A little old but certainly not dated!

I found this great article in People May 2013 edition, titled “TIPS FOR A NEW JOB.” Certainly helpful to a lot of you ASSETS ladies out there. It covers dress code mostly and touches on accessories, appropriateness, hair and make-up.

For dress code it states “Once you’ve been offered a position, inquire with HR about the office’s dress code: Are bare legs okay? What about sleeveless tops? It’s always better to get guidance before you start” (Jennifer Medberry, entrepreneur. Personally, my opinions of dress code are 1). See what everyone else is wearing? If you are comfortable with what everyone else wears, go with that. 2). Dresses/shorts to above the knee, covered toes and shoulders, watch the cleavage and no bellies showing. 3). Dress for the job you want, not the job you have! It’s awesome because my place of work is very casual with dress code in some departments. Most people shoot for jeans and a tee, there’s no pant suit attire so it’s nice to feel comfortable no matter what my look is that day as long as I abide by rule number 2.

Then there is advice for keeping your look “classic.” It says, “Build your wardrobe around timeless pieces like tailored jackets that can be worn all year-round. Stick to buying only a few trendy items each season’ Jennifer Medberry.”

When it comes to accessories, what’s best is “playful extras” as they “Are key to keeping your look fresh. Choose something small but interesting, like a bright pair of heels, a colorful belt or a statement necklace” Carol Semrad, director at large, Chicago Society of Human Resources Management.

“Be comfortable not casual – some offices can be more laidback, but always stay away from things like jean shorts and flip flops. You want to feel good, but you don’t want to look like you’re headed to the beach” Pat Wadors, vice president of Global Talent Organizational at LinkedIn. I couldn’t agree more. Always be sure to be aware of your surroundings. Take notes of a person at work that is professional and looks presentable; try to fit their fashion style and even ask them where they shop.

DON’T BARE TOO MUCH SKIN (You’re at work NOT A CLUB!) “You never want to seem over exposed at work – if you’re going to wear a strappy top because it’s summer and it’s hot out, add a little cardigan to cover your shoulders – and bra straps. Girls tend to dress for the weather and not the office’ Pat Wadors”. When it comes down to it, most offices blare AC all year round and definitely in the Summer, of course this may not be the case for teachers. But always think hm, would I want my grandparents or a religious figure to see me dressed like this? Hm. Chances are NO. Be respectful to yourself and others around you, most importantly dress professionally and save the cute summer tank dresses for going out. And never show bra straps, it’s not classy.

Another point on clothing – make sure it fits well. “The way you feel in your outfit can affect your confidence level. If you’re physically uncomfortable because your clothes are too tight or loose, you’re going to fidget and appear self-conscious’ Pat Wadors”. Not only should you feel “comfortable in your own skin” you need to appear comfortable in your clothing as you want to be as confident as can be.

As far as hair and makeup “go for polished” looks. “Your beauty look should always be pulled-together, but not overdone. Things like heavy makeup or wet hair are major no-nos. It looks like you haven’t taking your job seriously” Carol Semrad. So basically, for makeup go for the less is more look and as with hair, look tidy and put together ladies! AKA no showering 5 minutes before you leave unless you’re hair dries fast and flawlessly.

“Dress like it’s interview day: always err on the side of being overdressed. If you’re just a few months into a new job, you’re still being evaluated, so it’s smart to be more cautious” Pat Wadors.

It's been a while...

Hello world!

It has certainly been a LONG time since I have posted on here. I wanted to post a very interesting site that was brought to my attention recently.

I am currently working on my master's thesis that focuses on women's opinions on bullying in the workplace. My adviser asked me to look at the site http://www.workplacebullying.org/individuals/problem/being-bullied/

Through looking at this site, I found some serious information I would have never imagined. The statistics are insanely high of how much bullying is going on. Also, definitely read the FAQ section on harassment vs. bullying, you'll be surprised. AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY!

Enjoy! And hopefully I'll start posting more again soon!

Stay classy and sassy, confident and driven ladies!

MAY ASSETS LADY!

