Tag Archives: Women

New Site for Women in Business

InterviewHer.com

I recently contributed to a new publication dedicated to women entrepreneurs, called InterviewHer.com. The website features women who own their own businesses and provides tips to other ambitious women who want to pursue their own enterprise.

Many of the women featured run successful companies in publishing, beauty and health trades, while others launched fashion lines, run design firms and opened bakeries.

My first piece covers media expert and author Daisy Whitney who owns her own company and published her first book in a series titled, The Mockingbirds. The feature explains how Whitney started her business in media and includes a review of her debut novel. The author also donated a copy of her book, which readers can enter to win in a sweepstakes. In fact, every woman featured is offered the opportunity to share her products or services with readers as giveaways to readers.

InterviewHer.com covers business owners in major cities like Miami, Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale and New York, among others. And, they are looking for new women to interview.

“We’re always interested in learning about exciting ventures and ideas but we can’t do it all on our own. If you are a fellow female business owner, or if you know of any trendy companies in your city that may not be on our radar, let us know!”

If you know a woman who founded and runs her own company, please help us support women in business and include your suggestion in the comments below, or contact InterviewHer.com directly.

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Women Shoppers Blitzed by NFL

Image By NFL.com/women

The NFL is all about the ladies this year, from selling team-branded gear at top women’s stores, to rooting out sexism within the league toward women sports reporters. And I have to say, these new efforts are totally a win.

Known as the ultimate boys’ club, the NFL is now reaching out to women and improving their image to include more equality. And, it makes sense, both men and women enjoy football and it’s smart to avoid alienating nearly half of your audience with sexist spats in the locker room, one-sided marketing and ill-fitting apparel.

Image By NFL.com/women

Did you know that 44% of NFL fans are women? Yep, that’s why the league is launching a $10 million marketing effort with television commercials and a new website at http://www.nfl.com/women. Though the campaign officially begins today, I was surprised to see Jets branded panties, tanks, flip-flops and other items at the Victoria’s Secret PINK store in SoHo this weekend.

When I came across this article about the new campaign, I realized this was a huge step for the professional football organization, yet it also seems like a no-brainer. I mean, football fandom is intense and people who love a team really want to show it.  Most women I know follow a team and support it by wearing shirts, sweatshirts and whatever else works for them.

I’m just glad they are finally making clothes for women that fit our shape, have cool designs and are generally more attractive without being uncomfortable, unrealistic, or overtly “sexy.”

Supposedly the league has thousands of new designs for all the pro teams and will be selling the products at over 3,000 stores.

Image By NFL.com/women

In an effort to gain some yardage in women’s interest, the NFL put together a Look Book with wives of football players modeling the clothes on the new website mentioned above. Plus, there are bios of each woman and webisodes in the “Beyond the Sidelines” section.

Now, I get selling a wide variety of products from apparel, to yoga mats and lotion, because everyone expresses their athletic zeal in different ways, but I’m going to be honest, I’m calling a flag on the phrase, “Who says football isn’t pretty?” What does that have to do with clothes that fit properly? In fact, a few of the phrases in the Look Book are a bit annoying, including one of the names for the tees, “Oil Can Flirt Tee.” Other than that, the whole thing seems pretty great.

Jezebel disagrees in some respects, asking the question: “What Does Football Have to Do with Lotion?” They think it’s stereotyping women’s behavior in the types of products they are branding, which is partly true, but I’d totally buy the lotion for a guy who’s a fan.

And, I get it, it’s fun to put festive lotions, soaps or towels in your bathroom on game nights or if you’re hosting a Super Bowl party — no matter the gender of your guests. I mean, it’s for decoration, it’s not a must-have like a T-shirt, but someone will totally buy it.

The National Football League has finally opened their eyes to the fact that women like football too, though it was motivated by money and not feminism, I’ll take this as a score for equality.

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Google Thinks I’m Gay

gmail-logo

My Gmail account thinks I’m a lesbian.

You see, I’d be totally cool with a human mistaking my sexuality because it’s not a big deal, but the fact that Google gave me ads targeted to a presumed sexuality is disturbing. Since when is my sex life remotely relevant to the internet?

I mean, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since Facebook has given me fertility and baby advertisements since I changed my status to “married.” And, since Gmail doesn’t know I’m married, but I have Google alerts for “sexism,” “feminism” and “women’s issues,” the email provider made a generalization that I have sex with women.

So being a feminist makes me a lesbian? Does that mean all lesbians are feminists? Wow.

You know, it’s too bad you can’t be a person concerned with issues that affect women without being forced into gender roles, sex and other labels. Why should anyone define themselves by their email usage or Facebook status? Targeted ads are another form of stereotyping.

Let’s be honest, these personalized ads are totally sexist. Why are my sexual habits even coming into play? When men change their status to married, do they get fertility and baby ads? I mean come on, as if my age, family and heterosexuality aren’t pressure enough to have kids, I have to deal with Facebook giving me tips on becoming pregnant, or Gmail encouraging me to come out of the closet?

So what if I have a Google alert for “sexism.” Yeah, people laugh when they hear that, but it’s informative and I need to know exactly what people are seeing, saying and hearing about the topic.

The truth is, both men and women should care about equality whether they read the news, set Google alerts, or pay attention to these subtle cultural niches, because in the end, it will affect them in the work place, at home, in public and in their families — if they are so inclined.

I understand ads are generated by calculated algorithms and these links pay for the free services I use, but there’s a big difference between sponsored ads based on my searches and ads that make assumptions about my personal life.

I don’t want anyone to be defined by their gender, where’s that preference in our Google account settings?

