You're Invited: Women in Business Lecture Series with Carla Harris

One of the most powerful moments that I've had thus far in 2010 was when I met business mogul Carla Harris. Carla was the keynote speaker at the New Jersey Statewide Founders Day for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, of which she and I are both members. After hearing her speak, all I can say is WOW, WOW...and WOW again! She is truly amazing. During her keynote, she shared the story of how she has risen to the top of her field as Managing Director in Global Capital Markets for Morgan Stanley. At the event, I also snagged a copy of her book Expect to Win:Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet, which is a phenomenal read. Meeting Carla and hearing her pearls of wisdom have definitely inspired me to be more proactive towards my career growth. Now here's your opportunity to hear "Carla's Pearls" for yourself!

On March 17, 2010, Carla Harris will speak at the Women’s History Month program, Walker’s Legacy: A Women in Business Lecture Series. This event will be held in Washington, DC and is hosted by NMC Consulting Group. I'm happy to support my sorority sister and mentor, Natalie M. Cofield, owner of NMC Consulting Group (yes, those are her initials) and moderator of the event. If Natalie is there, I know for sure there will be a lot of power players in the room. It doesn't matter if you have a career in fashion or if you are a bus driver-this is definitely a program you do not want to miss!

"Pearls for Success in Business"

featuring Carla Harris

March 17, 2010
12:00 -2:00 pm
The Historic Sumner Museum
The Great Hall
1201 Seventeenth St. NW, Washington, DC 20036-3008
$60 - Per Program $30 - MBA Discount (must show valid ID)
Click Here to Register Online

NMC Consulting Group will continue this dynamic lecture series throughout 2010. You've heard me say it before, but I will say it again: NETWORKING will be the number one key to your success. Please plan on attending at least one session during this series. I can assure you that you WILL meet someone who could offer you a hook-up one day (and we ALL need hook-ups from time to time!) You can find out about the Women in Business Lecture Series here.

You're Invited: Black Retail Action Group hosts Black History Month event

Come out and meet authors and photographers Deborah Willis and Emily Bernard as BRAG celebrates Black History Month! Willis and Bernard are the authors of Michelle Obama: The First Lady in Photographs.

DATE: Thursday, February 18, 2010

LOCATION:Lord & Taylor, 424 5th Avenue @ 38th Street. 11th Floor, NYC

TIME:6:00pm - 8:00pm

RSVP:Call (212) 234-3050 to rsvp your attendance.

COST: $35 for Members – Members can only purchase tickets by calling the office at (212) 234-3050. $45 for Non-Members

Call (212) 234-3050 to purchase tickets or purchase tickets online by clicking here.

Tickets include copy of book, wine and hors d’oeuvres. Author will give an overview of her work, and autograph the books at the end of the evening.There has never been a First Lady like her before. While there have been a slew of Obama celebrity books, none contain the message of Deborah Willis and Emily Bernard's eye-opening book, Michelle Obama: The First Lady in Photographs. Click here for complete information. Additional copies of the book can be purchased for $20 (Suggested retail $26.95). We will also have available Dr. Willis' book "Posing Beauty In African American Culture" for purchase for $35 (Suggested retail $49.95).

About the authors:

Deborah Willis, a MacArthur, Guggenheim, and Fletcher Fellow, is the author of Reflections in Black, Posing Beauty, Michelle Obama: The First Lady in Photographs, and the New York Times bestseller Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photographs. She is chair of the photography department and a University Professor at New York University.

Emily Bernard is the author of Remember Me to Harlem: The Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. She teaches at the University of Vermont in Burlington.

Quote This...

"The difference between dreams and goals is clarity and a timeline. The next year will go by whether or not you take small steps toward your goal, so hold yourself accountable every inch of the way to create the results you deserve."
-Dr. Phil

The Makeup Show LA- Career building for makeup artists

The Powder Group is one of my favorite resources for the business of makeup and beauty. I was introduced to The Powder Group by one of my mentors, Felicia Walker-Benson, who is the editor of ThisThatBeauty and contributes to On Makeup Magazine (follow Felicia on Twitter and connect with her!)