 Lauren Mosko is our May Assets Lady! In being the 7^th month of blogging there was no better lady to ring it in! I have known Lauren for just about my whole life and she has always been an inspiration to me. When I was in 5^th grade, Lauren was in high school and we danced together at a studio. That’s how our friendship began! Lauren was always one of the sweetest people; she will do whatever she can for someone and would take anyone under her wing. She offers amazing advice after listening intensely and is very knowledgeable when it comes to communicating and managing.

As Lauren and I spent time together at dance we stayed in touch through the years. It ended up being that when I started at Ramapo she told me about the sorority she belonged to and as it turned out, I am now a member of that sorority too!

Lauren is 29 years old and went to Ramapo College of New Jersey for her undergrad degree and Kean University for her graduate degree. Both degrees are in communication. Her current profession is a Program Coordinator at Princeton University and dance teacher at Destin to Dance.

At Ramapo, Lauren was very involved with campus life. She was part of Student Government all 4 years of college, Inter Greek Senate for 3 years and Class President for 1 year. She was a member of the Order Of Omega Greek Honor Society for 2 years and was initiated into Theta Phi Alpha in December 2003 where she has been an Advisory Board member since 2006.

When I asked Lauren what quote she lives by she told me “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I ended up where I intended to be” and “Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.” The 2^nd quote is one I follow as well as it is our sorority motto. The first quote speaks wisdom and a lot about Lauren. She always aims to do her best and pushes others to their full potential giving them support all the way. I can see how this quote exudes through here every being. Lauren has always been very involved in everything she does. It is nice to have someone in my life like her.

So what exactly is Lauren’s story? In Lauren’s own words:

I have always been an incredibly involved individ-                      

ual. Growing up I was involved in dance, cheerlead-

ing, girl scouts and numerous clubs.  In school I

was on honor roll and took AP classes in High

School.  After being accepted into Ramapo College

during early decision I started looking into the

different organizations on campus.  I started with

student government my freshman year and continue

 until my senior year.  During my sophomore year I

decided to pledge a sorority.  I truly feel that joining

a sorority made me who I am today.  Before pledging

I never saw myself as the leader of an organization.

I feel my time in the sorority gave me more

confidence and brought me out of my shell.  During my

time as a collegiate member I served as different

chairs as well as an executive board member.  I also

was very involved in the Inter Greek Senate, serving

as vice president and president my junior and senior

years. 

After college I stayed active with the sorority

through the advisory board, where I am a member

today.  I held several different jobs after college

ranging from administrative assistant at a candy

company to PR and marketing director of a chamber

of commerce.  A few years after graduating I was laid

off from my job due to the recession, I took this

opportunity to further my education.  I received my

certificate in conflict resolution and my Masters in

communication.  Upon graduation I took a position at

Rutgers University in development.  I discovered that

I loved working in the higher education setting but

development was not my strength.  When I was offered

an opportunity to work at Princeton University I quickly

took it.  Now I am working in the field of

communications and doing something I enjoy!  It took

some time to get to the place where I am working in

the field I majored in and somewhere I really like, but

it was well worth the wait.  I never had intended to join

a sorority or go to grad school.  Looking back those were

two of the best decisions I made.  Not only did I become

a strong person because of them, I opened new doors for

myself.  I also made some wonderful friends along the

way!

          As usual, I asked Lauren where she sees herself in a year, 5 years and 10 years because as we all know by now…SETTING GOALS IS HUGE! One must have direction and steer themselves on a path so that when they meet it they feel accomplished.

So then where does Lauren see her life going? Lauren sees herself “staying in higher education and truly enjoy the University and department” she is at now. I am currently in.  She hopes to “continue working in this setting as well as achieving personal goals such as becoming a wife and mother.” 

          Of course, I love to know what the monthly ASSETS lady advice would be to all of us. Lauren suggested “Don’t give up on your goals, it may take time but eventually you will achieve them.  Do the things you are afraid of, I was terrified to go back to school but it really made me more marketable.  Ask questions and for help, utilize family and friends as resources.  Always send thank you notes after an interview.” I literally could not agree more or could have said it better!  

