From the Archives:The Golden Rules of Office Politics

Source: bundyology.com via Sarah on Pinterest

According the U.S Department of Labor, the unemployment rate in Los Angeles County currently stands at an incredibly high rate of 12.7percent. If you are fortunate enough to be employed right now and if you were recently hired it is important to establish yourself as a valuable asset to your office as soon as you step foot in the door. I know, it’s hard to come in with a strategy when you are still recovering from the excitement of hearing the magical words, “You’re hired!”

With so much career advice out there it can be hard to discern the true keys to success. The tips listed below will not help you perform your job but they will help you navigate the murky waters of office politics. While the rules vary among fields and sectors, there are some general, golden rules that can help those that are new and/or those that find themselves stuck in a career rut. Full disclosure: I have broken some of these rules at times. You can thank me later for helping you learn through my mistakes.

Form rapport with your colleagues- Even the most fabulous jobs will have rough days. Unless you are completely antisocial you will need a buddy to help you get through the rough days. If you ever need someone to cry with/complain to you can go to this person. This will help you maintain your composure with your boss and everyone else.

Don’t assume people know your qualifications- The person who interviewed you knows you are perfectly qualified. It’s important to inform others of your background and express what you have to offer to the rest of your colleagues. Make yourself available to help. Take on new projects.

Read the rest of the article on Examiner.com

Sunday Dreariness -Beauty Routine Edition

Source: sunday-suppers.blogspot.com via Tamara on Pinterest

Sundays are my least favorite day of the week mostly because I find myself doing all of the things I avoid doing during the week but that I must complete in order to have a functional work week. Today however I was completely unproductive and even hit the mall and got a cute belt for only 2.50! I will show that to you later. Sorry, I have to entice you to come back somehow!

I don't usually do a full make-up routine and it's usually the day you can find me in my most casual outfit. If I had a camera that took good photos maybe I would show you.
Today I wore:
Red Stripped V-Neck Tee
Bubble A-Line Skirt
Jeweled Flats

And on my face I wore:

Aveeno Tinted Moisturizer (Medium Tint)- This moisturizer is great for days when you don't wear foundation and best of all it has SPF. Your face is done all in one step. I frequently do this for work too, I suffer from Adult Acne and I try avoid heavy face make up as much as possible.

Benefit Erase Paste- This concealer is great for under eye circles and I also apply it on my lids to even out the skin tone, Makes the lids look a little more polished on days when you're not wearing eye shadow. The price is a bit higher that I would like to pay for a concealer but this is definitely worth the price and a little goes a long way so this little round container lasts a while!

MAC Blush in Pink Swoon-. I love, love this MAC blush! I have been using it everyday since I purchased it. It's the perfect rosy pink for my skin tone. On a day when I want to look more natural I use very light strokes on the temples of my cheeks.

MAC Lipstick in MAC Red- This is a classic red lipstick and immediately brightens my face and my day. It must be the right shade for skin tone because I get compliments almost every time I wear it. 

I just applied these products, curled my lashes and that's it! Wow so fascinating.
Thank you for indulging me.

What about you how do you battle Sunday dreariness?

xoxo
Betsy Aimee

What's Your Style Formula? Mine is CBGT!

I love that Spring is in the air in LA this week! Of course it got me thinking of Spring Shopping. Here's what i'm crushing on this week. I searched far and wide for the Eastside Career Chic version of this Spring's Must Haves. 

My wardrobe consists of a specific formula:

Classic+Bold+Girly+Trendy= Eastside Career Chic Style

Now that I have been tracking my outfits more closely I have narrowed down my style to these key items. You can usually find me sporting a bold piece, with a classic piece, followed by something girly and something trendy. Here are some of the things i'm loving know. All these styles can be found for under 100 dollars!  Links are listed below. 

          1)Classic 

  I have been needing a pair of nude heels and these are so interesting and will last for many seasons

 2) Bold 

I love a jewerly that makes a statement! 

3) Girly 

Color Block Top with a Faux Collar- Love it! 

4) The Trendy Item

Pastel Jeans keep drawing my attention I think it's a sign I need to get some! 

