Kaira Rouda | Kaira Rouda

12 06, 2008

Jump-start your personal brand today

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:30:46+00:00June 12, 2008|branding, flickr, personal branding, Real Living, Real You Incorporated|Comments Off on Jump-start your personal brand today

Whether you like gardening, ballroom dancing, pushing the envelope or flying under the radar, your innermost traits should be exhibited in your own personal brand. This being said, I challenge those of you who haven’t used a glue stick in awhile to create a brand board that displays your personality and passions. What’s a brand board? It’s a poster board that you transform into a montage of pictures and images that accurately represent your personality. Are you calm and green; fresh and blue; or vibrant and red? My board is predominantly red and full of things that make me happy, like daisies (hence the cover of my book). I also took parts of my personal brand to my business brand. At Real Living, we’re red, round and real. You can read more about that on page 84 of Real You Incorporated. Grab some magazines and [...]

10 06, 2008

Get your life priorities straight first.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:30:55+00:00June 10, 2008|career, entrepreneurs, goals, HelmsBriscoe, priorities, Real You Incorporated, Tanya Baker, work-life balance|Comments Off on Get your life priorities straight first.

Deciding on the balance that you want to have between business success, family success and leisure time is the difference between judging your own success and failure. In Real You Incorporated, I suggest spending some time alone—a night, a weekend or even a few hours. Then, with pen and paper in hand, establish your goals and write down your top priorities. Your number-one priority should be where you spend most of your conscious time, and so on. Remember, it’s never really been about work-life balance. It’s more about integrating work and family with your personal goals. Meet Tanya Baker, an independent contractor with HelmsBriscoe. In her continuing effort to meet the needs of busy meeting planners, she keeps this tip top of mind. With a husband, two small children—and a challenging career—she constantly strives for work-life balance. But it’s not easy, and frankly, she admits [...]

4 06, 2008

When the unexpected happens, don’t panic.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:31:08+00:00June 4, 2008|DDT, opportunity, Rachel Carson, Real You Incorporated, setback, Silent Spring, women entrepreneurs|Comments Off on When the unexpected happens, don’t panic.

Every setback is an opportunity to open another door, discover another path. Think about a major setback in your life, either personally or professionally. Now, what did you learn from this experience? Did it push you in another direction? Did it make you stronger? Reflect. What can you take away from the past? Perhaps no one better typifies this tip than Rachel Carson. Although she loved both writing and nature, she made the decision to major in biology upon entering college. After graduation, she pursued a job with the government but was told that they didn’t hire women biologists. So, she fell back on her love of writing, and in 1962 her book, Silent Spring, exposed the dangers of pesticides. Although there were doubters, President Kennedy established a commission to investigate her claims—which eventually led to the banning of DDT. Today, she is considered the [...]

30 05, 2008

Get Packing with American Airlines® and Real You Incorporated

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:31:19+00:00May 30, 2008|American Airlines, Golden Gate Bridge, leisure, Real You Incorporated, Red Rock Country, Sicily, travel|Comments Off on Get Packing with American Airlines® and Real You Incorporated

Have you ever been to Sicily? How about Arizona’s Red Rock Country or the Golden Gate Bridge? Well here’s your opportunity to travel to that destination of you’ve been dreaming of. Consider this limited time promotion with American Airlines. If you purchase my new book, Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs, by June 6, our partner, American Airlines, will give you 10% off any domestic or international flight. What a great deal! For terms and conditions, click here. If you can’t decide where to travel, check out “2007 World’s Best Cities,” at Travel + Leisure. Bon voyage!

27 05, 2008

It’s never too soon to start preparing for your future as an entrepreneur.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:31:30+00:00May 27, 2008|Babson College, Center for Women's Leadership, college, graduate, Graduation, Real You Incorporated|Comments Off on It’s never too soon to start preparing for your future as an entrepreneur.

Even if you’re working for someone else, you can begin preparing for entrepreneurship down the road. First, learn to speak up and voice your opinion. That’s why they hired you, and that’s what will help you become a great business person. Next, learn to love meetings. Determine the good and the bad about how the meetings are run. If you see a way that’s more efficient, take that knowledge with you when you start your own venture. Next, find a mentor and learn to network. You never know who could help you move up or help you move on. And finally, take credit for your work—just not in a snarky way. Graduation is upon us, and graduates everywhere are embarking on exciting, new careers. However, a study from the Center for Women’s Leadership at Babson College shows that very few college graduates—especially women—start their own [...]