I just want to take a moment to thank Lauren for her awesome insight and thank of all you for supporting the sight and spreading the word to help young women become the best they can be. As I say “Be the best you, you want to be!” Thank you again Lauren! Please feel free to contact Lauren with any questions by the below information.

LinkedIn: Lauren Mosko

Twitter: @STARLMR

APRIL ASSET LADY!

         

          Our April Assets Lady is Francesca Piancone, 24. I’d like to a quick second to thank Francesca for taking the time to answer the survey questions and become an ASSET Lady. Francesca is by far a very successful young woman with an extremely demanding schedule. So for her to find some time to answer this was great! I hope you all enjoy and please as usual, feel free to reach out to Francesca with any questions. Her information is listed below. I’d also like to thank all of you for the support and interest in these posts. You’re all ASSETS Ladies to me!

            Francesca went to college at Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL and is currently a graduate student at Monmouth University. Her study is in corporate and public communication. She expects to finish by December 2013. As Francesca says “I always knew that I wanted to further my education by finishing a master’s program”. As I always note, it is important to have goals and have an idea of what you want to do so you can plan and find ways to being the best you that want to be.

            A quote Francesca lives by is “The only time you fail is if you never try.” From what I know and see of Francesca, there is no doubt she lives by this quote. Francesca and I have a few classes together at Monmouth and she is very studious and always prepared for class with assignments and important topics to present. Also, Francesca is involved in many things and always keeping bus. To me, it is obvious she is always trying something and aims to succeed.

            I personally know that Francesca is a very busy lady! Not only is she a graduate student, she has been a graduate assistant since August 2012. She works to help a professor with planning events and other tasks the professor needs help with. Francesca is also a freelance writer. She began in July 2012 writing for The Edge Magazine. She also interns during the week at the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County. She began this position in February 2013. This isn’t all! Francesca also works on the weekends at Johnny Piancone’s Restaurant where she began in 2009. For the restaurant, she works as a server but also as a Social Media Assistant.

            With so many opportunities in her life, what does Francesca really want to do? She said, “I hope to be a public relations executive for a corporation after receiving my masters. I also wish to continue my writing career by freelancing articles for magazines and editing pieces.” This is great! Francesca has set a goal for herself and working very hard towards it. She is already on her way with working towards her master’s and has already started her freelance writing. With the way Francesca balances her schedule now with time management, there is no doubt she will succeed and find ways to make her dreams come true.

            So what exactly has made Francesca into the person she is today? Francesca said,

 

“My parents instilled in me that education is of

utmost importance. I come from a very hardworking

family; my grandfather emigrated here from Italy at

a young age and opened an Italian bakery and deli.

My father expanded the business by opening an

attached restaurant. From a very early age, I knew

what stamina and goals were. I have to accredit my

passion for education and my work ethic to my

amazing family. I know that hard work pays off,

hence why I have been pushing myself and trying to

start my career in a field that I adore.”

            What is evident about Francesca is that she is a planner. She sets goals and aims to achieve and as she said she learned this from her family. So, as I love to ask all the ASSETS Lady, “Where do you see yourself in a year? Five years? 10 years?” Francesca had a great response, of course.

 

“In one year I see myself with my master’s

starting my first job at a public relations firm conducting

social media for companies. I also see myself freelance

writing articles for lifestyle magazines.

In five years, I see myself at the same

organization, making public relations campaigns and

strategies for clients.

In ten years, I see myself married and going back

to school to get my PHD in communications, to eventually

teach courses at a university.”

 

            Finally, I asked Francesca, what advice would you give to other young women going into the “real world?” Francesca advised that she would tell them to “always be confident, and to never doubt yourself.” She also feel that “the key to being successful in a situation is to always be overly prepared and finding something that you love to do is extremely important.” For Francesca, she has noted where she found her passion. “I love public relations and journalism so that at the end of the day, I feel satisfied and accomplished. If you really aren’t happy, the job probably isn’t worth it” said Francesca. I could not agree with her more! When you find your passion, it’s like you’ve found it all and if you’re not happy than it isn’t meant to be!

