Drink Like a Lady Podcast

We are ten days away. Members of my Samita Lab Mastermind head to Tuscany for the annual retreat. All 8 are giving a Tedx style talk on a NYC stage November 16th. The retreat is a time for deep reflection and writing time to flesh out the message each will leave the audience. Afterwards, I return to Florence to host a VIP Day.  I'm excited to take my one on one client to the Roman Baths.  I'm delighted to do yoga at sunset, overlooking the Duomo.  However, the most important place I wish to take her is to Michelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze.  Audio here.I'm fascinated by Michangelo's story. Since he was 17 years old, he was obsessed with the human form since he was 17.  How would he carve the human body in marble, stone or any other material if he didn't understand the dips and the connections of muscles. He would steal away to the morgue in the local hospital to study the cadavers in the morgue. However, his father was poor and had serious doubts about Michelangelo's ability to make a living as an artist. He wanted his son to go into business. Michelangelo would lie to his dad, saying he was commissioned to sculpt this statue or that in order to get the project. It wasn't that he wasn't getting commissions, but perhaps not for the florins his father had hoped. In 1501, Michelangelo lobbied to take a crack at sculpting something from an abandoned 17 foot piece of marble. It had been lying fallow in the Duomo's backyard, baking in the Mediterranean sun, doing a whole lot of nothing. Two artists had started and failed.  Michelangelo was convinced he was the man to create something magnificent from it. When finished, David was placed in the Palazzo Vecchio, with much fanfare and celebration. It was a symbol of Florentine independence and spirit. When asked, how Michelangelo created this magnificent piece of work, he replied, "I removed everything that wasn't David." This is the message I want to share with my client. Often, women leaders want to talk about EVERYTHING they are qualified to talk about. We are spending her VIP Day, going through a series of exercises to find out THE ONE thing people she will be known for. The thing I notice women forget is that your ONE THING, needs to be repeatable. If you are writing an essay or a laundry list every time someone asks "What's your one thing?" it's not repeatable. Its not repeatable nor clear for someone to put you up for an opportunity.  She and I will figure out this ONE THING and then forge a content plan and calendar to position herself as a thought leader around it.Coming to Italy is a huge big step.I can take one more client in Florence. Join the waitlist here.Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

I run the Samita Lab Mastermind for women leaders. All eight are working on building a powerful personal brand in 2023, culminating in them giving a Tedx style talk on a New York City stage on November 16th (I've applied for the official Tedx license.) I can't think of a quicker way to build a personal brand than having to get on a stage in front of 200 people I never met and give a talk from my zone of genius. It's like personal branding, put on steroids. The fear is real. When I first announced to the group they were doing this, two flat out said, 'no.' There is the fear of being judged or not taken seriouslyThere is pressure to perform, present or speak in a certain wayThe Imposter Syndrome is real. Women doubt their own qualifications or ability to speak on a topic, even if it is in their zone of genius.I want to acknowledge and address these in order for all 8 to confidently and authentically deliver their TedxTalks November 16th.One of the exercises they will be doing is called "Your Life is a Wealth of Knowledge" from a book by Lawrence Block's book.  Block hosts seminars for people suffering from writer's block. He designs weekend seminars to get folks  'get out of their own way.' One of his exercises is called:YOUR LIFE IS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGEWomen love to tell me, "Who would listen to me?" or "What do I have to say that hasn't already been said."  Aha. But there in lies the gold. A recent attendee of my April event spent 22 years as a corrections officer at Rikers Island. In her retirement, she decided to launch a business: A luxury perfume, made in France, and retailing for $200. Okay, there are literally thousands of perfume brands peddling their wares to the world. ChatGPT tells me so. However, there is only one person who can tell a story of functioning as a woman at one of the highest security prisons in America. And only one person that can connect the dots between a very 'masculine life' to her decidedly feminine offering now.Most think that public speaking is about confidence. I think public speaking is about the other C word: Courage. It takes real courage to dig deep inside and tell those personal stories. A student in my Public Speaking Masterclass was interviewing for jobs and couldn't get past the first interview. For weeks, we had been working on digging deep for those personal stories. She just couldn't get there. In week 4, we had a breakthrough. She told a story about being homeless as a teenager.  She said, she didn't want pity, or handouts. More than anything in the world -- she wanted options. The secret: She suddenly started to showing up more authentically to her job interviews. Today, she not only has a new job she loves, but got a 15% pay bump from her previous role.So this is the exercise: Listen to the audio to hear it.One Public Speaking TipIf you regard everything you do as groundwork for a story you may tell someday, you might be inclined to pay more attention to it. What's the story you could tell from this day?For anyone who may have a heavy heart with all the violence in the world, I share this TedxTalk. Matthew Dicks talks about his nightly habit of reflecting on his day in a journal. At 6:00 minutes in, he talks about a paradigm shift that resulted from engaging in this habit daily.I do this each night. Write reflections on my day and what I'm committed to being tomorrow. Sometimes it's a list. Sometimes it's just words. Today, it will be a story, because I did something that lights me up.Take a listen at 6:00 minutJoya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