This month, The Powder Group is hosting The Makeup Show in Los Angeles. It's sure to be a great event for anyone wanting to break into the makeup biz or take their cosmetics career to a new level. Here's the event announcement from The Powder Group:

The Makeup Show LA
February 28 - March 1, 2010

On February 28th and March 1st 2010 the makeup industry will come together to celebrate the craft of the professional makeup artist for the second time ever - at the global epicenter of entertainment and glamour - Los Angeles.

Like The Makeup Show NYC and Miami, The Makeup Show LA will be a pro-artist event for everyone in every area of the makeup industry. We'll deliver the same pro-driven, artistically inspired, celebratory energy of The Makeup Show to the west coast, and bring together your top brands and inspirational artists and educators for two amazing days of community, career, and craft building.

It's the west coast must-attend event for anyone in the business of makeup and beauty.

Visit The Makeup Show on its website to register. Not on the west coast? Don't fret. The Makeup Show NYC is happening May 16-17, 2010.

Job Alert -Director of PR (Fashion/Style/Design Department)

Company: Creative Exchange Agency
Industry: Advertising Agency, Entertainment, Fashion, Graphic Design/Art Direction, Internet/Online/New Media, Marketing, Photography, Public Relations, Sales/Advertising Sales
Salary: Negotiable
Benefits: Bonuses, Health
Job Duration: Full Time
Job Location: New York, NY USA
Job Requirements: Artist Management Director (Fashion/Style/Design Department) + Director of Public Relations.
Contact: Mr. Steven Pranica
Apply here: mediabistro

Responsibilities include:
- Development and implementation of strategic public relations, marketing and media programs. - Liaison between Fashion Consultants + Creative Directors and Media + Brands.
- Identify, cultivate and engage new business and revenue opportunities in the fashion, luxury and editorial arenas.
- Media outreach for Artist and Brand collaborations.
- Develop and oversee Artist/Brand consultancy opportunities worldwide.
- Proactively pursue sponsorship opportunities for artist and brand initiatives.
- Create, negotiate and administer marketing and communications budget and performance measurements.
- Advise on new artist acquisitions.

Requirements:
- Minimum of 3 years experience in public relations, branding and/or artist management.
- Ability to think creatively and strategically in a high paced environment.

Information on artists, clients and the company can be found at the Creative Exchange Agency website.

About the Company:
Creative Exchange Agency (CXA) is a premiere artist management, production and branding firm specializing in the representation of Artists (photographers and film directors), Fashion Consultants and Creative Directors marketed to the editorial, advertising, fine art, film, and emerging media arenas.

With offices in New York, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai, Creative Exchange Agency aligns artists and fashion/luxury brands and develops, implements and produces iconic advertising and marketing campaigns.

I want your job! Senior Chemist at L'Oreal USA

I'm so excited to share with you an interview with one of my best buds, Barbara Mitchell. Barbara is a senior chemist at L'Oreal USA, where she does research and development for brands such as Kiehl's , Garnier , Skinceuticals , Redken , and Maybelline . Not only is Barbara a talented chemist, but she's such a sweet gal pal too (who let's me raid her beauty cabinet for gratis products every time I visit). She's so good at what she does, that she's been chosen for an exchange program at L'Oreal Paris, which will send her to Paris, France to work for six months starting this March. Isn't that fabulous!? I'm so proud of Barbara and very happy to share her story with you.

NM: What is your position at L'Oreal and when did you start there?

BM: I was recently promoted to senior chemist. I have been at the company almost 5 years.

NM:What is your role as a senior chemist?

BM: Everyday is different for me. I formulate skin care products and I do everything on a product from the time that marketing conceives the product until the product is on the shelf. My job is to make sure that the products that are launched are safe and stable, so if you leave it in your car overnight in the cold, it won't freeze, or if you leave it in the sun it won't melt, or wont change color over time or anything like that.

NM:How did you become interested in making beauty products and working at L'Oreal?

BM:I have been in love with cosmetics ever since I can remember. When I was in college one of my professors recommended this field to me. I didn't even know this field existed until someone told me about it. I got really lucky when I got this job. I just applied online through the L'Oreal website. It seems as though I applied to a million jobs online, but this was the only one that called me back, so I feel like it was really meant for me to be here.

