Like many lawyers, Lisa spent time at a large law firm learning the trade and working 90+ hour weeks.  She was working in New York City where the legal field is intense and competitive and Lisa was able to move from her firm to an in-house counsel position that seemed to be a better fit. This was 1999 and the Y2K craze was consuming all business sectors including the legal field and Lisa started thinking seriously about finding a different career that honored her passions while still playing to her strengths.

We Plan Lives

A dear friend sent Lisa an email telling her about the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and encouraged her to learn more about this field. The long time friend knew that Lisa was a talented organizer and encouraged her to establish her own business. Lisa’s husband then named it Montanaro, Inc. with the slogan – We Plan Lives. Lisa was known for sharing her wisdom and life planning skills with friends over the years.

Lisa’s friend was not too far off the mark because after researching NAPO and attending an event she discovered her true professional peeps and found that people actually organize for a living. This association was leading the profession for organizers and Lisa’s career world opened up.

Monetizing Your Passion

Lisa’s interest was piqued and she began to really consider how to make a career as a professional organizer. [She attended a panel discussion about lawyers who found their passion in alternative careers and this inspired her to make her move away from the legal profession.] I actually was on this panel a few years ago after leaving the law. I attended a life coaching event with Cheryl Richardson at the 92^nd Street Y that inspired me to make my move away from the legal profession. I may have confused you – sorry.

As one would expect from a natural organizer, Lisa had a plan to execute her new career goals. At the time, she was working as Associate General Counsel at Pace University, her law school alma mater. During an 18 month period, she articulated a plan on paper, paid off her remaining student loans, and banked 25K to start her new business venture. She even shared her plans with her employers at Pace knowing it would take time to conduct a search to find her replacement.

Her superiors at Pace recognized her organizational expertise and encouraged her to work part-time – with benefits while launching her new business. That career boost was delivered on a silver platter and allowed for Lisa to build her business and her brand slowly while still having the security of a steady income and benefits at Pace. She knew she was very fortunate to have such a well cushioned exit strategy.

Recognize Your Calling

Understanding the importance of being credentialed in the industry, Lisa became an inaugural Certified Professional Organizer® through a rigorous and intensive training program through NAPO launched in 2007. This put a stamp of approval on her business and validated her as an expert with additional learned skills that go beyond her natural organizational abilities.

Lisa’s business is called LM Organizing Solutions, LLC (LMOS).  She realized that as a multi passionate entrepreneur, her company is an umbrella organization with many spokes that include professional organizing, business and life coaching, and motivational speaking.

Lisa was able to identify her calling a second time in her life. Her first calling was as a performer. She spent her childhood singing, acting and dancing, and wanted to go professional. While she decided to pursue the law after college, she never gave up performing and turned it into a wonderful hobby that continues to this day. Lisa is also able to tap her performance skills as an engaging motivational speaker.

Equalize Your Work and Life

Her attorney background makes Lisa a sought-after business expert, mediator and trainer for entrepreneurs. She offers business coaching to a variety of clients from solo-preneurs and non-profit organizations, to major corporations and municipalities. Lisa serves as an instructor for New York State’s Entrepreneurial Assistance Program.

As a life coach, Lisa taps her mediation skills and guides clients to achieve results by motivating and encouraging without judgment. According to Lisa:

“During my time of career transition, I realized that I had been organizing people’s lives on an amateur level my whole life, and that my organizing and coaching skills transcended my work as a lawyer, teacher, mediator, writer, speaker, and performer.”

Lisa’s LMOS clients rely on her for leadership, guidance, support, encouragement, and coaching.

“I took a leap of faith and created a business that allows me to meld together many different, but related callings at the same time, while helping people live better lives and run better companies and organizations. The result has been both successful and rewarding.”

Break the Roof off the Cottage

Lisa was well equipped as a lawyer to create a business plan and establish her LLC for the business. She set up her separate business bank account early on, even before she had steady clients and tracked expenses and kept meticulous records for tax purposes.