            If you would like to reach out to Francesca for any more awesome advice or tips on something, please feel free to do so by Facebook, LinkedIn or Cell. Thanks again all and you too, Francesca! Hope you enjoyed this month’s feature!

 

Cell: 732-233-4262

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/francesca.piancone.3

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/francesca-piancone/17/869/42a

Hard work really does pay off!

Just a friendly reminder that hard work really does pay off! Recently, I submitted one of my graduate papers to NJCA - New Jersey Communication Association. At this conference, paprs are accepted from undergrad and graduate students in New Jersey. Similar topics are grouped and sessions are created. My paper about the negative sides of management was accepted and I will be presenting my paper on April 20. This is a huge honor and great accomplishment. I wanted to share with everyone as a friendly reminder that when you work hard great things happen. Never give up on your goals and more importantly, never give up on yourself.

Look out for our April Asset Lady! Fature coming soon!

SPRING into action

It's always a great time to plan wen it comes to goals! Use these next few days to figure out what do you have lingering on your to do list, what do you want to do before and during the summer, and what can you accomplish for yourself and do a work. When it comes to planning goals, it's always a great time to sit and think about it! Always remember to be realistic and get feedback! Tell others your plans so that you are more likely to receive support and want to accomplish the goals as you've spoken them out loud and other people are waiting to hear your results.

Very pleased!

Very pleased to know some of you ladies take the advice and really utilize it. Way to go! Keep it up! You are on the way to being the best you you can be!

Don't forget to start setting those goals for 2013!

2013... we are now in month 3 and if you haven't set any personal or professional goals now would be te time... however... anytime is a good time! For me personally, I set 5 work goals for this year. Two of these goals were similar to last years but since they went so well I decided I wanted to maintain and make them my goals again. I also set a personal goal to run in an 8K and run the whole race. I am currently on week 2 of the training and cannot feel my legs or feet... but it's okay because the hard work will pay off!

Goals come in all different types.. personal and work related, large and small, to do ASAP or do over an extended amount of time. What matters about goals is that you actually set them, write them down and keep them in a place you can look at them such as in your phone or on your desk or by your bed, get feedback! See what your manager thinks about work related goals and what family members or friends think about personal goals. It is always easier to do something when people know about it. They can tell you their opinions and how you may be able to work on your idea and make it realistic. Most importantly you will have support! WIthout suppport, it is really hard to give yourself on track. And most importantly about goals, FOLLOW THROUGH. If you say you are going to do something, DO IT. If you don't want to do it for yourself then do it for the people, person, place or thing is is going to benefit. Always remember that no matter what you do, big or small, it always means something and even the little tasks that so important really are that important as they add up to the big picture, that's what my manager has instilled in me and I live by it daily.

I hope this little note helps and please feel free to drop a comment with questions or concerns about setting goals. I'm not a professor, but I'm a good listener and advice giver. Also please feel free to leave a comment about your 2013 goals! As corny as that sounds... maybe if you post it on the internet for the world to see you will really push yourself harder to do it as well as have the support of so many! Good luck with your goals ladies!

MARCH ASSETS LADY - LILLY

The ASSETS Lady of March is a co-worker of mine at NBCUniversal who is always professional and has a lot of knowledge when it comes to teaching, traveling, communicating and business. Lilly Gannone, a 25 year old Rutgers, New Brunswick Graduate, has a perspective on the world and work ethics that I know all young women can learn from. Lilly has incredible experiences and a great personality that have brought her to where she is today.

From interviewing Lilly I myself have learned so much from her and found her advice and quote she lives by a great way to look at life. As Lilly said “Don’t complain. If you’re unhappy about something in your life, you can change it however you like, so do something and be proactive, not bitter.” I love this! So often young women feel that they have “crap end of the stick” to put it nicely get what are they doing besides complaining it. It is your life and you need to live it the way you want. If you are not happy with where you are at in school or work, do something about it! No one is going to be able to help except yourself. That is why I completely agree with Lilly’s advice. If you don’t like something, it’s up to you to change it.

