Lean In - Actually, Fall Over if You Have To

I found Sheryl Sandberg's point of view to be perfect for a girl (or even guy) right out of college. The point Sandberg puts forth is definitely controversial, but something I think we should all consider before designing a career road map for ourselves (or at the very least, judging what Sandberg is saying).


I was actually told by someone (a very smart and extremely capable women) before I wrote this to be careful because people don't like feminists and my post may put me at a disadvantage professionally. But I really feel better about my future and my dreams after reading this book. I hope to encourage others to read it too. (And I wholly respect their opinions after reading it as well.)

For those not familiar with Lean In...

Lean In is a memoir/self-help book written by Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg. In it she explains with anecdotes from her own life and in depth research from sociologists and psychologists on how advances in womens' equality has stalled in recent years. The stereotypical stigma behind women in the workplace and men at home has stuck with our culture. Sandberg addresses workplace behavior, balancing having children with work, opting in for a promotion, and generally standing up for yourself as a women.

One point I found interesting was that women consistently underestimate themselves more than men. Sandberg points to a study that explains that women attribute their successes to "work[ing] really hard," "gett[ing] lucky," or "[receiving] help from others." While men attribute their successes to their own "innate qualities and skills."  She actually comes out with evidence to support that women have actually been guilty of stalling their equality in the workplace themselves.

The Push Back

Now I do understand everyone's arguments (I've even had to defend the book to my own father).

 - Yes, she has the resources to take risks and advance herself in the work place. Many women don't have an ivy league education to make the right connections and have a diploma worthy of a high brow job. Many also don't have the money to pay for  extra help at home or take time off to find their perfect job.

BUT there are different ways to "lean in," building the right connections and figuring out exactly what you want to do. My question is - If someone with the resources and support to "lean in" doesn't start the conversation, how will the women with less resources and support think that they could do it as well? It has to start somewhere.

- Many also have said that she is not fixing the innate problems facing women in the workplace itself. Instead she is putting the responsibility solely on women and that is unfair.

I agree that workplace regulations are not equal for men and women at all companies (ie. pregnancy leave, flexible work hours). I think Sandberg is encouraging women to change the problems in the work place. And where better to start than with yourself? If women don't address the problems facing them in the workplace who will? Like Sandberg states at the beginning of the book, it had never occurred to her to ask for preferred parking for pregnant mothers at Google. But when she did ask for it the problem was immediately solved. I do realize not everyone is fortunate enough to work at Google but the point is she saw a problem and had the courage to address and correct it.


(An Example of the controversy surrounding the book from ABC News, March 11, 2013)

What really hit me...

With all that in mind - I just wanted to share this anecdote from the book because (in my opinion) it's her biggest point that struck a cord with me:

"[Dr. Peggy McIntosh] explained that many people, but especially women, feel fraudulent when they are praised for their accomplishments. Instead of feeling worthy of recognition, they feel undeserving and guilty, as if a mistake has been made. Despite being high achievers, even experts in their fields, women can't seem to shake the sense that it is only a matter of time until they are found out for who they really are--impostors with limited skills and abilities."

"Everytime I was called on in class, I was sure that I was about to embarrass myself. Every time I took a test, I was sure that it had gone badly. And every time I didn't embarrass - or even excelled - I believed that I had fooled everyone yet again. One day soon, the jig would be up."

Until I read this I assumed I was the only one with this fear. Any girl I went to school with was remarkably smart and talented, but I'm starting to realize some of them must have had self doubt as well. Matter of fact, this feeling of self doubt is so common it has a name - the Impostor syndrome.

I realized I suffered from this horribly in college. It is only now that I have moved to a new city, surrounded myself with mentors and completely supportive friends that I have learned to take the plunge. I've slowly began to realize I am a very smart women, capable of doing anything I want. This is especially important to me because I work in an industry where men dominate, and if a women is around their role is administrative more than anything.

What I really want to know after writing this is --

Do you agree with what Sandberg is trying to say? And if so, how many of us are really holding ourselves back? Do we even know we're doing it? And if we truly weren't afraid of anything - what would we go out and do?

-----

P.S. I'm holding a "Lean In" discussion dinner via +Grubwithus in NYC. I invite anyone to please sign up I would love to have you! Sign up here

And of course, any questions please feel free to email me at ascaraf@gmail.com

6 Things I Wish I'd Known Back Then

You don't need to have perfect grades, as long as you know you did your best

One thing that took me a while to realize was you don't have to be perfect. You don't even have to be the best at school. You just need passion and you have to show it. 




