women

Vanessa Vallely’s portfolio career – guest blog the sequel

March 9, 2017 By // by Rachel Brushfield

This week, it is International Women’s Day on 8 March, so a fitting time to post this guest blog about a woman who does so much to support women.

About Vanessa Vallely

Vanessa Vallely is one of the UK’s most well-networked women and has provided keynotes on a variety of career related topics for over 250 companies worldwide. Vanessa is also one of the UK’s most prominent figures in gender equality and often provides guidance and consultancy to both government and corporate organisations who are seeking to attract, develop and retain their female talent.

At the height of her successful 25 year career in financial services, Vanessa launched the award winning WeAreTheCity.com in 2008 as a vehicle to help corporate women connect and grow professionally and personally. WeAreTheCity.com now has over 60,000 members and in 2013 launched a sister site in India.

Vanessa is also the founder of UK wide diversity forum Gender networks (formerly The Network Of Networks, or ‘TNON’) which brings together diversity leaders from over 120 firms to share best practice. Vanessa is the author of the book “Heels of steel: Surviving and Thriving in the Corporate World’ which tracks her career and shares 13 chapters of tips to succeed in the workplace.

Over the past seven years, she has been named Women in Banking and Finance’s Champion for Women, Financial News Top 100 Rising Star, The International Alliance for Women Top 100 Women globally and Brummells Top 30 entrepreneurs. In 2015 Vanessa was in GQ UK’s Top 100 Connected Women and The Evening Standard’s 100 Most Influential Londoners. Vanessa is a regular guest on TV and radio and also sits on the Government Digital Services Advisory Board.

Vanessa is also The Pearly Queen of The City of London, a tradition that has been in her family for over 100 years. She is an avid charity worker and sits on the board for Cancer Research UK as one of its Women of Influence.

Keynotes and workshops include The Power of Profile, The Power of Social Media, The Big Brand Theory, Speed Networking, Pay it Forward and Manage your Career.

What headline sums up 2016 for you?

BeBoldForChange, which is this year’s IWD theme. Both I and WeAreTheCity pushed our boundaries last year and took risks to introduce new things we wanted to do. I personally learnt to respect my time and that if I was to be able to take on new things, that I had to let some other things go!

What has changed in the last 12 months?

I have lots more help at WeAreTheCity which has taken the pressure off of me to come up with ideas and mobilise our initiatives. Our client base has grown substantially as has our reach to working women. In 2016, we ran the Rising Star awards in India and we introduced a new conference for Women in Technology, WeAreTechWomen. Both were substantial projects which we needed to fit in with an already packed annual calendar of activities and events.

How did any change come about?

From a professional perspective, I think we just decided to take more risks. We stepped in to markets we previously had no presence in, lucky for us what we brought to the table was a little bit different. I think having such a strong team at WeAreTheCity means there is no end of ideas of things we can do, it is just a case of prioritising what we do and ensuring that we focus on projects that will have the biggest impact for working women.

What is the significance of this change for you?

We are growing at pace! Which is great, but it also means that we have to adapt and be flexible to change. WeAreTheCity started in 2008 as a part time hobby whilst both me and my husband were working full time. Now it is an organisation that works with over 100 clients, with 9 staff who service over 72,000 working women, 8 million website visitors per month, whilst running two, soon to be three sets of awards as well as 20 events and 2 conferences per year! It’s a tall order for a small team, but we absolutely love what we do so it doesn’t feel like a job or hard work.

What next for you in 2017?

WeAreTheCity are in the middle of canvassing for nominations for this year’s Rising Star awards in the UK as well as planning our forthcoming conference, WeAreFutureLeaders. The back end of the year is all about women in technology, which includes our WeAreTechWomen conference and our new tech awards. My personal focus for 2017 is the growth of WeAreTheCity and introducing further projects and programmes that will help working women in the pipeline to achieve their potential. I am still speaking regularly at corporate organisations, charities and schools as well as being committed to a number of boards and advisory groups. It will no doubt be another busy year, but I am excited and very much up for the challenge.

Thanks to Vanessa Vallely for making the time to write a guest blog for Energise – The Talent Liberation Company.

More:

Web site

http://www.vanessavallely.com/

LinkedIn profile

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessavallely/

We Are The City

http://www.wearethecity.com/

Career Club

http://www.wearethecity.com/careers-club/

Twitter

@WATC_Girl

Read Vanessa Vallely original guest blog part 1 for Energise. 9 January 2016

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vanessa-vallely-guest-blog-part-1-rachel-brushfield

Read Vanessa Vallely original guest blog part 2 for Energise. 9 January 2016

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vanessa-vallely-guest-blog-part-2-rachel-brushfield

Interested in a portfolio career?

