brittanywong-blog

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Focus, dig deep and inspire yourself.

Dreams, by their very nature, are often at offs with the sensible recommendations made by those who love us and who want what is best for us. But so is faith, and so is selflessness, and so are many of the other human attributes we say we admire in this society. And just as it is important to hang on to what you believe in, it is important to identify and follow your dreams. If you don't make your dreams come true, no one else can. No one else knows you as you know yourself. No one else sees your potential the way you do. You are the one who has nurtured the sparks of your character and your commitment this far, and you are the one who can make those sparks burn throughout your life. For young women, the challenges and the opportunities may never have been greater than they are today. Although there have been some ominous things written and said in the last few years about women who want to have it all, it is now common for women to balance careers and family. Today, the woman who doesn't work outside her home is the exception, and the man who objects to his wife holding an outside job is an anomaly. This social configuration would have been impossible to predict 20 years ago and when I was first trying to find my niche, and it would never have come about if women had been wiling to squeeze themselves into available roles rather than create new ones. Joan Samuelson, Colby-Sawyer College Graduation speech, New London, 1990

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Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders

I`ve listened to this talk countless times for inspiration. I recommend for all to watch, especially leaders of today and for young women out there who are aspiring to do something remarkable.

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Canadian politics just got interesting.

So, what a night… sigh.

What happened?! And who could have anticipated such a drastic shift? Did you see how many stutters Mansbridge made, how upset Chantel was and Coin just sitting in the back of the CBC live broadcast in awkward silence? Lol. I can’t even imagine how shocked and dumbfounded our political panelist must feel right now…

RECAP

From a Canadian public that didn’t support an election in the first place, the entire body of what we know as Canadian politics has shifted: the power AND the people representing us:

A Conservative Majority for Harper with representation in every Province in Canada. Truly a national win (based on our electoral system).

The first time in history that the NDP has become the Official Opposition. A lifetime of dedication from Layton, well-deserved. And as for the impact on the House, a MAJOR shift in representation: 40 NDP MPs are women AND 58 NDP MPs are Quebec federalists with little political experience in parliament--both significant in driving or shifting the position of the NDP.

The Separatists movement nearly washed out of the House, as well as the voice of Quebec for the past 20 years: a resigned Duceppe. Au revoir Quebecois.

The Liberals sinking from 77 to 34 seats in their biggest upset in political history. A defeated Ignatieff, even within his own riding.

The First Green MP voted into the House. The best change this election brought to Canadian politics: E. May in the H of C. Smart, honest, fair and speaks with charisma on behalf of Canadians. Can’t wait to watch her in action!

 Speech Recaps: I must say I was impressed with all of them, especially Iggy and Harpers. Watch here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/ (Segments: Harper 00, Layton 3:20, Iggy 7:40, Duceppe 10:00, May 11:52).

If there was  a time for Canadian politics to get interesting, this just may be it.

WHY DID THE LIBERALS FALL… SO HARD?

This will be an interesting one to follow over the next couple weeks. So many factors were at play to influence it. The split vote was a big one: Layton’s momentum clearly resulted in a truly split left vote, especially in BC and Ontario, thus resulting in Conservative wins. As one of the CBC analyst mentioned the pre-election attack ads put out by the Conservatives to frame Ignatieff as a haughty academic disconnected from Canada, was an image Iggy couldn’t manage to shake—especially, since most of the electorate didn’t know him well and it was the first impression they received. And to blame the Liberals for their own faults, I’m thinking it was nothing more than Iggy not being able to connect with Canadians well. Honestly I thought they ran a solid campaign—the communication of ideology, vision for Canada and campaign effort was there, but (and I hate to say it), Iggy just didn’t come across well with the public—people didn’t buy into him and ‘like’ him.

Maybe his bushy eyebrows and dry demure didn’t come off ‘friendly’ enough on TV (while on mute). Maybe he should have created a strategy focused on smiling nicely, wearing hockey jackets, and selling a beautiful Canada instead of himself. Maybe ‘the game’ that we all hate so much about politics, needs to be played.

THE POPULARITY CONTEST

As Andrea Reimer, Gregor’s right hand political advisor, once said to a group of women in a political campaign school, “[Truth be told], when it comes down to it, politics is a popularity contest.” And how do you become popular across a country? Connect with people, act like you can lead a country and ‘look good’ doing it. I hate to say this, but I’m thinking more and more that it’s true. Even perfect communication can only go so far from one party when people don’t take the time to get to know you, and the other parties are framing you otherwise.