While I was at Emory I got flat out rejected from something I applied to. I was absolutely crushed. This rejection meant I had to make a huge change in my school plans. I was really angry, but mostly just mad at myself. I mean who else do you blame?

So what can you do? I got so mad at myself I used that anger as my motivation. I rewrote my application with conviction I didn't have the first time around. Two months later I received an email saying they had changed their mind and would like to accept me. One letter was able to change someone's mind. How? Passion. 

You don't need to have an internship lined up for every summer by March

You don't NEED to work at a big company with a big name that recruits super early. It's ok to intern for some little no name company that has a great culture and an awesome mentors.
 



My Junior year of college I was extremely stressed out because it was April and I still had no internship. Then it was May...still no internship... I ended up hearing from a company in May and interned there for the month of June (BrightHouse in Atlanta, well known to the Emory community). BUT I also interned for a tiny, tiny social media marketing company call Otherside Group. Ever heard of it? Didn't think so. 


Otherside was small, but my boss was an amazing women (Emory MBA alumni) who mentored me, taught me the ins and outs of social media marketing, and ended up hiring me for the following semester as her community manager. She is now Director of digital and social media at Syracuse University and is always willing to meet up or answer a quick email (time allowing) and I haven't worked for her for over a year. 

You don't need a job when you graduate as long as you have a plan of action

• Step 1: Try not to freak out, yes I know all your friends have jobs and you are going home to sit on the couch and watch Boy Meets World re-runs (you think!)

• Step 2: It may be cringe worthy, but don't be afraid to apply for internships before you graduate

I actually took an internship instead of a job when I graduated. I worked at an ad agency (mcgarrybown in NYC). This was a phenomenal internship for someone yearning to do advertising. Most importantly it gave me a chance to see if advertising was what I really wanted. 


Come to find out, advertising wasn't quite for me. But how would I have known if I didn't do a trial run first? My greatest fear is ending up with a job I don't want to wake up for in the morning. And it's not that I hated advertising there were just other things I knew I'd love more. 

You don't need to keep doing a job you hate just because you "need a job in this economy"

• Ok, yes this economy sucks, but don't make yourself depressed just because you need to adhere to some social protocol 

• Constantly iterate. I do this every few months: What am I doing right now? Is this making me happy? If not what can I do to change it? Learn a new skill? Try a new industry? (Am I right jcap? Learn more about his story here)

I know too many people that dislike their job. People my parent's age and kids just out of school. I've never had a "real" job, but I have worked at 5 different places in the past 2 years. I have been able to iterate in my short career easily. I just kept in contact with people from different industries and let them know what I was looking for. As my father says "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."

You don't need to freak out that you're moving back in with your parents (I know, this one took me a while)

• It's frightening. Staying in your old room with old photos of your high school friends you haven't talked to in 4 years (note: I still talk to my high school friends often)

• Plus its so weird to live with people that actually expect you to clean your room and be responsible for things around the house

I came home after my internship with mcgarrybowen with no job in sight. That week, I spent with my parents hiking, white water rafting, walking around Lake Placid and generally enjoying the Adirondacks. (If you need a relaxing place to go for a long weekend, I highly recommend Ampersand Bay Resort & Boat Club on Saranac Lake). Use the time home to recharge and dive back in to the search with a fresh face and new determination. 

You don't necessarily need to show up to an interview in a suit and write a perfect cover letter or thank you note to get noticed by an employer.

• Sometimes you have to be a little unorthodox in how you apply to places

• In the past months I mailed a scrapbook, drew photos, presented projects and more for interviews. Think outside the box, show you really want that job, and you'll get noticed.

Like I mentioned before I've worked at 5 different places in the last 2 years. I'm at my 6th job and have finally figured out what I want to do. It took a lot of time. I jumped from classic marketing to social media to social media advertising to digital advertising. 

Ultimately, I landed on something I enjoy at a company that is unlike any other I've worked at. The experience at GroupMe is amazing and although I eventually have to leave, I know exactly what I want to do going forward because of my time here. (I could go on and on, but my experiences from GroupMe can, and eventually will, fill up another blog post.)



If you get nothing from what I'm telling you and just scrolled to the bottom, at least pick up on this last point:

Do what makes you happy. If something isn't making you happy, figure out how to fix it. Then go do it.

