entrepreneur

Simple Tips For You To Impress at a Dinner Interview

Posted on by Zinga H

This is it. You’ve arrived. They only roll out the silverware and napkins for the most promising interviews. The dinner interview is your advancement into mid- or executive-level career positions. So, how do you masterfully wield your fork and career pitch to propel you forward into landing the job you most desire? Similar to the regular interview you must do your research, prepare your presentation, and show gratitude in order to bring awareness of the values you can bring to an organization. Here are 3 ways to sharpen your dinner interviewing skills.

Impressive dinner interview

Research the organization

Showing up to a job interview, not knowing about the organization, the person you are meeting, or even the industry you are entering is a quick way to crumble your opportunity away. Take it a step further by considering the bigger picture and vision that the company will be considering. Weave the organization into the network of all organizations and show that you can see with the lens needed to be successful within your future position.

Pitch Pleasantly

One thing you have for you at a dinner interview is it is so easy to display your character and ability to interact with others. How so you ask? The servers! A restaurant is full of people working in unison to help produce an enjoyable experience for their customers. All good businesses do this. Join in with the restaurant team and to show how well you interact with the world around you. Say please, thank you, and keep your table area clean. Work with them and display respect as if you had to work with these people every day. There is no easier way to display your grace than to do this. Treat your server poorly and you may do well to leave an unpleasant taste on your potential employer’s tongue.

Chew Well

This advice goes both literally and figurately. It can be easy to over talk during any interview, they added a casual atmosphere of a restaurant can allow your words to flow easy like a steady stream. To impress, ask important questions and weigh in on the answer while you chew your food thoroughly, then swallow and then speak or ask a more clarifying question. The dinner interview is a time to languish in the organization and treat it as if it is a potential partner you are taking on a date. Enjoy their company and don’t rush through your resume of skills and accomplishments. This interview is about them and the things you will do for them. Here are more tips on questions to ask to show an organization you care.

The dinner interview is a great way to get your seat at the table. Use your knowledge, words, and body language wisely and you will be sure to leave an impression.

photo credit: rack of lamb presentation II (license)

leading teams for difficult times

Leadership for Difficult Times

Posted on by Zinga H

leading teams for difficult times

Lead Your Teams With Your Head Grounded

Dealing with difficult times is a part of doing business. From running out of paper on copy machines to not having enough quality time with the people you care about can cause a low-level amount of stress that can be overcome with smart healing moves. What happens when the amount of unrest in external influences starts to seep into the productivity of your team. Caring about  external aggravations, stressors, and threats can keep your team feeling secure enough to focus applying their full potential. How can leaders better lead their teams when times are stressful? Here are 5 bits of wisdom to consider

Build awareness

Knowing what is causing stress within your team. Ask questions and listen to the different insights and concerns your team is building around the point of concern. Build awareness within yourself as well. Find when your fears or temper is getting the best of you and spot stress-management techniques to improve your state of being.

Encourage communication

While some of your team may be very vocal about the shaky times your are in or that are beginning, some others may not be so engaged. Getting every team member on board in your organization will require reminding everyone that communication isn’t only encouraged, but a priority. Schedule productive meetings, have an anonymous comment and suggestion box, and remind every one of the confidentiality and protection policies you have in place.

Remember your mission

It is easy to get blindsided in a disaster. What keeps you in place is your purpose and end goals. While steering your organization forward may require flexibility it is important to always keep in mind what you are steering toward.

Provide avenues for stress relief

Tumultuous times often cause undue stress on leadership and team members. Relaxing the body and mind will keep your company’s spirits lifted. Host retreats, bring in healthy fruits, have a company potluck and remind your everyone to take care of themselves.

Acknowledging challenges is a positive sign of good leadership within your company and a step in your journey of small business success. When the tough times arise, it is time for even more assessment, experience, and communication to ensure that you continue to fulfill your mission and vision.

photo credit: 13a.LedelleMoe.Collapse.Lofts14Two.WDC.29jul06 via photopin (license)

Hack your sleep routine

5 Ways to Hack Your Sleep Routine

Posted on by Zinga H

Hack your sleep routine

Sleeping is important. When it comes to your growing list entrepreneurial ventures using sleep to keep your mind and body fueled will become ever important. Sleep keeps us alert, happy, motivated, and creative. These are all qualities needed to sustain the long hours, pivot  gracefully and receive more opportunities in your life. Check out 5 ways to enhance your sleep schedule, so you can advance your wake time.