Last year, I had the opportunity to watch Iggy speak at UBC and to ask him questions in the scrum afterwards. He was brilliant. Connected, thoughtful, insightful, analytical and supported an ideology that I whole-heartedly supported and one I believe Canadians could have if they got to know him at a rally or event (Debates don’t count; he misrepresented himself horribly there). He is one of the greatest leaders I’ve seen in Canada, and his closing speech tonight—spoken with such humility, gratitude for his opponents and acceptance of responsibility for defeat—was a true testament to that. It was an unfortunate night, but it won’t be the end for Iggy. If not in the House, I have 100% faith Iggy will lead again because that’s what great leaders do.

And on the flipside of Iggy, there was Layton. The Canadian public responded to Layton well, like they always have. The difference this time ‘round is that Layton and his campaign team finally were about to hit critical mass through their campaign strategy and thus, the support for Orange, tipped. Question is: when and specifically, how?

STUDENTS UNDER 18 – POLL CLOSEST TO 2011 RESULTS

Amanda Lang (Lang & O’Leary) showed that the results of a national student poll across Canada (students under 18) reflected more closely to the final election results than ANY OTHER Canadian polls: http://www.studentvote.ca/home.php

I find this very interesting and possibly quite telling to the way our electorate votes, but more analysis is needed.

So many questions to be answered and news to be followed.

What do you think it means for us?

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The Power of Words

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For a feel-good beat that brings on one of these: =)

Cheers!

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Adidas is brilliant. They understand the power of stories and connection.

On the most rudimentary level, the story is one of love and relationships--an idea that connects with all of us. Taking elements of Japanese culture from video games to 'massage parlors' and more societal norms and connotations that I'm sure I missed (having not been to Japan), the commercial is geared to connect with a younger Japanese audience. As for Adidas' benefit, Adidas Safety Wear Collection is brilliantly interwoven into the story line.

The Safety Wear Collection now has a story, a meaning, and a brilliant brand behind it. Entertaining. Meaningful. Fun, and with great potential for word of mouth spread. Love it, Adidas. Love it.

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jnomics:

Yes.

JNOMICS

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Different versions of you

Ever imagine what you could have become if your life unfolded another way? Factors, moments and experiences in our life seem to guide and shape us-- the people we become and the opportunities that we encounter. BUT what if things happened another way? At a certain point, we learn who we are, what we like, how we deal with things, and what we’re good at. You get to know you. Now with that said, what different versions of you can you envision for yourself?

I’m not too sure what triggered this thought, but it definitely had me thinking about the possibilities! For me, I grow up with two Asian parents who drilled it in me to get good grades throughout high school. Anything less than University was not an option, and so I went. With their push towards post-secondary, I eventually found a passion. I became A COMMUNICATOR.

I fell in love with the Communication program at Simon Fraser and am now working in marketing and communications. I have a passion for communication and see myself working in some communication-related career now and possibly forever. I love it. Communicating the value and importance of anything or anyone—and educating people on the why and the how of something through simple, clear and repetitive messaging—I believe is the key to crossing the chasm, hitting the tipping point, reaching critical mass, in other words, the key to success. Communication is something that has become core to me. I believe in it, understand it, value it and am good at it. This is what I want to do. I found a passion of mine and will happily go on being a communicator. Now, had my life unfolded another way, I think there are other ‘versions’ of me that would have been equally fulfilling. In another life, I can imagine I could have become ... ... A DANCE TEACHER. There’s a reason why I follow the DJ circuit, why I absolutely love working out (to my ipod), why I still dance in my room at age 24, and even why I planned an entire eurotrip around house music festivals. I think dancing feels good and like for many of us, it comes natural to me. Not that I’m a great dancer, but I ‘move’ when it comes on. Given the opportunity to practice, I think I would have excelled at it because I have a passion for music and for a good beat. I was the same when I was a child (dancing all the time) and preteens as well. I think if I had been enrolled into dance school at age 3 or 4, I would have reached my 10,000 hours (see Gladwell’s 10,000-Hour Rule) by now and would have definitely pursued it with a passion.  … A JOURNALIST. I am curious by nature about people, things, random stuff, especially with social substance—like issues of social justice, ethics, social movements or revolutions, or anything that impacts societies, in which case those societies may not be aware about. I get lost on the internet all the time researching and checking on the reliability or articles and sources--who does that? lol. I was approached and flagged down by an army guard on Tienanmen Square after I tried to get footage of a peaceful protest going on, when everyone was backing away. I feel like, with the right opportunity and push, I would have made an excellent journalist. I realize that everything you imagine for yourself or even, if you’re still looking to discover what you want to do, it all stems from your passions and the strongest characteristics you have that make you, you. So tell me, what are some different versions of you that you envision for yourself?

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Be the change that you want to see in the world

Mohandas Gandhi (forever one of my favourite quotes)

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Rose teaches us best practices on how to make effective presentations to venture capitalists.  