Thoughts on your own experiences? Message me @ascaraf

For those Ambience junkies out there - Hoppit

Ok, so new app crush -- this time on Hoppit. Haven't been this excited to use an app since Foodspotting (many of my friends will know what I mean). I first learned about the app here.

I was fortunate enough to meet the founder, Steven Dziedzic recently. He's so passionate about his product I had to share with everyone one of my new favorite apps!

Currently Hoppit is available on iOS and Android, as well as online (hoppit.com) for New York, Brooklyn, San Francisco, Chicago, LA, Boston, Seattle, DC, Dallas, Portland, Austin, Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and San Diego.

Now we know there are several restaurant finding apps out there. Yelp, Google Places, now even Foursquare....

But once you actually search these restaurant there's bunch of mumbo jumbo descriptions, several page long menus, countless reviews and no efficient way to sift through the information. Then you realize you've been staring at your computer screen for the last 30 minutes when you were supposed to be straightening your hair and getting ready (just me?).

Business meeting? You don't want to be at some dim lit tappas bar. Drinks with friends? Probably don't want to end up at a standing room only deli down the street. Hoppit is a game-changing app that delves into the heart of your restaurant search...ambiance.

The app is quick and easy to use.

• Type in what you're looking for (Dinner, quick bite, coffee, etc.)
• Add your location...
• What kind of place you're looking for
• Who you're with
• Price
• Noise Level

(apologies for the wacky screenshots) 

Currently Hoppit has added four new vibe searches, including coffee, brunching, business, and kid-friendly.

The results map has a beautiful UX that makes it simple and easy to see pictures of restaurants and view their atmosphere/Menu highlights/etc.

Hoppit curates choices in your area based on people's reviews of restaurants. The words most commonly used are associated with certain spots. When you search for specify categories matching restaurants will pop up.

I'm sure there's a lot more interesting things ahead for this startup. I'll be excited to see how it all goes! Check it out and let me know what you think @ascaraf or in the comments below!

Startup Lingo

Another long hiatus, but I'm back in New York. This time trying out the tech at a startup called GroupMe. I feel like people either know GroupMe and LOVE it or have no idea what I'm talking about. If you are the latter refer to my previous post GroupMe Brings Group Messaging to a New Level.

But before delving into the great world of tech I want to inform you of some words I was unaware of before the likes of GroupMe employees, my friend John, and a Dwolla Hackathon. These are not words you learned in Business School...

(Disclaimer: These are my own personal definitions I did not confer with Webster on this.)

start-up: As a broad interpretation, a company that is in just the beginnings of its life. A company that just got it's start, probably seeking some kind of venture funding, and has a predominantly online presence. (For instance, I don't consider the new distillery in my hometown a startup since it's more a brick and mortar venture contained to Utica.)

hack: If you're not in tech maybe you think of a unknowledgeable professor or a gory horror movie you saw last weekend. In tech, hacking is improving upon something. Whether this is coding during a "hackathon" or tactics to living a more meaningful life. A "hack" is an instance where you see opportunity for growth/success and act on it.

boom: This word is completely useless in my opinion. But I have found it is sometimes used ironically or as an understatement. ie. "I just closed that deal! Boom!" or "Actually, they IPO-ed in 2002 not 2000, boom!"

badass: Now I don't feel I need to explain to you what a Badass is. It's the same awesome, accomplished, driven person you're thinking of in tech or otherwise. 

ping: Possibly derived from the days of common Blackberry use, to "ping" someone is to message them. That's it. Just contact then in some way, either by mail, text, direct message, whatever. 

hustle: This means working really hard, being scrappy, getting shit done, etc etc. Don't confuse this with illegal activity. Hustling is something every single employee at a tech company does because without it, they don't have job. 

grind: This is in reference to the daily work someone does during the week. Although in the past I feel there were negative connotations with it, I've never heard it voiced with any melancholia.

crush it: To be completely successful in your endeavors whatever they may be.

bandwidth: I've also encountered this word a lot while working at an ad agency. Most people think bandwidth has to do with your internet connection. In this digital age, bandwidth has been adopted to describe how much time you have to work during the day. 

run point: Love to hear this. It mean you head this project up, or you guide everyone along on this strategy. You're in charge, make the most of it (that last part is my personal definition)

So...if you ever run into these words or phrases you will now be prepared. And if anyone wants to dispute one of my definitions, tweet me @ascaraf with the specific word. All of these are up for interpretation. 

