Business Lessons from sucessful entrepreneurs and business leaders: LunchLearning.com

Reading time: 2 - 4 minutes

Video Time: 56 minutes 11 seconds

The idea of Avon Products inspires a wide range of thoughts ranging from the image of door-to-door saleswomen and house parties to that of top-line perfumes and men’s fashion. However, two things that generally do not leap to mind is a fashion juggernaut and an enabler for thousands of women across the country. As a company sometimes referred to as ‘The Company of Women’, it is only natural to find a woman standing at its helm: Andrea Jung, currently ranked as the sixth most powerful woman in the United States according to Fortune Magazine. She is a critical piece of the force of Avon and a figure well worth considering.

However, to truly grasp the concepts that drive Avon, we have to step back an era. Before women were even permitted to vote, much less be accepted in the workplace, the original founder of Avon, under the name of the California Perfume Company, decided to work with a predominantly female sales force. The spiritual element, in addition to the business logic, of female independence resonated with the company and proved to be a potent asset.

Maintaining this spirit of supporting women’s independence has done much to encourage the longevity of Avon by pushing them to explore new markets and giving the company a core concept to rally around through the ages. This center on aiding women has pushed the company to enter markets where other companies have shied away from, such as in developing countries, where women are just beginning to enter the economic environment, and grow in times of poor economic growth from people with an entrepreneurial spirit being laid off seeking new opportunities.

This video looks at a variety of elements, from the importance of spirit, constant reinvention, and the capacity to do multiple things at the same time. Whether it’s the ability to look forward at the future without losing sight of what brought you to that point or to strive towards an ideal while remaining grounded in reality, Andrea Jung is a potent woman at the head of a powerful company that has its very spirit geared towards uplifting peoples.

Reading time: 3 - 5 minutes

Video Time: 22 minutes 2 seconds

Let’s start off a week of important women in business with Sheryl Sandberg. It’s clear to anyone in the business-world that Sandberg has a pretty impressive resume. Currently the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, her past jobs include Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google, and Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This year she ranked #22 on the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune.

In this eloquent speech at a Stanford Business School Banquet entitled “Faces of Change, ” Sandberg tackles the topic of “Women in Management.” Sandberg’s speech is a perfect way to start off this week’s topic, because in it she offers us practical advice on how to make the business-world more equal. While Sandberg asserts that much has changed already and we must appreciate this, there is so much more needed. Sandberg illustrates how women continue to struggle for equality in the work-world, currently earning on average only 80% of what men make, despite earning 60% of bachelors degrees awarded. On the Wall Street Journal’s current list of the top 30 wage earners, only one woman is on this list. She explains how women are still underrepresented in top positions of power in our society, and that women who have successful careers are less likely to be married or stay married than men with successful careers.

So, how do we change things, how do we make things more equal? Sandberg gives women advice on how to stay in the work force, even while balancing the demands of a family. Her pieces of advice fall under three categories: pretend you’re a guy, don’t leave until you leave, and make your partner a real partner.

1. Pretend you’re a guy. This basically comes down to confidence. Put simply, men are more likely to overestimate their achievements and are more likely to attribute their accomplishments to talent instead of luck. Sandberg encourages women to be proud of their success. Along with confidence, Sanberg emphasizes the importance of women negotiating in the workplace; make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth!

2. Don’t leave until you leave. Sandberg describes the issues involved with women who want to start a family and sometimes make premature decisions about their jobs because of this. She urges these women not to slow down because of future plans, and not to make apprehensive decisions. If you decide that you don’t want to leave your work, do not slow down. Continue to strive, take that promotion.

3. Make your partner a real partner. Sandberg illustrates how, according to research, in most married households women do the majority of housework and childcare even if they work full-time. These women are essentially working two jobs. The importance of having a truly equal partner in a marriage is essential to making women more equal in our society and specifically in the workplace.

Sandberg doesn’t sugarcoat it. She’s hopeful, but doesn’t deny that it’ll be hard work. She hopes to see women have more choices in the near future, but doesn’t forget the fact that men need more choices too. For instance, if a man wants to be a stay-at-home dad, he should be able to, but as of right now this is not a common choice for males.

So, enjoy this inspirational and informative speech, and hopefully you’ll learn a little about what you can do as an individual to promote equality in our workforce. Happy Learning!