Why ParisI first went to Paris in high school. It was a chaperoned trip of London, Paris and Spain.I remember arriving in Paris, with a pocket full of English pounds jingling in my pocketNow I was fussing with francs. We were kids. A woman had an ice cream cart and we all bum rushed her, asking for the flavors. I picked vanilla. I was still fumbling with my change and I guess I gave her the wrong number of coins. My little high school brain was still trying to convert dollars to francs. She was channeling the Seinfeld soup nazi guy long before that character existed and said in brash French “NO ICE CREAM FOR YOU!” I knew that because promptly dumped my pint sized vanilla cone back into her bin. I didn’t get ice cream that day, but the experience didn’t dim my verve for the City of Lights. I’ve been back every year for the last few years. My partner works for a firm based in Paris, so the annual summit of managing directors brings us to the city. I also host events for my women’s leadership platform there a few years running.  Paris gets the label ‘the most romantic’ city in the world. I think that’s the Disneyfied, American point of view. To me, what makes Paris romantic is the architecture. When I walk the streets, I marvel because Paris stands in spite of something. Not because. General Dietrich von Choltitz was in charge of the German forces in Paris during WWII. He had razed many a city before.  Hitler was a point where he was losing ground, and so he knew Choltitz was his man to issue this order: Raze the city of Paris. Destroy the Eiffel Tower. Destroy Notre Dame. Burn 65 bridges to rubble.  Choltitz chose to disobey. He was wracked with remorse, and chose intead to negotiate a ceasefire with the French Resistance. As a result, Paris was spared. The city we see today, stands because someone dared to defy.It aligns with my own story. I grew up with traditional Indian parents who had very tight script for how I was going to live my life. And I wasn’t having any of it. I left home at 18. I have alot the life I”ve designed today. The business I’ve designed today, because I dared to defy them. Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

In this audio you will get, How I come up with event ideasHow to get high quality attendees (and low drop out rates)How to add value on the spotOver the last 10 years, I’ve built a business mastermind with an element of adventure. My mission is to help women build a powerful personal brand.I help both corporate women and business owners tell better stories about themselvesI am the founder of the Women’s Leadership Lab.My portfolioI am the founder and CEO of the Women’s Leadership Lab, a 12 month business mastermind with a goal to build a powerful personal brand, culminating in a Tedx style talk on a NYC stage.I work with women seeking a promotion to the C SuiteI work with business owners who need to tell better stories to get clientsI work with women to pitch to investorsI work with former executives launching consultancies I work with artists looking to command a higher price point in the market, by telling better storiesI help women land their TedTalkMy results1 Got the job with a 15% pay bump1 got the promotion to the C Suite with a 10% pay bump1 built a $50MM real estate fund1 said ‘yes’ to live television interviews1 got her first check for her startup from the community1 went from commanding $500 to $5000 for her art9K followers on LinkedIn8K followers on Instagram5K followers on FacebookIf you want to learn more about how I built this, you can download my 8 stepsGo here: https://joyadass.lpages.co/how-to-build-a-powerful-personal-brand-and-how-i-did-it/If you want to explore 1:1 coaching or consulting, you can go to my website.www.joyadass.comJoya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

In Season 4 of the Drink Like a Lady Podcast, we have focused on how to kickstart the process if you need to lay out strategy. We also shared how that strategy worked at Spanx and Amazon. In this final episode of Season 4, we offer up SIGNS that you are, in fact, a strategic thinker. And steps you can take to make your strategic thinking skills BETTER.HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE A STRATEGIC THINKER?Here are some signs that you're a strategic thinker:Spending time in self-reflection: If you frequently find yourself reflecting on your work, completed tasks or experiences that you wish had gone differently, then you likely are a strategic thinker. One of the characteristics of strategic thinkers is reflecting on events and experiences and then using that knowledge to impact your future performance.Asking a lot of questions: Strategic thinkers try to understand context and avoid problems that could arise ensuring everyone involved understands what they need to do and why. Strategic thinkers ask questions about why an issue is important, what key factors led to a decision, what outcome is most desirable and who it will impact.Compartmentalizing distractions: If you are a strategic thinker, you likely are effective at compartmentalizing your responsibilities and minimizing distractions to focus on whatever priority is most relevant and highest.Setting regular goals: Strategic thinkers often set performance goals for themselves in order to continue progressing professionally.Demonstrating decisiveness: Strategic thinkers understand the importance of being decisive in their decision-making. They efficiently gather information and then make a decision based on that information. They recognize that reaching decisions and being decisive takes both knowledge and confidence.Welcoming to feedback: Another sign that you're a strategic thinker is that you are collaborative with others and open to feedback in order to improve your abilities.Enjoying helping others: Strategic thinkers often enjoy helping others to perform at their best and achieve their fullest potential. They recognize that it's important to help everyone overcome challenges in order to reach company-wide goals.Planning long-term career goals: If you are someone who regularly imagines where you will be professionally in one or even five years and begin taking the steps to get to where you need to be, then you likely are a strategic thinker.Here are the steps you need to take to further develop your strategic thinking skills:1. Pause and reflectThe first step you need to take to improve your strategic thinking skills is to commit to slowing down and spending time reflecting on a situation. To ensure you do this regularly, you may want to schedule time each day or week to actively spend time just thinking. 2. Gain experiences and ideasTry to gain new experiences whenever possible. Visit new places and meet and have conversations with new people. You could even just take a different route home after work or visit a new part to stimulate your mind.3 Discuss ideas with people who think differently than youIf you need to resolve a problem, bringing together people who are extremely different, such as creative people and technical people or introverts and extraverts, can be extremely useful for generating new ideas.4. Make Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

