Top 10 Characteristics of Successful and Creative Women

Top 10 Characteristics of Successful and Creative WomenIf you havent seen Wonder Woman yet, add it to your to-do list you will be newly inspired to kick butt and take names. If you want to be all the woman you can be and achieve the great things you know youre destined for, then there are a few things you can try to increase your chances of world domination. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Turns out, women who achieve amazing things tend to have a few traits in common. Here are a few that you can attempt to cultivate or recognize in yourself.1. AssertivenessIf you find yourself backing into requests or questions and/or constantly apologizing for yourself, then you might need to harden your assertiveness quotient. Trade in your innerhalb pussycat for an inner tiger. Just try not to be too ferocious to over-compensate.2. EmpathyA lot of women think that typically female traits like empathy are to be downplayed, when instead they should be considered an asset. Empathy means you can listen and understand where other people are coming fromtheir needs and feelings and desires. Learn to be understanding and intuitive, without getting derailed by sentimentality.3. PassionYou may have lots of skill and experience, but without passion for what youre doing, youre likely not to elevate your work to the next stage. Loving what you do means innovating, striving, challenging yourself. And it makes the time you put in pleasurable and worth every moment of your journey to the top. Passion also brings energy, which youll need to persevere.4. ImperfectionTrying to be perfect or expecting perfection from those around you is a one-way ticket to everyone being miserable. Really successful women know this isnt possible all the time. Embrace your flaws. Find people who complement your strengths. And keep your head down. Be the best you can be at each thing, then move on.5. PowerRise to the top. Once you get there, you get to write your ow n rules. Youll find, paradoxically, that the higher up you go, the easier your life gets. Youll have more control in the kind of workplace you create for yourself and your employees.6. FaithBelieve in yourself. Believe that you will be successful. Believe in your crazy ideas. And be ready to think on your feet in order to realize them. You could also call this egothe confidence to get done what you need to get done (rather than the inflated head variety).7. AdaptabilityIf stress flummoxes you, then you might have a hard time in your rise to success. Youll feel more capable of handling this amount of stress at different times, of course, but in general, the more you build up your tolerance the better. Find ways to make your life as restful, de-stressed, and easy as possible. And concentrate your mental energy on the work at hand, rather than hyperventilation.8. CourageWhat would you do if you had no fear? Taking risks doesnt necessarily mean doing reckless things, but it does mean ma king calculated decisions and trying things that might be considered risky.9. Self careReally successful people rest as hard as they play. They take good physical care of themselves exercising and eating right, taking mental health days if possible, and knowing when to say no and when to take alone time, etc. Theyre able to step away from their never ending to-do lists and do something that will keep them going with enough fuel to keep powering through.10. GratitudeReally successful women realize that their success did not occur in a vacuumboth at home and at work. And they are able to say thank you and express genuine gratitude and appreciation to the people who have helped them get where they are. They treat their colleagues with kindness and respect and receive respect and admiration in return.