She pursued a lot of industry research and became a self described organizing geek and read every book on the market to study her competition and distinguish her value-add in the industry. Lisa talked about visiting IKEA and The Container Store to learn about the latest organizing products. From the beginning, she wanted to treat her business as a real venture and pursued trademark and copyrights for her signature themes and strategies.

The messaging of a real business is powerful and Lisa encourages her entrepreneurial clients to adopt this mindset immediately. She recalled a NAPO conference with a famous speaker telling the participants – “If you want to break the roof off your cottage industry – do it. Don’t treat your business as if you are the Avon or Tupperware Lady.” This was a powerful message that helped Lisa legitimize her business in her own mind early on.

Are You Ready?

Lisa’s target market is success minded individuals and busy professionals. Clients must be committed to behavior modification and be ready to work. An example of an organizational project she works on with clients is de-cluttering the paper in their home or office. She helps them sift through mountainous piles of paper and develop a filing system for management. Some papers may be scanned, archived, or shredded but the goal is to develop a system so the client can manage their files (on their own) in the future.

Lisa developed and trademarked her own unique organizing process after years of noticing that disorganized people have difficulty making decisions. These decision making road blocks in turn cause delays and stress which translate into personal and professional frustrations.

She believes a client must decide to be organized and buy into the premise that becoming organized will empower their future. Here is Lisa’s DECIDE™ plan to allow clients to take control of their lives.

Discover what you have and want at home, at work, and in life.

Eliminate what is unnecessary and does not further your goals.

Categorize what remains.

Implement a system designed to match your needs, habits, work & lifestyle.

Dedicate yourself to maintaining your new system and integrating it into your life.

Enjoy the freedom and positive results that being organized brings.

Lisa feels strongly that – “DECIDE™ is an empowering process that leads to change. It will assist you in achieving results at home, at work, and in life in general. While the process guides a person or organization in making decisions that lead to a more organized state, it is itself a decision; a decision to take control.”

The Solutions Expert

In addition to a multi-tiered business model that honors her work values and allows her to play to her strengths, Lisa maintains a blog www.DecideToBeOrganized.com that delivers organizational strategies we can all use. Her blog was recognized by a national publisher and she was asked to write a book about organizing.

The Ultimate Life Organizer: An Interactive Guide to a Simpler, Less Stressful & More Organized Life will be published by Peter Pauper Press in April 2011.

The target audience for the new book is women and Lisa has incorporated 2 pages of journal space at the end of each chapter so readers can map their plans and take notes directly in the book.  She calls the book a best friend to help you get organized and purposefully made it an easy and enjoyable read to demystify organization. It’s a learned skill and Lisa believes anyone can do it if they are taught how.

Rent Her Brain

Lisa shared that often she feels like clients are “renting her brain” during a session and there is a lot of truth in that description. Lisa is the brand of her own business and has built her success by earning the trust of her clients and obtaining referrals.

She is using social media and a fabulous website to market the business and her national public speaking engagements certainly get her noticed out in the field. Lisa knows that working for yourself can be the hardest endeavor since you can only hold yourself accountable. But LMOS is built upon integrity and loyalty to her customers and Lisa has earned her many accolades and positive testimonials.

As for work/life balance – it’s easy to want to do it all, especially for a professional organizer who manages her time so well. Lisa has learned to say no to clients if they are not a good fit or if they don’t work into her schedule. Every good organizer knows that you must schedule time for yourself and your priorities first.

Lisa is thrilled with her career reinvention and even though it’s not her official slogan – she is helping to plan lives and loving every minute of it.

Lisa’s Advice and Action Steps:

• Figure out what you love and what you are good at and do it!
• Focus on skill sets not job titles or industries.
• It’s ok to be multi passionate but pick one to focus on for your reinvention. Add other passions incrementally.
• Dump your brain on paper and create an action plan. Seek the help and wisdom of others to achieve your goals.

