Winning Strategies for Life & Travel

Sitting Down in Kauai with Sheryl Sandberg to Discuss 'Lean In'

I'm in paradise, relaxing on the island of Kauai. I've settled into my beach chair and I'm reading 'Lean In', Sheryl Sandberg's book on Women, Work and the Will to Lead. I'm envisioning that she is sitting next to me, giving me candid career advice and information. She's not, but I can envision it just the same. Grin.
I am compelled forward in the book, listening to her stories, and recounting in my mind so many of my own. I realize many of our experiences are similar. I'm not the COO of Facebook, but I have led a similar life and path to hers. I applaud her ability to stand up and be noticed, and to take a stand for women in leadership. More women need to talk about the issues in hopes that shedding light on them, will in some way, rid us of some of them.
I make it 1/2 way through the book in my first few hours at the beach. I add Sheryl Sandberg to my list of 'aspirational contacts'. This is the list of people that I'd love to get a chance to meet someday. My list is long. I enter them into my Outlook contact database and add a category titled 'aspirational contact'. I wonder if I'll get a chance to run into her at some point. I imagine that I will.When I finish the book, I'll write a review. So far- so good. I like it.

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Send me ideas for my next book

I'm looking for ideas for book 5.  YOU- my readers have come up with the topics for all the others...so, it is time to send me ideas for the book I'll write this year, in 2013.

Tweet them to me at WinLifeStrategy or email me at bethany@bethanywilliams.org.

I can't wait to hear them!

 

Having Problems Finding a Job? An Idea of Why...

Can't find a job?  Struggling with a long L-O-N-G job search?  What could be the reason?  Well, it could be an assortment of reasons, but sometimes, it falls  to just one or two.  What are they?  (you ask, and rightly so).  Well- it is differrent for each of you.

It is called the last 10%.  People will share 90% of the facts with you but they leave off the last 10%.  Why would someone not share ALL the facts/truths with you?  They leave it off because it may be abrasive.  It may be painful to hear.  No-one wants to know that their hair dates them, that they look unkept, that they should cover their gray hair until they find a job, that their wrinkled clothes make them look disheveled, their breath is bad, they smell like cigarettes,  or they come across as desperate, etc etc.

You know you've truly found a friend indeed or a great mentor when they can share TOUGH realities with you.  Maybe you have a history of becoming argumentative when approached about an error.  Maybe your facial expressions keep people from sharing with you.  

In order to find a job in these tough times, you must find a friend or mentor that is willing to share your faults with you so that you can work on minimizing them to create job opportunities for yourself.

ASK someone to share with you YOUR last 10%.  Ask them what might be holding you back from finding that job.  Think about what you want to be known for, and consider some of the things that you may be known for. 

I call this INSIDE OUT and OUSIDE IN assessment in my book, Brand YOU.  What do you THINK you are known for, AND what do OTHERS think when they think of you and your work?

Ask a few of your past bosses to write to you and give you your top 3 assets and your top 3 deficits.  It will help you begin your Outside In assessment.

Begin to evaluate YOU from an employers' perspective.  Try to see yourself as an asset (like a car) that needs to be polished up and you need to know what is 'sellable'.  What is great about YOU?  What makes you a great investment for a company? 

You are the chief marketing officer for (insert your name here).  You are responsible to market yourself, publicize your worth, evaluate your return on investment, and create and get out the marketing collateral and message for YOU.

How are you doing on your Chief Marketing Job role?  Most of us aren't very good at marketing ourselves.  The ones that are great at it, usually are the ones that get the jobs first.  Polish It, and make it great.

Re-write your profile.  Ask your ex-bosses or peers to write references for you for your LinkedIn profile.  Review others' profiles and see what stands out.  It is a BILLBOARD advertising YOU.  Make it FANTASTIC.

Think about your key skillsets and write them into the billboard.  If you struggle to get started, buy Brand YOU and it will walk you through all the steps to get you FOUND.  GOOD Luck.

 

Brand YOU:  http://www.amazon.com/Brand-YOU-Packaging-Marketing-Business/dp/0615502970/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359930865&sr=8-1&keywords=brand+you+and+bethany+williams

Brand YOU on Bethanywilliams.org website: http://www.bethanywilliams.org/book3.php

 

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Join me for a WITI Dallas Brand YOU Fashion Show Feb 20th at 5:30-9PM

WITI Dallas invites you to an evening with

BRAND YOU Author Bethany Williams and a

DESIGNER FASHION SHOW 2/20/2013  5:30-9PM

Location: Uptown Consignment

4152 Cole Avenue 
Dallas, TX 75204

PUBLISHED AUTHOR

Author of Brand You, Bethany Williams, will talk about self-branding.  You are known for something, whether you like it or not.  Your brand may reflect characteristics, attitudes, or adjectives or perceptions people have about you.  Your brand helps OPEN OR CLOSE opportunities for growth and development.  Learn how to craft a brand that YOU want and open opportunities you never knew existed.

