Sunday, March 23, 2014

Kelly Shah: Ciao from Milan!


Ciao Wib! I am currently studying abroad in Milan, Italy, and loving it! Midterms are quickly approaching and I cannot believe my time here is almost half way over! It has finally stopped raining in Milan allowing me to explore the city without an umbrella, and I am taking full advantage!  Last night I went to the Navigli, a canal lined with restaurants and bars, and went to a karoke bar. Hearing Italian men sing “Barbie Girl” in Italian accents sure was an experience!  
I am also taking advantage of the diverse course selection. One of my classes is called Managing Fashion and Luxury Brands, for our field study we went to the flagship store of Armani and into La Rinascente, a glamorous department store! My favorite class is Transcultural Psychology; we study the difficulties in treating patients who are culturally diverse from the psychotherapist. It is one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken!
On the weekends I have managed to do a lot of travelling. My personal favorite was Istanbul! It was a beautiful city with so much energy. We shopped in the spice bazaar and the grand bazaar, both of which require strong bargaining skills! Another favorite was skiing in the alps at La Thuile. The view from the top of the mountain was above the cloud line and it looked as though someone had pulled down a backdrop! 
I hope all is well in Bloomington! I miss you all!
Ciao Ciao Ragazze!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Lindsey Ellington's trip to Hong Kong


Hello Wibbers! I’ve been abroad for 8 weeks now and have had so many eye-opening experiences, both in Hong Kong and in other places. For Chinese New Year I traveled to Thailand where I stayed on the islands of Koh Chang and Koh Samet, and spent two days in Bangkok. In Koh Chang I rode and swam with an elephant and had the dead skin nibbled off my feet by fish in Bangkok at a spa. It was a great 9 days but it was nice to head back to Hong Kong for a few weeks.

There is so much to see in Hong Kong. I’ve kept busy hiking, going to museums, studying, exploring Lamma Island and Macau, and eating lots of great food. Yesterday we went to an afternoon tea, which is a very popular Hong Kong custom that started during its time as a British colony. For two hours we feasted on a buffet of the most delicious and beautiful hors d’oeuvre and desserts. It was better than any tea party I could have imagined as a child.

While I make it a point to enjoy every possible moment abroad, this week I’m hard at work completing assignments in advance so that I can travel next week with Taylor Stinson to Taiwan and the Philippines. I hope everyone enjoys spring break!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Kate White: "Have It All"


Kate White, former Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan, shared four bold success tips at our Women in Business Annual Conference. White’s experience in the fashion, literature and magazine industries provide her with vast knowledge on how to succeed in an area.

Don’t believe everything you think. White referenced a pivotal moment in her life: when she was promoted to Editor-in-Chief of Cosmo. After a call from her boss on a Sunday, Kate immediately thought she was fired but instead, grasped the reigns of a multi-million dollar company. But she had to be willing to challenge herself to fill and exceed the position’s expectations. She advised us to take opportunities that will challenge us, especially roles others do not think we can strive in.

Go big or go home. While working at Cosmo, she constantly asked herself “Better, Bigger, Bolder, Badass”. Then if it could be any more of those qualities, they would push the limits. White started to push out the voice inside her head saying her best ideas were reckless and encouraged the same for us. To be successful don’t wait for permission and make them say wow not just good job.

Stop worrying what others think about you. Kate spoke on asking for what you want in the workplace, regardless of being turned down. Being forward with what you want and believe you deserve is imperative to being successful.

Drain the swamp. Paying attention to the big picture and not the little speed bumps is the ultimate perspective.

All four of these concepts created a moving, energetic and funny keynote speech. Women in Business appreciates Kate White’s passion while speaking at our conference!

Keystone


The Keystone Group representatives Linda Peddle, Danielle Moushon, and Gilli Mizrahi gave an inspiring presentation on what it means to “Have It All” in our morning portion of Conference.  The ladies focused on the fact that it is important to understand what “Have it All” means to you as an individual.  Linda informed WIB that your experiences shape you, which will, in turn, define your life.  Most of the presentation was centered on finding the right experiences in your life.  The three concepts our Keystone representatives focused on were: (1) More is More—start broad and work your way in, (2) Dig In, and (3) Culture, Culture, Culture.

The idea of “more is more” is based on purpose, people, and industry.  Danielle shared with us that we should “leverage our strengths rather than support our weaknesses.”  Knowing that in the business world you will work with many different people and personalities, it is crucial to learn from them and develop your own unique work style.  In this sense, it is all about challenging your passion.  Make sure to immerse yourself in the company and your life.  Finally, in order to “Have it All,” one must surround themselves with bright and passionate people.  Thank you to these awesome ladies for their great insight on how to “Have it All” and showing us how they have achieved that at Keystone!  We look forward to seeing you around campus again soon!

The Dow Chemical Company


We were all up early in our suits on Saturday, February 22nd, excited for what our three wonderful speakers had prepared for us regarding our Conference’s theme “Have It All.”  Rebecca Jamrog, a fellow IU alum and Global Work Process Leader at The Dow Chemical Company, started off our morning on a very strong note.  She shared with us that one of the key secrets to having it all is taking advantage of opportunities that will differentiate you from your peers.  In addition, having it all starts with you and whether you truly want to have it all.  Without the motivation to have it all, you will never be able to be respected, balanced or determined enough to reach your full potential.  Rebecca also stressed how important it is to view yourself as a navigator who can take control, collaborate, and communicate effectively. 

One of our favorite takeaways from Rebecca’s talk was her idea of surrounding yourself with people who build you up.  She referred to this group as one’s personal board of directors.  This board of directors is also key in helping maintain a work-life balance.  Creating a balance allows you to free up your thinking to really evaluate what is important to you and what to focus your energy on.  It is important to also recognize that having it all is a process.  Rebecca shared with us some key aspects to having it all, but ultimately she said we decide whether or not we have it all.  We greatly appreciate all of Rebecca’s insight on what it takes to have it all.  Thank you so much for coming to speak to us, Rebecca! We cannot wait to see more of you and The Dow Chemical Company in the future.

Pre-Night Professor Carolyn Goerner


On Friday, February 21st, we held our annual Conference pre-night at the Bloomington Convention Center.  For the first time, we kicked off our Conference with a speaker at our pre-night.  This year we had the pleasure of hearing from one of Kelley’s own, Professor Carolyn Goerner.  Professor Goerner provided each attendee with ten powerful quotes that she touched on throughout her speech.  For example, she used the quote: “Do all you can, with what you have, in the time you have, in the place you are.  Do all you can.”  In this quote, Nkosi Johnson (paraphrasing John Wesley) is stressing the importance of being in the moment.  Professor Goerner emphasized this by sharing a story about how her parents have bags in their car for homeless people.  The bags contain water, a protein bar, and directions to nearby homeless shelters.  This exemplifies doing all you can with what you can and will make an unfathomable difference in the lives of those who receive them.  Professor Goerner’s down-to-earth, open speech encouraged our members to share some of their own insight about each quote and what it means to them.  We cannot thank her enough for starting our Conference off on such a positive note and for being honest and open with us.  We look forward to seeing you around in Kelley—and if we are lucky hopefully in class as well!