Tag Archives: EMC Women’s Leadership Forum West Coast

Getting Back In The Game

I believe that women represent a tremendous, untapped resource that has produced and will continue to yield huge returns for organizations and the communities they support. Through the power of women’s entrepreneurial activity, we create growth and prosperity while driving solutions for business and social problems. We, in partnership with men, are now a driving force of entrepreneurial growth and leading real, fundamental economic change that is reshaping the world. That’s why I said YES, when Johanna Wise invited me to be the morning keynote at the inaugural Connect•Work•Thrive Conference.

Sheryl Chamberlain and Johanna Wise Connect Work Thrive Conference Founder

Sheryl Chamberlain and Johanna Wise Founder of Refresh Your Career: Connect Work Thrive

“The goal of the conference is to provide job seekers, who are returning to work after a career break or looking to make a career change, with practical tools and advice to better market themselves in the fast-changing Bay Area marketplace,” said Refresh Your Career: Connect•Work•Thrive Founder Johanna Wise. The conference target audience is men, women and employers.

I was joined by fellow keynote speaker Vivian Steir Rabin CoFounder iLaunch who said “The longer you’re away from work, the more you need to determine whether your interests and skills have changed. For those who weren’t terribly happy in their jobs before they took a break, this is all the more important. For those people, the break is a gift.” Vivian is the co-author of the acclaimed career reentry strategy book Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work and the co-founder of career reentry programming company iRelaunch. iRelaunch’s signature product is the iRelaunch Return to Work Conference, which has attracted nearly 3,000 attendees across the US and in London. After attending Vivian’s workshop it was clear Vivian inspired Johanna, me and all the lives she touches.

Vivian Steir Rabin Co-Founder iRelaunch

Feedback from Brenda Bernstein, Founder and Senior Editor and event speaker, “My favorite moment of the day was in my Traversing the Resume Gap workshop. I put a section of one of the participant’s resumes up on the screen and asked for feedback from the group on how he could better leverage his experience as a “stay-at-home dad.” The feedback and suggestions from the group were amazing! Spot-on and exactly what was needed. This exchange was a testament to the quality of the attendees. I hope they are able to continue to support each other into the future!” Brenda Bernstein is the Author of the Best-Selling e-book, How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile… and 18 Mistakes to Avoid

Brenda Bernstein Author

Participant at Sara Ellis Conant session titled Having it All: Combining a Meaningful Career with the Relationships You Desire said, “I loved your workshop yesterday on “Having it All”. The presentation really resonated with me as a working mother with a beautiful six and two year old and constantly feeling torn between two worlds. I am not usually a tactile/visual type of person but I am planning on filling a jar with my priorities (rocks and pebbles) and putting it in my home as a reminder to listen to my heart and also to bring me back when things get out of balance.”

Sara Ellis Conant

Before speaking at the program Karen Burke, Director of Connect•Work•Thrive Public Relations interviewed me about my personal brand and qualities employers are looking for in their job candidates, why collaboration is key to a successful and fulfilling work, life, and the focus of my upcoming keynote entitled, “Burnish Your Brand – Using Your Best Talents More Often”.

Sheryl Chamberlain Interview with CWT (Connect Work Thrive)

CWT: What do you hope will be your presentation’s key takeaways for conference attendees?

A: There are many ways to be a successful leader in the world. By giving examples of leaders, some of whom are not well-known [have not had the spotlight focused on them] who achieved success by executing against their vision, I hope to inspire audience members that they too can make a career doing something they love. Essentially, burnishing, or polishing, your brand will provide the path for you to be more successful more often. I also want to encourage attendees to use their success to help the next generation of leaders and innovators.

CWT: What is a “personal brand?” Are there any specific “brand” qualities employers are looking for when hiring candidates in today’s job market?

A: My brand is being an agent of change. In every situation, I think creatively to develop new solutions to problems and, at the same time, engage leaders from every level in the organization as partners in the plan. To do this, I combine business acumen and process to execute on strategic initiatives while fostering trust and building partnerships. I routinely involve myself in multiple work streams while staying focused on my individual objectives and delivering results. A big part of my brand is providing support and development opportunities for members of my team and my partners, and recognizing them for their contributions.

Today organizations are looking for individuals who are not afraid to challenge the status quo, but understand they must be part of the solution. While it is important to have a social media footprint, it must be one that adds value to you and your organization. I would add, learning on the job is acceptable as long as you have positive energy and fresh ideas.

CWT: In the past, you have talked about the importance of collaboration and developing a community to achieve success in both work and personal life. Why is this important?

A: My good friend Kare Anderson, Emmy Award Winning Journalist and Forbes columnist is committed to building a world that is better together, one of our shared passions. When we live a life where we work together with and for each other in our work, personal interests, and social life, we will live better, more impactful lives. Results can be achieved in three ways:

Sheryl Chamberlain and Kare Anderson

1) Use our best talents more often

2) Grow your circle of friendships

3) Be part of something larger than ourselves while recognizing the possibility and power of unintentional allies.