And the cherry on top! This Jaded nail polish. by REVLON. 

Dolce Vita Shoes, HRH Collection Necklace & OiaJules Bracelet., Ark & Co. Shirt, Asos Pastel Denim, 

What's your style formula? 

xoxo, Betsy 

We All Need to Find Our Place in the Universe

According to Wikipedia the term niche is used to describe the role an organism or population plays within its community or ecosystem. Niche marketing often refers to advertising that is tailored to appeal to a specific group of people. Niche Audience is the people that fit within that said group of people.

It’s like those ads on the side bar of your Facebook that seem made just for you and say creepy things like , “Are you a 26 year old woman living in Los Angeles?” and you think, “Well actually I am! “ This is the most obvious example of advertisers targeting to a niche audience. Some things are marketed to the “mainstream niche” and are meant to appeal to all consumers but increasingly ads are developed for specific groups of people. This is why Facebook and Google will one day inevitably rule the world as they have so much data on everyone that they are the perfect venue for advertisers to create very specific ads based on all of the data we put on the internet.

Advertisers know that in order to sell they have to tailor to who they want to sell to. This got me thinking about my niche and who my target audience is, who am I appealing to, and who would be interested in what I have to say on this blog.

Taking it one step further I asked myself why I continue visiting certain Fashion, and Career sites, what is it about who they are marketing to that keeps me coming back? For example, when a blogger or a site features only high end designer gear I find myself not visiting that site as often. If the clothes I see don’t seem accessible to me it makes it less likely I want to visit in that case I’m not part of the niche audience of that blogger.

Now some bloggers who are a bit more savvy understand this and so they frequently post, less expensive options so that people like me don’t get turned off this is why I always read, “The Chloe Conspiracy.  This is an example of trying to appeal to a “mainstream” niche.

Now neither of these options are bad and perhaps bloggers are not always aware that they are carving a niche for themselves but it’s essential for their success that they establish an audience, figure out what it wants and then blog accordingly.

The same rule can apply to our careers, we need to find out what we like, who would like the service/product that we can provide and then tailor accordingly. Mold your career to who you are and then surround yourself with people who will appreciate it.

I’m still searching for my blog’s niche audience, but for this week my niche is finding cute nail polish!


It’s important for all of us to know who our target audience is, at work and in life and message accordingly. If you’re reading this it’s likely that you are a member of my niche audience so please do remember to subscribe, comment and follow me on Twitter!

This Blog Post Will Change Your Life!

Source: piccsy.com via Michelle on Pinterest

One of the best things that has happened since I started this blog is that I have found so many other sites and blogs that inspire and excite me. Every evening I come home and methodically click through my favorites bar. If you want to see some of my daily reads click here.

Of course 90 percent of my thoughts while I do this are something like this:

"Wow, she's so pretty. I wouldnt look that great in that outfit"
"Well she doesnt have a Full time job etc. like I do so that's why she looks that cute"
" I wish I could dedicate more time to being a "writer/blogger" so that I could incorporate all these great ideas I read on IFB into my blog

Then after a while I get tired and then just shut off the computer and say to myself,
"Now i'm too tired to blog"

Finding inspiration isn't hard for me, it's getting motivation to share what inspires me with others.
Here's a picture of my magazines which inspire me to find new outfits for the office!

I'm almost ashamed to admit this is only one months worth of glossy peridiocals. I have loved magazines since I was little girl. I think I was the only 11 year girl who read Seventeen Magazine and also played with paper dolls.

This week one of the sites I follow New Latina posted a question their site, "My ideal job would be _______"  I posted a response saying, " My ideal job would be to blog about careers and fashion"

Side Bar: My current job as a member of the women's rights movement isnt all that bad! But hey I am an overachiever so 2 careers would be awesome, and hopefully profitable.Besides I strongly feel that Gen Y (those born between 1980-1991) will have many careers and that the days of doing one job for the rest of your life are long gone. But that's a whole other topic for another day.

New Latina, asked me if I already had a blog or was thinking of starting one. I responded with the link to this blog and I was esctatic when New Latina posted my most recent blog post to their Facebook and Twitter! Woo hoo! That was exciting but it also made me ponder on why I just cant do what I claim I love to do on a more consistent basis. I have blogged about this in the past and have discussed this phenomenon with others.