20 05, 2008

Love who you are, and what you do. Do it all as a proudly passionate real female entrepreneur.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:31:39+00:00May 20, 2008|Denver, entrepreneurs, Linda Alvarado, women|Comments Off on Love who you are, and what you do. Do it all as a proudly passionate real female entrepreneur.

Make a list of the characteristics people most admire about you. You’ll need to solicit the help of your family and friends for this one. The process will help define who you are—and what you do. Remember, these are the characteristics that make you real. Let them shine in a real way. Linda Alvarado is an American entrepreneur who started her own construction company in 1976 with a $2,500 loan from her parents. Alvarado Construction, based in Denver, has become one of the fastest growing commercial general contracting firms in the country. In fact, it was one of three firms that built the new stadium for the Denver Broncos, and it was also part of the construction of the Denver International Airport and the Colorado Convention Center. Still, people really noticed Alvarado in 1991. That’s the year she became the first Hispanic to own a [...]

15 05, 2008

Wow! Congrats girlfriend!

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:31:46+00:00May 15, 2008|exciting, girlfriends, making a difference, top 25 books|Comments Off on Wow! Congrats girlfriend!

That's just the type of email I love to receive in my inbox! My friend, Jackie, sent it responding to the great news Real You Incorporated has been named to the list of the Top 25 Books Coroporate America is Reading. That's exciting! And, it's the only book focused on women in business on the list!It's amazing to be on the same list as Jack Welsh and Blue Ocean Strategy! It has also been exciting to watch our rank on Amazon's women and business bestseller list! We're there! We're breaking through, girlfriends! In speeches across the country our message of embracing your personal brand with authenticity is making a difference in women's lives! And I'd love to hear your feedback. Drop me a note, join my community, send me your story of inspiration. One happy email a day makes the entire inbox bearable. Much like [...]

13 05, 2008

If your significant other is your partner, the stakes are higher all around.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:31:53+00:00May 13, 2008|business partnership, Desi Arnaz, I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball, power couple, Real You Incorporated|Comments Off on If your significant other is your partner, the stakes are higher all around.

But when it works, there’s a unique reward in being part of a power couple. Before you jump into a partnership with your husband or other family member, create some clear expectations for each person’s role within the company. Write them down. But even before you do, be realistic about your own strengths and weaknesses. Can your partner enhance or complement your skills? Who’s the strategist? Who’s the deal maker? Outline each person’s roles and responsibilities up front—before you get started. Lucille Ball, determined to be a successful actress, struggled for years to achieve stardom. After marrying Cuban band leader Desi Arnaz in 1940, the couple’s private life had its ups and downs. But in 1950, Ball was offered her own televisions series, an offer she refused to accept—that is, unless her husband was hired to co-star. From 1951 to 1957, I Love Lucy evolved [...]

11 05, 2008

Girlfriends and Gabbing and Mother’s Day

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:32:03+00:00May 11, 2008|friends, gab, girlfriends, mother's day, stress|Comments Off on Girlfriends and Gabbing and Mother’s Day

On this Mother's Day I, of course, am so thankful for my four kids and for my own great mom, and my mother-in-law, and the rest of my family. But I'm also thankful for all the great moms who I'm honored to call my friend. Without these women in my life, I just don't know what I'd do. Girlfriendology celebrates that amazing bond. It's a wonderful site, and the founder, Debba Haupert, embraces her inner daisy as much as I do. (See her website, and the cover of my book.) We just did a podcast talking about the importance of friends, and much much more. And why do we need girlfriends so desperately, especially in these frightening economic times? As I learned during the recent Marketing to Women conference, we women personalize and internalize stress. And when we worry, we connect. (Men isolate.) And one [...]

6 05, 2008

Do what you love.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:33:17+00:00May 6, 2008|branding, entrepreneurs, Kim Ades, love, Opening doors, smile, women|Comments Off on Do what you love.

Find out what makes you wake up in the morning and smile. Start by listing the activities that you are most passionate about during a typical day at work or home. These are probably the daily tasks that you look forward to—the items on your to-do list that get checked off first. Once you’ve uncovered your passions, it’s easier to make them come to life in your real brand. I think that Kim Ades, president of Opening Doors and Frame of Mind Coaching , chose this as one of her favorite tips for women entrepreneurs because it has made such a difference in her life. As a business owner, she specializes in thought management, and her goal is to help people attain the opportunities they are seeking in life. She “opens doors” to people, to thoughts, to greatness—and to self-actualization. And she “opens the doors” [...]

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