The 6 Best Pieces of Advice from Cox Automotive's Wonder Women

This week, the Girl Talk Teen Advisory Board had the incredible opportunity to hear from some of the amazing women in senior leadership at Cox Automotive, and we want to share it with you!

From college to career advice and personal to professional wisdom, the panel discussion comforted, inspired, and challenged the Teen Advisory Board (and our Girl Talk Team!), and we hope their words will do the same for you.

Here are some of the best pieces of advice that these wonder women have received, and the best advice that they gave us…

1. Always Assume Good and you will find a new way forward. Assuming that someone you are working or dealing with has good intentions and is not actually trying to make your work more difficult truly changes your perspective and the way you approach new problems and situations as they arise.

2. Take Risks and Listen to Yourself Raise your hand for things that you may be uncomfortable doing, but stretch yourself.

3. Feedback is a Gift Take it (even when it's difficult), learn from it, and give it (respectfully) to others so that they can learn and grow.

4. Don't Be Afraid to Be Yourself Fully and be your greatest. Enough said.

5. Your First Job is Not Your Last One of the great things about your career is that you can figure out what you love. And what you don't love. Having multiple jobs throughout your career, especially early on, can help you identify what you do and do not want to do in your career.

6. Your Passion Can and Will Change (and that's okay!) Whatever it is that motivates and drives you is not set in stone, and it isn't supposed to be. It will change just as you do. Just remember to check in with yourself every now and then to see what is motivating you and remind yourself of it to keep the inspiration going.

Thank you to Girl Talk’s own Board Chair Jill Campbell (Executive Vice President, Cox Enterprises), Shirley Powell (Senior Vice President, Communications, Community & Industry Relations), Dionne Mack (Senior Director, Global Diversity & Inclusion), Michele Blondheim (Director, Community Relations), and Greta Crowley (Senior Director, Consumer Marketing) for hosting Girl Talk and sharing your invaluable wisdom and inspiration with our Teen Advisory Board.

Just the Little Things - Winter Edition

Jessica R., Girl Talk Ambassador

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The air is cold, the world is white, and everyone is filled with joy. This is winter, the season of white sprinkles of happiness, freshly baked cookies, and time spent with family and friends.

It all begins in the long anticipated month of December. The world outside is silently chill, as everyone stays warm in their cozy homes. And if you’re lucky, a steady stream of pearly perfection cascades from the heavens above. Snow is one of the best things about the winter season. It’s the soothing color of swimming swans, dancing doves, and melting marshmallows. The creamy powder graces the world with its wonderfully icy feeling, as it blankets the ground, like a kiss from the angels above. You can see your breath in the air, like a thin wispy cloud of magic, and all at once, everything feels like pristine perfection. Each snowflake dances gracefully to the ground, like a ballerina in a sparkly tutu. Each dancer has a different style, a different rhythm, and a different tempo. But together they make up the most spectacular show you’ve ever seen.

All of a sudden, your face turns into a popsicle as a wintry white snowball smashes into your cheek. You spin around quickly with an alert sharpness and begin to dodge the flying grenades being thrown at you. You desperately grab at the ground in an incredible effort to make your own weapons. You will fight. This is a winter wonderland war, and you must win. Shimmering spheres of white blow left and right. Everywhere you look is filled with white daggers. You dodge, you throw, you run. Every shot is precious. As a giant wintry boulder tosses you towards the ground, you beg for mercy as you land in the comforting blanket of winter’s marshmallow magic. The war has officially ended. You laugh with your friends as you build an adorable peace treaty out of the remains of your wintry weapons. You place the head on your magical man of white, and finish your creation with a knit beanie, a smiling face, and a stylish scarf.

After finishing your new best friend, you decide to go back inside to the crisp warmness of your home, that rushes into your soul, like a long hug from someone you love. But don’t worry, because there’s plenty more snow-filled activities for you to participate in later, including making snow angels in the heavenly embrace of the snow, feeling the wind in your hair as you rapidly sled down the biggest hill in town, and ice skating on a beautifully frozen lake in the middle of the perfectly serene woods.

Your house is filled with exquisite warmth in every nook and cranny. The air is toasty, like a fresh marshmallow that has turned gooey and crispy over a large glowing fire, and the aroma of freshly baked cookies fills your nose with delightful longing. You drink your mug of creamy chocolate magic as you roast yourself like a plump marshmallow by the glowing fire. Later that day, you put on all of your thickest layers of fluff to brave the chilly roads of white.

The winter world at night is one of the most magical scenes of all time. It’s peaceful and silent, and everything is beautifully cold and white, like a blank canvas just waiting to be painted with the playing of children everywhere.

This time of the year is one of the most wonderful occasions because it’s a time to spend with your family and friends, to help those in need, and to remember to be thankful for all that you have in your life.

December ends as quickly as it came, and everyone rings in the New Year together. The anticipation as everyone counts down on the clock, the sound of party horns in the air, and the wonderful feeling of the start of something new with your family and friends by your side are the best way to ring in the New Year.