CWT: As a successful corporate executive at EMC Corporation, what gets you most excited about coming to work every day?

A: I get up every day, knowing I have two jobs: 1. Identify new opportunities for creating local and global communities of leadership and innovation and 2. Lead Industry Standards and Open Source Strategy in my role within the Office of the CTO. Together these two passions give me the energy and drive to come to work for EMC every day.

CWT: Can you name some men and women who have inspired you throughout your career?

A: I am surrounded by amazing executives at EMC, VMware and VCE many of whom have held out their hand of support freely. They include Pat Gelsinger, VMware CEO; Frank Hauck, VCE President; Joel Schwartz, EMC SVP; Dan Campbell, EMC SVP; Helene Barnekow, EMC SVP. But when I consider the work I have done in the community, there are two people that stand out: Rayona Sharpnack, Founder & President Institute for Women’s Leadership and Linda Alepin Founder and CEO Global Women’s Leadership Network and 2013 Eleanor Roosevelt Fund Award Winner Both of these women have committed their lives to changing the world and have created leadership programs to train and support women to achieve ground breaking results.

Linda Alepin, Eleanor Roosevelt Award Winner

Linda Alepin, Eleanor Roosevelt Fund Award Winner

This past week I had an opportunity to reflect on the power of this conference, and impact on the employers and attendees. Employers which included EMC Corporation, Stanford Graduate School, Bain & Company, Yale Silicon Valley Club, and Gleam had an opportunity to share successful back-to-work approaches in today’s job market while networking with on-site with local firms. Additionally, Pam Fox Rollin delivered a session called “Onboarding Executives: Grasping The Opportunity to More Senior Teams Forward”. Pam an Executive Coach, IdeaShape regularly facilitates senior leadership team workshops shared tips from her book 42 Rules for Your New Leadership Role.

Johanna met her goal to provide job seekers, who are returning to work after a career break with practical tools to better market themselves in the fast-changing Bay Area marketplace. But most important attendees had an opportunity to:

Assess personal skills and determine applicable careers
Address the gap years on a resume and during job interviews
Determine necessary job search resources and how to leverage them to get a job
Maintain confidence during job search and dress for success
Identify and reach powerful job networks

Employers attending Pam Fox Rollin’s session

I look forward to staying connected to this community led by Johanna Wise, while helping men and women get back into the game, finding employment, and refreshing their career.

You can learn more about this Johanna Wise and Connect Work Thrive by going to these links: In The News, About Connect Work Thrive, Sponsors, CWT on Facebook .

Burnish Your Brand, Using Your Best Talents More Often

Women of EMC Celebrate International Women’s Day With Their Favorite Quote

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On International Women’s Day the women of EMC connected and shared their vision of women’s leadership. I have to admit I started the dance, but it was Annie Mclure that ended it with her energetic quote: “Deliver life gloriously experiencing everyday firsts!!!”

It isn’t often you get an opportunity to deliver rapid fire global emails on the topic of women’s leadership during a busy work day. But the passion was high and the exhange powerful. Here are some of the amazing quotes created on the fly and found in personal journals.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“Take time for yourself. Plan for longevity.” Leslie Rourke

“Your difference makes a difference.” Stephanie Lubrano

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” Maya Angelou

“We are born to live, not to prepare to live.” Tammy Merrill

“Coming together is a beginning, Keeping together is progress, Working together is success!” Jennifer Axt

“There is no too for development more effective than the empowerment of women” Kofi Annan

Care more than others think is wise,
Risk more than others think is safe,
Dream more than others think is practical, and
Expect more than others think is possible.
An African proverb

“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” Diane Mariechild

“It is difficult being a full time working mom but if there is a will to succeed in both arenas, there are ways, just a little more sacrifice on our part. We women are known for our perseverance, sacrifice, and the ability to multi tasks.” Jessica Huynh

“Because you are alive, everything is possible.” Thich Nhat Hanh

“Appreciate the women under your skin”

“Live………….Love……………Laugh!” Millicent Madison

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?” Marianne Williamson

“A leader take people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be!!” Rosalynn Carter

“Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.” Sherry Rothfield

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” Karoline Ross

“We can do anything that we set our minds to – Don’t let anything stand in your way.” Michelle Green

“You can tell the quality of a leader by those who choose to follow.” Tsun Tsu

“Women who behave, rarely make history.” Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

“Life is too important to be taken seriously. Cheers!” Teri Goldy

“ring out their better side so they see and support yours, and ‘we” accomplish greater things together and for each other than we can on our own + more http://www.sayitbetter.com/quotes/” Kare Anderson

“If you educate a man, you educate an individual; if you educate a woman, you educate a community.”

“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.” James Oppenheim

“Live everyday as if it is your last …” Suzanne Rainwater

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” Helen Keller, author, political activist, and speaker

“Being a woman is to be a princess on the 20’s, a queen on the 30’s, an empress on the 40’s and special the whole life through.” (unknown author)

“A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” Eleanor Roosevelt.

