We’re hosting our second #WCW happy hour! Our first happy hour was such a hit, we’re bringing it back for another month! Once again, there’s no topic and no pressure — just an opportunity to mingle with your co-champions. Bring a glass of wine, a cup of joe (or any other beverage your heart desires) and join us!

It’s no secret that Zoom (and the hybrid workforce) is here to stay. That said, few of us have backgrounds worthy of primetime. That said, it’s easy to give your background a glam up!

In this salon, we’ll discuss…

• How do you put your best foot forward on Zoom.

• Inspiration for creating a background that reflects your personality.

• How to use — if all else fails — a greenscreen background.

It’s easy to play it safe, but sometimes you need to take a risk and embrace change. Today, we’re talking about how to escape your comfort zone and take a bold step forward.

In this salon, we’ll discuss…

• How to “practice” taking smaller risk before taking a big one.

• How to learn how to trust yourself and how to listen to your mind and body.

• How to study your failures and how to embrace change and adapt.

We’re trying something new: the first-ever #WCW happy hour!

Rather than meeting in the morning, we’re going to meet in the evening for a #WCW “happy hour.” No topic, no pressure — just an opportunity to mingle with your co-champions. Bring a glass of wine, a cup of joe — or any other beverage your heart desires — and help us kick off the first #WCW happy hour!

We’re talking about climate change, and how it’ll impact the various industries and verticals our salons cover.

In this salon, we’ll discuss…

• How will climate change affect real estate prices? How will it affect business and tourism?

• What tech companies are best suited to help combat climate change?

• What meaningful actions can we each take today to help do our part?

We’re talking about “back to school season” and the hybrid workforce.

It’s the unofficial end of summer, kids are “back to school” and work is getting “back to normal.” However, the return to the office has been delayed to later this year, or even into next year. It’s yet another iteration of “the new normal.”

In this salon, we’ll discuss…

• Will work look different this fall than it has for the past 18 months? If so, how?

• With the annual “crunch time” of Q4 bearing down on us, and another year of hybrid work under our belts, will this year be more productive (or more “normal”) than last year?

This past salon’s conversation led to some great conversations, but it truly just skimmed the surface. This week, we’re going a bit deeper.

In this salon, we’ll discuss…

• How mental health is expressed in men vs. women in the workplace.

• Mental health by age demographic: levels of acceptance and comfort in the topic.

• How to talk about and support mental health in your coworkers or at work.

Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles withdrew from the individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Games to focus on her mental well-being. Her decision came a day after she removed herself from the team final following one rotation, on vault. She cited her mental health as the reason when speaking to the media following the competition.

In this salon, we’ll discuss…

• Simone Biles’ decision and reason to support what she did.

• The need to have a necessary conversation about mental health.

• How to have a conversation around this topic with those who need to hear it, including younger generations.

For the first time in history, there are five generations in the workplace. Having multiple generations in the workplace is not a new phenomenon, but the gaps between generational preferences and work styles can contrast more than ever.

In this salon, we’ll discuss…

• How do you manage such a widespread/diverse group of employees?

• How do you encourage interaction and education between generations?

We’ve had several mother/daughter duos attend #WCW, which is a wonderful thing to see! 

We’re going to explore this dynamic over the next few weeks, starting with tomorrow’s session. Alexis Zinberg, Founder of WCW, and her mom, Debbie Palmer -- a corporate executive and then entrepreneur -- will co-lead the session as we talk about our experiences in the multi-generational workforce of women.

Join us as we explore the new look of the workforce, as well as how gender and family dynamics come into play both at work and at home. 

Last week's workshop received a lot of great feedback, and we'd love to have a conversation about other types of sessions we can hold that would be valuable to you. Many of us are back in the office; how can the 25 minutes of #WCW be of the most value to you?

Are you overworked, but not feeling a sense of progress or accomplishment? Struggling with thinking you’ve plateaued? Setting SMART goals can help! They are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

In this salon, we discussed:

• Ways in which SMART goals have helped you become more productive.

• If you’re new to the idea, how to set (and complete!) your first SMART goals.
  

Female entrepreneurs and small business owners are underrepresented. While the number is on the rise, recent reports suggest that fewer than one-third of small business owners are female. It’s tough enough to get a business off the ground, but then comes an even tougher ask: how do you raise funding so that you can scale?

