NAFE Enewsletter

Is your pay on par with other professionals in your position and location? You can now find these answers and more at CBSalary.com, a free, comprehensive salary information and advice site from CareerBuilder.com, the nation’s largest online job site. Visitors to CBSalary.com can conduct a quick search by job title, city and state and instantly view the average salary and salary range. In addition, you can conduct a more detailed search that factors in compensation influencers like academic degree, years of experience, type and size of employer and other specifics. For more information on salaries and to conduct a search, go to CBSalary.com.

No question that women make great managers: the fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy is women-owned businesses making more than $1million annually.
Betty Spence, President of NAFE

WASHINGTON D.C. AND SEATTLE - NAFE Breakfast Clubs! Discover how to improve your chances for landing new business, getting a promotion, or finding the perfect spot as a leader in your community - by “showing up big” clad in your clout and your talent. Step into your power and create a winning image with Gail Blanke, motivational speaker, founder of LifeDesigns, author of Between Trapezes: Flying into a New Life with the Greatest of Ease and In My Wildest Dreams, and columnist for Real Simple magazine. NAFE brings its inspiring Breakfast Clubs to cities all around the country this fall, sponsored by ALFANI, a contemporary women’s fashion line available exclusively at Macy’s. Come for the expertise, the networking, the fun - and you’ll have a chance to win a complete Alfani wardrobe! Online registration is now available through the NAFE website.

Working Mother Multicultural Town Hall - Houston. Join us in Houston on November 7th for this major diversity event. Working Mother Media’s Multicultural Women Town Halls are one-day events held across the USA and Canada where executive women of color come together to talk about race, gender and culture in the workplace. NAFE members save 20% (register by phone: 866-734-9661).

NAFE 35th Anniversary Conference: January 24-26, 2007 - Laguna Beach, CA. Mark your calendars - and check your supply of sunscreen. In the dark of winter, we hope to see you in sunny Southern California for the 2007 NAFE National Conference - a celebration of NAFE’s 35th anniversary - at the gorgeous Ritz Carlton Hotel in Laguna Beach, CA. Experience renowned keynote speakers including Rosario Marin, Secretary of State and Consumer Services Agency for the State of California (she was formerly Treasurer of the United States), skill-building workshops, great connections - and learn how to certify your business with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Click here or call 888-546-6344, ext 251 to reserve your place now!

Women’s Leadership Exchange Conference in New York. What if you could double your business’s revenues in the next year? Come to the Women’s Leadership Exchange: the only one-day regional conference specifically aimed at women business owners. New at this year's WLE New York Conference- Speed Coaching! Date: November 6th. Time: 7:30 AM-7:30 PM. Location: New York Sheraton & Towers, New York City. See the website for the complete agenda and to register. or call 888-937-5800. Receive a $25 discount as a member of NAFE. Choose NAFE from the drop-down menu during online registration. Use your American Express Business card to save an additional $50!

Be Featured in NAFE Magazine - two opportunities for members!

**NAFE Women of Excellence Awards. Our national awards program celebrates the achievements and accomplishments of NAFE members in their careers, businesses and communities, and selects from nominations in five categories: Woman of Achievement, Outstanding Entrepreneur, Mentorship Award, Community Service and Rising Star. Winners will be featured in a 2007 issue of NAFE Magazine. The application for NAFE Women of Excellence Awards is now online. Click here for more information on the process (including changes on eligibility) and to download an application form. Application deadline: December 1, 2006.

**For the next issue’s Member Roundup column, we’re looking for NAFE member mentors and mentees. The topic this time around is "What has mentoring meant to you?" We're asking members to write about a mentor-related experience. The format for these submissions is a first-person anecdote of no more than 200 words. Please tell us a story, positive or negative, about a mentor relationship and what you learned from that experience. E-mail your submission to editor@nafe.com along with your e-mail address, phone number, the city and state where you live. Please put “NAFE Mentor/Mentee” in the subject line.

Grant Writing Seminar: Encore Presentation - San Fernando Valley, CA. NAFE member Linda Vallejo offers an excellent series of workshops on the grant application process. The presentation is so popular that she’s been asked to do a repeat performance in California’s San Fernando Valley (just outside of Los Angeles) Dates: November 13, 14, and 15. Location: Holiday Inn, Woodland Hills, CA.

