Real You Incorporated | 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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]