occurs. Here are some quick tips for dealing with an ego snark: Single them out. Ask them their thoughts and opinions on a new topic. Hold them accountable for specific responsibilities that the team would conquer together. If the problem persists, confront them. In any [...]

16 07, 2008

Mentors: Paving the way to success

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:29:33+00:00July 16, 2008|Carrie Runnals, mentors, podcasting, Workds to Mouth|Comments Off on Mentors: Paving the way to success

When you discover your passion in life, find someone who’s been successful at it—and make that person your mentor. Are you connecting with individuals in your industry? Do you routinely meet with one or two mentors who can answer questions, provide encouragement and nurture your dreams? Make a list of possible mentors, and put them on your calendar. Then, remember to be there when someone new to the industry needs your guidance. Freelance writer and Internet talk show host/producer Carrie Runnals lives by this tip from her father. Here’s what it means: Find someone who shares your passion, has experienced success and is willing to share what he or she knows with you. Learn all you can from that person, and when you’re successful, become a mentor to someone else. Carrie had many careers before her present one as host of the Words to Mouth [...]

15 07, 2008

Women in Real Estate gathered in Boston

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:29:40+00:00July 15, 2008|Boston, conference, empowered, women's council of realtors|Comments Off on Women in Real Estate gathered in Boston

At the Women's Council of Realtor's Women of Influence conference this weekend. The best thing about the meeting: women helping each other feel empowered and confident, even in the face of the worst real estate market most folks can remember. I was privileged to be asked to speak on a panel to the full conference. The audience was smiling, and receptive, and positive. I'm not kidding. A room full of entrepreneurial real estate professionals who are positive. It's true. That's because contrary to the media bombardment, real estate professionals know home is where the heart is. These women know that people live in houses, and eventually, many of them, you perhaps, will see that it is a great time to buy. And, since the housing industry led us into this national recession/close to recession/whatever you want to call it, perhaps these women from across the [...]

9 07, 2008

Pursue Your Charitable Passion

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:29:47+00:00July 9, 2008|charity, giving, passions, Real You Incorporated, volunteer, Wexner Center for the Arts, women business owners|Comments Off on Pursue Your Charitable Passion

If you’re not engaged in a charitable pursuit, follow your heart to get there. Pay attention to the needs in your community, and when it feels right, respond. Pick three areas where your gifts could shine. Then, seek out organizations in your community that serve at least one of your chosen areas. Write them down, and check out their Web sites. Better yet, refer to http://www.volunteermatch.org/ for more ideas. I’m a huge believer in giving back, and I make sure it’s part of my business and personal life. One of my many loves is the arts, and that’s why I’m a founding donor of the Wexner Center for the Arts. I will be hosting a panel discussion with five other notable women from the Columbus business community, including four from the book, at the Wexner Center at a date TBA. We’ll be discussing how women [...]

8 07, 2008

On being real, even if you’re famous like Heather Locklear, who I spent the weekend with (sort of)

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:30:00+00:00July 8, 2008|aha, fame, heather locklear, miraval, real|Comments Off on On being real, even if you’re famous like Heather Locklear, who I spent the weekend with (sort of)

Last weekend, I had a fabulous experience.An “aha moment”, as they call it at the incredible Miraval Resort and Spa where we were staying in Tucson, Arizona. (More about the resort in another post.) An “aha moment” is when you have sudden clarity of a thought, an idea, a spark of a dream. Typically, in this blog, I’d relate an “aha moment” to you and your dreams of re-thinking your personal brand, or the clarity to finally go for it and start your business. And that fits. But in this case, my “aha moment” was about celebrity in today’s culture. Authenticity – being real – is an over-hyped term. But at its core, sincerity is still a quality you can feel in others and you know it in yourself. That brings me back to Heather Locklear. It got me thinking about how hard it must [...]

2 07, 2008

If you and your brand aren’t in sync, customers know you’re faking it.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:30:10+00:00July 2, 2008|American Wine School, customers, fake, Marianne Frantz, Real You Incorporated|Comments Off on If you and your brand aren’t in sync, customers know you’re faking it.