I also loved Lilly’s quote she lives by. Though not a very “everything happens for a reason” or “if you don’t love me at my worst you don’t deserve me at my best” type deal, Lilly truly has a meaningful quote. “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way” quote by Mark Twain. Lilly said that she knows it is “a bit strange but it makes sense to me. Though difficult, sometimes challenging yourself forces you to learn and improve in ways you never thought you could.” From learning more about Lilly and seeing the way she upholds herself I know this is the quote that exudes from her.

While a student in high school and college, Lilly did a lot of traveling and took on a large course load. To me, Lilly is a bright, young woman who has a lot of knowledge under her belt as well as traveling! In college Lilly was definitely active as she had a double major and a minor. She traveled as well as being involved in organizations. Lilly said

“During college I was very involved with an organization called the Institute for Domestic and International Affairs (IDIA, 2006-2010). We worked to build and facilitate model United Nations and model Congress conferences for high school students. My work mostly included researching and writing long briefs on topics like human trafficking, the War on Drugs, and crimes against humanity. I would then present these briefs to a group of anywhere between 10 and 85 students, who would proceed in debating the topic at hand and work together to find solutions to those problems. I love this organization and the work they do. I spent 4 years with them and it was one of the best learning experiences I had. Teaching is something I am extremely passionate about and this organization really helped me grow as a teacher.

With IDIA, I also got to take a 10 day trip to the Gambia(January 2009). There we taught seminars on personal growth and development to middle school aged children. The overall goal was to help the children understand that their voice mattered and that they could work toward helping and improving their communities. On somewhat of a similar note, I participated in a program in Croatia called Global PACT that was geared towards rehabilitating communities still struggling with the aftermath of the Yugoslav war in the early 90s.

During my first summer with the program (July-August 2007), I was a participant in the program, learning the skills necessary to reconstruct communities broken by social strife and confrontation. In my second summer with Global PACT (July-August 2008), I was hired to teach the program. It was wonderful to go from student to teacher with this program. I was able to further my teaching skills by learning how to harness them in a totally new and different situation than I was used to.”

        As it seems and shows, Lilly has a large passion to learn she mentioned that “Grad school is definitely something I would like to pursue in the future, but for the time being there are too many things I’m interested in, so it would be difficult for me to pinpoint one to study. I think education is extremely important in bettering your career and your own personal development. I try to further my education anyway possible, even if that means going outside the preverbal box of a university, so I take advantage of training sessions at work and try and ask as many questions as possible when learning something new.” It is always important to remember that education can never hurt you! Though there may be loans to pay as well as bills, don’t forget that furthering your education can only help you in the end. It is clear that Lilly wants to do so many things but has her eye on certainly going back. As I say, it is always important to want to do things and set goals, it gives you something to work towards!

        So what exactly is Lilly’s story? We know where she works, where she went to school and her experiences of travel and college but what makes Lilly, Lilly? As I always love to ask the ASSETS Lady of the month, what makes you, you or what is your story? Here is what Lilly said –

To someone who doesn’t know me, my resume is a bit strange and makes little to no sense, other than my obvious attachment to travel. The first 5 months of my freshman year of high school were spent in the Democratic Republic of Congo, by way of my father taking a job there. Needless to say, when I came home I automatically stood out in my small high school in southern New Jersey. My parents thought Congo the ideal situation to get me out my small town and teach me about what lies outside of the United States. It worked; I love Africa in all of its wonder and mystery.

That adventure quickly led to others; I spent my junior year of high school in France as a foreign exchange student. My French limited to “My name is Lilly, I can’t speak much French,” made being in France difficult the first three months. I soon learned the language and took every advantage of being in a foreign country possible. My wanderlust followed me to college and led me to take advantage of various travel opportunities within my organizations and elsewhere. My travel experience led me to consider a life of diplomacy, so I started off my collegiate career on the Political Science track. Realizing I couldn’t stand the pompous arrogance that seemed to inflict many of my fellow Political Science classmates, that major soon became a minor and I took on Communications in its place. All the while I was also studying French, having learned the language while abroad, I figured I should keep up with it and took it on as a second major.