MBADiversity 2007 Fellows Program. Preparing to get your MBA or Ph.D. in business? The MBADiversity Organization, an associate partner of NAFE, offers a distinguished, inclusive prep program. The prep program includes a generous GMAT Scholarship. Early Decision deadline for the spring program is October 31st.

Business Plan Competition. The 2007 Rhode Island Business Plan Competition will award more than $125,000 in prizes, making it one of the richest business plan competitions in New England. Applicants need not be based in Rhode Island, but they must agree to establish or expand business operations in Rhode Island if they win. The competition, which is open to anyone with an idea for a new business, will name one entrepreneur winner and one student winner next May. See website for deadlines and complete details.

Talbots Women’s Scholarships Fund. Since 1997, this classic women's clothing retailer has dedicated $100,000 a year to a national scholarship program to help women complete their undergraduate education. Each year, five women are awarded $10,000 each, and 50 women, $1,000 each to return to school. To be eligible, you must have been away from school for at least 5 years.

Women on Our Way Briefcase Recycling Campaign. Recycle that women’s business case you’re not using any more and help another woman succeed. NAFE Regional Coordinator Nicole Wild of The Women’s Alliance and NAFE member Sharon Atkin of She Works have teamed up to help disadvantaged women enter the workforce with the right professional image and training. Receive a 20% rebate off your order at www.she-works.com with your donation of a used business case to The Women’s Alliance. Contact Nicole or Sharon for more details.

Promote Your Book Through the NAFE Website! Thanks to our benefit provider Barnes & Noble, NAFE promotes its members through the member author corner on our Barnes & Noble benefits web page. Active NAFE members who have published a book (or an essay within a collection of essays) that is carried by Barnes & Noble.com should e-mail the ISBN number (s) and complete title (s) of their book(s) along with their name, NAFE membership number and expiration date, and daytime phone number to nafe@nafe.com with a subject line "NAFE Author Promotion." The author corner will be updated periodically to reflect new books and new members. Incomplete submissions, attachments and submissions by nonmembers will not be considered.

Celebrate the holidays in a whole new way - Special NAFE Discount to the Holiday Wonders show! NAFE member Kaishin Yen, Assistant Stage Manager & Stage Designer for Holiday Wonders, is offering a special 15% discount to NAFE members to enjoy an exuberant fusion of traditional Eastern performing arts and Western holiday classics. Treat your friends, family, and employees to a truly magical experience this holiday season! Location: Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway, New York, NY. Please visit http://shows.ntdtv.com for more details. Discount good for Holiday Wonders performances Dec 19-24, 2006. Ticket prices: $35, 50, 80, 125. BY PHONE: Call 888-260-6221 and mention code AWP293015. ONLINE: Order on https://ticket.ntdtv.com/ and enter code AWP293015 .

Share your NAFE Stories! NAFE Turns 35. The National Association for Female Executives will be 35 years old next year. For the 2007 issues of the NAFE Magazine and NAFE E-Newsletter, we’re seeking NAFE tales about the early days from people who “remember when.” Send your NAFE experiences and remembrances to Paula Damiano, NAFE E-Newsletter Editor. Please include information on when you first joined and how many years you’ve been with NAFE.

New AOL Workshop by Carol Evans. Carol Evans is the founder and CEO of Working Mother Media, the parent organization of NAFE. Carol became an AOL coach this summer, and has just launched a new workshop: Become a Change Agent. The workshop offers advice and tips on becoming a change agent on the job in order to get the work/life balance we all need.

Hear NAFE President Betty Spence at New York City Networking Event! Women in Corporate America (WICA) of Pace University invites NAFE members to its Annual Networking Event on November 8, 2006, from 6:00-9:00 PM Location: Multipurpose Room, Pace New York Campus. Speaker: Betty Spence, Ph.D., President of NAFE. Topic: Rules for the Workplace for Young Women. Cost: Free to PWICA Members. $5 for NAFE members to become members of PWICA The event will consist of hors d’oeuvres, buffet dinner, presentation and plenty of opportunity for networking. Seating is limited; RSVP required - e-mail bmiller@pace.edu to sign up.