The changing of one year to another is a time for us to have a new beginning. It’s a reason for you to finally start doing something that you keep meaning to do, like stop procrastinating on your homework, exercising more, and reading more books in your free time. Take this time to really think about what it is you want in life, and set a goal for yourself. You can accomplish anything, so just carpe diem, and there’s no telling how far you’ll go.

Winter continues through the month of January into February, the month of love. Valentine’s Day is a wonderful holiday to celebrate with your loved ones. It doesn’t matter whether you have a boyfriend/girlfriend or not because even if you don’t, Valentine’s Day is still a perfect day to show your family and friends how much you love them. This is a time to shower everyone you care about with love because you’re so lucky to have them in your life.

Throw love around to everyone around you, like a big bucket of sunshine. Making other people feel happy is by far one of the best feelings in the world.

As February drifts away, the snow begins to melt away into the glorious season of flowers, better known as Spring. But for now, just remember to be thankful for everyone and everything that you have in your life. Winter is one of the best times to really appreciate all the little things in life. I hope you all have a wonderful winter filled with love and happiness.

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
- Edith Sitwell

Just the Little Things - Fall Edition

Jessica R., Girl Talk Ambassador

This is a time of new beginnings. This is Autumn, better known as Fall, the season of endless colors, simply satisfying spices, and continuous feelings of coziness and comfort. There are countless things to love about these short but wonderful months of September, October, and November.

The trees dance in the howling, soaring wind, as they shed their vibrantly colored snowflakes upon the world. And all of the cerulean sky is swirling with various shades of crimson and saffron. Just take a moment, and look at all the beauty that surrounds you.

Everywhere you look, the leaves are falling from the trees, painting the sky in a truly entrancing waltz. You feel a sense of overwhelming happiness, like you’re hugging a big warm marshmallow. The weather finally starts to cool down, and the desert heat is replaced with a beautiful crispness, like a bite from a freshly picked apple. Long walks in the afternoon are the best way to spend your time. Every step you take is met with the satisfying crunch of leaves, perfect for jumping in. Road trips are an absolute must. The wind blows in your hair, and all your worries just fly away like the leaves in the sky. Every single thing you pass by looks like the prettiest painting imaginable. And now you can finally start wearing the comfiest pieces of clothing in your closet.

There’s sweaters for every shade of the rainbow, the fuzziest of all scarves, and boots so fluffy that it actually feels like you’re walking on clouds. And let’s not forget about the emergence of flannel with its wonderful intersecting stripes of sapphire and scarlet. There’s also the necessity of perfectly warm fluff-filled socks, that feel like a warm embrace from a giant adorable teddy bear. And no feeling in the world will ever compare to the feeling of bundling up under a blanket cocoon like a caterpillar beside your freshly lit pumpkin spice candle, while sipping on your steamy mug of hot chocolate, and watching your latest TV obsession.

Hot chocolate is the perfect fall weather beverage. Every sip is filled with joyful warmth and tastes like life at its finest. The sound of marshmallows plopping into a heavenly hot tub of delicious creamy goodness and the glorious white swirls of whipped cream gracefully resting on top are both wonderful additions to an already magical beverage.

All the food of Fall just tastes better. It’s filled with soothing warmth and love that protects you from the chilly outdoors. Pumpkins and apples are everywhere, and every place you go is like a scratch and sniff sticker of cinnamon goodness.

Fall also means the beginning of the holiday season. It all starts with Halloween, the day of ghouls and goblins and children and candy. It’s the one day of the year where everyone takes on a new persona and walks from house to house, getting huge piles of candy. The streets are filled with bloodthirsty vampires, dazzling princesses, and daring superheroes. Every house is decorated from top to bottom with delicate silver cobwebs, hauntingly deadly skeletons, and the iridescent glow of jack-o-lanterns. The air is filled with an eerily mysterious fog, and scary movies light up the screens in every household. Then, another month goes by, and it’s time for Thanksgiving.

All the schools close, and everyone’s stress flies away into the deliciously chilly air. The only things that matter are family and friends. There’s tables filled with food, ranging everywhere from turkey, gravy, and stuffing to mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and pumpkin pie. Everyone watches the Thanksgiving Day Parade and eats and laughs and then eats again.

The next day will be filled with sales galore on the glorious day of Black Friday, but for now you’re just thankful to be here with so many people that love you. 

Fall is a wonderful season filled with magic and love. Take the time to appreciate all the little things around you. There are so many people and things in your life that you’re so lucky to have. I hope that you all experience the many wonders of this incredible season.

 To end where we started, “Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go”- Unknown.

Top 5 Tips to Make Your Resume Stronger & Your Life Easier

(brought to you by The Lion King, just because!)

September is National Update Your Resume Month and, it's that time of year…Whether you’re in high school preparing to apply for college, in college applying for internships, or in college preparing to face the real world and applying for jobs, it’s time for everyone’s favorite pastime: building a resume. 😉

Okay, so maybe it’s not that scary, but it can be a stressful undertaking, especially when potential colleges, internships, and jobs are in the mix and deadlines are looming over you. So, have a spoonful of sugar, remember a few of your favorite things, read our top tips, and then you won’t feel so bad!

