by Heather Cassell (San Francisco)
As a little girl, Carmen Taran, Ph.D. was already on her way to being an in demand global keynote speaker and teaching corporate executives how to communicate on multiple platforms. Taran’s first audience was 12 dolls, which were very hard to come by in communist Romania, where she grew up.
“I had these 12 participants daily,” said Taran, a former AT&T research and development manager. “They were very punctual and, unlike today’s groups, they didn’t talk back,” she laughed.
Taran is the co-founder of Rexi Media and author of Better Beginnings: How to Capture Your Audience in 30 Seconds, the first book out of the Rexify series released in October. She, along with her business partner, Danielle Daly, a former Adobe Systems Incorporated technology sales and business developer, recently sat down with The Glass Hammer in a coffee shop in San Francisco’s Ferry Building.
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Rexify Me: The Art of the Unforgettable Presentation
Expert AnswersAs a little girl, Carmen Taran, Ph.D. was already on her way to being an in demand global keynote speaker and teaching corporate executives how to communicate on multiple platforms. Taran’s first audience was 12 dolls, which were very hard to come by in communist Romania, where she grew up.
“I had these 12 participants daily,” said Taran, a former AT&T research and development manager. “They were very punctual and, unlike today’s groups, they didn’t talk back,” she laughed.
Taran is the co-founder of Rexi Media and author of Better Beginnings: How to Capture Your Audience in 30 Seconds, the first book out of the Rexify series released in October. She, along with her business partner, Danielle Daly, a former Adobe Systems Incorporated technology sales and business developer, recently sat down with The Glass Hammer in a coffee shop in San Francisco’s Ferry Building.
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Ask-A-Recruiter: Career Transition Tips
Ask A RecruiterI know I want a career change but I’m afraid to leave a job in this economy to try something new. How can I move towards a transition without quitting?
If you are unhappy in your current job, check first if you really need a career change or just a job change. If you like what you do in general, then you might just need a different work environment or employer. However, if you don’t like what you do or aren’t interested in your industry, then you may need a different career. Here are some career transition tips that don’t require a massive upheaval right now:
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Managing Career Lifechoices at KPMG
Featured, Work-Lifeby Pamela Weinsaft (New York City)
Mentoring, flextime arrangements, networking, and opportunities for frank discussions about issues women face are all essential components in the programs KPMG has put in place to increase retention of women in their ranks. Through its Women’s Advisory Board, KPMG has created and rolled out over 300 programs designed to increase diversity in the workforce and keep women engaged throughout their careers.
Kathy Hannan, Midwest area managing partner for Tax Services, is the head of the KPMG Women’s Advisory Board. Interviewed by The Glass Hammer, Ms. Hannan proudly stated, “from when KPMG first created an advisory board through last fiscal year, there has been a decrease in female turnover by 30.3 percent. In particular, there’s been a reduction in turnover at the manager and senior associate levels. We’ve seen an increase in the number of women overall and an increase in promotions overall. This is a testament to building a pipeline. And it shows in our work environment surveys which show that [approximately] 81 percent of our women say KPMG is a great place to work–as compared to 66 percent in 2004–so we know the programs are working.”
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MBA JumpStart
Back to School, PipelineMBA JumpStart was created to address the lack of diversity and under-representation of minorities in the consulting and financial services industries and to “bridge the gap between minority talent entering top business schools and firms actively seeking to increase minority representation.”
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Movers and Shakers: Entertainment
Movers and ShakersIn these tumultuous times, who could blame a gal who wants to escape for a little while into the nonsense that is “reality” television or to go a live concert to sing cheesy hair band songs of her youth at the top of her lungs? Here are some of the top women in Entertainment who make these guilty pleasures possible:
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In Case You Missed It: Weekend Round-Up
NewsContributed by Martin Mitchell of the Corporate Training Group
In case you were too busy enjoying your weekend to have kept up with the news, contributor Martin Mitchell has been kind enough to gather some important market events from this past weekend (and week) so that you can start this week well informed:
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Passions: Fighting Talk
PassionsOn Monday evenings I punch people. Actually, mainly it’s bags or the air, but sometimes – in a restrained and respectful way – it’s people.
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Sustainable Success
Corporate SustainabilitySustainability is the new buzzword in Corporate America – but what does it actually mean and why is it so important? Corporate sustainability grew out of the concept of sustainable development, which means to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In terms of corporate goals, sustainability is the balancing of short-term financial gains with the “long-term goal of balance and survival”, as mentioned by Deutsche Bank CEO Seth Waugh during his opening words at this year’s Women on Wall Street conference, as reported on The Glass Hammer.
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Scenes from the 22nd Annual Women’s Conference in California
Newsby Sima Matthes (New York City)
Corporate leaders shared the stage with big-name stars last week in Long Beach California, when approximately 14,000 women (and a few men, including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris Matthews, Bono and Michael J. Fox) came together for the 22nd Annual First Lady’s Conference on Women. Read more
Elevator Speeches: Not Just for Elevators
Expert AnswersAn Elevator Speech is defined as a persuasive, “call-to-action” presentation that is 30-60 seconds in length and approximately 100-150 words. The origin of its name is self-evident; it can be delivered, effectively, in the span of a typical elevator ride.
Elevator Speeches (also called Elevator Pitches) are all the rage these days in communications training and for good reason; these mini-presentations are fairly easy to construct and to deliver, and pack a powerful punch. Not limited just to entrepreneurs pitching to potential investors, these speeches can serve as compelling and competitive means of self-advocacy across several channels of communication for a variety of agenda and target audiences. Elevator Speeches can be used as a networking tool, a sales pitch, in a job interview or to promote a special event or project.
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