FASHION SHOW

Are you a fashionista, like shopping, chatting with friends or just enjoy a good glass of wine? How about all of the above in a FASHION SHOW hosted by Style Network’s Connie Dieb, owner of Uptown Consignments.  We will showcase some great designer fashions for work that are affordable and beautiful.

SHOPPING

Be sure to stay and shop, try on designer clothes and enjoy hor d’ouvres with wine.

Click Here to Register:  http://www.witi.com/dallas/meeting.php?id=2750

I hope to see you there!

 

New Book- Live Your Dreams Written to Inspire You to Dream Big and Plan for It

Press Release

For Immediate Attention: January 7, 2013

Contact: Amy Van Vleck, 214-649-9895

Author Bethany Williams releases newest book, Live Your Dreams, to inspire readers to dream big and plan for it!

Dallas, Texas – Local author Bethany Williams has done it again: written an inspiring book to motivate readers to live their lives to the fullest by planning for it, getting out of their own way, and putting steps in place to achieve the life of their dreams.

She knows how because she has done it. A once-single mother, widow, and young woman who wanted to further her education and career has done so with class, grace, and a lot of hard work. Now, she inscribes those steps in a fourth book in her Winning Strategies series, Live Your Dreams, so that you too can design the life of your dreams.

“Your life is yours to design and nothing is stopping you from living the
incredibly fun-filled and exciting life that you were born to live,” Williams writes. “You can create a life full of adventure. You can achieve life balance.  The journey starts with a dream and ends with making the most of the short life that you have before you.”

“The biggest takeaway for me from this wonderful book is that we can create the life of our dreams with good planning, patience, effort, persistence, and by never giving up,” said Mary Maloney, Global Brand Equity and marketing executive. “Bethany provides a great methodology. I learned that we don't have to wait to create ‘lifetastic’ moments; we can create them right now. I learned that life planning and enjoyment doesn't have to be apocalyptic to be practical.”

Williams is a results-oriented executive with 27 years experience driving complex initiatives in the business world. She is the Vice President of Product Marketing and has worked in high level positions in industry leading corporations such as  PwC, Perot Systems, Sharp Healthcare, GE Healthcare, and IDX Systems Corporation. In 2009, Bethany was named “One of the Top 25
Women to Watch” by the Dallas Business Journal.

Bethany has three other published books: Winning Strategies for Women, From Mother to
Mentor, Father to Coach and Brand YOU: Steps to Building Your Personal Brand. All of her books are available on Amazon.com.

For more on Bethany, her books, her motivational blog, and speaking engagements, visit bethanywilliams.org or www.thatagirlspeakers.com

Watch the launch video here: http://youtu.be/e027qjYH7og

Buy book from Amazon:  http://goo.gl/zwB7p

 

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Living Your Dreams

Your Life Clock is Ticking, What Are you Doing About it?

Today, I reflect on our life clock.  Our life clock is ticking away, days are passing, time is quietly disapearing as we go about our daily life.

I sat next to a gentleman on an airplane last night that works for Humana.  He was returning from a trip to Maui and NYC for his 40th anniversary.  He said that it was the first time he had EVER taken 7 days off in a row.

Why?  Why do we work ourselves into oblivion and feel guilty (guilty guilty) about taking time off?  I think it is cultural.  The people in Holland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, and an assortment of other countries and locales KNOW how to take time off.  They recognize balance.

So- as my book arrives for editing and I enter the final phases before I bring it to market, I ask you this one thing  -

 

 

 ARE YOU living Your Life to the Fullest?

If you are not.  Look for my newest book to be released around 1/3/2013.  Start your new year out right!

Living Your Dreams

I've spent the last several days writing, when I wasn't cooking or entertaining family.  So, what have I been up to?  I've been busily working on finishing book #4:  Live Your Dreams.  I'm finished!!!  The last four days off have provided me a significant amount of quiet time and have given me a chance to write to my heart's content.

We are still in draft designs for the cover, so it will change- but I'm oh so excited about this book.

It was written to motivate you to live the life that you are dreaming of.  It is meant to pull you off the virtual couch of your life and into a plan to allow you to live the life you've always imagined.

We don't always believe that we can have the life we are dreaming of.  We give up too early, we stop persisting, and we simply stop trying.

This book will attempt to convince you to keep trying.  It is intended to motivate you to define your plan and create the simple action steps necessary to make your life all that it can be.

It was released this week to early reviewers and I'll soon hear what their thoughts are.  I'm excited to take the next step- personally, as I work to bring book #4 to market.