In this episode, we share two lines of questioning you can use to become a more strategic thinker. We use Spanx as the case study to illustrate both schools of thought.PART ILook for solutions, not problems.When she wanted to find manufacturers to make her prototype of her shape wear, all she could find was men making hosiery.She, her mother, and her friends personally testing the garments. This was innovative at the time, as the industry did not test products with people. Blakely's research revealed that the industry had previously been using the same size waistband for all hosiery products to cut costs, and a rubber cord was inserted into the waistband. For her product development, Blakely created different waistbands to suit different-sized consumersRuthlessly prioritizeShe wasn’t going to go door to door like she did selling fax machines. She knew she needed to get into department stores.Blakely had a meeting with Neiman Marcus Group, at which she changed into the product in the ladies restroom in the presence of the buyer to prove the benefits of her innovation.[9] Blakely's product was sold in seven Neiman Marcus stores as a result of the meeting;Spending time in the stores where your product lives will not only let you pull sneaky marketing maneuvers, but it will also let you learn directly from customers about what’s missing in your market.Do some research and find out what podcasts, television shows, publications, social media platforms, and events your target demographic is into. Sara’s top media priority was Oprah, so she sent the TV mogul a gift basket of Spanx to get her attention. Don’t be shy about sending samples of your product to your favorite podcasters, Instagram celebs, or journalists in the hopes that they want to review it.In 2017, Sara invited her friends to take pictures of themselves skiing in Spanx. In your notebook, label a page “(Kinda) Crazy Marketing Tactics.” Come up with at least 10 out-of-the-box marketing ideasBe Willing to Take Risks.Sara decided to patent Spanx early.  Use Packaging to Stand outSpanx’s packaging shone in bright red—and the color alone subsequently became a form of advertising. For inspiration, go on a recon mission to the types of stores that might carry your product. Take a good long look around. What packaging trends do you see? More importantly, what do you not see at all? Write your observations down and look for a packaging niche you can filListen to and Recruit Others' Perspective.She met Laurie Ann Goldman at the Saks Fifth Avenue in Atlanta in 2001, while she was on maternity leave from her employer at the time, Coca-Cola. Goldman was specifically looking for a Spanx product, and the pair exchanged contact details—Goldman became the CEO of Spanx in 2002.Goldman crafted a business model for the company based on lessons she learned during her 10-year stint at Coke: thinking big, starting small, and scaling fast. She advised her team at SPANX to focus on product quality over profit margins. Free Yourself from Execution.Just 2 weeks ago, founder Sara Blakely sold a majority stake in Spanx to Blackstone, valued at $1.2 BilionPART 2Question 1: Why should I care about this problem?Market opportunity: The number of women was on the increaseJoya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