Needless to say, French and Communications majors do not directly lead to any one career path. Since teaching has been a long running theme in my life, the obvious route would have led me to the classroom, but I became too comfortable working outside the generic classroom structure; I couldn’t see myself trapped there and decide traditional teaching was not for me. I was really uncertain of what career path I wanted to pursue, so I did what most students do and applied to every internship available and worked a lot of different jobs. I taught swimming for 4 years, tried my hand at public relations, waited/cooked in many restaurants, and did some screening printing. Nothing really developed into anything until my last semester at Rutgers when, by freak chance, I got an internship at NBC. That internship later turned into a job and allowed me to break into the world of television.

It was my first big grown-up job outside of college. Unfortunately it was only a freelance position, so after a year I either had to leave the company for 6 months or work part-time. Part-time does not pay bills, so naturally I moved back to France. I do understand that that is not really the natural response for any normal person, but I knew an English teaching opportunity existed and I took advantage of the 7 month long program and had a blast teaching again.

After France, I was able to come back to my old job at NBC and soon after I was hired as fulltime staff. I love the fast paced unpredictable atmosphere of my job. There is something comfortable to me about the frantic environment. It’s like traveling, you never know what to expect and you should be prepared for anything. Although I know my life has been a bit out of the ordinary, I have grown accustomed to its weirdness, and to be honest I rather like it.

        I always love reading these stories. It allows me to see how driven and hardworking these young women are and what sets them ahead and apart from the pack. I know Lilly as a driven, hardworking, ethical women at work it was so lovely for me to see her in this other light. To see her passions for travel and teaching and seeing what fit best for her. Lilly certainly is one to always put the best foot forward.

        One thing I always ask the Lady of the month is her future plans or goals, where she can see herself. Though it is hard to be precise as one may never know where the future may lead you, Lilly has realized this but still knows what she wants from her life. Lilly said “It’s really difficult for me to pinpoint exactly where I see myself in the future. In a year, I expect to be in a position at NBC slightly higher than I am today. As for the next 5, I know I have the patience and teaching ability to be a good leader, as well as the drive and determination to further my career and possibly climb the corporate latter. As for the rest of the future, I can’t really say, I’m excited to see what happens, because at this point I would rather see where life guides me rather than guide life.”

        All and all, I loved having Lilly for this month feature! As you have noticed so far all of the ASSETS lady have been very different yet they are all successful young women. It doesn’t matter what you want to do in life, it just matters that you want to do it. You should never stray from your dreams and goals and you should always, and I mean always, go after what you want!

        I would like to say thank you again to Lilly for some awesome answers and helping to teach other young women ways to find themselves and be successful. Thanks Lil! If you would like to reach out to Lilly with any questions below is ways you can contact her!

Facebook: Lilly Gannone

LinkedIn: Lilly Gannone

Email: LGANNONE@gmail.com

Check this out!

Another young, successful ASSET lady! Check out Suzanne Yergensen's article on Social Media! http://www.makovsky.com/insights/blogs/m-k-health/44-insights/blogs/m-k-health/391-smw-comic-con-for-the-social-media-fanatic

Great tips!

Great tips for what women should know! http://www.wib-i.com/index.php/articles-online-magazine/articles/advice-a-tips/257-three-things-young-women-in-business-need-to-know MUST READ!

Express shopping at Express

Do some online shopping if you are looking for something work related - interviews, first day, business meeting, etc. I wear Express just about every day to the office. They have very nice clothes that are extremely work appropriate! Check out their site! Also, they always have great deals! http://www.express.com/suit-shop-703/control/show/12/index.cat

Whose readyy...

Who is ready for the new Assets Lady? Make sure to check back on this Friday!

How have you been feeling?

Crazy Thought… But take a look at the below and see how you relate. Definitely something interesting and something to look into!

How often do you find yourself feeling tired? Foggy? Forgetting simple little things? Blurry eye sight? Hard time hearing?

If you answered yes or relate to any of the above… how often would you say you consume diet soda? Sugar free candy? Gum? Yogurt? Pudding? Condiments? Flavored waters? Hot cocoa? Powder drink mixes? Iced tea? Lemonade? Sugar substitutes?