Quote:

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” ~ Jane Goodall

Resources:

www.LMOrganizingSolutions.com – website

www.DecideToBeOrganized.com – blog

www.Facebook.com/LMOrganizingSolutions

www.Twitter.com/LisaMontanaro

www.LinkedIn.com/in/LisaMontanaro

I firmly believe that confidence building and providing environments where youth can become authentically strong, smart, and bold should start early on so I was very distressed to learn the differences in the two organizational oaths.

Here are the two oaths:

Girl Scout Oath

On my honor I will try to serve God and my country,

To help other people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.

Boy Scout Oath

On my honor I will do my best

To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;

To help other people at all times;

To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

******

What irks me the most is how the Girl Scouts take an oath to try and serve while the Boy Scouts swear that they will do their best to help others.  Besides the obvious brevity in the Girl Scout Oath, I take umbrage with the fact that we are not empowering the girls of today to become the “doers” of tomorrow. There is no shame in trying but the verbiage does not exude confidence and strength in my humble opinion.

In all fairness, my research unearthed that Girl Scouts do some amazing things and are committed to fostering confidence, volunteerism, diversity, societal issues, and scholarship but the oath was coined in 1912 so ladies, please consider a revision!

The messaging we send to our children shapes their behavior as adults and I believe that Girl Scouts deserve to do their best just as Boy Scouts. It all boils down to gender messaging and eventually filters into the workplace when these girls reach adulthood.

If we can provide them with a non gender based opportunity to discover their strengths, do good work, and pay-it-forward to help others then we will move forward in breaking down the gender barriers that are still alive in the professional workplace today.

So the next time you buy Girl Scout cookies, ask your young scout what she is doing and applaud her for her good work.

The lay-off was not a complete surprise since Nicki’s salary was cut by 25% a year before the final job elimination. She worked in the non-profit fundraising arena for 18 years creating special event auctions for organizations. Coaching the non-profits through the entire auction process utilized her excellent training and relationship building skills but the industry was changing and the signs were clear that her long term career in the charity auction field had no future.

Pursuing the Dream

Nicki went through her savings and eventually her retirement account in order to survive. She took even took a “terrible job” that was below her skill level and required crazy hours in a toxic work environment with no potential for career building. For 10 weeks, Nicki stayed the course hoping things would get better until she finally had the courage to admit that she was ready to start her own company.

The dream was always on the back burner in her mind and she had a clear vision of what she wanted to do with her business but lacked the funding she thought she needed to get things rolling.

Her resolve strengthened on the day she resigned the self proclaimed terrible job which gave her a tremendous inner calm even during this time of career uncertainty and seeming chaos. In February of 2010, Nicki officially began the new career chapter in her life and has not looked back since.

The Death of the Cold Call

From the fundraising arena Nicki honed and developed exquisite relationship building skills. She was a natural networker and understood the power of professional relationships in business success. Her transferable skills also included development, goal setting, event planning and marketing but she knew that cold calling strategies were ineffective and a thing of the past.

A member of Executive Women International in her native Philadelphia, Nicki tapped into the resources of this organization for entrepreneurial advice. She had previously tapped EWI to network art auctions across the country so she knew the power of positive relationships and this organization gave her the courage to take her vision and make it a viable business.

Nicki launched We Network 4 You with a unique understanding that not all business owners have the time, resources, or comfort level to build referral relationships. So Nicki’s company provides customized referral-network planning as well as marketing and management strategies. Now an official LLC, We Network 4 You fills a market gap that serves all parties equally.

She Likes to Network!

While some people shutter at the thought of networking, Nicki does it with ease and makes connections for companies to promote clients and services in face-to-face opportunities beyond the standard business networking events. But how did she launch a new business of this magnitude and where did Nicki start?