In EPISODE 8, we take a deep dive into Amazon’s business model. The company started out selling books. But that was a beta test for everything else it could sell online.We look at the company's strategy to sell everything else and how it keeps customers in its ecosystem.We leave you with questions you can ask yourself about your business. What can you do to become indispensable?WHERE AMAZON STARTEDJeff Bezos started Amazon with $245,000 from his parents, in his garage. It launched in 1995 as the world's largest bookstore. But books were simply a beta test for Amazon's sales infrastructure and business model. After conquering the book business, Amazon realized it could feed more than paperbacks into its incredibly efficient sales network. Bezos believed in always be evolving.1. Figure out what your customers crave.Amazon's initial work with book sales helped it recognize that people cared quite a bit about getting goods as quickly as possible. This realization helped Amazon as it began to offer different products. It recognized that the delivery logistics involved were just as important as the quality of the goods it offered. Figure out what truly matters to your customer base, and adjust your business model to address those needs.2. Create Unexpected ValueDelight your own customer base by solving problems they never knew existed. Pinpoint a shortcoming that people generally accept as a cost of doing business -- slow delivery, a lack of options or a lackluster review system -- and explore potential ways to eliminate those stumbling blocks. Once Amazon solidified its logistics based on one product category, it began to implement its model to other verticals.3. Satisfy every customer. Lesson here is that if your company can meet a basic human need (and do it better than anyone else), you're in solid shape to carve out a substantial customer base.4. Pivot into things you makeUntil the Kindle was introduced in November 2007, Amazon sold stuff. It didn’t make anything. But Bezos knew that ebooks wouldn’t take off without a sweet device on which to read them and an online store to make purchasing them easy. First-mover status does not necessarily guarantee that a company will lock up an entire category, but it worked for Steve Jobs, and Bezos was confident it would work for Amazon.  Today, Amazon maintains an estimated 60% of ebook sales This pivot into hardware, while surprising at the time, also helped usher in Amazon’s whole cloud computing initiative, because like Apple, Bezos wants to lock in customers into his ecosystem. Purchase ebooks, music and now movies from Amazon, store them in Amazon’s cloud, play them on Amazon’s device and, with a nod to Microsoft’s Windows strategy, if you don’t want to buy a Kindle you can use Amazon’s Kindle app on your iPad.More than merely wanting to sell as much stuff as they can to the most people, Amazon strives to become so ingrained in people’s lives that they can’t imagine living without it.Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

We take a look at companies with successful business models and companies who successfully pivoted their business models. We share questions you can ask yourself as a leader if you think you need to make a pivot too? COMPANIES WITH SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MODELS When they were founded, they didn’t have rivals. Apple: Valuation in Trillions is 2.2 Founded in 1975. Function and design can co exist.Amazon: Valuation in Trillions is 1.7 Founded in 1994. Reliable delivery of any item you want.Facebook: Valuation in Trillions is .9 Founded in 2004. Worldwide connectivity.WHAT DID THEY HAVE IN COMMON?They had recurring revenue streams (subscriptions) or recurring trafficThey didn’t make a one time sale of a physical product. They build a long-term client relationship.They tailored solutions to create value for the customer and more profit for themselves.Kathie's STORY: While working at WSJ, and then consulting with multiple companies, we concentrated on LTV (Life Time Value) for our customers. Segmenting out those customers who would bring added value, allow for increased products and services, allowed companies to positively contribute to the bottom line and grow their businesses competitively.NETFLIX SUCCESSFULLY PIVOTED ITS BUSINESS MODELMailing DVD’s to pivoting to an online streaming serviceWhat did it do for the customer?Made it more convenientEnabled impulse purchasesEnabled access to recent best sellersGave customers access to a large back catalogVOD serves customers better than brick and mortar stores.  Why Streaming Video Beat Rival Models:Monthly subscription fees = recurring revenueLower cost to operateCost to Customer (2007):§  Streaming: $0.25§  DVD by mail: $1.25§  Video Stores: $2.24QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK YOURSELF ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS MODEL  Is what got you here, going to get you there?Are you agile?Does your team have the authority to experiment with new configurations?Are you investing in capabilities for the future?Don’t design a completely new competitive position. Can you support entrepreneurial activity in house?Rather than fix the current operation, can you undergo a one time change-management process to execute a different strategy.How do the elements impact each other? How are you testing the hypothesis, experimenting, learning, and taking action? The faster a firm cycles through the process, the more effective it will be in the marketplace.LOOK AT YOUR COMPETITIONWhere are the hot trends?Where can you create value? Look at their business model.How attractive are you in the industry? How are you positioned?How are you realizing and implementing? What is the outcome?And then you “re-loop” the continuous improvement on the strategy.QUESTION: CEOs of mature companies should ask themselves, “When did our annual strategy process last generate a truly breakthrough idea?” like ride-sharing or mobile banking or even “streaming as we discussed above”?These higher-level strategic programs must be owned and championed by the CEO.TO RECAP: HOW CAN YOU ASSESS A PIVOT IN YOUR BUSINESS MODEL?Have clear direction and allow time for experimentation/innovation in houseDedicate time to a change in Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