You should believe me when I tell you this… the above products can cause the above symptoms and so many more! Many of these products contain Aspartame, a slowly killing sugar substitute. Please read up on at http://www.sweetpoison.com/ and I would suggest cutting these from your consumption. I have and my feelings of tiredness, extreme exhaustion, brain fog, confusion, blurred vision, hard hearing, stomach issues, all over pain, and more have been stopping!

ASSETS: NEW ASSETS LADY FOR FEBRUARY

ASSETS: NEW ASSETS LADY FOR FEBRUARY: February’s Assets Lady will be featured on Caitlin Ritchie, a friend of mine who is a true inspiration to all. While thinking about F...

NEW ASSETS LADY FOR FEBRUARY

February’s Assets Lady will be featured on Caitlin Ritchie, a friend of mine who is a true inspiration to all. While thinking about February’s feature it was obvious who I should due to her recent life events. For being only 26 years old, Cait has done so much already in her life! I’m really not even sure if this woman has time to sleep! You will soon find out if you read on, but she is by far one of the most successful young women I know and I couldn’t be happy to have her advice posted on the blog. Enjoy the read and I hope you learn a lot, I know I sure did!

Cait is Ramapo College of New Jersey graduate who studied education. She is a certified Elementary Education teacher (K-5) and plans on getting her special education certification but has put that on hold due to starting up her own business. While at Ramapo, she was on the college dance team from 2006-2010 and captain her senior year. As I mentioned, I know Cait and I know her from the Ramapo College Dance Team. When I was a first year student, Cait was an upperclassman. From my personal experience, I learned from early on that not only was Cait an amazing dancer with great insight, she was had a memory of a machine! I think the woman remembers every dance she ever did or saw! It was a true inspiration to be led by her. Going to practice was not only fun, it was a learning experience and helped me down the road when I came into the position of captain. She is a true leader and inspiration to all she comes in contact with.

Apart from the dance team, she was a coach for a recreational cheer team for four years from 2005-2008 and about to start voluntarily teaching Zumba at nursing homes and retirement centers. Cait said “This I am extremely excited for and should be an incredibly rewarding experience.” As you can see, Cait is always on the go and fitness is a huge part of her life, as well as teaching and leading others.

Cait, the huge Beatles fan that she is, lives by the quote “Let is Be.” As you will soon see, Cait’s life really is about rolling with the punches and taking everything in that she can. As I’ve mentioned Cait at a “recent life event” and she owns her own business. Well! That’s what makes Cait so amazing! At such a young age, she has recently opened a dance studio and can do something she loves everyday! However, I also mentioned I’m pretty sure she doesn’t sleep! Of course this is just an assumption! BUT! While she just opened a studio, wants to voluntarily teach Zumba she also still works at an all star gymnastic and cheerleading gym coaching three teams, 2 dance and one cheer. How crazy is that! If that’s not busy and always being on the go, I don’t know what is! But that is the type of person Cait is! She is always on the go and helping others, such a wonderful person to look up and aspire to be like and learn from!

So what’s Cait’s story? What makes her the person she is? What gives her the drive she has today? Lucky for all of us out there, Cait was awesome enough to share this information! Please read on to learn more about Cait, this was honestly even amazing for me to learn!