“Networking and mentoring is a big piece of my belief system and my business-model.  I would have to say that EWI (Executive Women International) is an organization that I engaged in about 4 years ago and I do consider this organization one of those pivotal resources.  I also threw myself into personal development and leadership training while I was in the process of getting the courage up to leave my husband.  My passion for personal development, setting goals, leadership development, staying focused, chanting Law of Attraction has continued to develop and has been instrumental to the success of my business.”

Nicki has a resource team of mentors, many from EWI and established a website to make her business visible and searchable. But this business woman really practices what she preaches, so networking was the key factor in getting her business on the map and connected with paying clients.

Are there still scary times and feelings of apprehension? “Almost daily…” admits Nicki but she keeps her eye on the prize and knows how she wants to grow her business.

Professional Trust

Nicki thrives on the personal dynamics she develops with her clients. She explained that the relationship between two business owners is much different than between an employee and the employer.

According to Nicki – “I find myself wanting to work harder – do a better job for my clients. They support me and trust me and I love the feeling of mutual professional respect.”

The variety of services Nicki provides at We Network 4 You includes:

• Business Plans & Strategies
• Networking & Representation
• Identifying Referral Partners & Client Prospects
• Managing Relationships
• Database Management
• Marketing Card Campaign
• Social Media Marketing

Nicki has embraced the new career change as an opportunity in her life and she is empowered to choose what she wants to do. She evaluated her strengths and is now monetizing her passions doing what she loves.

To be clear, it was not an easy road. The lack of start-up funding was what prevented her from launching the company sooner. She incurred about $25,000 in launch costs which she is working to pay off. With the advice and counsel of professional business coaches, some of whom are also clients, Nicki is able to identify and work towards realistic goals.

Additionally, Nicki is working to refinance since she now has a year of income as proof of a viable business under her belt. The debt is now becoming less of a fear burden and she is able to trust in herself and the value of her business model.

Onwards and Upwards

Nicki is a woman with a plan on a mission to grow her company and be recognized as a top-woman entrepreneur. She has goals to speak and train others on networking and referral marketing. This is her way to pay-it-forward to future generations of business owners who are cutting their professional teeth during this trying economy – and let’s face it – this is a brilliant networking opportunity.

The reviews are in and Nicki’s clients are singing her praises. One satisfied customer even warned prospective clients to hire Nicki before their competitors did – and that says it all! Her business continues to adapt to accommodate the needs of her clients and now she also includes social media marketing on her menu of services. Even in the new normal of the changing business economy, nothing beats networking and Nicki’s business is proof of that reality.

Nicki’s Advice and Action Steps:

• Have a vision – learn what it is you like and what you don’t like.
• Surround yourself with people who motivate and inspire you.
• Get a coach, make goals and understand that you deserve to be happy in your career. Then go for it!
• Ask a ton of questions and follow your instincts.

Quote:

“If you think you can or you think you can’t – you are right.” – Henry Ford

Resources:

We Network 4 You http://www.wenetwork4you.com/Face2Face_Marketing.html

Executive Women International http://www.executivewomen.org/

Henna Inam’s five steps to reigniting your career passion will help you fall in love again with what you do. Sometimes you don’t need a new career – just a different lens to look at the career you already have.

1.      Peak Experiences

Start by writing down the job tasks or experiences in your career that you absolutely love. Focus on those that bring a spring to your step, according to Inam and look for common themes. These are the things you want to do more of.

2.      Personal Brand

Reflect upon your purpose, strengths, and core values. A big part of personal engagement is whether or not you are playing to your strengths and honoring your professional values. What is your personal brand? You must know what gives you a sense of purpose in order to maintain the passion in your career and seek out opportunities to enact those values more regularly in your workplace.

 3.      Position Alignment

Does your current job align with your personal brand and your values? Do whatever tweaking is necessary to realign your career to be fulfilled at work.  Are you playing to your strengths every day? If not, find ways to transition into work tasks that better match your authentic professional self.