NAFE Discount for Simmons Executive Education Programs! Simmons Executive Education programs (Boston, MA) provide women with the tools they need to navigate their careers and become influential leaders within their organizations. NAFE members receive a 15% tuition discount on any of Simmons Executive Education programs - just identify yourself as a NAFE member on your program application to receive the discount. (You can write "NAFE member" anywhere in the payment section and you’ll receive 15% off.) Upcoming programs include:

The Negotiation Edge: Effective Strategies for Women - November 13-15, 2006 ($1,500 minus a 15% NAFE discount)

5 Tips Women Dealing With Work-Related Anxiety And Depression

NAFE member Dr. Mary B. McRae is a New York State licensed psychologist with a multicultural women's practice. Specializing in individual and group psychotherapy and life coaching, she helps women manage the stress, anxiety and depression that often accompany the multiple roles women fill at work and at home. Says McRae, “It is important for women to look at their lives in context, to consider relationships with life partners, children, siblings, parents, relatives, friends, bosses, co-workers, and most importantly, themselves. I help women look at the choices they make and the reasons they make them, and then assess their effectiveness in their social systems and make adaptive changes.”

1. If you notice that meetings start late, tasks are forgotten, and no one is clear about when they will meet next, check with colleagues to clarify the process. End your meetings by asking: WHEN is the next meeting date? WHAT is to be done and by whom before the next meeting? WHERE will the next meeting be? For women, understanding time, task, and territory relieves anxiety. It also demonstrates clear thinking and organizational skills.

2. If you're frustrated by a boss who overloads you with work, asks you to work weekends, calls you on your vacation, talk to them. If you are unclear how to approach them, role play with someone who understands your position. If you cannot get some clarity of role, task and boundary, it's probably time to consider a change.

3. Do you ever feel that you are not being heard, appreciated or taken seriously in your position due to the perceptions of others - perceptions that have nothing to do with your competence? Ask yourself if it is your gender, race, or ethnicity OR is this person just a jerk? Get more data before making assumptions and jumping to conclusions.

4. Do you find that you consistently feel down, have low energy, feel anxious, or have difficulty concentrating on the task at hand? Try taking a 10 minute breathing break, count each breath with odd numbers out, even in 1, 2, 3, until 10, repeat. Taking a brief time out for you can be rejuvenating for the soul and spirit. Consider exercise or yoga, something to physically work off and/or relieve stress.

5. If following the above tips is not sufficient, then perhaps it is time to seek more intense help. Talking with a therapist about the multiple roles you have at home and work and how you manage them, as well as learning more about the patterns of behavior that continuously create problematic relationships are effective approaches to dealing with work-related stress and anxiety.

Dr. Mary B. McRae can be reached in New York City at (212) 678-7193.

Genma Holmes, a NAFE member in Tennessee, has a unique dual career: model/actress AND an exterminator. She recently appeared in a country music video: Ashley Monroe’s I Don’t Want to. Genma wore her unique “bug jewelry” in the video.

NAFE member Susie Galvez just did a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Richmond, VA - and sold out 40 copies within 40 minutes! Her book is The Thrifty Girl's Guide to Glamour: Living the Beautiful Life on Little or No Money.

NAFE member Kay Presto is co-author of Wake Up...Live The Live You Love: Giving Gratitude which was Number 6 on Barnes & Noble's Bestseller list earlier this year. It is a self-help, personal growth book.

Paste a Chart in PowerPoint and Link It Back to Excel: You can create a chart in Excel, copy then paste it into PowerPoint and keep them linked. To paste the chart in PowerPoint, click the Edit menu, Paste Special, Paste as Link (when you change the chart in Excel, it’ll automatically change in PowerPoint).

This tip comes from NAFE member Peggy Duncan, personal productivity expert, trainer, and author of several books, including Just Show Me Which Button to Click! in Word for Authors

Houston, TX
October 26, 2006
Women For Hire Career Expos offer a comprehensive array of recruitment services for women. This year’s schedule includes: Houston 10/26; Boston 10/31; Los Angeles 11/7; San Diego 11/9; and Atlanta 11/16. Prior to each event, from 8:30-10:00 AM, Women For Hire CEO Tory Johnson (who appears as the Workplace Contributor regularly on ABC's Good Morning America) will offer advice and inspiration to help advance your career. Visit www.womenforhire.com, click on the city of your choice, and register now!