NM:What would you recommend to someone who is interested in doing what you do?

BM:In college, you definitely have to be a science major to be in research and development. Any science major will do- we have engineering majors, biology majors, all science majors. If you want to be in this particular industry, or any field that I guess is not "traditional," you have to think outside the box and look for something that you like. After studying science in college, everyone told me I had to a doctor or a dentist. I didn't want to follow those career paths. Start talking to people about what the things you like and are interested in and someone may have a suggestion for you.

NM:Students always ask me about salaries in the fashion and beauty industries. Can you share how much you made starting out as an associate chemist?

BM: When I first started here, I made $50,000. That's the average for an entry-level chemist position.

NM: Why do you feel as though you've had such success in your role as a chemist? It's almost unheard of for someone as young as you are to already have become a senior chemist.

BM: If you want to get promoted, you have to motivate yourself to do the job you want to have. Someone is not going to promote you just by assuming you may be able to do the job. You have to show them in advance that you can absolutely do the job. Start to take on more work. Take on more projects. Mentor. I mentor and train new chemists in my office. You really have to take the initiative to go above and beyond your current job responsibilities are.

NM: What's the craziest thing that has happened to you at your job?

BM:I almost set the lab on fire! My first year there, not too long after I started, I put a plastic clipboard on my hot plate by accident. I was so embarrassed, like "Oh my God, how could I do this!" The whole lab was smoky. You know how plastic smells when it burns? The whole lab smelled like burned plastic. It was horrible. Everyone was going around asking," Who's burning something?" But at my job, everyone has an experience like that. It's like a rite of passage.

NM: What is the best part about your career?

BM:Can I say the free products?! Seriously, the free products are definitely a plus. Aside from that my favorite part of this job is to know that I had a hand in making people feel beautiful and feel their best. I feel really good when I see things in the store that I've worked on and helped created. When I see our products in Allure magazine, I'll say, "hey, I did that!" It feels good to know that I'm helping make a difference in people's lives.

NM: How were you chosen for the exchange program in Paris?

BM:I put international travel in my yearly goals, and when an opportunity came up, they picked me to go. It's an exchange program so someone from L'Oreal Paris will come to L'Oreal USA to work on my projects. In Paris, I will be doing the same kind of work that I do here.

NM: Are you nervous about the language?

BM:Yes, definitely, because my French is a little shabby. I am currently taking French lessons and I have a private tutor from now until I leave. Hopefully that will give me the basics that I need for day-to-day. In the office, they will speak English for the most part.

NM: What is the one piece of career advice that is most essential in your industry?
BM: Networking is very, very important. It's very real when people say," it's not what you know, but who you know." I didn't realize the importance of networking until I started this job. Talk to coworkers. Talk to upper management. I'm not afraid to talk to the AVP (assistant vice president) or people who are in higher positions than I am. You never know how someone can help you.

NM: Any last words you'd like to share with someone who is trying to chose a career in beauty?

BM: You have to do something you love. Money isn't everything. Money alone will not make you happy.I couldn't imagine getting up everyday and going somewhere where I didn't have fun or I didn't like. It is possible to make a career out of something you love. I used to love to play in my mother's lipstick. And now I love making it!

If you're interested in a career like Barbara's, shoot her an email at barbarajoimitchell@gmail.com and she'll be happy to connect with you. Make sure to mention you read about her on Glam Gigs too! We'll also be asking Barbara to review the resumes of 3 readers interested in cosmetic science. Stay tuned!

Glam Gigs Icon: John Demsey, Group President, The Estee Lauder Companies & Chairman, MAC AIDS Fund

As I mentioned on my last post, I have tons and tons of magazine clippings featuring people who work in fashion and beauty. I'm always looking for articles, books, pamphlets-whatever!- to find people doing big things in this industry. On a recent Delta airlines flight, I found a cool profile of John Demsey, Group President at Estee Lauder, in Sky magazine. I am particularly fond of John because of his commitment to the MAC AIDS Fund, which has donated millions to combat AIDS globally. Kudos to Mr. Demsey! Giving back is always GLAM!


Source: Sky magazine, December 2009