In this salon, we discussed:

• Tips, tricks, and experiences you’ve discovered in helping grow a business.

• How to get your foot in the door and begin the conversation around funding.

• Programs that specifically seek to help female entrepreneurs get funding

Key Takeaways:

• Create virality for your campaign. This can be done by having a super clear pitch and passion for your business.

• Cultivate your network. Gauge interest at the start of your journey and keep people up-to-date with your project.

• Need additional resources? Leverage networks like Elpha, a social network for women in business.

Champion Guest Moderator:

Katie Powers is an Account Manager at Wefunder and co-host of Wefunder's Adventure Capital podcast, with a range of experience working at impact-driven startups. Before joining Wefunder, she managed west coast sales at Kuli Kuli Foods, supported U.S. operations at Kiva.org, and founded her own sustainable food business, Fraction Foods. Her longtime passion for social entrepreneurship has taken her all over the world, including to Cape Town, South Africa to participate in a consulting program for microentrepreneurs, and to Geneva, Switzerland where she conducted research at the United Nations. Katie graduated from Northeastern University with a dual degree in Economics and International Affairs.

Change can be scary, and taking a risk can backfire, but the old adage “nothing ventured, nothing gained” rings true for a reason. Sometimes, taking risks and embracing something new is not only a good idea, but necessary to keep growing.

In this salon, we discussed:

• Advice learned from times we’ve taken a risk… that either paid off or didn’t!

• Simple ways to shake up your routine and try something new. 

• Ways to overcome fears and psych yourself up to spur forward momentum.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of resilience. We can use it to empower ourselves and we need to make sure that we teach it to future generations.

• Life is about choices. Choose happiness.

• No job is forever.

• Lean in to change and new experiences: it might be exactly what you didn't know you needed.

• Many professional risks have been taken not by choice, but by circumstance. Remember that it’s an opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons.

Whether it was an insight that helped you personally or professionally, somewhere along the way we’ve all received a piece of advice that helped shape us into who we are today. Whether you’ve got the corner office with a view, you’re still working your way up the career ladder, or you’re retired and looking for “what’s next,” that next bit of advice may be exactly what you need to take your next leap. 

In this salon, we discussed the best advice we ever received. Here’s a roundup of the favorites: 

• Never question your seat at the table.

• Stop apologizing.

• Think long term. Act short term.

• People don't think about you nearly as much as you think they do.

• Just because you're not picked, doesn't mean they don't like you. They just preferred something else.

• When you wake up in the morning, ask yourself: What do you want to do? What do you have to do? What are you willing to do?

• Never stop learning! Always be a student.

• Don't let life pass you by.

Champion Guest Moderator:

Mary Beth Pitta Adelson is one of New York City’s Premiere Brokers at Douglas Elliman and she is a Chairman's Circle Platinum Award Recipient. As a member of the Chairman's Circle, she is in  the top 8% of Douglas Elliman agents. 

Prior to becoming a broker, she was a New York City school teacher, received her  law degree, and worked at a high net worth family office.  After 20 years serving as an advisor to a large circle of family, friends and acquaintances on real estate and buying strategies, as well as the tricks to raising a family in New York City, she put her knowledge to work.  

In her spare time, Mary Beth gives back to the community by being involved with the Central Park Women's Committee, the Museum of the City of New York, the New York and the Horticultural Society. On a national level she sits on the Board of Trustees for Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership an organization founded to inspire and develop our global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation. 

Working from home is both a blessing and a curse. While it has eliminated commutes and travel for many, it has also led to longer workdays, more work on weekends, and a blurring of personal and professional time and space. 

In this salon, we discussed…

• How to set boundaries when your work space and home space are the same.

  • Try to have a consistent work space that is your own. If there is a door, use it!

  • Read "One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey" - a MUST for managers and business owners.

  • When working at home, there's no off-switch. Find ways to take breaks/escape.

• The physical, emotional, and spiritual ways to combat stress and “Zoom fatigue.”

  • Brain breaks throughout the day: Get out and move, but stand up from your desk!

  • Try walking each day. Fractals are good for the brain - look at trees!