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Boot Season is Back

Frye, Sketchers and Guess Boots on VictoriasSecret.com

Labor Day has come and gone and Fall Fashion Week is upon us — all dressed up with tons of places to go for Fashion’s Night Out, the ultimate set of chic celebrations fashionistas adore. As I got ready this morning, excited by the thought of visiting shindigs across the city, I noticed that fall temperatures are here. So, I pulled out my boots.

That’s right, boot season is back and better than ever.

This year, anything goes — ankle, slouchy, studded, flat, stiletto or platform — the gang’s all here. To some, it may seem overwhelming with the possibilities. The fall fashion magazines and blogs are flooded with an amazing array of boots that we’ve added to the boot style file: from bold biker and bohemian, to the outrageous-over-the knee trend. How does a girl choose?

If you’re short, like me, you’ll probably skip the sky-high over-the-knee trend because that may be a little too Puss in Boots (a la Shrek) for the petite, but everything else is a go. And, if you haven’t guessed, fall is my favorite and it has a lot to do with the put-together looks that go along with such pronounced and polished footwear.

It has taken me a few years to build my boot collection and though it is small, I’ve thought a lot about them, read magazines and seen the eclectic styles walking down Fifth Avenue. So, now, here’s what I’ve gathered on keeping your autumn footwear staple up to date.

Chinese Laundry, Image by Amazon.com

First, buy a couple classic styles in two neutral colors, that way, every season, you have your go-to shoes that match everything in your wardrobe. If you want to buy something plain without many details, those boots will be timeless, but a buckle, stud, or two, won’t render them out by next year.

I also recommend picking up pairs that have different fabrics. If you buy all

suede shoes, you’re totally out of luck when rainy season hits, so vary the color and fabrics, for sure.  And, seriously, don’t buy fake leather to save $20-40. It may look o.k., but trust me — from my experience, they only last one season. Good leather can last a long time and can save you from having to buy another pair.

As for the style of the boot, go with what catches your eye. An interesting shoe can totally change the look of an outfit, go for something chic, especially if you already have two classic staples. I recommend trying an ankle boot, they are perfect for the autumn because they go well with pants, dresses, skirts and tights. Plus, they are a nice transition from your sandals and wedges. Ankle boots are more durable than pumps.

Image By Mod Cloth

There are two ankle boots I’m obsessed with right now. The first is a pair of suede boots from Chinese Laundry. They are very modern and also fit the classic code. However, for those of you on a budget, like me, who may also ruin suede from time to time by stepping in a puddle, these micro fiber boots are adorable. I found them on the Mod Cloth blog and they are very now — beige with studs (and you can’t beat the easy care of micro fiber).

Another good pick for boots are lace up styles. Whether they are flat, platform or stiletto, they all look fab with anything in your wardrobe. I’m wishing I’d held on to a pair of brown lace up boots from high school I’d totally wear them now. See, that’s another tip, don’t give away stuff unless it cannot be repaired. Lesson learned here!

Well, it goes without saying that you should make sure you select boots that fit with your wardrobe. There’s nothing worse than purchasing a beautiful pair you can’t wear because it doesn’t fit in with the style or colors of clothes in your closet.

Alright, that’s all I have on my beloved boots. Enjoy boot season because it won’t be long before you’re pulling out those sunny sandals again!

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Flashing Forward: Women in Media

Najahe Sherman, Image By Wikipedia.org

Recently, you may have noticed less posts on my blog. Sorry for the lack of writing, but I took an Adobe Flash animation and programming class and had some visitors that took up my free time. Since taking the course, I’ve learned how to animate graphics and create interactive content, but I also thought a lot about women’s  roles in media and technology.

It all began that morning in Flash class when I entered the computer lab at CUNY‘s Graduate School of Journalism. To my surprise, the class was filled with women editors, writers and publicists. In fact, everyone was a woman except for our instructor.

Given that this was “Flash for Journalists,” a course offered by Media Bistro that gives a basic knowledge of a technical skill, I felt proud that these women were defying the convention of two male-dominated industries: journalism and technology.

Even at lunch many of us commented on this unique situation that is contrary to what we know about the status of women in the U.S. workforce. We asked our instructor, the Director of Digital Media at Columbia University, if this was typical. He said men rarely take Media Bistro classes, no matter the topic.

Interesting.

Did you know that “women held only 25% of all new media jobs created from 1990 -2005,” but they made up 65% of all journalism and mass communications students?

And, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT): “In 2008 women earned only 18 percent of all Computer Science degrees.“

Preposterous!

The fact that there are so many intelligent women out there, yet so few in journalism and computer technologies is insane.  While some may believe women aren’t interested in these fields, I think the problem lies in a lack of encouragement, not disinterest or a lack of talent.

The NCWIT supports women in technology because it will increase competition, innovation and create a more stable workforce with diversity. They promote outreach, retention, curriculum reform, research, and leadership programs among K-12 students and at various companies. And, the organization is partnered with Microsoft.

I completely agree with the organization’s sentiment and goals, connecting young women to new industries where they’ve historically been limited is the exact thing we should be doing.

The fact that we can put robots on Mars, but cannot achieve equality in the workforce is just silly — this isn’t rocket science. (Speaking of which, we should get more women engineers too!)

I get so tired of seeing men dominate as journalists, running media companies, or as the leading technology experts. I guess that’s why it was refreshing to meet talented women in my Flash class. Maybe, with women like Arianna Huffington, Co-Founder of the Huffington Post, and Jehmu Greene, the President of the Women’s Media Center, leading the way, we’re moving toward some progress.

For those of you interested in women tech bloggers, articles and other websites at the intersection of the two mediums, below is a list, please add more in the comments!

The journalist picture above is Najahe Sherman, a reporter for NBC Action News and member of The National Association of Black Journalists and the Native American Journalist Association.

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