To ensure that the business you’ve implemented is real—and not fake or disingenuous—take some time to reflect. Just because someone tells you to run your business a certain way, you don’t have to listen. It must feel right to you. And if it doesn’t, change it. Start by choosing three words that describe your business and its essence. These words might be part of your mission statement, and in the end, they should describe the kind of experience you want for each and every one of your customers. As president of the American Wine School, Marianne Frantz uses the following words to describe her customers’ experiences: sip, learn and savor. She measures success in terms of a flawless event or a well-attended wine tasting. Making attendees happy is the most rewarding element of what she does as a wine educator. Best of all, she’s in [...]

27 06, 2008

Be selective with your time

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:30:17+00:00June 27, 2008|leader, professional organizations, time management|Comments Off on Be selective with your time

You're a busy professional with limited time to devote outside of work and family, so that’s why it’s best to only join organizations that have meaning to you. Start by visiting several groups so you can determine which ones are right for you. Then be selective, because attending too many meetings, or joining a long list of organizations, is the opposite of real. Once you find that perfect fit—an organization that turns out to be exactly what you’re looking for—volunteer your time as a leader. Why? Because you’ll get the most out of it that way—and so will the organization. Leaders who give their time this way quickly learn that the benefits far outweigh the input. Learn more in Real Fact No. 7 of Real You Incorporated.

24 06, 2008

Develop an excellent support system of mentors and employees.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:30:24+00:00June 24, 2008|employees, hiring, mentors, Real You Incorporated, support, support system, team|Comments Off on Develop an excellent support system of mentors and employees.

They will become your team. To accomplish this, you’ll need to determine the qualities you want in an employee. Begin by thinking about your heroes. Write down the names of two or three people, past or present, that you admire. Then, list the characteristics that you admire in those people. Are there some commonalities between them? If so, these may be the qualities you want your employees to exhibit. And they will likely be the same qualities that you admire in your mentors. Lisa Cini, president/owner of Mosaic Design Studio, is a great example of how this works. She’s done a fabulous job of developing a strong support system of mentors and employees. “Not only did the mentors allow me to learn from them, but they also provided a safe place to express excitement, fears and concerns,” she says. At the same time, Lisa makes [...]

17 06, 2008

If someone’s not supporting you and your passions, they’re using you and draining your energy.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:30:33+00:00June 17, 2008|business, Chien-Shiung Wu, Columbia University, Manhattan Project, passions, snarks|Comments Off on If someone’s not supporting you and your passions, they’re using you and draining your energy.

Watch out for snarks! Instead, surround yourself with the real people in your life. Make an appointment with one of them today. Then, make it your business to foster those relationships on an ongoing basis. Known as the “queen of modern physics”, Chien-Shiung Wu came to the U.S. to study science when she was still a teenager. While working at Columbia University, she contributed to the Manhattan Project, and she personally assisted Tsung-Dao Lee in the development of his parity laws by providing him with a possible test method for beta decay that worked successfully. In spite of her contribution, which was considered by many to be instrumental in the creation of the laws, she did not share in the Nobel Prize that was awarded to her male counterparts. Many view this as an act of sexism on the part of the selection committee. If, [...]

16 06, 2008

The New Dad

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:30:42+00:00June 16, 2008|dad, father's day|Comments Off on The New Dad

Perhaps you’ve seen this man playing with his kids in the park. Maybe you noticed as he struggled with three kids and a grocery cart full of groceries. Or, you may have seen him at the last PTO meeting, in the waiting room at the pediatrician’s office—even volunteering at the school. At first you didn’t recognize who he was, having taken on this new role. But recently, he has become more easily recognizable, and now you know—he’s the new dad. Take a few minutes to applaud the fathers who are committed to doing their equal share of the family responsibilities. Give your own husband a pat on the back, a smile and a thank you. Strike up a friendly conversation with the dad at the playground. Make him feel welcome at the next PTO meeting. And lend him a helping hand as he juggles three [...]

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