  • Leverage collaborative tech tools: ThinkHub, Otter.ai, and reverse whiteboards are great examples.

  • Better meeting management: block time to meet and time to work.

  • Identify what needs to be a "zoom" vs. what should be a conference call.
    

• How large and small businesses are supporting employees’ mental health.

  • As a manager/business owner, focus on EQ. Identify where your team is, both mentally and physically. Provide opportunities for 1:1 connections.

  • Providing meditation resources.

  • Providing mental health webinars for employees. (So many people share!)

Champion Guest Moderator:

Jenny Niederhoffer is a commercial and non-profit producer and philanthropist. She is a Co-Producer of the Broadway show Be More Chill and the upcoming Broadway show Lempicka. Previously, Jenny produced The Flying Karamazov Brothers 4Play at the Minetta Lane Theater and the Vaudeville Theatre in London, England. She chairs the Off-Broadway theatre company, Transport Group which is the recipient of multiple OBIE, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Dramatist Guild awards as well as a special citation by the New York Drama Critics’ Circle.

Jenny curates a reading/development series which has included Miracolo by Jarlath Barsanti-Jacobs and Emilio Solla, One Good Day by Liz Suggs and Rona Siddiqui, Red Rum by Joe Lovero and Jon Hugo Ungar,  Huzzah! by Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe, The Bad Years by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk, A Walk With Mr. Heifetz by James Inverne, and Death House Jamboree by Michael Panes.

The pandemic forced many businesses to digitally transform overnight. From brick-and-mortar retailers to restaurants to gyms to real estate companies and beyond, many businesses had to learn how to adapt to this new world.

In this salon, we discussed…

• The hybrid workforce and how to manage this new culture.

  • Employees have had a chance to work remotely, move away from metro areas, and focus more on work-life balance. Companies will have to keep this in mind.

  • Long commutes were once considered normal. That is no longer the case. 

  • Trust in your employees, depending on your vertical, is important. 

  • The only way for true success is having the right systems, tools, and rules in place to ensure consistency for everyone. 

• What shifts are permanent? What will “go back” to the way things were?

  • Companies are changing what the work week looks like: some days in the office and some "flex" days with meetings and "focus blocks" scheduled accordingly to allow for thinking time and doing time. 

  • What will happen when places like NYC open? What will that look like? Will "the business lunch" return? 

  • In-person connections are still vital, the need to have a connection point. 

• How to balance health and safety with financial success and growth.

  • WFH is beneficial. There's a lot of employee appreciation for flexibility. 

  • When we return in-person, will brain breaks and mindfulness carry over? They were overlooked pre-pandemic. 

Champion Guest Moderator:

Jennifer Goldschein is the founder of JG Fundraising Advisors, a boutique consulting firm specializing in comprehensive fundraising strategy. She works with clients of all sizes and scope on general strategy, infrastructure development, corporate engagement, asset assessments and event planning. Prior to launching JG Fundraising Advisors, she was the founding Executive Director of the Lulu & Leo Fund, a public foundation.  As the founding Executive Director, Jennifer was responsible for the development of all fundraising efforts, including a celebrity driven gala and fundraising campaign, grant reviews and management, program development and general financial management. Earlier in her career, Jennifer spent eight years with New York Cares, the City’s largest volunteer organization. During her tenure, Jennifer raised more than 30 million and helped raise the organization's public profile.

Jennifer also served as an Assistant Adjunct Professor at NYU, teaching a course on Corporate Social Responsibility for five years and has presented at numerous conferences and workshops throughout the country. Jennifer earned a BA from Tufts University and holds an MA in Education Policy and an MPA in Nonprofit Management from New York University. She resides in New York City with her husband, two children, cat and dog.

According to a recent study, 49% of respondents have quit a job because of a bad boss. To keep your employees happy, it’s more important than ever to be the best leader you can be.

In this salon, we discussed

• What makes someone a true leader?

  • Leadership is earned, not bestowed. Leaders have high EQ and can empathize with people.

  • Great leaders are remembered for how they make people feel, not always in what they say.

  • Defined characteristics: being empathetic, transparent, setting boundaries and creating a welcoming environment that helps people be connected.