The creative mind behind New Latina, Angelica Perez-Litwin is a great example of doing what you love and sharing your gifts with others. She is utilizing her psychology background to motivate other women and at the same time has created a platform of self expression for other women trying to share their "gift" with the world.

What does it mean to "share your gift." It sounds incredibly self-help-ish (yes, I just made up a word) but your "gift" is that unique talent you possess, that perspetive on life, fashion, music, politics, etc. that can only come from you.

(Speaking of gifts, looks this adorable wrapping paper)

Source: junelily.com via Flo on Pinterest

For example, to the naked eye, most fashion and beauty blogs might appear to be the same but  according to this Ted Talk on how to have a successful blog it is that unique perspective on trends and fashion that others connect with and makes them want to come back to your blog.

I hope you feel some connection to the thoughts I share here and that's why you are reading this blog. If that's the case then you should suscribe or comment! (or maybe it's just because you are my friend or my family member)

At the end of her talk she cites this quote by T.S Eliot that she shares at the end:"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

The blogger who did this TED Talk, Andy Torres of Style Scrapbook found herself unemployed after moving to Europe to pursue her dreams of being a designer and then realized that her true gift was to take runaway looks and make them relatable for the everyday woman and now has an incredibly successful webiste and career as a stylist.

Now dont tell me you dont think you have gift. We all have a gift and even if you dont know immediately what it is, part of our challenge is to find out what it is. If you havent found it already now is the time to start looking. But in order to do so we must take a risk and get out there and find it.

If we reallly want to change our lives we need to get out there and find our gift!
How many of you have things that inspire you? How are you sharing your gifts with the world? Where do you find the motivation to do what you love?  If you start searching today I will guarantee this post will change your life and if in Steve Jobs case he radically changed the lives of others in the process.

xoxo

Betsy Aimee.

Invest in Yourself, Just Make Sure There's a Return on Your Investment

Everyday we are confronted with a myriad of financial decisions...
"Should I stop for coffee?"
"Should I eat the lunch I made at home or hit the nearest burger joint?" Guess how I usually answer  that question, :)
"Does the dog really need a new outfit?" Rational Answer: No!
"Should I shop around for gas or just go to the nearest place when I run out of gas?"
"Should I agree to loan (insert name of friend/relative) money?"

In case you're wondering these are actual decisions I have been confronted with recently.

In this era of consumerism and where people are always looking for the next best gadget- Ipad 2/Iphone 101 anybody? - to keep up their image, it is very difficult to make decisions about how to spend money that can be truly unique and independent as we are constantly being subjected to targeted marketing that was designed specifically for us based on age, race etc.

And then there's the stuff we search for late at night....

Exhibit A- I have been obsessing over You Tube make up tutorial and beauty videos. They are inmensely addicting to someone like me. I have loved Make-Up ever since I was old enough to dig through my mother and older sister's make up. Now that I have emerged from the valley of the shadow of Depression I have re-discovered my love for face painting.

These videos are the budget shoppers guilty pleasures.  It's great to learn about beauty products and they prevent you from having to buy products that are overpriced, inadequate or who do not keep their marketing promises.
Yes of course, these videos help me save money!!
I think they could if I didn't have a compulsive need to buy things.

See below here is my newest nail polish purchased on a late night binge at my local drugstore. After all glitter polish will continue to be a top trend in 2012.

If we could graph the incidence of cosmetic product purchases after I watch these videos we would see a direct cause and effect relationship. I wont tell you what I have purchased in the past few weeks for fear of judgment (but I did post a picture of everything above) and also because I havent completely abandoned the idea of starting my own You Tube channel to share my "hauls" in the hope that I will soon become the next You Tube sensation.

