As the nation – and the world – continues to emphasize the urgent need for our next generation to pursue and master science and engineering careers, half of the population continues to be underrepresented in those careers.  Determined to tap into the brain power, ambition and creativity of girls and young women, National Engineers Week Foundation is launching its 11th annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, slated for Thursday, February 23, 2012.

With the resources of the nation’s professional engineering community behind it, Girl Day raises awareness so that girls and young women feel empowered to pursue challenging, lucrative, creative and potentially world-changing careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day is one of the tent pole events that make up National Engineers Week 2012, February 19-25, 2012.

On February 23, women engineers, along with their male counterparts, will mentor and reach out to as many as one million girls around the country with workshops, tours, on-line discussions and a host of hands-on activities at local businesses, universities and libraries.  All of these events deliver the message that a career in engineering is within the grasp of every young woman who is looking to play a role in addressing the issues her generation will face as it comes of age.

Major support for Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day 2012 is provided by ExxonMobil, Bechtel, Agilent Technologies, Rockwell Collins, Motorola Solutions Foundation and S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.  Additional support is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Heather Sweeney, a senior at Purdue University’s College of Engineering, was just honored as part of the initial class of National Engineers Week Foundation’s New Faces of Engineering College Edition. She currently volunteers for Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day through the Purdue Society of Women Engineers and Purdue Women in Engineering Program.

“I really enjoy volunteering at Girl Day because I am able to help younger girls understand what engineering is and all the ways a degree in engineering can change their lives,” says Heather.  “When I was younger these events really influenced my decision to choose engineering. If I did not attend these events, I would have not have been exposed to all of the amazing possibilities.”

Shalyric Self is a 10th grader and future computer engineer at Scotlandville Magnet High School in Baton Rouge.  She reflects on her experience at a Girl Day 2011 event, sponsored by ExxonMobil in her home community.

“Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day 2011 majorly inspired me,” comments Shalyric.  “It exposed me to my future and the hard work required in making a difference.  Our assignment was to make paper gliders that descended at the slowest rate. Lots of brainstorming, critical thinking, teamwork, and analyzing helped us create the design.  After testing our last design, we decided to go with it and this resulted in our being the winning team. That day, I realized I could think like an engineer.  Engineering has now made me see things in a totally different mindset and I’m ready for the journey”.

“We are focused on introducing young people to the field of engineering because it provides diverse, rewarding career opportunities,” adds Monica Mainland, technical division manager, ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery.  “An education in engineering teaches students how to think critically and find creative solutions to problems, while acquiring a professional degree that is highly valued by employers.  We believe events like Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day inspire young women to pursue engineering degrees and become our nation’s next generation of innovators.”

Some of the local activities planned for Girl Day, 2012 include:

• Argonne National Laboratory, just outside of Chicago, will offer girls a full day of hands-on experiments, activities and talks, all designed to give the students the chance to be scientists and engineers and see the results of their work. Led by a team of two Argonne women engineers, the morning session teaches the girls about the fields of science and engineering and allows them to perform a controlled experiment, such as mixing up a polymer “gak”.  In the afternoon, participants will be members of an engineering team, working on a project from concept to through completion and final presentation of their idea, as they design, build, and test an electric car chassis and transmission.
• Agilent Technologies, the world’s premier measurement company, celebrates Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day over an extended period this spring at Agilent sites around the globe, including China, India, Taiwan, Singapore, Brazil, Germany, Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom and United States, to mention a few. They will host a variety of events using Agilent’s Agilent After School (AAS) program (a kit based, hands-on science program) that focuses on girls as well as boys.  Agilent employees will implement AAS at Agilent sites and after-school venues to middle school students and to Girl Scouts in communities where Agilent employees live and work.  The Girl Scout program allows girls to earn an “Agilent Science Patch” when completing the AAS program. To date, hundreds of Girl Scouts have earned this patch.
• ExxonMobil will be hosting students at more than ten company sites across the country as well as visiting classrooms with activities to engage students in fun, hands-on experiments and lessons designed to connect math and science to real life.  Examples include demonstrations on how the energy industry uses 3D technology, exploring the science of manufacturing cosmetics and bridge-building with straws. ExxonMobil has been involved with “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” events for nine years.
• Rockwell Collins will be hosting 75 middle school girls at its corporate headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for its annual Girl Day event. Each young woman will be paired with a female engineering mentor for the day and will have the opportunity to visit a variety of engineering labs including the Synthetic Vision Lab, Flight Decks, and Testing Facilities. Girls and their mentors will also have lunch and hear speakers including Rockwell Collins’ Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technology, Nan Mattai. Girls will leave Rockwell Collins with information about opportunities for additional engineering activities and camps in the area as they move through high school.
• At Nitsch Engineering, a Boston-based Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE), women and men engineers will work with middle and high-school girls to explore this year’s theme: “Engineering in School Buildings.” The program will begin by introducing the girls to types of engineering that go into the design of a school, followed by a brief presentation about engineering in the construction of the school. A female engineer will take the girls on a tour of the new school, which is scheduled to open in late spring. Hands-on activities will focus on specific types of engineering – structural, civil, traffic, plumbing and mechanical/electrical. The day concludes with a lunchtime panel discussion, led by five women in engineering.
• Bechtel will host about 300 Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Webelos on February 25 at its Houston office as part of its Engineers Week activities. Girl Scouts will experience the different types of engineering in creative activities.  They can learn about mechanical engineering by building a cart propelled by a balloon; gain insight into civil/structural engineering by designing and building a play dough playground; discover environmental/chemical engineering by building their own water treatment system using empty 2 liter soda bottles, rocks, pebbles, alum and a coffee filter; and participate in interactive workshops that highlight graphic design engineering, electrical engineering and control system engineering.
• Maury Elementary School in Washington, DC will be conducting a daily Engineering Challenge, announcing a famous engineer and their contribution to the field on the school’s morning announcement. They will have classroom presentations and explorations with a variety of engineers and utilize Lego products to connect to STEM concepts in their Think Tank class.  In addition, girls in grades K-5 will have the opportunity to complete a special engineering challenge and meet with female engineers from the surrounding area.
• The Wheeling Jesuit University Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV will conduct two all-day “Girls as NASA Robotic Engineers” workshops for girls, women educators and youth group leaders.  Girls will build and program robots with sensors to solve a series of increasingly difficult challenges. They will also see videos of NASA robotics engineers. Girls working in pairs will learn basic programming skills and receive immediate feedback as they program robots to travel one meter, apply ratios to retrieve an object located a fraction of a meter from their start position. Girls will use a light and ultrasonic sensors to navigate a course. They will also use sound sensors to control their bots.
• At Georgia Tech University in Savannah, GA, participants will be able to get their hands dirty by learning first hand with exciting activities that include a wind tunnel, building an electronic game, flying a simulator and better water for a better world. Parents and Girl Scout troop leaders will be able to attend a separate part of the event geared towards keeping the girls interested in STEM and learn free resources available to them.
• In Bloomfield Hills, MI, Science with the Engineers, Inc. will be presenting Density and Specific Gravity to 25 fourth grade girls at St. Regis Elementary School.  Three industry professionals will facilitate the presentation on miscible and immiscible liquids while the girls perform a laboratory experiment. The girls will determine specific gravity of each liquid and will use this information to make and understand how a lava lamp works.

Visit the National Engineers Week website to access Girl Day activities nationwide.

About National Engineers Week Foundation

National Engineers Week Foundation works year-round to sustain and grow a dynamic engineering profession critical to public health, safety, and welfare.  The Foundation supports engineering outreach, education, and celebration through a network of thousands of volunteers in its partner coalition of more than 100 professional societies, major corporations and government agencies. Together we meet a vital need: introducing students, parents, and educators to engineering, engaging them in hands-on engineering experiences, and making science and math relevant. The Foundation and coalition are actively putting the E in STEM.

For more information about National Engineers Week Foundation, visit www.eweek.org.

“Over the years, Northern Trust has remained committed to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusiveness that empowers women to advance and excel,” said Northern Trust Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Frederick H. Waddell. “We’re proud that the National Association for Female Executives has recognized our ongoing efforts to offer a high performing, innovative and diverse workplace.”