Thanks for joining LunchLearning.com today! Enjoy your Lunch!

Reading time: 2 - 4 minutes

Video Time: 19 minutes 30 seconds

Well this is it for me, its been great sharing with you this week. I want to end my series with a look towards the FUTURE. In today’s video Jane McGonigal (@avantgame on Twitter), and a researcher at the Institute for the Future, talks about how the social aspects of online gaming can be transposed onto the real world. She believes that the social networks in online games which allow players to effectively communicate to one another will eventually become the foundation for how we will use technology in the future. As an example Jane’s social game World Without Oil shows how people can effectively create multiple solutions to a large problem in a short period of time. Her game also demonstrates how people can use new technology to creatively solve problems when given the right means to achieve a goal.

New technology helps create better products and helps small businesses advertise in inexpensive ways. Technology like Google, Facebook and Twitter give entrepreneurs the resources to target specific consumers and streamline marketing. What might sound silly now, like making the real world mirror video games, might be as normal as checking an e-mail in the future. Technology and business go hand and hand and the partnership between these two economic giants help drive change. I picked this video to remind you that technology is your friend so play nice. I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Learning and Game On!

Reading time: 4 - 6 minutes

Total Video Time: 28 minutes 20 seconds

Today I want to switch things up a bit and present a person who used savvy business skills to turn her dream into a reality. That person is Felicia Day and If you’ve ever played an online RPG or if you know which color kryptonite makes Superman go crazy then you probably already know who I’m talking about. If you you’re asking, “What do rocket propelled grenades have to do with video games?” or “There’s more than one color of kryptonite?” that’s OK, let me explain my point. Felicia has done a fantastic job of marketing her popular web series The Guild to a niche group of…well, for a lack of a better term, nerds. The Guild is a show about six online gamers who must band together online and offline to help keep each other out of trouble. Whether she knows it or not, Felicia used smart business sense to create a show that caters to the needs of her niche. Here are just a few ways Felicia turned her zeal for online games into a successful business venture.

1. Passion - This is the most important part of making a business successful. As you watch as she explains the origins of The Guild, it’s easy to see that Felicia truly loves her craft.
2. Customer Service (the fans) - Felicia knows who her fan base is and knows what they want. In the video she describes how using a web series format was perfect for reaching her target audience. Even the interview at BlizzCon, a huge gaming convention, shows that she knows which events are important for circulating information to her fans.
3. Realistic - She works within her budget and doesn’t try to spread her self too thin when it comes to costs. In the interview, she discusses how she filmed in her house to minimize the overhead.
4. Growth - Felicia has a successful show on her hands and she knows that if she wants to grow her brand she needs to expand her footprint. Her cross platform content like The Guild comic book and The Guild music video insures that her brand will stay fresh and appealing to her current fans and attract new ones.

For those of you not familiar with how the gaming industry works some of the video’s content might be hard to understand. Don’t focus so much on the specifics, but focus on the big ideas; like the energy and drive it took to create a show from scratch or how Felicia answers every question with enthusiasm indicating her love for the subject matter. I hope this video will inspire new entrepreneurs and perhaps invigorate old ones to follow their passions.

Happy learning and Game On!

Reading time: 2 - 2 minutes

Video Time: (first video)7 minutes and 49 seconds (second video) 28 minutes and 49 seconds

What an awesome way to kick off the week. . .with Ellie Drake. With Iran in the news a lot these days, Ellie Drake helps to put a face to sea of people we see in the news. I really enjoyed Ellie’s motivational talk and subsequent interview which delves a bit more into her background. Her message is strong, and the typical underdog story we all love. From Iran to America with no English, to earning a PhD and running her own successful company, Ellie Drake is the stuff dreams are made of. . .listen to today’s talk and go out and seize YOUR day today!

Reading time: 1 - 2 minutes

Video Time: 26 minutes 43 seconds

Quick panel discussion with several Stanford alums who went on to do some pretty cool things as woman entrepreneurs. This one is from 2003. . .you’ll note that Gina Bianchini is now CEO of Ning.com. Panelists include: Jennifer Gill Roberts, Gina Bianchini, Melissa Parsons, Bette Pearlin, Varsha Rao.

The panel discusses work/life balance, challenges and opportunities for women in the workplace. Good panel discussion.