Let's talk about benchmarks. Better known as KPI's. These are the 10 or so metrics that will be used to track progress. We also talk about how to talk strategy to team members so they can execute on the HOW. STEP 1 THE LANGUAGE FOR SHARING STRATEGY WITH OPERATIONSCOMMUNICATE GOALS AND MEASURES to your team leaders and/or team membersTURN STRATEGY INTO TARGETS. You want to set the goals that convert the strategic objectives into specific performance targets.THINK BIG PICTURE IMPROVEMENTS.  Strategies help the business improve the way it operates and set new goals, as opposed to goals that simply improve or fix what the company is already doing.WHAT IS AN EFFECTIVE GOAL. It states the what, when, how, and who. They are SPECIFICALLY measurable.SHORT TERM ACTION ITEMS. They should address what you need to do in the short term (1-2 years) to achieve your strategic objectives.WHAT IS A RESULTS STATEMENT? These are outcome statements expressing a result expected in the organization. They are issued annually. They are specific, measurable, attainable, responsible and time bound. STEP 2 SELECT THE RIGHT KPI’sWHAT IS A KPI Metrics that track and measure an organization’s progress toward its strategic objectives. KPIs tell a story about how well a company is performing.INDUSTRY KPI As a Senior Executive at Macy’s, when working at the individual store level, each of the departments had their % increase in sales measured against the following: the store's performance. The region's performance. The corporate's performance. The Goal…always to outperform any of the above metrics.KPI= BETTER DECISIONS   Leverage these metrics to pivot.KPI= ARE OBJECTIVES BEING MET? A KPI measures a company’s performance against its primary objectives. High-level KPIs focus on a company’s overall performance, while lower-level KPIs focus on departmental processes, products, and productivity.10 KPIS are sufficientKINDS OF KPIS. Revenue and net profit margin.Customers- satisfaction or customer churn.Operations- time to market and average order fulfillment.Talent Management metrics- workforce retention and turnover.Leading-predict what may happen in the future.Lagging-reflect past results, measuring the aftermath of actions.STEP 3 THE LANGUAGE FOR SHARING STRATEGY WITH TEAM MEMBERSLay out the short-term goals organizational goals and measuresSelect the top 5-10 KPIs that will be used to manage the performanceUse your SWOT Analysis to Set Priorities and create tractionEvaluate the options you have prioritized and identify the ones that create the greatest benefit and to best achieve the mission and vision of your organization.STEP 4 Define the Long-Term Strategic Objectives                                            Create Annual Milestones. ...Create a Year One Operational Plan. ...Monitor Regularly at Board Level. ...Adjust Accordingly.EXAMPLE: Amazon's primary goal: link the digital and brick-and-mortar shopping experience in order to be part of every single purchase made.A short-term strategy includes a detailed action plan: what  platforms will the marketing appear (TV, radio, print, social media). Who will carry out the strategies,  budget, profit, etcJoya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

How do you road test your strategy? How do you poke holes in it to see if it can stand up to the market forces? In this episode, we are going to share how to do a SWOT Analysis.1. START BY ASKING ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.How do we create sustainable growth?How will we diversify our revenue streams?When I was in the wholesale business in fashion, it was always a challenge to not put all of your revenue growth into one retailer. (Or eggs in one basket as we would normally say). Many times, we have a single retailer who begins to take up a lot of our production, leaving us vulnerable to an unexpected “pull out” or their own economic limitations that may impact you. Diversifying your customer base.How do I adjust margins and costs to stay competitive?How do I innovate?2. DO A SWOT ANALYSISCollect competitive intelligence. What are the opportunities. What are the threats from your competition?  How does it impact your own strategic offering. With your ears and eyes to the information being conveyed through customers, media, etc.STRENGTHS- Ask yourselfWhat do you do well in sales, marketing, product innovations, data capture and analytics as well key leadership?What are your core competencies?What differentiates you from your competitors? The standout word that anyone will refer about you.Why do your customers buy from you?WEAKNESSESWhere do you lack resources? People, talent, skills etc.What can you do better or should outsource?Where are you losing money, or your margins are nominal?What competitors have an edge over your current strategy and infrastructure?OPPORTUNITIES What’s possible? What can you bring to market? What is it that you want to capitalize on?What do you have in the way of internal knowledge, resources, and capabilities to optimize?Can you run with this? Can you optimize part of the process whether it is technology, product offerings, global reach, or marketing.WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF TARGET CUSTOMER. And how can your brand meet those needs?Customer segmentation and targeting is critical to developing your strategy and understanding the overall needs and lifestyle preferences that you will serve. What needs or wants define your ideal customer? Utilizing surveys of current customer makeup will show gaps of fulfilling those needs.What characteristics describe your typical customer? In my past brand building and strategic planning, I would have the teams create a Brand Persona- Give them a name and describe them so that we can bounce the strategy off of that persona for clarification.Are there different profiles based on needs, wants, and characteristics? And do they align differently with each of those characteristics while remaining true to the umbrella persona?For the segments of the target customers, are there clear communication channels and platforms to reach a large, targeted audience in that segment?THREATSINTERNAL THREATSLack of talent in the areas of perceived expansion.Lack of bandwidth to deliver the product/services that make up the opportunity list.Lack of cohesion in an organization for delivering the product or belief in the strategy and time implementation plan.Lack of motivation to meet the plan or those individuals who continuously say “What’s in it for me?”EXTERNAJoya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