4.      People

Relationships are very important in our feeling of fulfillment and engagement at work. Do you have a direct supervisor who recognizes your contributions and encourages your development? The perfect boss is not always possible so seek out mentors and sponsors to foster positive professional relationships and play that role for others in an effort to pay-it-forward.

5.      Past-times

Having hobbies or avocations outside of work can energize you while you are on-the-job. This personal passion on your own time is contagious and spills over into your work life in positive ways. Your energy is a precious commodity and you deserve to spend this on non work related activities as well. Having outside passions will keep you motivated at work.

Consider Henna Inam’s 5 P’s to help you reignite your passion at work. Sometimes a little jumpstart can make all the difference in bringing more fulfillment back into your work and your life.

Before long – “If You’re Happy and You Know It” became “If You’re Hannah and You Know It” and the idea of Name Your Tune was born. Candace’s husband, Eric works in the music industry and he supported the idea of the new business venture and also brought significant skills and expertise to the table. From the beginning, the focus has been on making music fun for children and parents alike. By customizing songs with a child’s name, this wife and husband team has been able to take classic children’s songs to a new place.

Sing a New Song

Candace admittedly has no experience in the music industry but her background in liberal arts and education has provided her with a cadre of transferable skills that help her run the business. Directly after college, Candace hoped to pursue teaching but the lack of opportunities in the education field led her to a position in the retail industry. She was working her way up the management ladder when she became pregnant with Hannah. The plan was to go back right after her maternity leave but Name Your Tune happily took her life in a different direction.

Candace has been active with children and youth in her community through social programs, summer camps and trips abroad so creating a new business about kids was an ideal fit. They started with 9 songs and 800 recorded names. Candace and Eric invented the technology to personalize the songs with a child’s name in the recording process.

Eric’s music background came in very handy with this new business venture. As the company co-founder, he has been active in the Canadian music scene for 15+ years and has experience with media relations and acquisitions for Koch Entertainment which proved extremely valuable for Name Your Tune.

Bringing Home the Bacon and Cooking It

In the beginning, Candace admits she was useless around computers as technology was not her forte. But, she is now the company’s one-woman IT department and coordinates the efforts of 4 amazing singers, producers, and a West Coast office, handling most of the day-to-day tasks herself.

Being a mompreneur and a WAHM (work at home mom) means that Candace can be her own boss. She sets her own hours, which lends itself to a flexible schedule so she can balance her varying roles as a mom, wife, daughter, sister, and business owner. While Candace admits to accepting a certain amount of imbalance as a reality to her day, she feels fortunate to be able to work from home and enjoy the little things that she couldn’t do if she worked off site.

While juggling Name Your Tune responsibilities she usually does a few loads of laundry and gets her daughter to and from school daily. She has become the queen of multi-tasking. On an ambitious day this might also include cooking a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce because these are things that she is able to fit in during her work day now.

A Hard Day’s Night

While the work day might sound idyllic, prioritizing her family during the day means that Candace often works at the computer well into the night. Eric is often at her side since this business is truly a joint venture and a family affair. She has his total support and kid coverage when the job requires her working weekends away for promotional events to brand their product. They have developed a partnership and have each other’s backs to cover things on the work and home front.

Since the company launch, Name Your Tune has become the leading personalized CD in the world. Children will hear their name more than 80 times throughout 14 treasured songs and they now have over 4500 names to choose from!

People Magazine called Name Your Tune CDs “This year’s most coveted item.” in 2009.  NBC’s The Today Show calls the CD “Must have baby gear – now that’s something to sing about!” Celebrity parents sporting customized CDs include: Patrick Dempsey, Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, Matt Damon, Debra Messing, Tori Spelling, Denise Richards and many more.

Reality Check

The business is thriving now and going better than Candace and Eric ever expected. But, the start-up costs were significant. Family was very supportive and Candace’s dad is an accountant who shared his financial wisdom and backing for the new company.

