Opportunities Multiply As They Are Seized. ~Sun Tzu

 What Opportunities Are You Seizing?

One of the new features on the blog will be #topfloorevents #elevatorevents focused on highlighting leading and engaging events that represent emerging opportunities to reach the Top Floor across the globe. Whether its networking, career building, happy hour, travel ventures and so much more we plan to feature it here.

For our Atlanta residents we have 4 #topfloor events that we're featuring this week sponsored by General Assembly and they're ALL FREE....see the screenshots below. Go to www.generalassemb.ly
to sign up and for other events!




If you know of or would like to have your event featured on the blog send us an email: topfloortopics@gmail.com!

Seize the opportunity folks...#topfloortopics

Rebirth: NEVER GIVE UP!!!!

Five, yes 5 years ago, I embarked on a journey to start a blog representing my dreams and passions. My ultimate goal is to start my own 501c3 to support at-risk youth and a young girls mentorship program. After a few months of writing, life happened! My path was detoured and as with many passions, I went in a different direction trying to figure out when I would get back to my dreams. Throughout this time I have never forgotten my focus, I constantly find that I am writing down ideas and topics for my re-launch of the blog. I read somewhere one day "if you can't stop thinking about it don't stop working for it..." Well I never stopped and today (after multiple technical difficulties) is the day I am committing to action. It's the official re-launch of Elevator Talk with some new changes in the works...soon we'll have a new name, new site and new features. I didn't want to continue delaying getting this re-launch any further. Check out our updates and stay connected with other engaging discussion on our Instagram handler (@topfloortopics).
 
When I started this blog my weekly Wednesday posts were coined "Inspiration Wednesdays," in the spirit of #InspirationWednesdays and #TopFloorTopicsThoughtoftheWeek I'll close this post with this thought: NEVER GIVE UP! There will always be disruptions and life will always take turns in a different direction but DON'T EVER GIVE UP. Remember "ambition is the first step to success, the second step is ACTION."
 
ELEVATOR GOING UP.................TOP FLOOR!!!!!

Inspiration Wednesdays: Time - how many of us treasure it?

Wednesday has rolled upon us again, geesh when I last turned around it was last Wednesday. Mid-week breather for us all, we can see the light at the end of this week's tunnel! This week's inspiration is a short and sweet reminder that Time is our most precious commodity, and we must cherish it like the valued asset that it is. Do you keep track of where you're are spending your time? If you took a snapshot of how you spend your time, does it represent what you stand for? Would you be satisfied if you were judged by what and with whom you spend your time?


We've hit the month of June - the middle of the year. Traditional time when folks begin to assess where they are in meeting their goals for the year. Take a moment to also assess how and where you spend your time. If it isn't making sense to you, realign and re-prioritize. Remember, time is the only thing we can never get back.

We're Looking for Young, Female Writers!!! Spread the word....


Hello Faithful Elevator Talk Supporters,


Elevator Talk is still very much in its infant stages and while I continue to make it all that I envisioned prior to launching, I am also working on phase 2!!! It's all about going after your dreams :) With that being said, I am actively seeking out young female writers for an upcoming venture that's all apart of my empowerment movement for young girls. If you are or know of a young go-getter (ages 15 - 21) who enjoys or has an interest in writing, contact me by email at elevatortalk2010@gmail.com. Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on. The support and love is very much appreciated!

Inspiration Wednesdays: No Arms, No Legs, NO WORRIES

Happy Hump Day Folks! The middle of the week, for some the silver lining that the week is coming to a quick end and for others a bothersome reminder that there is still 2, count em, 2 days left in the treacherous week. Whichever side of the coin you're on, I'm here to share a little inspiration. Inspiration Wednesdays will be a new feature here at Elevator Talk, and today's selection I found via Forbes Woman facebook page. This piece was truly moving and quite honestly a rare find amongst the various inspirational type of pieces I come across.


Today we're living in a world full of uncertainty, unemployment at record highs, people losing homes, getting sicker with no means to access care, our educational system at an all-time low and the list can go on...but in the spirit of the video, take time to be thankful for what you have and not dwell on what you don't. I hope you all find this link as inspirational as I did. Feel free to comment and spread the inspiration :)




Acclimating to a New Work Setting

Many of you are looking for new jobs and since we like speaking things into existence - what happens when you get that new job? Acclimating to your new work setting is just as important as the search to find the new job and your performance that keeps you in that job. It's important to set yourself up right and get on the good foot!


I am currently getting acclimated, not to a new job but in a new role, so I am living this right now. I have found a few things that have been extremely helpful for me, what better than to share with my readers :). Online you can find a great deal of resources on getting used to a new work setting, I prefer to highlight a few of the unsaid tricks of the trade.

1) Learn the lingo - Every industry and company has its own vocabulary, or lingo of sorts. I work in healthcare, and we have enough acronyms to start canning our own alphabet soup. From PSN, EPR, to HSCRC - trust me, the letter's go on and on, it's very easy to get lost in conversation, comprehension and moving along projects, if one doesn't learn the language quickly. If you're starting with a new company/organization, don't hesitate to ask your hiring manager if they can provide you with a list of commonly used words or acronyms within the workplace. 1) It never hurts to ask and 2) even if the list is short, it gives you a head start to get ahead. Also don't hesitate to ask questions as you go on and keep your own list/dictionary as you go on, trust me it will come in helpful!