Top 5 Tips:

1. Never look at your screen.

2. Don't read your speech.

3. Give a handout.

4. Use a remote control.

5. Always use presenter tools.

Good info to know - Keeping this on reference for when I start my own business.

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Arianna Huffington at TED: How to succeed? Get more sleep

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Amazing.

jnomics:

ilovethatvideo:

I love this video SO much.

I stole it from my friends’ art blog. Their names are Nick and Erin Potter and they go by Potter Press. They are two amazing artists and printmakers. You should really check them out.

Utterly inspired twice in the same night.  Thanks Tumblr! This is a beautiful video and an interesting depiction of  collaboration. I love art.

JNOMICS

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Should You Accept Your Parent’s Facebook Friend Request?

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Introducing the iPad t-shirt

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Jason Fried: Why work doesn't happen at work

There’s a reason why companies that are adopting newer business models of 2.0 communications and decentralized alternatives to working tend to be more productive and are succeeding faster than companies with traditional business models. As Fried puts it, M&Ms (managers and meetings) in traditional business kill productivity, and seriously, I couldn’t agree more! Thank you Fried for bringing to light something sooo relatable to me at the moment! I thought I was alone in this feeling, but clearly, I was just extremely lucky to be working with a company who had amazing work practices. (Hotfusion, you were the greatest!) I didn’t realize it until now, but I was blessed with working for a highly productive communication agency where I worked with various technology companies and global teams. I worked remotely from home, had a couple conference calls a week (averaging 20-30 minutes), and on a whole, we all executed quickly and effectively. Never was I required to write a full set of meeting minutes, but instead, I would write only the action items and next steps. Time effective. Well-communicated. Productive. Now, I’m working as a hospitality marketing coordinator for 8 separate properties, for a company whose business model is very traditional. Meetings are regular and long (especially when everyone is operating at their own pace), full minutes are required, commutes to meetings eat up a good 4 hours of my week, and most of all, I FEEL LIKE I GET NOTHING DONE (I HARDLY DO) AND YET I'M WORKING SO HARD. I broke down my week and after removing time for meetings, commuting, minutes, and interruptions from coworkers, I have about 4 hours each week for the main properties. And what’s happened, is I’m finding I’m working 10 hour days, everyday… something that can and needs to be avoided. Compensation is not covering it and it’s not healthy.  Ineffective. Slow. Unhealthy. When it comes to work, I know I'm a highly productive and effective worker/thinker, and this system if inefficiency is seriously boggling me down and frustrating me big time. I have to propose some changes next week before I go insane. I guess it’s my responsibility to take this into my hands and lay out a brand new foundation for effective working practices and proposals for “trial” conference call meetings, etc. I’m just extremely overwhelmed by the amount of groundwork and research that’s needed to be laid for my current role. And to boot, the position is way overworked, which is a pitty since the capacity for excellence for all the properties is here… just majorly lacking the resources to execute, think and strategize well. Just lettin’ out some air (sigh) … aiyah.

BUT... on the upside, I am working with a marketing team that is very open to ideas and new ways of thinking. Things can be proposed and potential for change is there. 

And back to Fried, his 3 solutions are GOLD. I'm going to propose No Talk Thursdays soon, just got to get a schedule in order first.

1) No talk Thursdays 2) More collaboration tools (email, IM) 3) Cancel that next meeting!

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When you're not happy with something, you don't walk away from it, you make an attempt to change it and make right that wrong.

Biz Stone, CEO of Twitter

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In the land of coupledom, we've seen it all...

PDAs and makeout sessions while friends are standing right there

Eating dinner and sitting side-by-side instead of across from each other

Obvious footsy across the table

Ditching BFFs for each other

Always making decisions as ONE (even though they're still two separate humans!)

These things are all too common with couples.  I think many of us can say, that YES, we've been there at one point or another... BUT TONIGHT, I saw something that topped my list of coupledom entertainment.

I was sitting in a coffee shop with my girlfriend when a couple, two college students, entered together around 8:30pm. After ordering some coffee, they sat next to each other side by side. They didn't say a word. For about an hour and a half, the guy sat with his laptop working on a paper while the girl sat on her chair reading a book. Now, here's the crazy part about it. The whole time (the WHOLE time), they were holding hands and playing with each others' fingers. Think about it like this: guy typing with one hand and girl flipping pages of book with one hand... and no talking. Seriously, LOL. Talk about inseparable. Is that not like an extreme case of coupleness? Where does practicality and rationality come in here? If you need to study and you haven't seen your partner for a while, it is a good solution? To each your own. hah, I was definitely amused :)

Funny thing about couples in coupledom is that they so often get tied up within each other that they can't see straight. It's a cool feeling I guess, but I think it's important to have good friends to pull you out of the clouds :)

What do you think? What kinds of "over the top displays of affection" have you spotted couples doing? Keep it clean now ;)