  1. Wake Up Earlier – There are several ways to do wake up earlier in the mornings. The first is to have a reason to wake up. Knowing what you want to do with your time will help convince you to wake up. Also, it will give you a good routine to flow into right after turning off your alarm. Besides having a plan, one action to take is to set your alarm at your normal start time then set it ten minutes earlier each morning progressively.

Tweet tip! Ditch your cell alarm and switch to a standalone alarm, that way you can charge in another room and minimize cell phone distractions – 

  • Take Naps – Taking naps is shown to have great effects on our productivity [link]. Many of my friends look at me incredulously when I say I take naps daily. How do I do it? I practice. Start in your nap spot and set your alarm for a 5-minute nap, then a 7 minute, then 10. Work your way up to a 20-minute nap and you will have the power nap [link] mastered.
  1. Sleep in Phases – Poly-phase sleeping is the practice of sleeping on a schedule of multiple smaller rests throughout the day over one long rest during the night. In essence, it’s your nap routine pumped to the max. I’ve not mastered this, but some people manage to get their sleep down to two hours a day. What a dream. Steve Pavlina explains this how to do this in detail.
  1. Meditate – I’ve heard 20 minutes of meditation is equal to 4 hours of rest. Try just one minute [link – YouTube video] to start. The increase in oxygen to your system will help it feel satisfied and mellowed, like the rest you can get from a well-maneuvered massage.
  1. Write Before Bed – Sometimes going to sleep can be difficult, especially for the entrepreneurial mind that often races with new ideas. One way to settle your mind is to take the time to write them all out before going to bed.

A good sleep schedule is a great practice in personal leadership. Take the time to nurture your body and your body will nurture you.

 

photo credit: Dormir en N&B via photopin (license)

One Move Monday: Morning Pages

Posted on by Zinga H

Free thinking is a powerful form of organizing our thoughts and relieving stress when it comes to managing our businesses. Writing, drawing, and mind mapping all take part in helping us go from the “think” stage to the growth stage. For your One Move this week, take 3 minutes or 3 pages to write as much as possible. The 3-page move actually refers to the idea of keeping morning pages.morning pages - good morning - writing for success
No need to review what you right, that’s a move for another week. For now humble in the fact that your mind can churn out as much as you allow it too.

photo credit: welcome to your day via photopin (license)

5 Top Apps Worth Using Daily

Posted on by Zinga H

In the entrepreneurial world, time is still money, and a major detractor of progress can be poorly built tools that have the guise of serving a purpose. Introducing, applications. While some mobile and web applications serve a great purpose, many can often suck away our time and leave us with very little results in the way of moving towards venture success. So what is worth it? I consider it only apps I have paid money for or am willing to pay money for in the future. Here are the top five I use towards strategic planning and executive leadership.

1. WeekPlan for daily planning. WeekPlan was the first app that was ever graced with my Paypal balance. With its sleek and simple design, the app incorporates Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It’s great features include planning your week according to quadrants, having a long-term option for listing goals/tasks and color coordinating tasks according to roles you designate. In addition, the customer service with the app goes above and beyond in authentically reaching out to clients.

2. Trello – If WeekPlan is in the trenches, Trello is in the war room. Great for long term strategic planning, Trello has the ability to break up and track long or short term projects.

3. Stitcher – Entertainment is great. Knowledge is power. Learning while commuting is one of the safer driving distractions and you feel the benefits of acquiring more knowledge. Stitcher allows you to access newly posted podcasts. Choose podcasts in business, leadership or success to help keep you moving towards your goal.

4. Pinterest – Visit your vision often to make sure you are on the right track. Pinterest is a great tool for visioning [article coming this week] and it is worth visiting often, especially if you are a visual learner.

5. Twitter – Connecting with the social world requires daily maintenance. The key is in planning well enough and simply enough so there is room for organic spontaneity. Twitter allows for a lot of simplicity and a way to connect with the worlds that intersect with your world.

Be wary of the apps you spend time on since they can make or break your progress. Find ones that leverage your see-saw of success and you will feel an authentic progress towards your desired purpose.

Progress is One Move Before Another

Posted on by Zinga H

progress is one move before another. leaf on a sidewalk.