Northern Trust is a leader in advocating workplace diversity in the financial services industry. Northern Trust’s first woman officer was named more than 50 years ago.

In the United States, women make up 52 percent of Northern Trust’s workforce. They also occupy more than half of Northern Trust’s corporate executive positions. Among Northern Trust’s employees with salaries in the company’s top 10 percent, more than half are women. More than half of staff members reporting directly to Waddell are women.

Many recent accolades highlight Northern Trust’s commitment to diversity and our corporate excellence. These include being named one of Latina Style Magazine’s “50 Best Companies for Latinas” for the last five years, one of Working Mother Magazine’s “100 Best Companies of 2011” for the last twenty years and one of the “Top 5 Overall Companies” on the National Association of Asian American Professionals’ 2011 Best Places for Asians to Work.

Northern Trust has several initiatives that promote gender equity in the workplace, including:
- Women in Leadership, Northern Trust’s business resource council for women, which actively supports the personal, professional and career development of women throughout Northern Trust.
- The Leadership Development Forum, a proprietary series of professional development and personal mentoring groups focused on women and designed to develop strategic, global thinkers and leaders.
- Mentoring Matters, Northern Trust’s Global Mentoring Program, promotes the core values of the organization, facilitates the transfer of organizational and experiential knowledge and creates increased visibility in succession planning and overall talent management.

The 2012 NAFE Top 50 Companies for Executive Women examined female representation in executive position in corporate America, the number of women with profit-and-loss responsibility, how companies help women advance and the impact of these programs. The Top 50 list is being published in the February/March issue of Working Mother magazine. NAFE will honor Northern Trust and other top companies at a luncheon in New York City in March.

About Northern Trust
Northern Trust Corporation (Nasdaq: NTRS) is a leading provider of investment management, asset and fund administration, banking solutions and fiduciary services for corporations, institutions and affluent individuals worldwide. Northern Trust, a financial holding company based in Chicago, has offices in 18 U.S. states and 16 international locations in North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. As of December 31, 2011, Northern Trust had assets under custody of US$4.3 trillion, and assets under investment management of US$662.9 billion. For more than 120 years, Northern Trust has earned distinction as an industry leader in combining exceptional service and expertise with innovative products and technology. For more information, visit www.northerntrust.com or follow us on Twitter @NorthernTrust.

We all do it. We shine up those bios and resumes with hard-earned credentials we hope will sell our expertise and attract people flocking to us for our services.  Things like our degrees, certifications, selected professional experiences, awards and publications are our “professional insurance” to prevent business scarcity—or so we think.  When business doesn’t come, we feel discouraged even helpless.  “Hey, I may not be the best in my field, but there is no one any better.” While whining may soothe us temporarily, it does not bring us business.

So what has to happen to bring us what we most want? We have to send the RIGHT message.  While someone may admire us for our accomplishments, they fail to connect emotionally with us through that door.  What they do connect with is our journey—how we got there.  Think about how you felt when you first started your business.  Can I really do this?  Who can I find as a mentor?

So, tell your story complete with the challenges and set backs?  What kept you motivated when times were tough?  How did you cope with the voice inside that told you to go back to your J.O.B?  After all, you were really good at what you did, and happy too. And it paid well. Right?
Well, maybe.  But even if all of the above is true, you still longed for a greater experience.  “Good” wasn’t good enough.  You wanted EXCELLENCE!

So, you took the plunge, possibly to a chorus of “are you crazies” from friends and family. Think about all those movies you’ve watched at holiday time.  What kept you glued to the TV with your box of Kleenex beside you?  This is the same stuff that connects your reader or listener emotionally with you.  They are looking for the chance to say, “Wow, this wasn’t easy for her either. If she can do it, I can too!”  The connection they make is at the feeling level.  Tell your story in every speech, workshop you present, and somewhere in articles you write.  Sorry, but your bio or resume can’t do that for you.