With 4 performers and a full studio assembled to record the customized songs, Name Your Tune cost $25,000 to become functional in the very beginning. Candace and Eric also have West Coast partners that manage and grow the business in the states. They see it as a 4-way partnership and each person has a specific job that makes the engine run.

Candace warns other aspiring entrepreneurs to protect themselves legally early on and seek out expert advice from a lawyer. She and Eric sought out the counsel of many specialists to make up for skills they did not possess.  Defining their unique brand in the marketplace has been incredibly important as well as the research required to figure out the nuance of supply and demand in the kid’s music industry.

At the end of the day, Candace is happy as a WAHM but warns other moms to be realistic about what you can commit to while raising your family. “Sometimes you have to learn to live with the fact that the beds aren’t made and the dirty dishes in the sink because you are working and growing your business while raising your kids. And that’s ok!” Candace is still figuring out the delicate balancing act and no two days are alike. She wants her daughter to know that there is more to life than work even though as a WAHM she is never off duty.

Play it Forward

A portion of company proceeds are donated to Hear Here, the non-profit, charitable organization that purchases hearing aids for children through the Hospital for Sick Children. In 2007, Candace also launched a campaign called Play it Forward, a new initiative to support the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund. This effort collects new and pre-loved CDs to be distributed across Canada in support of Music Therapy. With the support and generosity of her customers, friends and colleagues, over 20,000 CDs were collected and distributed last year.

The accolades keep rolling in since Name Your Tune CDs have been named as an iParenting Award winner, the Parent to Parent Award, and in 2010, was nominated for both a Nickelodeon Parent Pick Award and Candace was herself nominated for an RBC Entrepreneur Award.

Out of a great idea, a song or two, and a lot of hard work and enthusiasm, Candace Alper changed her tune and reinvented her career from retail management in waiting to record label entrepreneur.

Candace’s Advice and Action Steps:

• To the WAHMs – don’t underestimate how hard it is to work at home.
• Empower yourself with information and seek help from others who do what you can’t.
• Don’t take things personally, business is business.
• Research the market you want to enter and find out what the needs are. Plan your transition according to what you love and what is needed.

Quote:

“It’s only a good idea if you do it – so do it fully!” Candace Alper

Resources:

Name Your Tune www.nameyourtune.com

Dr. Emmons’ University of California Davis research team says the payoff for gratitude can be significant but the effort also takes mental toughness and discipline. Emmons says that gratitude can literally be measured and has potential consequences for health and well-being.

While Dr. Emmons admits that scientists have been latecomers to the concept of gratitude his team has undeniable evidence that people who keep gratitude journals improve their quality of life. But Dr. Emmons shares that “Far from being a warm, fuzzy sentiment, gratitude is morally and intellectually demanding. It requires contemplation, reflection, and discipline and can be hard work.”

I see gratitude as a major strategy for self preservation and survival in the career world since complaints, frustration, and stress levels are high among both the employed and those searching for work. Dr. Emmons has come up with an evidence based prescription for becoming more grateful.

Here are some of his best gratitude action steps from a post in Society & Culture to get you started on the road to thankfulness.

• Keep a gratitude journal. Write down what you are grateful for every day and when you need to reaffirm your good lot in life, look back on what you wrote.
• Remember the bad. If you don’t remind yourself about the tough times you will be less likely to appreciate the good ones.
• Use visual reminders – kitchen magnets, inspirational posters – anything with gratitude sentiments to remind you how to be grateful.
• Watch your language – it influences how you think about the world.
• Be creative – look for new situations and opportunities in which to feel grateful, especially when things are not going well.

We can all use a gratitude jumpstart. So remember this when you come home from a frustrating day at work or when you are declined a job offer you really wanted. There is always something to be grateful for and your attitude adjustment will prepare you even more for tomorrow when you can begin again.