Getting through the week positively can use external motivation sometimes. Remembering progress over perfection is a running motto that can keep any entrepreneur moving forward. One series to incorporate is taking time for singular moments of doing one thing for a length of time. The length of time should be no longer than five focused minutes, and then walk away. There are many moves we can take towards success, and some get you to the end goal quicker than others. For readers of this blog, look up for the upcoming series to help your business progress: One Move Before Another.

A first move to make is always centering yourself.

For today’s move: A yoga mediation made perfect for self-centering.


Centering ourselves comes in many forms. What are some ways you find quick balance?

Stack of fiction books on a desk

5 Ways To Read 5 Books A Week

Posted on by Zinga H

Stack of fiction books on a desk

I prefer non-fiction myself.

Great leaders take in a lot of information, and when you are just starting out with your passion you may find there is hardly any time to sit down and take in everything you need to know in order to launch your successful venture. Having no time is a limiting mindset that will hold you back. Fortunately reading books has gotten a lot simpler these days. Here are the 5 ways to read at least 5 books per week in order to maintain my edge and personal development.

Change Your Attitude About Reading 

First, you do not  have to read every word of a book to have successfully read it. While yes there are some books  worthy of being fully read, a lot of books will be perfectly useful if you use speed reading practices. Skim, scan,  and  trust your ability to understand concepts without reading every word.

Read on Your Way To Work

One of my favorite websites on the entire internet is my library’s e-book collection. Filled with a host of free e-books and audio books waiting to be taken in by any library card. Check out your library and see if they offer audio book options, which now can often be played through your smartphone. If not YouTube has an extensive collection of audiobooks as well.

Read before you clock in 

Always get to work half an hour early. In that half hour, you can change your world. Or if that’s not possible then the time before you clock in for lunch is another space of time to spend reading. Typically I set a ten-minute clock and go as far as I can. Progress will always be made with consistency.

Read during your downtime
If you are at work, there will be downtime. While I advocate using that downtime to be a better work, that could also include being a better leader, which is applicable in any industry or company. Once again go to your library’s website to see if they have electronic books. Another possibility is letting an audiobook play in the background in lieu of your awesome work playlist.

Read during chore time 
Unless you have a maid, you will have to do a chore or two. The point here is there are some weekly activities you naturally do, like the laundry, dishes, or whatever is going on in the fridge. Use the time to put an audiobook on in the background.

Always find ways to acquire more knowledge for that is the substance of creative thinking, which is the habit of success.

photo credit: Recent, present and future reading material via photopin (license)

Nothing can dim the light that shines within you. By Maya Angelou

3 Ways To Put Yourself First so You Can Lead Better

Posted on by Zinga H

3 Ways to Put Your Self First

Nothing can dim the light that shines within you. By Maya Angelou

Nothing can dim the light that shines within you.

A mastery of personal leadership is essential step before influencing others around you. This includes control over how you communicate with your self and others, how you motivate yourself, and how your body’s message comes across. All of the skills are also the easiest to achieve because the subject is quiet easy to work on. YOU being the subject at hand. The only way you can improve your personal leadership is by putting your self first. Now this isn’t the only kind of leadership; there is team, business, global, societal, and many other leadership areas requiring the use of a principled recipe of skill sets. If you can master personal leadership first you will be able to easily and flexibly become more confident in other areas of leadership as well.  So how can you put yourself first without becoming self-centered? Here are five easy practices:

1.     Have a day carved out for you: Pick a day out of the week where you cater to your physical, mental, and emotional being. Pamper your self in whichever way you see fit, even if it’s only for a few hours on that day. I enjoy doing a longer session of yoga, writing, listening to my favorite playlist and having a freestyle dance workout session, and watching movies/marathons with my husband. Having a YOU day is a great way to remember you are your closest friend.

2.     Write/Draw/Speak your values: Your values become your priorities, and whatever you prioritize comes true. Knowing what your values are and checking back in with them on a regular basis keeps your focus centered so your drive can move forward.

3.     Make your vision of the future be the wildest, most awesome, future your could possible choose. Successful leadership thrives on a motivating end-goal. If you are setting your sights to short then you may end up with a less then stellar destination. Go for the gold because your subconscious won’t find solace in the status quo.

Personal leadership requires you to take into account the leader and the follower, which is why it is an excellent gateway to more advanced and complex levels of leadership. In addition, it builds your drive and motivation to go after where your leadership is best placed. Take time to remember your self-interests and make sure they align with your values, and you will be well on your way to your most abundant and joyous success.