“So, have I been sold a bill of goods?”  No. These credentials are useful when someone off-handedly asks, “Just what qualifies you to do this work anyway?”  Compose that bio or resume showing RESULTS that support the Q & A section of your website.  “What Q & A on my website?”  The one that you design that contains every question a potential client is likely to ask so that you can build your credibility before you ever make the first appointment with them.  Be sure you have testimonials that give you know what—RESULTS. They are part of your story too.  Match the quote with the smiling face that said it.. Post a testimonial on your home page and at the top of every sales page, proposal, or hand out.  This is how others connect with you.

So stop thinking about the next degree you really ought to have to become credible, and start focusing upon what you have already accomplished.  Share your RESULTS, and talk about the road that took you there.

As you may know, President Obama released his 2013 Budget Proposal on Monday.  Included in the proposal are changes to the estate tax, gift tax and generation skipping-transfer tax (GST tax), as well as limitations on highly effective planning techniques such as valuation discounts, Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs), and sales to Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (IDGTs).  Although these proposals are not yet law, they indicate the direction the Administration is moving with regard to estate and gift taxation.  The highlights of the Budget Proposal are outlined below:

Estate Tax

• The amount exempted from the estate tax would permanently decrease from $5 million to $3.5 million.
• The rate at which any amount in excess of the exemption amount is taxed would increase from 35% to 45%.
• Portability (the ability of the surviving spouse to apply any unused estate tax exemption amount to the assets in their estate) would be made permanent.

Gift Tax

• The lifetime exemption amount for gifts would permanently decrease from $5 million to $1 million.

GST Tax

• The amount exempted from GST tax would  permanently decrease from $5 million to $3.5 million.
• Trusts could no longer be exempt from GST tax for unlimited multiple generations. 90 years after the creation of a trust that distributes to skip persons, the GST exemption allocated to the trust would terminate.

Valuation Discounts

• Discounts would be limited for transfers of an interest in a family-controlled entity (such as a Family Limited Partnership or Family Limited Liability Company) to a member of the family.

Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts and Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts

• GRATs and sales to IDGTs would no longer be effective estate planning strategies.
• GRATs would be required to have a term of at least 10 years and a maximum term of the life expectancy of the annuitant plus 10 years.  The remainder interest would be required to have a value greater than 0 when the interest was created and the annuity could not decrease during the GRAT term.
• Appreciated assets that have been sold to an IDGT would be included in the grantor’s gross estate for estate tax purposes.
• Distributions from IDGTs could be considered taxable gifts.

If you have any questions regarding the Budget Proposal, please contact us at 410.828.7775 or email John Robinson at jrobinson@janesimslaw.com.

Get RADICAL event host/conference founder and RADICAL success coach, Doreen Rainey, President of Empowering Moments, LLC, offers an interactive platform for woman to take charge of their professional and personal goals, while balancing life fulfillment and wellness. Her mission is to empower, inspire, motivate and educate woman to maximize their lives, and to gain the “guts” to go after it. The Get RADICAL Conference provides women with an exciting, impactful, and action-focused experience that will have a lasting effect on helping them live out their RADICAL life.

“It’s no secret that these are challenging times, and women are seeking answers to the issues they face in their everyday lives,” says Rainey.  ”We designed our event to provide practical strategies, tools and information that the attendees can implement immediately.”

This high-energy, content-rich program is a one-of-a-kind experience offering interactive workshops from incredible speakers and experts sharing their insights, experiences and life lessons to help attendees take charge of career, business, finances and relationships. The information-packed keynotes, exceptional networking and exclusive VIP events offer real solutions to real challenges that women face in their lives.

The “Get RADICAL Women’s Conference” features the following panels and topics:

Jillian Michaels – The Unlimited Life – Inside & Out

Forget surviving; it’s your time to thrive. You do have the ability and potential to achieve unlimited health, wealth, and happiness. Getting there won’t all be easy – nothing worthwhile ever is – but the possibilities are unlimited. Your life is waiting for you to break free and claim it. Jillian will be sharing her strategies for creating dramatic change in your life – NOW.

Suze Orman – The Money Class

With honesty, empathy, and a dazzling knowledge of how money works, Suze will share how our lives and finances can prosper in harmony. Her insights will help you financially take care of your family, your home, your career, and planning for retirement—no matter where you are in your life or where the economy is heading.

