Workplace Wisdom...
Discover Fulfillment in Life and Work
with Michelle Y. Drake

Hey, gang!

I'm coming at you all the way from California today! I've been here since last Monday meeting with clients, catching up with colleagues like Dr. Helen (in Santa Rosa), and presenting at this year's Women and Technology Summit, hosted by WITI (Women in Technology International) at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara. I'm joining another colleague of mine, Ardice Farrow - founder and publisher of Wake Up Women - in two sessions at this conference: "Storytelling - A Powerful Leadership Tool" and "Developing the Natural Leader in YOU!" It's been so exciting and fascinating...I'll be sure to post about it when I return home to Connecticut.

In the meantime, I was doing my usual survey of today's news and was disheartened to see this headline in the Yahoo! Business section:

"Retirement Accounts Have Lost $2 Trillion"

"Ouch" doesn't even BEGIN to cover it.

By the time we reach retirement age or the point in our lives when we're ready to leave our professional careers and focus on doing all the things we never had time for, we rely on our retirement funds to finance us. We've worked hard, darn it, and we deserve to be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor, to travel, to relax, to buy a boat...to follow our dreams! But so many people contemplating retirement today aren't going to be able to do that because they simply don't have the funds to leave the workforce.

While there's very little we can do to control economical circumstances, there are mistakes that we can avoid making, to help ensure that our nest egg is healthy and ready to be cracked open when we retire.

I found this fantastic article on AllBusiness.com:

"Top 10 Retirement Planning Mistakes"

Here are the highlights of the list:
Top 10 Retirement Planning Mistakes

1. "Not taking advantage of time."
2. "Not investing regularly."
3. "Not taking full advantage of tax-free retirement accounts."
4. "Poor asset allocation."
5. "Not creating a post-retirement plan."
6. "Forgetting about your 401(k)."
7. "Cashing out or borrowing heavily against your 401(k)."
8. "Failing to consider tax and inflation."
9. "Relying too heavily on Social Security."
10. "Relying too heavily on your company's stock."

I would strongly recommend that you go to the article directly and read through it carefully as well as do your own research on the dos and don'ts of planning for retirement. Your ability to retire might just depend on it!

Labels: economic crisis, education, finance, news, public speaking, retirement, strategy

Remember a few weeks ago, I alluded to a brand new program that I was developing to help people get over their fear of public speaking (the #1 fear of most people!)?

Well, it's ready to roll, and I'm so excited about it!

Check it out for yourself here!

Knowing how to speak in public is VITAL to your success personally and professionally. Most executives that I know wouldn't be where they are today if they couldn't express themselves to their teams, their clients and their bosses. And the fear of opening your mouth in front of an audience - small or large - can be crippling to your career and your relationships.


My "Get Over Your Fear of Public Speaking!" video program shares my best tips for banishing those public speaking demons forever. As a professional speaker myself and someone who has met other amazing speakers, I've gathered a world of experience, tips, and tools that I want to share with you through this video program.

Read more about it here!

(The response to this program has been astounding! Don't miss your opportunity to tap into my professional speaking expertise and learn how to communicate confidently in front of any audience!)

Labels: career opportunities, career-advancement, education, entrepreneurs, leadership, overcoming fear, public speaking

Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention has people talking, and after seeing it, I can understand why. You gotta give her credit...what a fantastic speech and speaker! Michelle held that room in the palm of her hand! She knew that her role was to appeal to the women voters in the audience (both live and virtual)...the mothers, sisters and daughters and that is how she played her content and delivery. She knew she needed some female damage control...and she delivered.

The immediate connection she made with the women in the audience was, "I am someone you could chat with over coffee!"

The stories she told and the passionate and engaging way she told them really struck a chord. It was clear that although she was there to talk up her husband, she did so in a way that was personal and heartwarming - not cold and robotic, just spewing out facts about him. I admire how she embraced her roles as a wife, mother and daughter instead of shying away from them as so many professional women do. This woman clearly has a good idea of who she is and what role she would like to play as First Lady.

It was a brilliant move (and a crowd pleaser) when she...

gave props to her mother (and father), to Hillary Clinton for the "18 million cracks" she's made in the "glass ceiling", and to the generations of people who've come before us and how they paved the way, they are our role models, they've given us opportunities for success.

You know, I think Michelle would really like my book!

As a professional speaker, I examined her with a critical eye and found her to be an excellent speaker both charismatic and focused. She looked elegant, stylish and (most importantly for managing her image) approachable- great choice not to put on the corporate suit because it would've contrasted with her subtle message ("I am just like you").

The girl sure can tell a story: she clearly projected that her message was heartfelt and that she was passionate about it, but she didn't slip into being overly sentimental. Her words had just enough polish to be taken seriously, but enough tiny mistakes to make it personable as well . Her gestures and body language complemented her eloquence and grace. Although sometimes her pointing of the finger gave away a bit of her more aggressive side.

All-in-all, I give her an A for her speech and her presentation. I particularly liked her call to action: stop doubting and start dreaming; follow your hopes instead of your fears.

Call me, Michelle. We'll do lunch!

Labels: kitchen to corner office, leadership, Michelle Obama, michelle yozzo drake, mother's wisdom, news, professional image, public speaking

Well, after last week's whirlwind posting marathon during "Lipstick Leadership Week", I decided to lay low for the past few days.

In the interim, I've been swamped with coaching clients who are begging me to help them with their public speaking. Apparently, that old saying about public speaking being an even greater fear than death is true!

Now, I admit: even a professional speaker like me gets butterflies in her stomach before taking the stage and staring out into that sea of people. But then my adrenaline kicks in and my naturally talkative personality takes over. Unfortunately, that's not the case for most people.

I've heard horror stories from clients, colleagues and friends about how they froze under the spotlights (or even speaking to a smaller group in a meeting) and tripped and stuttered their way through their presentations. My heart goes out to them. (I feel the same way when faced with a situation where math is required!)

So a few days ago, I had one of those "aha" moments Oprah's always talking about:

- People need help with their public speaking.
- I'm a professional speaker who can also be considered something of an expert in getting over fears.


Eureeka!

I'm now in the process of developing a fantastic new video product and loads of special bonuses to go along with it. I can't wait to unveil it, and I'm hoping to have the finishing touches put on it next week!

Keep your eyes open, loyal readers, because you're going to be one of the first people I offer it out to. I'll post more details soon!

Have a great weekend!

Labels: career-advancement, leadership, marketing, michelle yozzo drake, overcoming fear, personal growth, products, public speaking, workplace-survival