Uncategorized | Kaira Rouda

19 01, 2010

Real You: Learn from your past

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T00:19:05+00:00January 19, 2010|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: Learn from your past

There is no perfect time to create your own personal brand. It can happen at any point during your career. Up until this time in your life and from here on out, you have been building your identity. And, as we all know in life, you gain strength through adversity. All of your past experiences - good, bad and ugly - along with the people you've chosen to love and befriend, have made you who you are today. It's vitally important for you to have an accurate view of yourself - you cannot brand yourself correctly without it. Your history with all its highs and lows is part of your essence. An essential part of the Real You, and the first step of the Real You 8-step process. Learn more in Chapter 1, Real You Incorporated

8 01, 2010

Real You: New Year, Real You

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T00:19:13+00:00January 8, 2010|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: New Year, Real You

How's the first week of the New Year been treating you? If you're like a lot of people, you started the week with the best of intentions and resolutions. And by now, perhaps, you're feeling as if you've failed. Maybe you didn't stick strictly to the diet or perhaps you didn't quit smoking. But you know what? It's ok. Defining yourslf - and your self worth - by New Year's Resolutions is a dangerous and ultimately, for most people, a negative exercise. Instead, let's tackle this year by defining your unique personal brand. The you who you are - who you always have been - and putting that to work in the world. You are unique. But you knew thaat. Did you also know you are uniquely marketable? You just need to learn how to express your unique personal brand as a Real marketable business [...]

14 12, 2009

Real You: Avoid holiday snarks

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T00:19:21+00:00December 14, 2009|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: Avoid holiday snarks

Ah, 'tis the season to be stressed. As you begin to haul out all of the seasonal decorations, and scrounge around for new expressions of your tidings of joy, remember to keep the real meaning of the holidays in the center of your heart. It's tough, trust me, I know but it's also essential for your sanity, and for the real you to shine. At the same time, you're approaching year-end at work and all that planning, anticipation, finalization and yes - potential - the looming new year implies. Ah. You need to find the real people in your life, and surround yourself with them and their love this season. And how do you do that? I've devised what I call the Snark Scale outlined in my book to help categorize the passion poppers in your life and to help you realize we all face [...]

20 11, 2009

Real You: Grace under pressure

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T00:19:32+00:00November 20, 2009|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: Grace under pressure

Grace is all around us, and so is pressure. Just this week, amidst the thrill of growing and expanding my company, Real Living, the pressure has been incredible. Building a new team, reassuring new contacts. Since the real estate crash hit at the end of 2005, pressure has been mounting. Sometimes daily, sometimes just bubbling under the surface. For many of us, no matter the industry, the great recession has spelled doom, gloom, worry, anxiety and yes, pressure. Not so easy to find in our world: Grace. And yet, something happened last night that symbolized more about grace under pressure than any business lesson I could write about. My friend, Stefanie Spielman, lost her fifth battle with breast cancer last night. She died at the age of 42, surrounded by her family, And I know you may have similar stories. Cancer, unfortunately, has touched all [...]

19 11, 2009

Real You: Synergy rocks

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T00:19:39+00:00November 19, 2009|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: Synergy rocks

Tonight I had a chance to meet a group of people I've never met before. In fact, this week and last has been an abundance of new connections and people in my life. Each and every person we encounter teaches us something - about ourselves. How open we are to learning from them is the challenge. People come into your life for a reason. Some stop by for just a few minutes; others stay a lifetime. What you carry forward from these encounters matters. And when you really, truly, feel synergy with a group of people, it rocks. Celebrate!

5 10, 2009

Real You: What’s good for you?

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T00:19:46+00:00October 5, 2009|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: What’s good for you?

Do you know? Sure, vegetables and sunshine, exercise and laughter are good for you, but do you know what's good for you in business? It's probably about the same thing. Do you eat lunch with people who make you laugh? Are you sharing a smile and a story with at least one other person during your workday? Do you leave your office - whether it's a desk at home or a high-rise downtown - feeling good, accomplished, respected? If not, it's not healthy. As women, we tend to struggle in the areas of earning, saving and net worth. It's because, many times, we don't feel like we deserve it. We sacrifice. We don't say we're they one who actually did the project. We think our time for recognition will come. But it won't. Not if you don't make it so. What's good for you is [...]

25 09, 2009

Real You: Creativity is intelligence having fun

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T00:19:53+00:00September 25, 2009|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: Creativity is intelligence having fun

That's one of my favorite quotes - and it's so true. My college son forwarded me one of the funniest emails I've received in a long time today. It's about failing a test with dignity - but I'd call it failing a test with creativity. I included one of the images from the email here. This question asks if the object will continue to move after it comes to a rest? If yes, how high will it go up the slope? A complex math problem. Stumped, the student could have left the answer blank. Instead, he wrote: "No. There is an elephant in the way." And drew an elephant. Creative. It made me think: have you overcome an objection or challenge with creativity lately? Give it a try. Even though the elephant artist didn't get a point, at least he didn't leave it blank!

15 09, 2009

Real You: Stunning tribute created by students

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T00:19:57+00:00September 15, 2009|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: Stunning tribute created by students

Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway in California provides dramatic views at almost every turn. But this week, in Malibu, the front lawn of Pepperdine University is covered in almost 3,000 flags representing those who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attack. At first, you are struck by the number of billowing flags, then by the flags of different nations throughout the tribute. The idea for the memorial sprung from the ranks of the students and this is the second year for the display. Pepperdine alunmi Tom Burnett was one of the heroes of United Airlines Flight 93, who with fellow passengers wrestled control of the plane from the hijackers before they could fly it into the capitol building. Words cannot express the beauty of the tribute, nor the chills it creates as you drive by and remember.

11 09, 2009

Real You: The F.A.C.T.S. of embracing change

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T00:20:05+00:00September 11, 2009|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: The F.A.C.T.S. of embracing change

Just last month, my family packed up and headed West, a move we're calling an "adventure", although my youngest son says he's tired of that phrase. We've rented a house at the beach for a year - leaving a life-long life for most of us in Columbus, Ohio. Were we all nervous as we drove across the country wagon-train style, Oreo the mutt included? Sure. Is it still different, strange, exciting, beautiful, and surreal? Yep. Before I left for the "adventure" one of my best friends gave me an anagram she created when her family moved to South America for a year. I realize Southern California isn't a foreign country - but when you've arrived from the heartland, some things are very different. So, whether you're facing change in your business, or in your life in general, perhaps these FACTS can help you, too! F [...]

8 09, 2009

Real You: Top 5 business lessons learned from the new kid at school

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T00:20:13+00:00September 8, 2009|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: Top 5 business lessons learned from the new kid at school

It's official. Summer is over, a season has ended. And what makes that reality sink in even more is that the kids start school tomorrow - I know, it's late -but it has been a blast having them around longer than usual. The kids are starting at a new school, in a new town - heck, even a new time zone. When I think about that change, and the awkwardness they'll feel tomorrow, I remember that feeling. Being the new kid. Everyone trying to find out what you're like, what group you fit into. It's the same when you launch your business. That fear of failure kicks in as you host your first event in your home, sit in the reception area on the first sales call, post your first blog or tweet, tell a potential client your hourly rate, or take that first real [...]