Ali Brown – Reinventing Success

Can you feel it? There’s a change in the air. The old way of doing business isn’t working anymore. Whether you’re a corporate professional or an entrepreneur, there has never been a more ideal time for women to step up—and recent studies and data are documenting the trend. Ali shares the seven compelling trends that are paving the path for women to step out of the supporting role and into the spotlight.

Lisa Nichols- Surpassing Average and Ordinary to Reach Extraordinary

Learn to leave average and ordinary way behind and only settle for Radical and Extraordinary results in every area of your life. Lisa shows how you can adopt the “No Matter What” mentality and learn to achieve your goals regardless of what is happening around you. Understand how to use your bounce back muscles to get what you want EVERY time.

Monique Greenwood – Having What Matters

Monique Greenwood knows that having it all isn’t where it’s at—it’s having what matters. The former editor-in-chief of Essence magazine now owns acclaimed bed-and-breakfast inns. Through her varied life experiences, she’ll share actionable advice on how to achieve the elusive balanced life, making time for “me”, and still make your dreams come true.

Doreen Rainey – The Mindset to Create RADICAL Success

What are the traits and characteristics of those who create life success? Discover the mindset strategies of those who define success for themselves, and then create incredible results. Part of your success lies in what you think, your perspective, and your ability to create from the inside out. Doreen will share how to position yourself to create a vision and move into action.

This year’s breakout sessions include:

Life Compass Track

These sessions focus on relationships, life balance, career growth and living a purposeful life.  Led by experts in their field, the interactive format gives you the chance to get the information you need to create tangible, implementable action steps.

Entrepreneur Track

Getting the right tools to start or develop your business is critical to getting the success in your business you want – and deserve. Sessions focus on marketing, networking, and foundational strategies to grow a sustainable business in a challenging economy.

For more information on breakout sessions, please go here.

“The Get RADICAL Women’s Conference” is presented by RADICAL Success Coach Doreen Rainey.  Her professional and personal development firm is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations excel to their highest potential.

This year Get RADICAL is partnering with “Dress For Success,” a non-profit that provides clothing for women in need who are attempting to re-enter the work force. The event’s media partner is WTOP Radio.

For more information on the 2012 Get RADICAL Conference, click here.

1. Did you ever imagine yourself achieving what you have?

We did. We sat down years ago and wrote out our vision for our business, our books, and our lives. We were very detailed about every aspect of what we were creating together. We have processes that we take clients through so that they can connect with a future self that has already experienced the success they desire. Because we did this for our own success and achievements, we are not surprised that we’ve accomplished what we have. It was the next logical step for us, because we designed it to be that way. We both are deliberate creators, meaning we get clarity on what we want, we write it down, and then we step into the feeling of already having it. It is such a powerful tool. We believe that all achievements begin with a vision of what is possible. Through the power of our imaginations, we set our dreams into motion.

2. What in hindsight would you say you underestimated about your industry or business and why? 

Both of us are very collaborative women. We always seek to support the dreams and visions of other people in any way we can. So we naturally expected that others would respond in a similar way. Unfortunately, what we found was that too many women still operate from a mindset of scarcity, where they resort too competition—refusing to support or assist their fellow colleagues. This is one of the four behaviors we write about in Taming your Alpha Bitch. We saw how highly successful women were not even aware that competition was holding them back.

3. What is the best business related advice you have ever been given?

To give a ton of value in whatever you do. Whenever we do our Goddess Weekend we over deliver, so that the women walk out with even more than they expected. We want to surprise and delight anyone that reads our books, does our programs, or attends our workshops. There are a lot of people that say you should keep your best stuff to yourself, but we feel that by giving everything we have, the rewards for our clients are amazing.

4. What do you love most about what you do and why?

When we see a woman really step into her true power we both feel we are on purpose. That feeling of purpose gives us a sense of connection and joy that we don’t experience anywhere else. We get to witness miracles and we feel we are both blessed to be doing what we do. Doing it together as friends and business partners, and witnessing the other one say something brilliant that makes another woman open up is truly a blessing.