What are you dreaming of?  How will you work to make it a reality?  How can I help.

I write this blog and run the Winning Strategies web site (www.bethanywilliams.org) in an effort to help you live your best life.  I am passionate about helping you reach success in all areas of your life.

I'd love to hear from you.  Let me know what you are thinking.  Have a great week!

Brand YOU is Now Available on Apple iBooks

“Brand YOU”
Now Available on Apple iBooks

Dallas, Texas – Author Bethany Williams released her third book, Brand YOU: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Brand, in 2011 to help professionals identify their personal brand and sell it in today’s tough job market. Williams, who is Vice President of Product Marketing for ZirMed, also has written Winning Strategies for Women, and From Mother to Mentor, Father to Coach. Her latest release, Brand YOU, hit No. 1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases list in the Sales category during the first week of its release. It is now available on Apple iBooks.

In Brand YOU, Williams takes readers through the process of a professional self-evaluation and guides them through creating and marketing a distinct personal brand. She craft fully teaches how to communicate that brand both online and in-person. Through the book, Williams empowers professionals to develop a personal brand that sells them in today’s competitive market.

 She is a member of the Women Business Leaders of the US Health Care Industry Foundation and received the award for “Dallas’ Top 10 Women to Watch” in 2010 by the Dallas Business Journal.

To connect with Bethany and learn about her books and speaking engagements, visit bethanywilliams.org. Access a quick 2-minute video of Bethany speaking here.

##Prepared by Amy Van Vleck, Write Way Communications :: contact write-way@hotmail.com with questions.

Press Release- Brand YOU on display at the London Book Fair

Press Release
For Immediate Attention:
April 13, 2013
Contact: Amy Van Vleck, 214-649-9895

Local author has Brand YOU book on display at the London Book Fair in Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Road, London, England

Dallas author Bethany Williams will have her newest title, Brand YOU: A Step-By-Step Guide to Building Your Brand, on display at the London Book Fair, April 16-18, 2012, in Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Road, London, England.

During its first week of release in 2011, Brand YOU reached the No. 1 spot on Amazon’s Hot New Releases list in the Sales category. In 2010, Bethany became “One of the Top 25 Women to Watch” by the Dallas Business Journal and now her latest book has gone global.

 “When I started my writing journey, I never dreamed I’d have the honor of my books being read around the world,” Williams said. “I’m thrilled to have Brand YOU on display in London for this prestigious book show.” A truly international exhibition, The London Book Fair hosts business professionals from all over the world for the three days of the fair. In 2011, the total attendance was 24,802.

In Brand YOU, Williams helps professionals find ways to survive and thrive in this tough, global economy. One reviewer said: “Simple. Accurate. Motivating. And most importantly, actionable. A must read! As a reader with a strong appreciation for Moore's law, you have to be ever-changing to keep up with technology and trends. Branding yourself has never been more important to rise above the noise! Genuinely Awesome! I give it 5.0 out of 5 stars.” Reviewed by Chris C. on Amazon.com.

Williams hopes that book retailers across Europe will select Brand YOU for distribution to their bookstores, universities, schools, and libraries, giving Brand YOU a chance to enable readers from around the world to brand themselves in a new way, ensure job security, and position themselves for success in the global economy.

“It is an honor to have one of my books on display at this prestigious show,” she said. “I will continue to spread the message that if you dream and persevere, you will achieve and succeed to heights untold.”

Williams has two other published books: Winning Strategies for Women (revised 2012) and From Mother to Mentor, Father to Coach. All of her books are available on Amazon.com.

For more on Bethany, her books and speaking engagements, visit bethanyawilliams.com, or contact Amy Van Vleck, 214-649-9895.

Live the Life You are Dreaming Of

I've spent loads of time coaching people and speaking on 'Living the Life You are Dreaming Of'.

Today, an amazing friend Mandi Gilstrap will be speaking to a group of kids in Oak Cliff for me. Due to an upcoming trade show in Vegas- and the way it landed between a Kentucky trip- it worked out schedule wise to fly straight from Kentucky and use this time to spend with my kids and husband. Part of living the life of your dreams is making and keeping priorities. So- I must apologize for not being there in person to motivate and encourage you to find your passions and seek out a great life.

I have sent with her some of my books, and I hope that they inspire and motivate you into action. She has my contact information. I value each and every one of you. I will personally speak to you if you have questions. I want to see you succeed- and YOU- are the key to that success. Believe it!

So go DREAM--PERSEVERE- ACHIEVE- and SUCCEED. Trust in yourself and go create the life you've always dreamed of- or better yet- dream a better dream and go create that life.

Again- I apologize that I am not there in person. I care about you.

Let Mandi motivate and inspire you to action. May God richly bless you.

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