Let’s say you  are ready to think strategy, how do you get started? In this episode, we will talk about the steps to take and much of this is shaped by Kathie's time at the Wall Street Journal to build up the Lifestyle Brands division.THINK STRATEGY1. To Get Started You Will Need to:Plan your teamCreate a ScheduleGather documents, data, and information for decision-making 2. Establish a TimelineMost productive strategic planning sessions take 3-4 months on the average.Make sure that the process moves along at a pace that allows you to not just “Check the Box” but to actually believe that you are accomplishing your objective(s)3. Invest the Time Needed1-2 Weeks (1 – 1.5 Hour Meeting with CEO/Owner, Strategic Director, and facilitator to discuss process, information collected and direction on how often you plan to revisit the strategy and reassess.4. Questions to Ask the Planning TeamDo they have the right answers or ability to envision a different outcome than the current path of events?Do they have the time to dedicate to this endeavor?Do they have the skills to pull information together and create a concise strategic plan?Who will lead? Will there be a strategy Director or special task lead? You absolutely need to have a point person to guide the entire process.Fast forward 12 months from now, what do you want to see differently in your organization as a result of embarking on this endeavor. CREATE A BRAND PLAYBOOKESTABLISHED ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE TEAM MEMBERS. 1 day meeting dedicated to this. Key functions were data operations, marketing, customer service, finance and analytics, and advertising.ESTABLISH TIMELINE FOR BRAND BOOK.  Decide what will be used internally and externally? (with Brand partners). This took 2.5 Months  including the interviewing of potential brand partners.DATA COLLECTION/MEASUREMENT. We used current planning information and established a feedback loop to continuously get data.  Customer service ongoing demo and psychographic studies  BUILT A BRAND BOOK. Hired outside consultants to create logos, fonts, how to’s, the brand’s tone of voice, positioning statement and brand story, emotional connections of the brand to our customers, voice, tone, and the right and wrong way examples on how to use our brand. COMMUNICATIONSPlanned Introduction Meetings for Internal StakeholdersList of those departments/brands that we needed to meet.Calendar meetings and availability of the top interactions to optimize brand expansionReconnecting via a brand intranet site.Formalized strategic plan with the use of the following information:The last strategic planMission, vision, and values statementThe Business Plan for moving the numerical and financial goals forward.Historical financial data with explanations of the new plan and how to’s.After reviewing all of the data we took a look at:Emerging trendsAreas of weakness or specific strengths Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

 Currently, only 63% of individuals take the time to “strategize/plan” for the future of their organization or their team.In this episode, we will explore WHY we don’t strategically plan? What is strategic planning? WHY DON'T WE STRATEGIZE?We have to look forward and not focus on the current situation.It takes imaginationIt is using a different set of skills that is based on the “belief” that you can reach your vision and a new future.We do not understand the POWER of strategy and therefore, do not see it as the powerful tool that it can be when used systematically.WHAT IS STRATEGIC PLANNING?1. It provides a sense of direction and outlines measurable goals.It helps to prioritize efforts,  allocate resources,  ensure goals are backed by data and sound reasoning It guides day-to-day decisions, tracks progress and informs when its time to make change.2. Strategic planning is an evolving process—not a one-time meeting. In a study of HBS graduates who started businesses, 93 percent of those with successful strategies evolved and pivoted away from their original strategic plans.3. Strategic planning can come out of crisis or unexpected events. When we run into unanticipated opportunities and threats, we have to respond. Sometimes we respond successfully; sometimes we don’t. But most strategies develop through this process. 4. Strategic planning requires time, effort, and continual reassessment. BENEFITS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING1. Have one vision. Have several 'sub visions'Create a single vision, make everyone aware of your company’s goals, how and why those goals were chosen, and what they can do to help reach them. Make sub visions so a manager doesnt make decisions on a team level that counteracts the bigger goals' efforts.  2. Discover where the bias lives?Here are examples of what bias looks like. Examine where they may lie in your organization.The tendency to select the option presented most recently because it’s fresh in your mindThe tendency to assume the most obvious decision to be the best decisionThe tendency to select options that allow you to think, feel, and act in familiar ways Confirmation bias. When seeking to validate a particular viewpoint, it's the tendency to only pay attention to information that supports that viewpoint. Enlist others with differing views and opinions to help look for information that either proves or disproves the idea.3. Track Progress using KPIsCreate metrics that measure to find out if every level of your organization is aligned. Pivot your KPIs as goals shift and communicate the reasons for changeQUESTIONS TO ASK UNDER PRESSURE & MAKE GOOD DECISIONSDavid Robinson, author of "The Substance of Leadership," wrote 7 questions to lead Marines and teaching them to make good decisions under pressure.1. Is this a decision that I need to make now?2. Did I consider the context and constraints?3. Did I get the right people with the right expertise in the room?4. Did I accurately frame the issue and encourage debate?5. Did I collect all of the relevant facts and consider all aspects Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