2) Get to know your administrative/support staff - starting a new job in a new environment comes with a host of many new-news for the newbie! New location, new people, new tasks, and most importantly new dynamics that can take weeks, months and sometimes longer to master. The key to successful leaders and powerful workers is knowing who to go to in order to get what you need done! In a new setting the best folks to help you identify your resources is your support/administrative staff. Often times people dismiss the support staff, when they are in the best position to orient you to office dynamics, the who's who and all the how-to's. The same way they were the best source to help you get that interview is the same way they're the best source to help you be successful in your job.

3) Keeping lists - You should start any career, and might I offer job (there is a difference) with a goal. Whether it's to change the way a system is operating for the better or just to be the best at what you do, you must see your end point and goal from the beginning. Therefore it behooves you to keep yourself on track to achieving that goal from Day 1. The obsessive planner in me is gushing right now as I type this - you all know my love for lists! But seriously, I have found in my recent experience that keeping lists of your to-do's from the beginning help to keep you on track for your goal or goals.

4) Schedule/Set "me" time from the beginning - If you are in a position where you manage your own time, it is important to ensure that you maintain "me" time, personal time to actually get work done. Moving from meeting to meeting, and call to call, leaves very little time to process information, follow up or send out emails. This also makes it easy to fall behind in project timelines. Setting aside time in your schedule for 30 minutes to an hour will ensure you a few moments to catch up on things, gain your composure and/or just think things through. You have to make sure you guarantee your own self time, otherwise others will be sure to grab every moment you allow them.

5) Know what you're being held accountable for - Do you know what is expected of you at work? Its very surprising to me when I talk to others who have no idea what they are really expected to do within their job. They feel disconnected from what they actually do day-to-day from what they are actually being evaluated. If you ask me, no wonder so many people are ready to go postal in their jobs - they see their job differently from how their manager sees the job and what they expect from the employee. If that isn't a recipe for disaster, I am not sure what else is! Confusion about work expectations can easily be resolved from the beginning by simply asking the person hiring you - what am I expected to do within this job? What am I expected to change or impact within this job? What results do you want to see within 6 months/1 year of my holding this position? I would recommend that this is information everyone should know from day 1 of starting a new position, and do hesitate to constantly ask this to make sure the expectations haven't changed.

6) Observe, observe, observe!!! - Yogi Berra once said "you can observe a lot by just watching," and he was certainly on to something. Observation is a tactic I think that's easily dismissed by many but teaches one so much. Take time to observe your new work setting, and if possible even before you take on the position. Observe the people, the dynamics, observe at different times - you'll be surprised how useful these observations may become down the line!

Those are my tips, do any of you have tips you want to include?

Stilettos, Pumps in the Workplace??: Fashionable Career Lifts or Detriment to Women in Leadership?

Like most women, I am addicted to shoes. Not just any kind of shoe, I am hands down, no questions asked, borderline need a professional intervention addicted to stilettos. I live by two life mantras: (1) don't think, buy the shoes and (2) you can do whatever you put your mind to, and you can do it in stilettos ~The Great, Kimora Lee Simmons!!! My predilection for stiletto heels is well known, the stiletto to flats ratio in my closet is at a daunting 12:1. I wear stilettos every where - in my house (yes I still like to play dress up!), to church, out on the town and undoubtedly at work. I am so used to wearing my high heels that it is really second nature to me. Now don't get me to telling stories, this ain't for the weak or feeble ankled. I work in a fast-paced operations environment at a hospital - I am on my feet the majority of the day going from one meeting to the next, from one end of the campus to the next, back and forth, up and down. But its a discomfort I've come to know and love and a conscious choice that I am quite comfortable with. While on occasion I get questions here and there on how I can stand to wear high heels for such long lengths of time, over the last couple of weeks I have noticed that my preference for footwear seems to draw greater attention, from those in awe to those visibly put off. After reflecting on the reactions I'm getting, it brought me to the deeper question: are high heels detrimental to the careers of women in leadership?


I have my own opinion but I took to the internet to better understand what I learned is a much debated topic. Particularly amongst traditional feminists high heels are scoffed at, viewed as another way to oppress women. Those who ascribe to this side of the argument share a deep disdain on how high heel shoes are constructed, distorting women's bodies arguing that heels only serve to turn us into sexual objects and are dangerous to our health. On the other end of the spectrum, modern feminists have reclaimed heels to be a symbol of female empowerment, not subjugation. Some psychologists even support this belief by offering that heels not only elevate the women literally but also psychologically by boosting confidence and assertiveness.

My opinion, you ask? Well just call me a modern feminist! I am an obvious supporter of women in heels. I definitely believe that heels in the workplace accentuate my individuality as a woman, it sets me apart in a male-dominated industry and serves as a reminder that I am a woman and yes I do things differently - however, my strong work ethic and successful output confirms that I still get it done - just like you (no matter what my shoes look like)!!!

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? Are high heels detrimental to career growth for women? Can women leaders be taken seriously in our sassy yet classy heels? Have you ever been treated or viewed differently because of your choice of footwear in the workplace?