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Jen A. Miller Consulting

Tag: Book Club

  • Mondays Don’t Have to Suck | A Guide to Weekday Activities

    Catherine’s guide to weekdays activities and a more socially rewarding work week

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    PHOTO: Courtesy of Pinterest.

    A couple months ago I shared my suggestions on how to craft the perfect weekend, but I am not one to live for the weekends. A couple years into joining the workforce, I came to terms with the fact that living for two days a week was a waste of 5/7 of my 20s (and 30s and 40s). Plus in a car-culture commuter city like L.A., you can go an entire day, week, month without encountering anyone you don’t work with. To compensate for the fact that I have to work for a living (that’s how I buy things…), I make a point of incorporating something to look forward to every day of the week. There are the obvious happy hour and dinner dates or the daily work-out sessions, but there are other ways to have fun without messing with your routine productivity. Here are five of my favorite not-so-obvious choices of weekday activities to break up your work week.

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  • Single Girl Reads: Lean In

    Catherine and Jacqueline discuss Sheryl Sandberg’s bestseller as it relates to generation Y, feminism, career decisions, and definitions of success

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    Catherine’s review: Well-written and well-researched. You may think that you get the gist from her TEDTalk, but there is so much more to Sandberg’s words. Thought-provoking and discussion inducing… A must-read for women as well as for men. I can’t wait to discuss with others who’ve read.

    Jacqueline’s review: Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In is kind of like a pep talk for women. She argues to believe in yourself, “lean in,” and trust you can have it all. I love how she asks, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” But sometimes it’s not that easy. However, we all could use a personal cheerleader every now and then. So that’s how I see the book, as a pick-me-up when you need a little push.

    Jacqueline and I got together over Google Hangout for a two-person book club discussion about Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. Despite the limited scope of opinions, Sandberg’s content prompted some disagreement and controversy.

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  • Single Girl Reads | Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In

    Join The Single Diaries’ first book discussion on November 29th.
    PHOTO: http://www.zenparenting.us/
    PHOTO: http://www.zenparenting.us/

     

    It was 1992. I was five years old, and we were camping with my dad’s side of the family. All the cousins my age were boys, and I remember overhearing the parents saying “Look at her, she’s the leader” as I marched the five of us in a line through the campsite. At school, I was no different; I took charge of the games for my friends at recess. It wasn’t until fourth grade that I realized “bossy” was not a compliment from my peers. From that moment on, I made a concerted effort to change my ways… to be nicer to everyone and to take a backseat socially. (For the record, that didn’t stop me from aiming high academically nor in student council, but I knew that I would never be the most popular kid.)

    “When a girl tries to lead, she is often labeled bossy. Boys are seldom called bossy because a boy taking the role of a boss does not surprise or offend.”

    In Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandberg dives into issues women face in the workplace as well as issues that younger generations encounter due to long-standing gender roles. Join The Single Diaries‘ first book conversation as I discuss Lean In with my good friend, Huffington Post editor Jacqueline Howard. Pick up a copy and read by November 15th to send in questions: in the comments section of this post, via Twitter tagging @SingleDiariesXO and #SingleGirlLeansIn, or via email leadingladies@toastmeetsjam.com. Sandberg writes “I am also writing this for any man who wants to understand what a woman—a colleague, wife, mother, or daughter—is up against so that he can do his part to build an equal world.” We invite our guy friends to read and join the conversation.

    We will post our discussion on November 29th, so don’t forget to come back to continue the conversation. We can’t wait to hear what you think!

     

    xo Catherine