5. What if you knew then what you know now – would you do differently and why?

We would apply to our lives more of the information in Taming Your Alpha Bitch. Years ago we would try to force and control our projects and they would not have the success that we had hoped. When we started to step into our fierce and feminine power that is when all of our success came flowing to us. It is so much easier working in the flow and it is so much more enjoyable. We have witnessed how successful we can be when we stop controlling, competing, and forcing things to happen.

6. When you’re not working how do you like to spend your time?

We both enjoy spending time with our families. Rebecca has two amazing kids, Alex and Brianna, and Christy has two amazing little boys Alex and Maxim and her husband Frederic. No matter what age they are, they challenge us, help us expand and grow and always make us laugh.

7. How do you define success?

For both of us it is a feeling. Yes, you can look at outward manifestations of “things” such as money, awards, accolades, etc. but it is truly the inner feeling of abundance and fulfillment that matters the most. We feel the most successful not necessarily when we have achieved something, but when we experience the inner sense of peace and harmony.

8. If you had to share one final thought with our audience of thousands of women in business – what would it be?

Know that there really is never any competition. You are creating your own experiences and you can create whatever success, abundance, money, that you desire. It is our beliefs in lack and limitation that makes us compare and compete. They not only waste our energy, they hinder our success by focusing our minds on all that is missing and wrong. When you start focusing on what you want, why you want it, and then allow that feeling to permeate your body that is when your outer success will come to you.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Rebecca Grado

Rebecca Grado, MFT is an inspiring licensed psychotherapist and co-author of “Taming Your Alpha Bitch – How to be Fierce and Feminine (and get everything you want)”. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Counseling, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology. For the past twenty-five years she has maintained a thriving private practice where she has helped thousands of individuals transcend limitations, discover their innate power and joy, and awaken their greatest potential. She has been studying metaphysics since 1985 and is a true visionary in her approach to energy work and healing. Rebecca is the co-founder of the Goddess Retreat – a transformational weekend that awakens the radiance and power within women. She inspires people everyday to create their greatest success and tap into their innate power with ease and grace. A gifted writer, her work has been featured with bestselling authors Dr. Wayne Dyer and Anthony Robbins. She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her son Alex and daughter Brianna.

Christy Whitman

Christy Whitman is an in-demand life coach, transformational leader, CEO and founder of the Quantum Success Coaching AcademyTM, a 12 month Law of Attraction coaching certification program. She has helped thousands of women and men around the world achieve their goals through her empowerment seminars, speeches, and coaching sessions and products. Christy’s life-changing message reaches over 81,000 people a month and she has been quoted in Seventeen, Woman’s World, Woman’s Day, Teen Vogue, The Star Ledger, and Knot Magazine. As a certified Law of Attraction coach, her work has been promoted by and featured with best-selling authors like Marianne Williamson, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Marci Shimoff, Brian Tracy, Neal Donald Walsch, Abraham-Hicks and Louise Hay. She currently lives in Montreal with her husband, Frederic, and their two boys, Alexander and Maxim. Meet her at www.ChristyWhitman.com and www.7EssentialLaws.com . Her newest book with co-author Rebecca Grado, Taming Your Alpha Bitch came out January 31st.

Leading brands are increasingly making a shift from touting features and benefits to demonstrating the deeper value of their products, services and company as a whole – especially through customer experience. This means that messages about exceptional products/service, quality and price are no longer enough. These traditional standards of the marketing mix are merely cost of entry today. In the Ideal Economy, companies must find ways to create deeper value in order to thrive.

This month, we’re sharing the trends in branding and marketing that are related to value design. See our full article: What’s Your Value? Leveraging 2012 Marketing Trends: Increasing Perceived Value Through Brand Experience.

What’s clear is that the overarching shift to value design (giving the customer a deeper experience) is not only here to stay but also extremely relevant for all businesses. What’s more is that marketing communications based on the old paradigm will only continue to put companies smack in the middle of the competitive pool, struggling to find their difference or, worse, discounting their price. The key to understanding the relevance and reasons to take action on the new value-based marketing trends is twofold:

• Recognize how closely value design is connected to creating exceptional customer relationships – something the business community has long recognized as essential to success.
• Determine the intrinsic benefits to the company of creating deeper perceived value for the customer.