• How you can lead, even if you’re not the boss.

  • Work with people, rather than telling them "do this." That way, you can learn together.

  • Inspire people to follow you. Without that, you won't get anything done.

  • Let the people around you know that you care about them and their success.

  • Remember: it's all about the bigger picture!

• How to identify “bossy” tendencies, and how to replace them with “leader” traits.

  • It's all in the delivery: your attitude, your body language, your tone, etc.

  • Bad bosses never admit something is their fault. They always assign blame.

  • You can own your bossiness! Being bossy isn't *always* a bad thing.

Champion Guest Moderators:

Tara Swanson is the Americas Head of Analytics at Bloomberg. In her current role, Tara is responsible for the overall quality of 24/7 customer service provided to Bloomberg’s clients and for managing multiple stakeholders across enterprise sales and product teams. She manages the development and career progression of a team of 375+ managers, team leaders, and representatives within her department and partners with the recruiting team to ensure that future talent has the required skills to excel in the enterprise sales organization. She has served as co-coordinator of the on-boarding efforts in Sales, helping to mentor, develop, train and place team members from Analytics into Sales, as well as the Global Co-Lead of the Bloomberg Women’s Community, which focuses on recruiting female talent, developing women leaders, and driving business impact.

Emily Perrucci is Bloomberg’s head of Core Sales for the Americas region. She leads a team of 400+ sales and account management professionals and workflow specialists in delivering financial data, news, and analytics through the Bloomberg Terminal to clients across North and South America. After holding various leadership roles covering broker dealers and Canadian clients, she became an Enterprise Relationship Manager in 2015, developing and executing sales strategies for one of Bloomberg's largest clients. She and her team make it their mission to understand their customers’ enterprise-wide needs and provide them with holistic solutions to expand and advance their businesses. Outside of work, Emily is a long-time supporter of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and a proud mom to two young girls.

Gen Z and millennials have spoken: the “side hustle” is here to stay.

According to a recent survey, 64% of millennials have a side hustle, and the “average” side hustle earns millennials more than $10,000 per year. Whether it’s a second job, a passion project, or a second full-time (off-hour) position, millennials and Gen Z are fueling their futures… and their bank accounts.

In this session, we discussed

• How to turn your passion into profit.

  • Leverage existing infrastructure (websites, platforms, etc.) to set up your side hustle. You don't need to start from scratch to be successful.

  • Don't be afraid to ask for what you are worth. If you're offering a service, you should be paid for it.

  • Side hustles are a way to create career longevity and an ongoing revenue source.

• Side hustles you can start as an outlet for your creativity or emotional fulfillment.

  • Define success: making money is great, but decide what success looks like to you. Non-profit/volunteering work provides many with the outlet needed for creative and emotional fulfillment = success!

  • Make sure your side hustle fulfills you. Make sure it doesn't burn you out. As with anything, time management is key.

• It’s never too late to build “Plan B.”

  • Recognize your skills and strengths and spin them off into side hustles.

  • Side hustles don't dilute your day job; they really serve to make you better.

Champion Guest Moderators:

Isabel Greenberg is the Director of Communications at start-up media company Comments By Celebs. The brand highlights the best commentary on the internet across 7 Instagram pages and have become pioneers of pop culture news. She is also the co-host of the weekly Comments By Bravo podcast. Outside of CBC, Isabel channels her social media expertise by working independently with high-profile celebrities and brands to expand their social followings and keep their engagement high. Isabel collaborates with a large range of types of clients to make sure they always have a finger on the pulse and are nailing it on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok.

Jenny Hurwitz is the East Coast General Manager for Hunt Club, a referral-based talent acquisition firm that leverages technology to transform thousands of subject matter experts and business leaders into the most powerful talent network. Jenny was Hunt Club’s first out-of-market leader tasked with leading partnerships, strategic alliances, business development, establishing an east coast presence, driving revenue through marketing, partnerships, local events and sales efforts. More recently, Jenny went viral on TikTok (500,000+ views) after launching Devon Lane, her embroidery side business which offers a variety of personalized, handmade pieces. You can find her work in boutiques like Shop Shelby Jewel, The Markets at Highland Park and worn by strong women at SNL, Olive & June, Jade Trau and more.