Archive for June, 2009
“Because I’m a Woman”
Posted by: | CommentsDo you happen to remember the Enjoli Perfume commercial from the 70’s? It shows a woman singing “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan and never, ever let you forget your a man because I’m a woman!” This was “Superwoman” for sure! She had it all. Ability, success, beauty. Now that I’m grown I look at this commercial and think, “That woman is going to be exhausted!”
I was 3/4 Tomboy growing up. I’d get in fist fights, played sports better than most of the boys and generally was an all around “tough cuss” having grown up in a large, Irish family. I was sent to the principal’s office in kindergarten for beating up a third grader. My brothers and I would hunt snakes in the woods, get in BB gun fights and catch creepy, crawly, slimy things out of our lake. However, the other 1/4 was the softer side. The one who secretly loved her Barbies and wanted the ability, success and beauty like the Enjoli lady. The duality of a female!
I truly believe women can have it all. The exception I take to the commercial is it’s much more satisfying if (1) you don’t HAVE to do it all. You share the work load with a significant other and (2) You bring home the bacon via your own company. The time and energy just flows because you are doing what you love!
What do you think of this commercial? Do you find it offense or not?
Playing The Cards You’re Dealt- Joyce talks with Phil Hellmuth
Posted by: | CommentsLife consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well. – Josh Billings
We are born into this world without the advantage of choosing our environment. Our parents, our gender, our skin color, our financial status are all out of our control. Once we become adults however, the table turns–we chose, either consciously or perhaps by avoiding making a decision. Either way we are playing our cards. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose.
Who is a good resource when trying to figure out how to best play the hand dealt? I decided, “How about the 11 time World Champion, Poker Hall of Fame inductee, Phil Hellmuth?” Here is a man who took that quote literally!
Phil is a big believer in goal setting. Early on he wrote down that he wanted to win the World Series of Poker championship, get inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, write a NY Times best seller book, become an entrepreneur and have a family. He has accomplished everything he desired plus he’s an ESPN TV personality too! This is a man who gets it done.
Phil may be known as the “Poker Brat” in the card community but I found him to be a focused, accomplished and inspiring family man. “Don’t judge a book by its cover” certainly applies when describing him. He may rub some people the wrong way but there is no denying his considerable talent. After speaking with him it’s clear to me he has a strong grasp on what truly matters.
What do poker players and entrepreneurs have in common? The answer– more than you think.
Poker has the “slow hand” which is a strategy for the person holding the best cards to maximize their result. How? By allowing the opponent to think they have the advantage. Generally, it results in winning more money. Business negotiations are about creating the best outcome possible too.
Phil told me players strive to control their environment. They like to make themselves look weak when they are strong and strong when they are weak. This psyches out their opponents. In business, similar tactics are often employed. In poker, the players read each other. In business, people do the same thing. Women are intuitive and are strong at reading faces and body language. This suggests women negotiate face to face rather than by any other means. Play to your strengths.
When faced with a short chip stack (in our world that would be described as limited funds), Phil suggests priorities be established and support systems enlisted. Focus is key. We have all heard rags to riches stories. Phil is no exception having started out with $7,000 in student loans debt and no other assets. Look how far he has come. You can too!
Phil makes it a point to be grateful and acknowledges his blessings daily. I found him to be a pragmatic, sophisticated business person who has his head squarely on his shoulders. To learn more about Phil’s books and clothing line visit www.PokerBrat.com. To read more about Phil visit www.PhilHellmuth.com.