Maria Shriver

Jenni Luke

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Blog Posts

• February 22, 2012

  

  Step Up: What it Means to Be a Professional Woman

  Follow @jenniluke

  Do you identify with the word ‘professional’? If you work in a large corporation, a small family company, or are an entrepreneur, the likelihood is that you would say ‘yes.’

  But what if you left your big corporate job to have a family and are now staying home with the kids?

  As the CEO of Step Up Women’s Network, it is my personal and professional mission to connect you to the professional women you need and the underserved teen girls who need you.

  I talk to many women who stumble over the word ‘professional’ and wonder if it still applies to them. Most are hung up on the fact that they no longer work outside the home.

  They talk to me about the big career they used to have and speak of their current role as ‘stay-at-home Mom’ almost apologetically.

  As a proud professional, I have trouble understanding this. Why would you all of a sudden lose your identity as a professional if you choose to stay home and raise children?

• October 20, 2011

  Tips for Transformation

  

  Business Can Be a Solution to the Dropout Crisis

  I was honored to be invited to the NBC News Education Nation Summit, held September 26-27 in Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. This was a gathering of over 350 of the top minds in education, government, business and academia as well as teachers, parents and students from across the country focused on what works and what doesn’t in education.

  It was an incredible two days featuring everyone from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and former President Bill Clinton to a New Yorker named Stephanie, who is a high school dropout struggling to get her GED and find a job.

• September 2, 2011

  Tips for Transformation

  

  5 Tips Professionals Can Learn From Back-to-School Season

  If you’re like me, no matter how long it has been since graduation, September means back-to-school time. The excitement of new experiences and challenges, combined with the shift to fall weather, bring a special focus to this time of year. How can you harness this energy and apply it to your workplace? Take these cues from the back-to-school milestones you remember for inspiration.

• August 16, 2011

  

  5 Tips that Ensure Your Staff Doesn’t Laugh Behind Your Back

  “Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”
  
  Though he no longer occupies NBC’s The Office, boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) will always hold a special place in our hearts, won’t he? Despite the fact that he always makes us smile, most “real world” bosses wouldn’t necessarily aspire to follow in his leadership footsteps.
  
  So let’s say you’ve hired your team and are confident you have the right people in place. Before you sit back and relax (yeah, right), review this list of five tips that ensure your leadership won’t remind anyone of America’s most beloved TV boss.

• July 12, 2011

  

  4 Things a U2 Concert Taught Me About Leadership

  Many think people are born leaders. I disagree. Leaders learn from the best and apply it in their own way. Often times, this means looking beyond your own industry for inspiration. It goes without saying that I am not a rock star. So imagine my surprise when last month’s U2 concert ended up making a lasting impression. As Maria Shriver (also in attendance) received a shout out from U2 on stage, I began to marvel at - and learn from - the leadership surrounding me. My four takeaway tips included:

• May 25, 2011

  

  5 Employee Qualities That Earn Raises

  Raises, especially in a challenging economy, are tough to come by. What is an ambitious-yet-discouraged employee to do? Adopt five qualities that make managers take notice, and you may find yourself receiving more than just a tax return bonus this spring.