Fashion Law : Fashion Lawyer & Attorney : Fox Rothschild Law Firm : Licensing, Intellectual Property

I hate working out.  There.  I admitted it. 

But, I hate not fitting into my jeans even more so I do it.  Recently, during a killer pilates class, the teacher was making us hold every position for a really, really, really long time.  I seriously considered walking out.  But just then, while we were holding a plank position for what seemed like an hour, she called out:

10 more seconds!

which made me think:  in the course of this class, this week, my life, what's 10 measly seconds?  I can make it through 10 more seconds.  And you know what?  I did.

Now, you know this post isn't really about me and my workouts.  It's about how you face, and overcome, adversity and challenges in your life.  We see people conquering insurmountable obstacles and odds every day, especially in the fast-paced, hyper-competitive world of fashion. 

Many like to think that those people or companies were just lucky.  I don't and you shouldn't either.   And you know why? 10 more seconds.

People who succeed, who create, who ship, have the ability to work through those last 10 seconds.  They don't give up when the going gets tough, when they face a setback, have a mental block or all seems lost.

If you have answered the why question, you will have the intrinsic motivation to make it through those last 10 seconds.

So, next time when you feel like giving up, think of this post, know I am cheering you on, and tell yourself: I can make it through 10 more seconds. 

And you know what?  You will. 

xoxo

Staci

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Recently, the WSJ argued that Mckinsey & Company's report, "Women in the Economy" [PDF] found that women can't crack the glass ceiling because of lack of coaching and mentorship. 

Respectfully, I found the WSJ article, "Coaching Urged for Women" offensive, and poorly titled to mischaracterized the study's result.

Here's what the McKinsey & Company report really said:

As women approach their 40's they begin to realize that barriers to cracking "the upper echelons of corporate America," become insurmountable, especially for working mothers.

McKinsey gave Corporate America a call to action: 

businesses must work harder to change the mind-sets limiting women's opportunities, such as the popular notion that a woman can't juggle certain jobs and family duties.

Our evidence points to the need for systemic, organizational change. Companies that aspire to achieve sustained gender balance must choose to transform their cultures.

The competitive and economic advantage from retaining the best talent should be a powerful enough reason to make management take steps need to dislodge entrenched beliefs that prevail.

Wow.  How did the WSJ equate ending outdated, discriminatory beliefs with the need for coaching and mentorship? 

The leaders of corporate America need to take a page out of the Fashion Industry's play book and learn to understand #thejuggle. 

Related Posts:

Forbes article, "Women Hold Just 1 in 10 Top Paid Executive Positions in S&P 100 Companies."

Related study: Examining the Cracks in the Ceiling: A Survey of Corporate Diversity Practices of the S&P 100, (click here to download in PDF format):

Maybe then we'll see these statics change.

Again, women's failure to break through the ceiling is blamed on women and the cause of the problem is ignored.  Bravo. 

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Like most of you active in Fashion, the first part of 2011 was extremely busy for me.  Even though I haven't been blogging as much, I am still active on twitter. 

I tweet using the hashtag #thejuggle often and received some super kind emails from you telling me those are your favorite tweets.  Thank you!

And some of you ask what exactly is #thejuggle? 

So I wanted to post an explanation:

In fashion, like in life, we are always working on multiple things at one time.  For example, you are shipping Spring, producing Back to School and are sourcing Holiday. 

Or for you fashion bloggers, you are listening to current stories, connecting with your followers and engaging them with your next post.

So, back in the day when I was running apparel production, that's how I would describe my professional life, as a constant juggle.

Now, as a working mom, especially one working in #biglaw and in fashion, #thejuggle has taken on a whole new meaning. 

As working women with children, we are constantly "juggling" our different roles: 

• wife, mother, daughter;
• Co-worker, manager, employee; 
• Creative, technology savvy and bottom line oriented.

It is not easy.  Success takes intrinsic motivation, and a very supportive spouse. 

We need to survive judgment from bosses - both the guys who still don't get it or the generation of women who came before us and chose not to have kids (who all then wonder why women leave #biglaw or corporate life!) - other moms and even our families.

Balancing an overseas conference call and demanding clients with permission slips, soccer practice and ballet and dry cleaning or changing the car's oil, takes talent, a ton of time and energy and a sense of humor.  (remind me to tell you about the morning my children used blue ink to turn themselves into "avatars" at 6am before I had to go to Court.  yup. true story.)

Whether we like it or not, in United States' society today, women are still responsible for the majority of caretaking, even though we work just as much as our husbands or male colleagues. 

And the worse part is, we get paid 75-80% less on average than our male counterparts for doing more work - both in the office and at home.