I am fascinated by this phenomenon as these You Tube beauty experts are gaining momentum and cosmetic companies are definitely taking notice. In this video, one of the gals I enjoy shows off the drawer of the stuff that gets sent to her by cosmetic companies. I would lie if I said I wasnt jealous

I wouldnt publicly admit to following her but there's this young gal who has over 100 million hits and has recently hired a PR firm to represent her and is clearly trying to capitalize on her You Tube fame by coining herself the "Fashion Icon of the Social Media Generation."  Her readers sometimes  argue about her credentials as a fashionist/beauty guru in their comments section but she's clearly making a living this way. 

But there's more to this a few years ago it would have seemed outlandish but these young gals are actually good career role models because they are doing what they love and turning it into a profession and incorporating into their lives.  They are also following Penelope Trunk's advice and branding themselves as experts. in their fields by using social media and creating a following.

 This is something that all of us could learn from to advance our careers and the importance of investing time to pursue what we love. Investing in ourselves is key to getting ahead whether that means buying cosmetics and uploading videos, seeing a career coach, or my favorite investing in a killer wardrobe that will help make you more confident at work. 

Where does that leave me and my potential You Tube Channel idea. I have a lot on my plate and I look fat on camera but I will definitely keep considering the Yout Tube venture. Mostly because then my cosmetic obsession can be considered an investment in my future! Doing something you love is never a waste of time because it contributes to your personal happiness an that is of course the best investment money and You Tube can buy.  For the time being please keep reading this blog. I promise to share the goodies as soon as they start coming in....

Why I Hate New Year's Resolutions

Source: facebook.com via sophia on Pinterest

I hate New Year's resolutions.. I mean who needs another reason to feel bad about the many things they dont do?! Dont get me wrong, it's not like my life is perfect. In fact on January 1st I immediately came up with a list of resolutions and  on February 2nd I was already failing to keep them and thus I gave up on the whole idea. One of those included blogging more frequently.

Instead I think we should take January to reflect on the many great things we accomplished in 2011 and how we will continue to build on those successes. Think about what made you happy last year and make sure you continue to do that. Here are some of the things that worked for me in my quest for personal development:

1) Try New Things: It sounds like a no-brainer but it is easy to come home everyday after work and sit down in front of the computer, and on weekends you sleep in, have a few drinks and then get ready to do the work week all over again. I have driven myself crazy with this routine for quite sometime. Last year I finally took a creative writting class and was completely scared of having to read my work in front of others. But it felt great to finally do it! Think about what you want to try that are you too afraid or to lazy to try and make 2012 the year you do it!

2) Keep Going Even if Not Everything is Going Right: Last year had many ups: vacations, celebrations, new home etc. But there was also things on the personal front that just didnt work. However, I plowed through the bad days and enjoyed the good ones. That's the only way I kept my sanity and even though it's only January 7th I already know I will need that same resolve in 2012.

3) Read about people who share your interests:  I am interested in career, personal hapiness, and fashion so that's what I read about. Make sure you have a hobby or something that interests you outside of work. I love Penelope Trunk as she writes about careers and personal developments. No really, you should read her! She wrote a great blog on what is trending in 2012.  This will get your creative juices flowing.

4) There's Always Room for Improvement: I just bought a new home and have seen that the remodeling process will pose challenges for me and for my relationship. "What do you mean you aren't finishing the floor this week?!" Just when you think you have overcome one hurdle life seems to throw you another. I need to work on my gratitude because no matter how great my house is I cant get over the fact that it doesnt look like what I want to look. This is just bratty behavior on my part as this is really a great home that needs some love and care. I really need to work on my outlook life. As someones who suffers from depression this is quite a feat, but im not giving up without a fight! :)

If you want a full life remodel I highly reccomend the New York Times Best Seller, "The Happiness Project." In this book she takes a whole year to work on different aspects of her life. It's a great, light read and there's even exercises to create your own happiness project.

5) Challenge Yourself- This year I plan on creating more looks with less clothes and use more recycled clothing ie- used/vintage. This is my Style Challenge 2012. I did a great job on honing in on my personal style in 2011 and I will be taking it the next step in 2012.

Someone famous said, "A life unexamined is not worth living" Examining every day is exhausting (I should know) but just make sure you are in the drivers seat in 2012!

The moment I gave up on blogging everyday I actually blogged. Woo hoo!
xo,
Betsy Aimee