“I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.” B. R. Ambedkar

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” Maya Angelou

“We never know how high we are
Till we are called to rise;
And then, if we are true to plan,
Our statures touch the skies.” Emily Dickinson

“Find your passion, whatever it may be.
Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen
FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.” T. Alan Armstrong

“Life is like a day at the market, you have to go home at the end of the day, whether your basket is full or empty.” So live life to your fullest and believe in the possibility of the impossible.” Geetha Prabhukumar

“People like what they know; they don’t always necessarily know what they like.” Art history professor Dr. Toni Sepeda referring to art, but SO applicable to technology!

“Your Significance is not in Your Similarity to Others, but in Your Point of Difference.” Donna Williams

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.” Lauren Thatcher Ulrich

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain” Anonymous

I love this quote because it reminds me of just how strong I am, how much we as woman have overcome and how much strength I can look around and gather from so many other strong woman around me.

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Live every day to its fullest and appreciate what you have, not what you want.” Maria Mathios

If you are not being treated with love & respect, check your “price tag”. Perhaps you have marked yourself down. You are the only one who tells people what you’re worth by what you accept. Bottom line – Get yourself off the “clearance rack” & get behind the glass where they keep all the “valuables”. You are highly VALUABLE and one-of-a-kind!” Tena M. Paparelli

“Time and trouble will tame an advanced young woman, but an advanced old woman is uncontrollable by any earthly force. “ Dorothy L.Sayers
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“What I was impressed here is that this quote has multiple connotations and tries to advocate people to be not plain followers but to create new paths and drive the way. Meaning, LEAD through Transformational Thinking which is very much aligned to EMC Vision of 2012 and 2013 namely Transform Yourself, IT and Business and Lead to take more share.” Ms. Madhu Bindiganavalae Manjunath

“If you obey all of the rules, you miss all of the fun.” Katharine Hepburn

You’re Awesome by Tammy Ward
The nurturing, caring, mother..the passionate,
Exciting vamp..the romantic dreamer
The playful child. The determined go getter
The loyal friend all these woman
And more are you

Acknowledge and treasure each one
Give each of your inner women time and
Opportunity to surface, for each has
Wonderful things to offer and make you
So lovable.

Make time for nurturing and passion and
Romance. Follow your goals and let nothing
Stop you. Find opportunities for friendship
And fun. Respect all your inner womanly strengths and values.

Be proud of these things, for together
They create one truly AMAZING WOMAN.

“Just as EMC is leading customers’ transformation, women are leading a global transformation enabling companies to innovate through collaboration and communication.” Sylvie Otten Sollod

I asked GOD for a Flower,
He gave me a garden
I asked for a tree
He gave me a forest
I asked for a river
He gave me an ocean
I asked for an angel
He gave me you!

“Our woman of EMC: Enthusiastic, Mature & Customer oriented. “ Ana Verdegais

“Enthusiasm + Magnificent + Commitment + Women = BEST LEADERS IN THE WORLD.” Zamanta Anguiano

Embrace our difference! “The writer of originality, unless dead, is always shocking, scandalous; novelty disturbs and repels.” Simone De Beauvoir

“Every aspect of EMC’s corporate management, technology, products, solutions, support and services are enriched with a caring touch of EMC’s women.” Anjali Fields

“Journey Continues but Celebration should also continue.” Seema Tahaliyani

And my quote that started the exhange.

“EMC is the center of leadership and innovation through the eyes of women.” Sheryl Chamberlain

Happy International Women’s Day!

Jugaad Innovation

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Navi Radjou, an innovation and leadership strategist based in Silicon Valley is the co-author of the bestselling book, “Jugaad Innovation: Think Frugal, Be Flexible, Generate Breakthrough Growth”. His book was touted by the Economist as “the most comprehensive book yet to appear on the subject”. Let’s hear from Navi at EMC’s GRIP event.

“Innovation is a major directive at corporations worldwide. But how do you drive innovation and growth as the global business landscape becomes increasingly unpredictable and diverse? The answer: jugaad. Jugaad is a Hindi word meaning an improvised solution born from ingenuity and cleverness (think of it as the “MacGyver” spirit). Jugaad is the secret formula of successful grassroots entrepreneurs in emerging markets such as India, Africa, China, and Brazil who are able to innovate faster, better, and cheaper in the midst of high complexity. For the first time in the U.S., you will learn how to apply the frugal and flexible principles of jugaad in your own organization to accelerate growth and outperform competition.

The GrassRoots Innovation Program (GRIP) is a Bay-area series of seminars, lectures and panel discussions featuring well-respected leaders & innovators from a diverse set of industries and careers. Speakers discuss their leadership styles, personal visions, and strategies for success while reflecting on their views around leadership and innovation. GRIP is sponsored by EMC, but attendance at GRIP events is open to anyone regardless of employment status or company affiliation.

Innovation Station

Perspectives on Innovation in Life, the World and in Business