Free report: Discover Portfolio Careers:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/who-has-portfolio-careers/

Free report: Find out your transferable Skills

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/what-is-a-portfolio-career/

Free report: Pain free career change

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/talent-liberation/

Web site – Inspiring Portfolio Careers

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/

Are you a Woman Lawyer seeking a portfolio career?

http://www.llclub.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/energiseliberateyourtalent/

Twitter

@TalentLiberator

Are you a senior woman employed in an Oxfordshire company or firm? We run our own cross sector/profession network PWHub – Inspiring Professional Women for you with quarterly events:

http://www.pwhub.org.uk/

View our chapter on gender balance for The International Bar Association/Globe Law and Business. (2013)

http://www.energiselegal.com/published/books/managing-talent-for-success-talent-development-in-law-firms/

Vanessa Vallely guest blog part 2

January 9, 2016 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Photo©John Cassidy The Headshot Guy®
www.theheadshotguy.co.uk
07768 401009

This is a 2 part guest blog by Vanessa Vallely. This is part 2 of 2.

Vanessa Vallely is the founder of leading women’s network, job board and web site WeAreTheCity and WeAreTheCity jobs. She also co-founded the UK wide diversity network The Network of Networks (TNON). Vanessa had an extensive 25 year career in banking and finance and is the winner of numerous awards.

In case you missed it, here is part 1:
https://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/2016/01/09/vanessa-vallely-guest-blog-part-1/

The rest of this blog is in Vanessa’s own words:

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?
Obviously a lot of the work I do isn’t paid, so I need to balance my time in terms of what I do that pays the bills versus what I do because I am passionate about it. Other than that, there are no down sides at all.

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?
My PA, I couldn’t live without her! She also challenges me to ensure that my time is balanced across my many different projects and ensures that I am not neglecting any of my commitment.

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?
I don’t tend to market my career as one particular activity. It is made up of lots of different component parts, all of which compliment each other. A lot of my speaking work comes in via word of mouth. My charity positions tend to be for 2-3 year periods so they are fairly fixed. In terms of WeAreTheCity, my core business, this is actively marketed, as it is a business therefore needs the right level of marketing in order for it to be successful. Other than that I attribute the opportunities I am presented with through my networking activities and my social media presence (e.g. Twitter, LinkedIn etc).

What advice would you give to someone considering a portfolio career?
To plan what they want to do before actually biting the bullet. To ensure that have the network and connections to support their aspirations. To make sure there is a balance in terms of commercial and voluntary activities.

What benefits do portfolio careers bring specifically to women and mothers, rather than to men?
I don’t see the difference. I expect if I still had very young children, the flexibility of a portfolio career may be of use, however I don’t see why it should be any different for either gender.

What next?
Visit Vanessa’s web site:
http://www.vanessavallely.com/

What transferable skills do you possess that could open up new avenues e.g. a second career or business? Download your FREE report now:
http://careerstrategies.co.uk/changingcareersreport/

Vanessa Vallely guest blog part 1

January 9, 2016 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Photo©John Cassidy The Headshot Guy®
www.theheadshotguy.co.uk
07768 401009

This is a 2 part guest blog by Vanessa Vallely. This is part 1 of 2.

The rest of this blog is in Vanessa’s own words:

What are the components of your portfolio career e.g. study, paid freelance work, part time job, volunteering etc.)?
Since leaving my corporate job in 2012, I have been building my portfolio career. This consists of running 2 businesses both here and in India, speaking at corporates and schools and sitting on charity boards. I also had a 3 year stint as a school governor at a local primary school.

How did your portfolio career come about?
I felt I wanted to do more than just one job. I also felt an inherent need to start giving back to my community and to apply my skills to a multitude of things.

How has your portfolio career changed over time?
I feel that one opportunity has led to others. For example, my first charity board position lead to a connection that led to the next. My experience on that charity board made it easier for me to transition on to the next. I evolved from my school governor position to actually working in schools as part of Future First & Inspiring the future.

When people ask you ‘what do you do?’ – what do you reply?
I wear many hats. Business, Community and charity. I have a portfolio career.

To what extent did your portfolio career happen by chance/luck and to what extent was it planned?
I always knew I wanted to do a variety of things when I eventually left my corporate role. I knew what I wanted to do, however the opportunities really came when I started to invest time in building my network.