Philadelphia, PA - October 26, 2006
Washington, D.C. - October 27, 2006
SRI announces a series of seminars - NegotiationPlus For Women: The Art of Getting What You Want - this October across the USA. Remaining events this fall are Philadelphia, PA (10/26) and Washington, DC (10/27). This hands-on program, designed to teach women to think about negotiating differently and to improve their negotiating skills using the NegotiationPlus™ method, includes exercises and simulations specifically designed to address situations that you face in your business and personal lives. To receive a 15% discount, please mention priority code NAFE15 when calling to register: 1-800-599-4950.

Moreno Valley, CA
October 28, 2006
The For You Network Moreno Valley Connection is planning a fabulous shopping extravaganza to the LA Fashion District. Enjoy a guided tour from a shopping expert who knows what stores have deep discounts on certain items. It's also a great opportunity to connect with other dynamic women and start your Christmas shopping early. There will be food, prizes and plenty of opportunities to network, as we're interested in fun and helping you build your business, too. We guarantee you'll have a great time! Contact network director Lisa Marie Platske, 951-334-9162) for further details.

Anywhere
October 28, 2006
The WeChamber, a NAFE virtual network based in Florida, is proud to sponsor an all-day teleconference event: Help Women Do Business On and Off the Web. The goal of a Women's Internet Marketing Summit is for attendees walk away with the knowledge required to create a new strategy to take their business to new heights via the Internet - including expertise on affiliate, SEO, email, PR, Planning, Blogging, Content, Surveys and Contest Marketing. Cost: $17 (Summit only), $64 Summit and CDs. Want to know more? Contact network director Heidi Richards: 954-981-5519, heidi@wechamber.org.

Denver, CO
November 7, 2006
Join the Women's Business Link, a local NAFE affiliate, for their "Breakfast With Champions" - a great opportunity for women along the Front Range to enjoy networking, goal-setting, sharing with business-building masterminds, and the Embassy Suites Breakfast Buffet for only $15! For more information, email womensbusinesslink@gmail.com.

Midland, TX
November 8, 2006
Join fellow NAFE members and guests for a mastermind TEAm time discussing key business and personal building topics. TEAm Time is followed by lunch featuring a group discussion of Tips, Techniques, Tales and "Take Aways" from the Texas Women's Conference in Austin. Event is sponsored by the local NAFE affiliate Successful Women's Alliance. Contact network director Maria Elena Duron at 432-699-8053 for more details.

Encino, CA
November 15, 2006
The local NAFE affiliate THAT New Network invites you for networking, dinner and a program titled "How to Improve Your FICO score" from 6:30 - 9:30 PM at Jerry’s Deli. The goal of speaker Anne Hilbert, Personal Financial Coach and owner of Credit and Debt Consulting is to educate people about taking control of their finances and taking action toward becoming debt-free. See the NAFE Calendar online or contact network director Linda Peitzman (818-995-4215) to learn more about the event.

Washington, D.C.
December 11-13, 2006
Consumer Health World Inaugural Conference. NAFE is an association sponsor for this conference: a groundbreaking event that will explore the issues defining the consumer demands on the health care delivery system. CHW also provides special programming around healthcare marketing including information on the New Healthcare Consumer, Consumer Direct Access to Healthcare & Retailization, and the Boomers Business - a phenomenon that has sparked a national movement and ushered in the age of consumerism in health care. This premier, multi-conference event brings together all of the stakeholders of the consumer-driven health care industry; the employer, provider, health plan, pharmaceutical, leading technology products, and technology solution providers. Dates: December 11th - December 13th. Location: Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C. Discounts for NAFE members: Register using code NAFE20PCT06.

Log onto the NAFE website (use your last name and NAFE member number) to view our ever-expanding Calendar of Events for opportunities around the country. The new Search function makes the Calendar even more useful and accessible.
Use the Event Submission Form online to let us know about events in your area. Events submitted for the website will also be considered for the NAFE E-Newsletter - twice the exposure for one listing!