Additionally, there are two key questions that must be answered for value design to truly make sense as a marketing strategy:

• In an economy that has forced cut back after cut back, how can companies give their customers more? Or, more simply, what does “more” mean?
• How does enhanced value relate to the tactical aspects of marketing such as brand identity, content marketing, websites and other strategic and tactical tools?

For our list of the critical value design branding and marketing trends for 2012, as well as the answer to these questions, read the full article: What’s Your Value? Leveraging 2012 Marketing Trends: Increasing Perceived Value Through Brand Experience

As you plan your 2012 marketing strategy , you can create a buzz about your company by giving a trendy, cool and useful product no matter what your budget. Some of the hot new trends were seen in Las Vegas at the PPAI Show, the largest show of its kind in the country.

TECHNOLOGY trends abound with USB drives remaining hot sellers. Several suppliers are making RFID (radio frequency ID) blocking sleeves that protect the information on your credit cards, passports and other media from being stolen. Products for smart phones and tablets such as microfiber cleaning cloths, combination stylus/pens, tablet and cell phone stands are all in great demand.

GREEN  is a continuing trend for 2012. Products include coasters made of recycled leather, rubber and cork, shopping bags made of recycled materials, organic cotton tees and hats, pens made from recycled plastic, and notebooks and pads made with recycled paper to name a few.

TRAVEL  is generating fun new products. Luggage identification is one big opportunity to display your logo with products from neon light up luggage tags, neoprene handle wraps, and full slip on four color process luggage wraps. Travel chargers, wi-fi finders and portable headphones are some of the techie travel product trends.

SOCIAL MEDIA  has engendered a whole new way to logo products. Quick Response codes are giving the familiar barcodes competition. The QR code is a pattern of black and white squares and lines that can be scanned by smart phones with QR reader software. Put a QR code on your promotional item and you can direct prospects to your mobile websites, Facebook pages, eCoupons, upcoming events and more with a simple click and scan.

Lastly, don’t forget about color trends. Pantone LLC, the company who is responsible for creating the Pantone Matching System, also known as PMS colors, have announced the official Pantone color of 2012. The color is Tango Orange. Sometimes with your business, you have to go with the ‘in” fashion and capitalize on that even if you don’t personally follow the crowd. When giving out your promotions, if you give people what they want, including the “in” colors, they will use your giveaways more, giving your company more exposure. This is yet another idea to incorporate into your marketing to help boost your company exposure.

My whole life I have been coming up with ideas for businesses. During long car rides, boring classes or meetings, the shower…you name it.  My husband and family have been kind enough to listen to these ideas, no matter how big or small. And while many of my ideas are a bit nutty, I have always hoped that I would be able to pursue at least one of them.  After all, having the idea is the easy part… Making it happen is a whole another story.

I have believed in Excel Rain Man since the beginning, which always gave me hope, but I never thought it would grow as much as it has.  While I have always day dreamed about where it would go, the practical side of me needed to see it to believe it.

2. What in hindsight would you say you underestimated about your industry or business and why?
When I started Excel Rain Man, I initially thought our target customers would be small businesses as opposed to larger corporations and financial institutions. After all, I assumed that these bigger companies would have a fleet of in house spreadsheeters just chomping at the bit to crunch some numbers. That said, while start-ups and “mom & pop shops” are still a highly valued portion of our clientele, the need for cost-effective spreadsheet help from larger businesses has turned out to be much greater than I originally estimated.

Why, you ask?  Well it turns out that many companies would rather outsource some of their data analysis to Excel Rain Man in order to free up their brilliant in-house staff to work on other important projects.

3. What is the best business related advice you have ever been given?

That’s a tough one.  The best business advice I have received over the years, be it from from friends, mentors, or family has been of the common sense variety. What can I say… sometimes the most eloquent ideas are the hardest to develop on your own!