The Future is Abril Peña Advocate, Engagement Coordinator and Avid Solo-Traveler

The Future is Abril Pea Advocate, Engagement Coordinator and Avid Solo-Traveler Abril Pea, a student at Baruch College, has already learned how to use her life experience for good. After benefitting from Virtual Enterprises International (VE) a non-profit that helps students discover careers and prepare for a financially secure future as a high school student and giving a moving speech about her involvement, she welches invited to join the team. Now, as an Engagement Coordinator for the organization, she shares her passion for partal development with her students. One growth experience she prides herself on? Moving to Germany to work with a VE partner completely alone.We asked Pea mora about her important work with VE and how she prioritizes her schoolwork, professional work and personal life. Then, she shared great advice for young women who want to get involved in their own communities.How are you making an impact on your school or local community?Im an Engagement Coordinator an d alumna of VE, a nonprofit business program serving 15,000 students from 430 schools thats geared towards helping students discover careers, igniting their entrepreneurial spirit, and preparing them for fulfilling, financially secure futures. Since 2015, Ive been part of a wonderful team supporting students journeys towards professional and personal development as they start their own businesses, practice personal finance skills and test-drive dream careers.What made you passionate about the project or role thats allowing you to make a difference?My absolute favorite part of working with VE is that the program is an opportunity for social mobility to students who normally would notlage get the education, resources, and network that they need to thrive as young adults. In my own experience, I went to a high school where a majority of students came from lower-income households, were children of immigrants, and didnt have high expectations for their futures. The students in our VE pro gram, including me, were able to say they were learning something at school that they would use in the future. With 50% of our schools eligible for free or reduced lunch, its clear that we are helping provide access to a unique educational experience to students who wouldnt have had the opportunity to learn vital career and life advice otherwise. The mora I get to connect with our students, the more I realize the importance of the work my team and I are doing, and how much further we have to go.How did you get in this position? Were you elected, selected, or did you start the project yourself? What steps did you take to fulfill this role? Did you study something specific, join this club first year, etc.After graduating from the VE program in 2014, I welches eager to give back to the program that brought me out of my shell after being a timid high schooler. For a year, I volunteered at every chance I could, even serving as an alumni panelist in between finals exams During this time, I spoke about my experience developing my career readiness at the NYC Career Technical Education Appreciation Event. The NYC VE Regional Director was in attendance, and he was so delighted to hear my speech that he and the national director eventually brought me for an interview when they began to recruit for the VE Fellowship program. Since then, I have rose from VE Fellow to Program Associate to Engagement Coordinator, all while pursuing my Bachelors Degree at Baruch College.What other activities, projects, or jobs do you do at school? Spill your resumeIm going to be frank I tried to join clubs numerous times at school, and none of them really clicked for me. Some opportunities or projects felt disingenuous for me to take if I was joining with the sole intention of making my resume pop or finding for the right connections (which, if this is your goal, then more power to you). Also, I needed money So, instead, I worked as a hostess at a Harlem steakhouse, volunteered and then work ed with VE, and traveled to 9 countries in the span of my college career. I speak highly about my short-lived hostess experience in particular because I learned some important skills there that platzdeckchen me up for my future career a persons bark is much bigger than their bite and kindness takes you farther than spite.What is an accomplishment youre proud of?In the fall of 2017, VE presented me the opportunity to intern with one of our partners EUROPEN-PEN International for three months in Germany. I was nearly 4,000 miles away from my comfort zone, and still managed to travel to four countries, work with eighty international students, help coordinate a case study competition and meet incredible colleagues along the way. It was the first time I was away from home for so long and my first true taste of independence. Looking back on it today, I use that experience as a foundation for what I can accomplish next, telling myself if I could do that, I can do this.What is a challenge that youve faced and overcome?On my Germany trip, there were moments where I thought I didnt belong there, where I thought I was in over my head, and where impostor syndrome and jet lag would keep me up for hours. I was in a new country, trying to understand a new culture and working full-time in a new office. After work, I was left with no one but myself. The fear of failure was a regular occurrence. But the more I forced myself to go outside, talk to people, travel to different cities and get lost, the more I learned about myself and my capabilities.I asked my boss at the time what I should be doing to become better prepared for my future career and he replied Im not saying this because youre sitting here right now, but exactly what youre doing now traveling and meeting new people and experiencing different ways of living and working.By the end of the trip, I was very proud of the work I did with EUROPEN-PEN International. I experienced solo-traveling in four countries, and most importantly, I got the chance to better understand myself.What advice do you have for women who want to make a difference at their school?If youve been watching Tidying Up on Netflix, take the Marie Kondo approach to the choices you make at school, work, or in life does it bring you joy? When looking for an opportunity to make a difference, sit down and list the things you care deeply about, what gets you excited, what you can talk about for hours. Then, have conversations with people who care about the same things you do and actively look for opportunities to work on said things.Who is YOUR Fairygodboss? Why?The first person who comes to mind is my former colleague and engagement extraordinaire, Shauna Ruda. Shauna, our former Director of Engagement, taught me how building authentic relationships with our donors and partners benefits everyone. She never misses an opportunity to uplift the people around her.Lightning Round Whats Your Karaoke Song?I belt out a mean Buy You A Drank. I am T-Pain. I do the auto-tune, and the snaps. I do it all.Lightning Round Whats Your Favorite Book?A recent favorite is Heart Talk by Cleo Wade. Any given page is filled with warm advice and kind words that can be applied to your personal and professional life. I reach for it whenever Im having a bad day.Lightning Round Whats Your Favorite Movie?Before I admit my answer, let me make one thing clear I hate a predictable plot. I often stray away from cheap romantic comedies that sell the idea that you have to be completely annoyed by someone before falling in love with them or that women are meant to be saved from single-hood. That being said, Crazy, Stupid, Love is definitely my go-to movie when I want a cozy rom-com without the cheesy plot.Lightning Round Whats Your Favorite Quote?Growing up, my mom was a huge groupie of Frida Kahlo. She actually almost named me Frida. So, it comes to no surprise that one of my favorite quotes is by the Mexican artist herself Pies, para qu los qui ero si tengo alas para volar? (Translation Feet, what do I need them for when I have wings to fly?)Fairygodboss is all about celebrating female leaders so every other week, we celebrate a young woman who is making a difference in her school or local community. Do you know a student leader whos making an impact? Celebrate her and thank her by nominating her here.