In Season 4, Episode 2 of the "Drink Like a Lady" podcast, we talk about how to improve your decision making skills as a female leader.The focus for Season 4 is "How to Think Strategically." Strategy and decision making are close cousins. In Episode 2, Meghna Shah, Director at PwC and a member of my Women’s Leadership Academy,  leads teams and is client facing. She speaks from her experience, on what makes for GOOD decision making skills. 1. Not all decisions are created equalUnderstand the types of decisions being made and consider the severity of impactKeep it in perspective Have the Right Mindset | Be Solution OrientedAsk yourself, "What are you trying to achieve?" or "Does this action help solve the problem? If this problem is solved in this way will it get e closer to my overall objective/outcome?"Always have your OKRs - the big objectives and key results you are want to achieve, close at hand. Take Action | Avoid "Analysis Paralysis"Make a planSet timelines"Observe don’t absorb" It’s not a "Till Death Do us Apart" decisionReview decisions periodically to see if the original need is being met/resolved Cast a wide netHave a wide variety of acquaintances - working with new people, colleagues improves teamwork and active listening skills and activates a different side of your brainTalk to experts in the field. Diversity of thought is key. If stuck - Rest and RechargePower of exercise - movement brings momentumSleep on itYou can listen to all 4 seasons of "Drink Like a Lady" at https://joyadass.com/podcasts/or on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music.Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

It's Season 4 Episode 1 of the Drink Like a Lady podcast, designed to get you, as a female leader, a seat at the bar and a seat in the boardroom. This season, we are focused onHOW TO THINK STRATEGICALLY as a woman leader. I'm joined by guest host Deb Boulanger, The Great Do-OverStart with the end in mind - how does your initiative connect to the strategic goals of the organization?What are the potential benefits of this initiative if successful? Can you cite other use cases or similar challenges/approaches in other companies?Who are the key stakeholders involved in this decision? What do THEY care about?What is your business case - pros and cons of each approach - give leaders choices. What are the associated risks / benefits?Framing your presentation - Take a McKinsey Approach - Create your Hypothesis and use data to tell a storySeed the room by pre-socializing your idea with key stakeholders so that your presentation is just a formality to get approval.Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

American entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn said  "Your level of success will rarely exceed your level of personal development." With the demands of family, work, kids, home schooling,  self-care and personal development gets siloed to the back burner.What if we flipped the paradigm?What if we worked harder on ourselves?So when we do show up forImmediate FamilyExtended familyWorkSide hustlesKidsWe show up with our best-selves. We're more *effective* as leaders.Imagine that.In episode 11 of Drink Like a Lady, our final episode of Season 3, we talk about the steps you can take to reinstate self-care ---and what it looks like.Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

As women leaders, we can't blame ourselves for the stories in our head. Some of those stories  have been whispered in our ear by our grandmothers, parents and reinforced by our community.  According to a recent study conducted by the United Nations, 50% of the world's population believes men make better leaders. In some countries, 70%  believe men deserve a job more than women do. Even though its like turning around the Titanic, we have to start somewhere. In this episode of Drink Like a Lady, we share 5 ways to start telling ourselves different storiesWhat does it mean to 'want' versus 'will'What actions steps are you committing to?How are you building that self awareness muscle?How can you expand your story?What are they saying about you when you're not in the room? You should knowJoya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

Each week, business strategist Kathie (De Chirico) Stuart and I host the "Drink Like a Lady Podcast," designed to help women leaders get a seat at the bar--and a seat in the boardroom.In Season 3 Episode 9, we talk about the 6 tips to help women leaders get the best performance out of their teams as we transition back to the office.1. Make space to lead. Make space for learning. 2. Be able to anticipate and get ahead of problems. 3. Communicate, communicate, communicate4. Keep the team goals in mind, Help them see the big picture5. Role model values and encourage feedback6. Have vision. Be decisive.Kathie: (18:21)Well, they can. There's the email [stuartkathie @gmail.com]. I love that. So I don't have to spell Stuart and Kathie are two names that are often this spelled based on how I do it or directly at my, um, line number, which is (609) 933-7600. I forgot what my number wasFor all other episodes, go to www.joyadass.com>PodcastJoya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

In Season 3  Episode 8, we talk about transitioning back to the office. Emotions are running high Some are still working from home. Some are back in the office. Some are resisting coming back to the office. Culture is difficult to maintain with a hybrid schedule.When so much change is in the air,  it's easy to lose your cool.  In this episode, we walk you through eight tips to keep a calm as we transition back.1. Build that awareness muscle2. Set boundaries3. Keep things simple. 4. Delegation5. The "football post-mortem"6. Manage expectations7. Offer feedback8. Manage yourself. Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