One of the most valuable pieces of advice I have received was given when Excel Rain Man was first getting started.  I was struggling to get the business off the ground while still having a full time job and was in no position financially to quit my job or hire someone to help out.  That’s when a friend suggested that I consider utilizing subcontractors on a per-project basis. This allowed me to have all the fabulous help I needed, without having to pay someone’s full salary.

Hiring a couple of subcontractors was a serious game changer for Excel Rain Man.  The use of talented subcontractors has allowed us to address the increase in request volume on an “as needed” basis and the wealth of knowledge that each brings to the table has made for a serious spreadsheet think tank.

4. What do you love most about what you do and why?

I love that we are able to alleviate a stressful aspect of someone’s day by providing a professional product that allows him or her to focus on other more critical aspects of their job.

Additionally, I feel extremely fortunate that I get to combine my tech background with all different industry types. To date, we have banged out spreadsheets for biscuit companies, hair/makeup retailers, long-running NYC shows, restaurants, nonprofits and financial institutions… you name it!

5. What if you knew then what you know now – would you do differently and why?

It is hard to think of something I would do differently.  I think the business has grown organically due to the lessons we have learned along the way.  So while there have been bumps in the road, each one has taught a valuable lesson that has helped us improve along the way.

6. When you’re not working how do you like to spend your time?

Golf, watching football, playing games of any kind (Scrabble, Bananagrams, Big Buck Hunter, …)

7. How do you define success?

At this stage in my professional life, I define success, quite simply, being able to make a living doing what I love. I also realize that there are many people who are not as lucky and who spend their lives working a job that doesn’t excite them at all. For this I feel quite fortunate to have enjoyed this definition of success.

8. If you had to share one final thought with our audience of thousands of women in business – what would it be?

Be responsive to everyone.  Whether it is a prospect, customer, employee or someone looking for advice, everyone appreciates a prompt and thoughtful response. From a business standpoint, not only will it put your customers at ease to know that you are with them every step of the way, but it also demonstrates that you are on top of your game. No matter the industry or how successful one becomes, at the end of the day, every business will live or die based on customer satisfaction.

About Jen

Jen Portland found her love of computers and systems at a very young age, five-years-old in fact. From her studies and experiences, she discovered that her love had an application in organizing and efficiency. With a little creativity and hard work she began Excel Rain Man as a side project in 2008. Today, she has 8 subcontractors and a booming business in spreadsheet outsourcing and educating users of Microsoft Excel.

Jen graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in Systems Engineering and has spent her professional life working in the financial industry. She believes that her aptitude in Excel and her passion for her business combine for her success and anticipates even more growth in the years to come.

Technology changes fast these days.  It is hard to keep up with the ever-growing technologies that are out there.  In fact, our elementary age daughters seem to be even more technologically savvy than we are, demonstrating that they are the digital natives, and we are just the digital immigrants!

Wading through all of the real estate websites that are out there can make even the most technologically savvy person feel like a beginner again.  Not all websites are created equally!  Do you know what makes a search engine the SMART site to use?  Here are three criteria we use to evaluate some of the Internet search engines that are out there:

1.  Is the information up-to-date?  Buying SMART means that you are not a time waster.  So why would you waste time looking at outdated information?   Too many sites show properties that have already been sold or are no longer on the market.  This is unhelpful and a time waster.  You want a site that is going to give you the most current, up-to-date information so that you do not waste your time.

2.  Is the information comprehensive?  Buying SMART also means that you pay attention to the details.  Does the site tell you how many days the house has been on the market?  Are there photographs for you to browse?  Does the site reveal prior price adjustments?  These are all important details that a SMART buyer examines in the home buying process, and you need a site that makes these details readily available!

3.  Does the site increase your efficiency?  Once again, buying SMART means that you are efficient with your time.  Having the ability to save searches, to make notes on prospective houses and to communicate with your agent about the properties is another tool that makes your home buying process more efficient.  You want a site that allows you to go beyond browsing, and you need to be able to interact with the search engine as well as your agent in an efficient way.

We’ve come across a search tool that our clients tend to rave about.  Want a free account?
Just click here.

Committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART,

Alyce