1.      Keep it to 1-page and make sure your formatting is simple and consistent.

Think of your resume as part of a first impression, you want it to be straightforward, informative, and unique, then your personal statement/cover letter makes the reader want to know more. (More on that later…)

2.     Create a header that gives your name, contact info, and LinkedIn URL (if you don't have one, make one, and personalize your URL, you're a person, not a bunch of numbers that a website generates). 

3.     Utilize action verbs, like “utilize”! (See what we did there?) Try not to use the same verbs in a row (check out this list if you’re stuck) and use words that are in the actual job/internship description so a computer can identify you as a match.

4.    Maintain a working resume. Every time you do, accomplish, or receive something that is or might be “resume-worthy,” add it to your working resume so you don’t forget about all your valuable experiences and achievements further down the road…

5.   Build an individual resume for each job or internship that you apply for. Let that working resume be the one that holds ALL your information, jobs, responsibilities, skills, etc. That way you can pull from that master resume to create resumes tailored to the specific requirements and descriptions for each job or internship.

BONUS!

Writing a personal statement or cover letter is the other part of this “first impression.” This is where you can elaborate upon things that are in your resume and include the less tangible things about your personality/work ethic that the resume doesn't include.

You have the opportunity to show your potential college or employer who you are and what sets you apart from other applicants. One of the best ways to do that is to make it personal, make yourself memorable--why should they want to have you in their organization, and why do you want to be a part of their organization?

You have the opportunity here to make a connection—maybe a lesson you learned or experience you had taught you something that connects to the company’s values, the organization’s mission, or the school's motto. (This also shows them that you’ve you’re your research on them, which is key!)

The short version is that you can and should take advantage of this opportunity to make yourself stand out and tell your story, because that’s a story that only you can tell.

Schools and employers of all kinds generally have a few questions in their minds: Why should they pick you? What will you bring to the table that no one else will?

So take this chance to tell them.

See? No worries.

Love + gratitude,

Katherine

Missing: #MondayMotivation | Reward Offered

I don’t know about you, but this week my #MondayMotivation was seriously lacking. Sure, going “Back to School” or starting any new chapter is exciting for a while, but then a Monday is a Monday is a Monday, right? It happens to everyone.

I usually have big plans for my Mondays—wake up early, have a great breakfast, put together a super cute outfit, get to work early, accomplish everything on my to-do list, go to the gym, and drink 64 oz. of water while leaping tall buildings in a single bound. And sometimes, it happens, and you have a picture-perfect day and can post a cute pic of your completed to-do list or #OOTD! 

It’s a great feeling.

But real talk, sometimes it really doesn’t happen. Sometimes you wake up late, throw on a go-to outfit*, grab a granola bar, get where you need to be later than you want, and drag yourself through the day until you get to skip the gym and go home. It’s harder to accomplish what you want to, or to feel like you’ve accomplished anything. (For me, those days are usually Mondays.)

Those days happen, and though they don’t feel great, it’s okay to have them.

Most importantly, Monday or not, you just can’t let the bad days define your whole week. Having one bad day doesn’t mean that your whole week, month, year, or life has gone off track, even if it feels that way.

Whether you’re in school, in the working world, at home, or anywhere, this is for you. You can control how the rest of the week goes, and here are some tips to get your days back on the “right” track.

Take it one day at a time. Each day is an individual opportunity, independent of the day before it. If Monday wasn’t the best, it means you had a bad day, not that you’re going to have a bad week. (Apply as needed to any other day of the week.)

Be intentional and decide to have a better day. A new day is a new opportunity to be more positive, to be happier, and to set and accomplish your goals. But those things won’t just happen. You have be intentional about them. Choose to look for the positive, to experience gratitude, to let those little frustrations roll off your back, and to hold yourself to a (realistic) to-do list.

Clothes, lunch, backpack? Plan ahead. Pick out your outfit and make your lunch for the next day before you go to sleep at night (unless you have a uniform and/or a meal plan). Pack up your backpack with all your homework, books, etc. before you go to bed, too. Do as much as you can the night before to make getting out of the door in the morning much easier.

Make a list, then re-evaluate. So many of us have huge, unrealistic expectations of ourselves and what we “should” be able to accomplish. (I have a chronic issue with this.) Go ahead, make that long, long master to-do list, but then be kind to yourself. Make a shorter list of things that absolutely have to be done today, and what you can realistically accomplish without losing your mind. Please hear me: You are not a bad person because you can’t accomplish a hundred pages of tasks (for school, work, home, you, etc.) in a single day.

Get enough sleep. Take care of your body. Trust me, everything will be easier if you do. (Pro-tip: If your mind starts spinning with things that need doing as soon as you lie down, keep a notepad by the bed. Do a brain dump to get it all on paper, and deal with it tomorrow.)

I hope these help! Let me know if these tips work for you, or what tips you have for being intentional about your life and time.

Now, I’m going to try to take my own advice…😉

Love and gratitude, 

Katherine

*always have a go-to outfit, always.