During what she describes as the crazy eighties, an earlier recession rocked the economy and the big money went away in the corporate sector so “…M&A was not as fun as it used to be.” according to Nancy.

Making the Deal

Nancy had always served on Boards for arts organizations so when it was time to transition from the financial sector, an opportunity presented itself in an off-Broadway non-profit theatre company. Serving as the Executive Director, Nancy learned quickly to use her business savvy in a new way, frugally navigating the realities of the non-profit world where both sides of each piece of paper were always used and waste was not an option.

She took pride in keeping her company in the black and always had her eyes on the realities of their profit and loss. Nancy says her guerilla business instincts were really honed in the non-profit world where she appreciated every dollar earned and cultivated audience members, donors, and sponsors since fundraising was also part of her position.

At age 38 Nancy was aching for something more.  Still involved with her beloved arts organizations as a volunteer, she left the theatre company and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America, the world’s premiere culinary college in upstate New York.

Metamorphosis

Nancy remembers fondly the intensive course work that really tapped her creative side and the internships that allowed her to get experience in the industry before completing her curriculum. One such internship was not only a fabulous professional experience – it also introduced her to James Laird, a Sous Chef at the time who later became her husband.

Growing up, Nancy’s family entertained a lot and she worked many a restaurant job during the summers she spent on Long Beach Island in New Jersey. The hospitality industry was a refreshing homecoming and part of her full scale metamorphosis from the corporate sector.

Nancy and James have been married for 15 years and this husband and wife dynamic duo opened their own fine dining Restaurant Serenade in the New Jersey suburbs as newlyweds. Nancy’s skills and talents are found everywhere at Serenade and she is a force behind the success of the restaurant. Serving as front of house, General Manager and Chief of Operations, her sound business background and good judgment, coupled with her culinary training and natural charm have propelled her to the forefront of today’s successful restaurateurs.

Working with your husband can be a challenge for many, but Nancy and James make an ideal professional couple. With James as Chef of Serenade, he has earned numerous accolades including a NY Times mention as “…one of the best classically trained chefs in New Jersey.”

Cleanse Your Palate

Restaurant Serenade is known for its active Bar and signature contemporary French cuisine. The ever changing tasting menus are to be savored and paired with selections from their extensive and carefully assembled wine collection.

When I asked Nancy about her career transition she offers others the advice to get your nerves in check and know that risk is ok and to have faith in your abilities. She and James took a great financial risk opening their own restaurant and she admits to “…not sleeping for a few years.” until things really became solid.

Even so, the restaurant business is a constant fight for loyal clientele and Nancy holds her breath when a new restaurant opens within her geographic region since new establishments can be a vacuum suck on existing restaurants.

But Restaurant Serenade has earned its rave review in the Zagat Restaurant Guide since they have a loyal following and consistently exceptional food and service. Nancy and James have also been reviewed favorably in New Jersey Monthly, New Jersey Life and Yoga Journal magazine.

A Love Song

Nancy and James bought the existing restaurant 15 years ago from a previous owner. They closed the deal on a Tuesday and re-opened under Laird management on Thursday. They soon learned the importance of renaming the restaurant and putting their brand and signature on the establishment. Nancy calls James’ cooking a love song to her (and the customers) but Serenade is also the name of the first George Balanchine Ballet ever produced in America.

James’ cuisine is similar to Balanchine’s choreography – a deconstruction of simple ingredients, refined and presented in an elegant manner. And so, Restaurant Serenade was named.

While it may sound like personal and professional bliss (and it is) Nancy and James work around the clock on their labor of love. She keeps the same hours as Wall Street but is happy to be in charge of the business decisions and enjoys the total autonomy and accountability of being an entrepreneur.

Nancy and James have assembled an excellent staff that they treasure. The house rules require that everybody greets each other by name and all kvetching is to be left at the door. They keep the atmosphere fun and challenging and the energy is palpable and appreciated by the customers.