“Since I was young, I dreamed of being a teacher.  I used to force my friends and family to play school with me.  I also dreamed of being a dance teacher.  I used to sit home and watch old dance tapes and teach myself the older girls routines and difficult skills.  I just couldn’t get enough of the dance world and knew I wanted to be in it for a long time.  I used to watch the older dance students and my dance teachers in awe.  I have been to many dance conventions and danced with some of the biggest names in the industry who have inspired me to do what I am doing today.  As I grew up I moved a couple times ultimately landing me at Paramus Catholic High School, where I joined the dance and cheer teams.  I met a coach there named Heather Messer, who I would like to say changed my life.  She helped shape me into the coach and person I am today.  Once I graduated from Paramus Catholic, I went to Ramapo College and joined the brand new dance team.  We fought to get that program off the ground to where it is today.  For the next four years I stayed with that team becoming captain my senior year.  The team is now nationally ranked and has won numerous choreography awards.  In college, I began coaching cheerleading for a recreational program.  I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy it.  I coached the girls competitively for 4 years winning numerous national and local titles.  I then began coaching at a brand new all star cheer gym called The Cheer House in Garfield, New Jersey.  The all star world is vastly different from recreational cheer but I got to be apart of this program as we pushed our way to the top.  Training the girls in cheer, dance, and gymnastics for 5 years and winning a whole lot of national, state, and local titles as well as choreography awards and more.  I began a hip hop dance program at this gym last year and in our first year both of the hip hop teams became national champions.  On the side I began doing choreography for many different cheer and dance programs around the state and recently have gone as far as southern California.  My choreography has won many awards across the country.  With all of this cheerleading, I began to really miss the dance world and thus the idea to open my own dance studio formed. My family, being supportive of everything I do, was right by my side.  In fact, my mother is my business partner.  Opening a mother daughter business was not easy, we came across some difficulty but it only made us fight harder and it bonded us even more.  The dance studio is located in Emerson, New Jersey and is called Creative Edge Dance Academy. Here, I’m making all my dreams come true as well as the dreams of many little girls that are just like I was.  Already in one month of being opened, the students at the studio are doing some extraordinary things and inspiring me to be a better teacher.  I can only say how extremely blessed I am to have the experiences I have had to get the point I am at today.  Working with children has always been a love of mine.  Teaching them is a passion.  It’s so rewarding having people tell you that you have changed their child’s life.  It is what makes everything worth it.  It’s why I keep doing what I am doing.”

        How amazing is that?!?! I was so happy to read this story about Cait and know how far she has come. It’s so amazing to see people who are doing something they love all while helping to shape better women! So, the story can’t just stop here right? I asked Cait where she sees herself in a year and in the future. Cait said, “In one year, I am hoping that the studio will grow further and we will begin a competitive program that will help my dancers learn more about performing and showcasing their skills. 

In 5-10 years, with hopes that the business is successful, I hope to make a sister studio further into western New Jersey where I grew up in Warren County.   Along with this dance studio in Warren County, I hope to be able to open a cheer gym alongside it.”

It was so great to see Cait setting goals for herself and thinking of ways to grow her business. As I’ve mentioned before, setting goals is a very important task all should do. When you have goals, it is something to aspire to! Cait has set some amazing goals and I can’t wait to check in with her in the future to see where she is at with everything!

So one of the most important things you ladies can take away from Cait is her advice. Here is Cait’s advice to young women like you going into the real world “My advice is take all of the experiences in.  Some are positive and some are negative but they are all learning tools.  Observe what people are doing and learn from it.  You may find some techniques that you may want to use yourself and you also may find some techniques that do not work and learn from other peoples mistakes.  I lucked out in being in two predicaments where I helped build programs so I learned the good and the bad before I got to owning my own place.  I found that positivity is great but work ethic and discipline can go a long way and is deeply respected by parents (especially if you are working with their children).  I have my teaching degree to fall back on.  It’s not going to always be easy, especially finding a job in this economy so why not just do what you love.  It makes you much richer in the long run”.

        There you have it! I personally can say, I learned a lot more about Cait from reading over her responses. Therefore, for all you ladies out there, anyone in your life who you look up to as inspirational, take a few minutes out of there day and find out what makes them the person they are, what quotes and experiences they live by, their goals and what advice they have for you. You never know what you can learn about someone and you never know you may just find enough inspiration to make you be a better you!

        Thanks again to Cait Ritchie and thank you all for taking the time to read this! Hope you all learned some great things! Feel free to reach out and contact Cait on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or cell. Cait is very responsive and always available for questions for anyone. HEY! You never know, maybe you want to learn to dance or know a child who is learning or you want to try a Zumba class and need choreographer! This woman is amazing at what she does!!!

LinkedIn: Caitlin Ritchie

Facebook:  Creative Edge Dance Academy

Twitter:  CreativeEdgeDA

Cell: (Business) 201-388-8394