In Season 3 Episode 7 of the The Drink Like a Lady Podcast, we talk about  7 tips to optimize stress for top performance.KNOW WHAT STRESS ISstress is a hormonal jolt of adrenaline and cortisol brought on by our nervous system to deal with actual or perceived threats.The calm that ensues after stress allows us to tap into our decision-making brainChronic stress is the pathway to burnout. Our stress-response capabilities expand when they get “practice.” 2. KNOW YOUR STRESS TRIGGERS AND OTHERS' STRESS TRIGGERSKnow yourself as to your stress triggers,Become aware of stress triggers for others on your teamWhat this did immediately was energize me for those tough conversations with others who also needed to be “redirected” into different responsibilities- more in line with what their less stressful and superfluous responsibilities.3. HOW TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH YOUR STRESS TRIGGERSAsk yourself some key questions.During your work week, how often do you feel well rested?How often do you feel totally engrossed in your work or in a state of flow? How long do these periods last? And what time of day or night do they occur?What are the biggest sources of stress in your life?How do you cope with stress? Do your coping mechanisms energize you or deplete you?How often do you recognize your stress in the moment vs knowing that you are through that stressful period of time?Locating and describing your stress is a process of discovery and the more you learn the better you will live through your own stress response. 4. HOW TO RECOVER FROM STRESSCreate Conditions for Rest and RecoveryBlock time for deep workReduce distractionsTake a break from videoconferencingLearn to say no.How much of your life are you enjoying? Laughing.5. HOW TO BUILD IN RECOVERYBefore the pandemic, we had built-in pauses- our commute, the wait in the elevator, business trips on an airplane, time to briefly chat with others as our workday unfolded. All of these (and more) offered cognitive recovery. Now we must plan them consciously. Here are some tips for creating those recovery periods AFTER the pandemic.Take micro breaks during the dayMake sure that sleep is a priorityExercise regularlyEat better and drink lots of waterSocialize outside of workUse the time immediately after a stressful situation to reflect and consider the behaviors for recovery that work…and those that don’t. Other choices to minimize stress are to stick to a predefined work schedule and create “end of day” rituals that make sure that you especially know when it is time to “turn off” and reenergize – creating space for you to be able to optimize future stress related situations.6. HELP OTHERS MANAGE STRESSObserve teams and individuals and their own stress cues.Are the norms that have been created in your teams and company- are they conducive to minimizing stressful situations OR allowing for periods of recovery, learning recaps, and energizing for the next task at hand.Meetings…do they energize your teams or are they just another time sucker?Be clear about work times and expectations – respecting those of others. (Understand that no one can be in “crisis mode” every day.)Since we spend more time virtually, it is important to look for signs of burnout and critical loss of prJoya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com

In Season 3 of the The Drink Like a Lady Podcast, we are focusing on what we learned from the pandemic and where the growth opportunities are. This as the conversation turns to recovery. In Episode 6, we will be discussing the most inviting of leadership skills for the post-pandemic —creating PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY for employees.The benefits of creating psychological safety is agile teams and the ability to adapt quickly.  IDENTIFY BURNOUTSigns of “burn out” includeBecoming more cynical with timeEverything that occurs gets to be a big deal or seems to be a big deal.Feelings of uselessness or not purposeful are discussed openly.Depression and anxiety are now commonplace and identifiable.Excessive use of alcohol and drugs becoming more recognizableHaven’t use their time off, vacation, or taken sick days when needed NEXT STEPS: Create the right climate for open-minded thinkingDeveloping positive mindsets. Create safety in risk takingRole model behaviors such as compassion, respect, and support – starting with the individual.Positive team climate is the #1 driver of psychological safety and occurs when leaders demonstrate supportive, consultative behaviors, and then this is when the real power of leadership folds into the mix of management and leadership.  A shift In leadership style that work is key: The traditional command and control leadership is no longer key to success. In fact, this form of style is detrimental to psychological health and well-being.Here are some key metrics on the positive relationships of leadership behaviors and their outcomes:Authoritative Leadership- -.08% impactConsultative Leadership- +.54% impactSupportive Leadership- +.33% impact 6. Using a combination of the consultative and supportive leadership styles shows that the POSITIVE TEAM CLIMATE impact is +.77%Consultative leadership solicits input and considers the teams views on issues that affect them.Supportive leadership has an indirect effect by helping to create a positive team climate, ie “What do you need to meet the objectives set out for you?"All of these behaviors encourage team members to support one another…mirroring the executive leadership’s behaviors. It all starts with a catalyst…and that is from the top down. YOU are or can be that catalyst!Joya is currently enrolling members for international (Europe) and domestic (NYC) strategy days. She also leads a year-long intensive mastermind of C-Suite level women, which is accepting applications for 2024.https://www.joyadass.com/info@joyadass.com