Future plans include writing a book and maybe even opening up another restaurant – when the time is right, according to Nancy. For now – life is very busy and very nice. Nancy always strives to expand the reach of new customers and she hopes to get James more visibility on TV shows and in-print reviews. They work with a Publicist to spend their advertizing dollars most wisely and staffed their team with trusted experts like their Sommelier and Maitre ‘D from their culinary network.

While the restaurant business is no place for the faint of heart, Nancy and James are thriving. James has an organic mini farm at home which produces fresh herbs and vegetables for the restaurant and their personal kitchen. At home, Nancy does the cooking and enjoys the quiet moments she and James can share together.

So the next time you are in the tri-state area, consider a worthwhile stop in Chatham, New Jersey to enjoy Restaurant Serenade. You will be glad you did!

Nancy’s Advice and Action Steps:

• Have faith in yourself and your abilities.
• Risks can be scary but they are also well worth it.
• Network until you find the right opportunity – jobs will find you if you put yourself out there.
• Throw away your safety net and just do it.

Quote:

“You need to be well capitalized – or naive.” Nancy Sheridan Laird

Resource:

Restaurant Serenade: www.restaurantserenade.com

Quit thinking the workplace is fair. The playing field is not yet equal so women must distinguish themselves for their professional strengths and value-add so gender does not become the focus of their professional employment package. The barriers for raising a family and surviving as a professional are still significant so plan accordingly and choose to work for an organization that honors your professional values.

What are you waiting for? Ask for juicy assignments, bring your accomplishments to the attention of your boss, and don’t be afraid to toot your own professional horn when recognition is deserved. Be seen and heard in your workplace and take a seat at the table so you can be on the radar screen of your boss and her boss.

Don’t be afraid to ask. Studies show that women are still 85% less likely to ask for a raise than men. By doing the research, knowing your return on investment, and practicing your negotiation role-play with a trusted mentor you have nothing to lose when asking for what you want. Practice and ask with confidence!

Don’t ever, ever, cry at work. Game face on – never let them see you sweat, or cry. The emotional moments are palpable and can be frequent in these economic times but emote in the privacy of your office or preferably at home. You don’t want to be misinterpreted as over-emotional or weak. Be in control of how others perceive you at work.

Make the most out of feedback and criticism. Being able to handle constructive or even negative feedback showcases your resilience as a receptive worker. Don’t take it personally – keep the focus on the professional at all times.

Remember wealth is more than just a paycheck. Women should take advantage of employer benefits like 401K plans and other contribution packages even if they are in a double income relationship with a partner.  Even if you are not the primary earner in your family, you deserve to capitalize on the company benefits that will enable you to retire some day.

The way you look and talk matters. Your attire, personal grooming, and speaking skills affect how others perceive you. Brush up on your professional etiquette and seek out a polished female role model that you can emulate. Practice communicating with confidence and clarity since professional impressions are long lasting.

Consider these points as you develop your career goals:

Show Up: Half the battle is being present. Always take a seat at the table so you are recognized and visible to others. The “table” is wherever you are so position yourself wisely.

Speak Up: Be concise, clear, and confident in your communication. Use professional language, state – don’t ask, and stop apologizing!

Stand Out: Distinguish yourself by showcasing your emotional intelligence, be willing to increase your visibility by seeking out opportunities to impact change. Have a point of view.

Connect Up: Create meaningful relationships and leverage new opportunities where you can play to your strengths. Always think about ways to grow your community and interact with people who will give you the chance to thrive. And consider how you can pay-it-forward to others.

Fill Up: Be a lifelong learner and continuously seek opportunities to grow and expand your knowledge base and your comfort zone. You can participate in formal credentialing through workshops, webinars, conferences, and degree programs, or absorb the wisdom of others through interaction. Consider yourself a sponge ready to soak up new ideas to help you move forward.