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?
I like the variety more than anything. I can go from running my business to presenting to teenagers at a school. On another day, I can be contributing towards a charity’s strategy to travelling to India to volunteer. It is a dream to have a portfolio career as I get to choose what I get involved in and I feel like I am contributing in both business and to the community. I just wish I had more time to get involved in all the projects that come my way.

What next?

Visit Vanessa’s web site:
http://www.vanessavallely.com/

What transferable skills do you possess that could open up new avenues e.g. a second career or business? Download your FREE report now:
http://careerstrategies.co.uk/changingcareersreport/

How do you use social media for marketing

February 8, 2015 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Social media is a powerful tool which is changing the way the world interacts and communicates. Helping women to market themselves is a specialism so this is a blog for women specifically.

Social media also suits women; men are comfortable ‘blowing their own trumpet’ and asking clients directly for business. Women often find it difficult to market themselves, so social media is useful for you as an indirect vehicle for this.

Social media e.g. blogging, Twitter and Pulse on LinkedIn enable you to share your knowledge and help people without feeling like you are brazenly ‘singing your own praises’. Social media is about reciprocity and supporting and connecting with others; this appeals to women.

Using social media

Using social media feels a bit alien at first but you soon get used to it. Women are typically naturally good at collaboration, building relationships and communication and social media is a great vehicle to do this. The nature of social media and feedback from it encourages you to be yourself.

Social media is also 24/7, so you can post and schedule postings to suit your own schedule, e.g. in the evening after putting the children to bed or scheduling social posts at the weekends to go out during the week. Most social media platforms are mobile too.

You can also have a portfolio career on Twitter – I have 3 Twitter accounts for example. I recommend Hootsuite – it is a visual dashboard to tailor Twitter to you.
What are the benefits of social media?

So how do you use social media for marketing?

Benefits of social media include:

• Expanding your immediate circle of contacts without the need for face to face networking
• Meeting potential mentors
• Developing connections with women in other companies for mutual support
• Meeting successful women in lateral professions around the world

Given time, connection and mutual sharing, on-line contacts whether Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook Professional can become business opportunities as well as lead to friendships and mentor/mentee relationships.

Tips for expedient social media

• Set specific S.M.A.R.T. goals for social media e.g.

o generating clients
o finding out the latest real time information
o sourcing a mentor
o developing thought leadership
o gaining media attention

• Identify 3-5 social media platforms that will help you achieve your professional goals
• Start with 1 social media platform and do it well. Choose from LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook Professional – they have a diverse user base and high traffic numbers
• Facebook Professional is relevant if you deal with personal clients, less so business clients
• Use social media tools you feel comfortable with as you will be more likely to use them frequently
• Blogging is perfect if you love writing and analysis
• Twitter is great if you like staying on top of information 24/7 and quick paced banter in short bite sized chunks – a tweet is only 140 characters so helps you to be succinct
• Define S.M.A.R.T. social media goals to stay focused and avoid losing time and getting disengaged e.g. attracting reporters seeking information

You can lose a lot of time if you are unfocused with social media, but when focused and with clear goals, it is an amazing arena that opens up the whole world to you.

View our LinkedIn profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/energiseliberateyourtalent

My inspiring clients. Part 2 of 4.

November 2, 2013 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Most people don’t realize how amazing and talented they are, and hide their light under a bushel.

My job is to help them to see their talent & uniqueness, work with them to define a career vision, strategy and plan and support them to market themselves and get to where they want to be, overcoming actual and perceived hurdles.

My clients inspire me so much and I learn a lot from them, getting new ideas that help myself and I can share with others. This is a 4 part blog series each sharing 5 current client scenarios and 5 success stories to inspire you.

5 current client scenarios

• A quality assurance manager in her 30s who wants to become an events/project manager

• A management consultant in her 30s frustrated with full time employment in the NHS who wants to do contracting work more in line with her values

• A former manager in her 40s in a corporate who has been a full time carer for her family for many years and who now wants to create a new career & life for herself

• A female in her 30s who has just returned back to the UK after living in Australia and wants to get a job and build a network

• A successful management consultant in his 50s who wants to define their brand and market their business to get more clients in the UK rather than abroad so they can spend more time with their family

5 inspiring client examples:

Evolving business focus (Lorna)
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106770475879.html

Family friendly business (Francesca)
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106769308248.html

Hobby into a business and child friendly (Martin)
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106786138295.html

Leaving corporate life – portfolio career (Pippa)
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106787631164.html

Life work balance – (Jon)
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106769307989.html

Are you ready to create your own success story? Get in touch.

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