​

Is Cash Dead or just in Critical Condition?

In the past year or so the mobile payment industry has really boomed and many of us don't even realize. I mean my parents don't even have a debit card!

But there's a lot more going on in this space than just PayPal. Everyone is jumping on the mobile payment bandwagon, including the big guys like Mastercard and Visa. Mobile payment (by my definition) is anyway someone can pay for a good service with their phone, whether that's with an NFC chip or through the cloud (through the internet via a phone's data plan).

(What's NFC? It stands for Near Field Communication. Basically its a secure element either built into a phone or into a SIM card that can be detected by a reader.)

Basically there's a lot going on in this space and it's really a matter of seeing who will win out in the end. So in order to weed this mess out I've come up with a quick guide to the mobile payment space:

Square

Dorsey with the Square Card Reader (CNN Money)

Launched: By Jack Dorsey (Co-Creator of Twitter) in May 2010
What is it: Square is a small white credit card reader that attaches to the top of anyone's smartphone. Square has also developed an app that works as a cash register on a tablet. In addition, they have a free Pay With Square app that allows consumers to pay a vendor without removing their phone or wallet from their pocket.
Cloud/NFC: Cloud
Pros: Square was the mobile phone card reader pioneer, so they have the first to market advantage. They've garnered enough capital to actually advertise on TV, not just by word-of-mouth (which they relied on originally).
Cons: Competitive landscape is tough. Right on the tail of Square are companies like PayPal and VeriFone. Also if telecoms decide to limit data packages, many smartphone users may not be able to use Pay With Square effectively. (This is because the phone needs to recognize they're near a Square register with "location services.")

LevelUp

LevelUp custom smartphone reader and hardware (CNET)

Launched: March 2011
What is it: An app that consumers can use to pay for their purchases. The app generates a QR code representing their credit card information that can be scanned from the phone.
Cloud/NFC: Cloud
Pros: Anyone with a smart phone can use this app. LevelUp is also not reliant on NFC, or any other physical chip technology.
Cons: Not many vendors use the LevelUp technology. In addition, not many consumers know about/use their LevelUp apps.

Venmo

Venmo App New Feed and Payment input (CNN Money)

Launched: March 2012
What is it: An app that people can use to pay each other back. Users enter in their credit/debit/bank account information and simply send the amount they owe their friend.
Cloud/NFC: Cloud
Pros: Easy way to pay back a friend without having to go to the ATM for cash. There is also a social news feed on the app so user can see who their friends pay and why.
Cons: This is not used to pay merchants, just other consumers.

ISIS

ISIS app scanned by a regular card reader (austinist)

Launched: Trial delayed from August 2012 to around October 2012 in Austin, TX and Salt Lake City, UT
What is it: A joint venture app between AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile that allows a user to store all there credit cards (only Barclaycard, Amex, Discover, Chase) and pay with their NFC enabled device
Cloud/NFC: NFC
Pros: One consistent app used by most major telecoms.
Cons: There have been several delays on the launch of ISIS, possibly due to the telecoms having to work together (something that these companies don't do very often.)

V. Me by Visa/PayPass by Mastercard 

V. Me app w/regular card reader (gigom)

PayPass app w/regular card reader (techtorial)

Launched: V. Me August 2012 in UK, France, Spain/PayPass July 2012 in US, UK, Canada, Australia
What is it: Separate apps for each major credit card company that would allow a user to pay with their Visa or Mastercard through their NFC enabled phone
Cloud/NFC: NFC
Pros: Supported by a major credit card companies with BIG followings (note: Square was also funded by Visa)
Cons: Reliant on NFC enabled phones, which is a small minority of the smart phone market

Google Wallet

Google Wallet app w/regular card reader (CS Monitor)

Launched: September 2011
What is it: Originally an app only available on Sprint phones for Citi Card users. Plans for "Wallet 2.0" include NFC and Cloud capabilities as well. Currently the wallet accepts all major credit/debit cards (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, Amex)
Cloud/NFC: NFC
Pros: First to market with NFC technology used for mobile payment
Cons: Limited market since only Sprint NFC enabled phones can use the service

Apple Passbook

Apple Passbook with Starbucks Loyalty Card (Apple)

Launched: September 2012
What is it: Built into iOS6, users can store boarding passes, movie tickets, retail coupons, loyalty cards, and store cards in the passbook. The current iPhone6 doesn't have NFC capability and there is no mibile payment capability with the Passbook.
Cloud/NFC: Cloud
Pros: Tackles the actual idea of a "mobile wallet," not just "mobile payment."
Cons: Cannot actually use the passbook to pay for anything at point of sale.