And, even though this is written from a mom's point of view, I know many of you "fash-entrepreneur" out there are going through the exact same thing.  (Right Jeffrey?  Arlene?)  It may not be kids and billable hours, but running your own business requires multiple hats.

So I challenge all of you to pause for a moment and think about your own juggle and those of your friends and family.  If you list all the things you do, you will amaze yourself -- and I bet that it will motivate you to keep at that hard task or striving for that win.  Why? 

Because if you can do #thejuggle, I know you can succeed both in Fashion and in life.

xoxo

Staci

photo credit: The Day Care Dilemma- Part 1 of 5 (read Maggie Palmer's whole series, it's great!)

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In case you missed the Seth Godin reference in Monday's post on Eminem, today we are going to talk about the lizard brain.  Both Seth and Eminem have overcome the lizard, or our internal resistance.  To succeed, so must your fashion company.

According to Seth, the lizard brain is the:

voice in the back of our head telling us to back off, be careful, go slow, compromise....the resistance which caused every project that ever shipped late because people couldn't stay on the same page long enough to get something out the door.

The resistance grows in strength as we get closer to shipping, as we get closer to an insight, as we get closer to the truth of what we really want. That's because the lizard hates change and achievement and risk.

In Linchpin, Seth shows us how to beat the Lizard, just like Eminem does with his music.  What steps have you and your company taken to quiet and ignore the lizard? 

Unless you stop rationalizing, become indispensable, forget about the jerks and just start shipping, you'll never make it in fashion.

Then the Lizard wins.

photo credit: Seth's Blog -- Quieting the Lizard Brain

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Is Luck "a sweet old-fashion notion?"  Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines it as "a force that brings good fortune."

Lately, people have said to me you are so lucky that you:

• had great mentors who gave you counsel and guidance;
• have great industry training;
• got the opportunity to work on that project;
• were nominated for that award; or
• landed that exceptional job;

Sorry to burst your bubble, but "Luck" had nothing to do with it.  Hard work, determination and perseverance were the "force" behind every one of my major accomplishments.

Sure, the stars may align and help you get your first sale, your foot in the door or catch someones eye.  But, if you are fortunate enough to get your products into Fred Segal, for example, do you know what will keep them there season after season?

• Good quality;
• Consistent pricing;
• Dependable Shipping; and
• Treating the Retailer like a Partner

To paraphrase Scott Ginsberg (@nametagscott) from his recent post, Are You Profitably Patient or Destructively Passive:

You have to work hard, work smart and work long. That’s the trifecta of success nobody wants to face because it involves more sweat and less sleep.

Notice there is no mention of LUCK.  If you believe that your failure to achieve is because you weren't lucky enough to be given an opportunity someone else got, you need to do some serious internal soul searching. 

You are not a victim, so stop whining and blaming others.

Take the pledge, answer the "Why Question," make a plan, and don't be afraid to fail.

Be the master of your destiny.

photo credit: BioJobBlog.com and Takara Home and Garden

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Today reminded me of my former apparel production days -- rushing to pack the boxes, charming the UPS man, hoping to delay him, then hunting him down a few stops later because I was unsuccessful (which today meant dashing across 7 lanes of rush hour traffic to flag down the truck -- but my packages went out!!)  I am sure you know what I am talking about.  All in a days work, right?

Well, after it was over, I needed to re-focus so I could finish a few more pressing tasks and prepare for my meetings tomorrow.  You know how?

I am going to let you in on one of my secrets.  I sat on the floor of my office.  Yup.  you heard me.  On the ground, in my nice clothes.  I actually do some work that way, every day. 

Turns out, I am not the only one who thinks getting on the ground is a good thing.  Scott Ginsberg, of Hello, My Name Blog wrote in "How to Stay Over Yourself:"

The word humble comes from the Latin humilis, which means, “on the ground.” Embrace that concept by spending one day next week working on the floor. With your shoes off. The excuses you will most likely give for not doing so include:

“But I’ll look dumb.” “But the floor is dirty!” “But I’ll wrinkle my clothes…” “But I’ll get yelled at by my boss!” “But what if my employees see me?”

Get over it. Since I started my company in 2002, I’ve spent at least SOME time, every single day, working on the floor. By working on the ground, you ground yourself. This modest posture will instill an attitude of appreciation and respect for your creative environment. Ultimately, by honoring your space, you invite more creative solutions. When was the last time you worked on the floor?

I echo his question to you.  When is the last time you worked on the floor?  How did you feel? 

Personally, I think it is a key to success.  Working on the floor helps me be a creative problem-solver, manage "the juggle" and improves my strategic planning.

If you haven't ever tried it, what are you waiting for??  I would love to hear what you think in the comments.

photo credit: BigLorryBlog (UPS truck) and zdrowie246's Picasa Album (woman)

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