GroupMe brings Group Messaging to a New Level

The first time I used GroupMe was at school last year. The group messaging service allows people with all different kinds of phones to seamlessly message each other on one SMS thread. Users can opt to text from the app (like below) or have all messages sent to their SMS like regular text messages.

So in addition to this really useful service, that students to professional groups to families use, GroupMe came out with a new product in July... 

So wouldn't it be awesome to go online, pick an event you want to do with friends, have all of you pay online before hand, and then go to the event without ever taking out your wallet? That's what Experiences does! So cool right?

Borrowed this image from the Experiences site 

Experiences is an event planning service that provides you with a wide variety of choices from a salon day with the girls to an open bar at a New York City Club. GroupMe organizes the outing and one person invites others to take part through email, GroupMe messaging, or social media. Everyone enters their credit card information and once the amount of people for that specific Experience has been reached, everyone is charged. Right now they are in a invite-only private Beta, but should be releasing the product to the public very soon. 

The Experiences homepage for New York City

Sound like a great way to get together with friends quickly and easily? Check out the site and sign up so you can see when they launch! https://experiences.groupme.com/

Federer's got Nothing on the US Open's marketing team

Finally after 4 years of going to school in Atlanta I was able to make it to the US Open this year! Last time I went it was 2007 and I was starting my senior year of high school. Needless to say I don't remember the Open being quite as sponsorship laden or exciting. Although we did have great seats for the Murray 4th round match this year....

View from our Seats on Ashe

So first off, I'm thoroughly impressed with the US Open social media that they updated constantly through the games. I honestly have not even needed to watch a single match on TV live. Between live streaming online, constant Twitter updates, and the US Open app, I'm totally set (no pun intended).

The feed at the top of the app gives you live updates of the score. Then below that you can view the whole score with live and completed games. You can also buy tickets, go to the aforementioned social networks, and get profiles on all the players. You can even choose which players you want to be updated on. For instance my photo just sent me a message telling me Djokovic's match was suspended due to rain. :(

You'll also notice that some of the buttons are sponsored by American Express. Out of all the sponsors I have to say American Express definitely takes the cake. Their branding was EVERYWHERE! They had information booths for fans to pick up their own radios so they could keep up with matches on other courts.  They also had special foursquare and Twitter offers for people who purchased merchandise with their Amex's at the event. 

Other sponsors included:

• Emirates, a High High End Airline, showcased their first class cabins and passing out much needed fans (it was soooo hot!)
• Chase: I have a special place in my heart for Chase but aside from ATM booths and branding on the court I was unimpressed. 
• Starwood Hotels: Any Starwood Preferred Guest could pick up an exclusive gift from their booths and they had bicycle trolleys for SPG members to ride in back to their cars. 
• Official Alcohol of the US Open? There were 3... Grey Goose Vodka, Heineken, and Moet Champagne, all of which were available for purchase (see below)
• Panasonic: Offered their new LUMIX camera out for rental during the games
• Mercedes: showed off their new cars as well as a really sexy chrome concept car (someday!), they also had a virtual "game" where fans could serve and return in front of a camera, the photos were then sent to you online. No one seemed to be lining up to try it out though.
• Shopping: Lets not forget every ball boy/girl was decked out in Ralph Lauren! There was RL, Lacoste, and Tiffany& Co. stores for fan's shopping pleasure
• Evian: The only water sold at the Open. Although they kind of creeped me out with their advertising leading up to the Open... 
• Other sponsors that didn't make much of an impression? J.P. Morgan, esurance, Citizen Watches, IBM, Xerox

Weird Evian "Live Young" Ad

Champagne booth, although I only saw one woman walking around with a flute...

My friend Marissa and I with our Grey Goose "Honey Deuces"

(Signature Cocktail of the US Open? The "Honey Deuce" made with Grey Goose Vodka, lemonade and Chambord, garnish with two little "tennis ball" pieces of melon. I'm 21 don't worry they carded me!)

Maybe I'm just out of touch with sports events, but I thought that the sponsorships followed by the digital integration of the games was spot on. I haven't seen the NFL/NBA/PGA Tour doing anything like this, but please tell me if they are! I'd love to know how other sports associations are marketing their games!