Introducing Top 10 Tuesday from GoGirl Academy

GoGirl Academy has a lot of expertise, both on its staff and among its faculty, and we want to share it with you as our way to pay it forward. We are introducing ‘Top 10 Tuesday’ as a way to give you Top 10 Tips, as well as top connections, top groups and other bits of cool information we hope you’ll find useful, inspirational, or just plain fun!

Kicking off our ‘Top 10 Tuesday’ is Top 10 Tweet Tips from our Creative Director Kristi Waite. Kristi is a social media maven and a professional branding expert who loves everything visual. If you spot a font-type on a sign, blog or billboard, chances are good that Kristi will be able to tell you exactly what it is and its history! (In fact, she’s the designer behind our new GoGirl logo on the upper left hand corner that you’ll soon be seeing everywhere).  And she loves Twitter — almost as much as GGA founder and Twitter pro Jenni Hogan. So without further ado — here’s the newest addition to our blog, Top 10 Tuesday with some tips if you are relatively new to Twitter!

1.  Tweets are 140 character (or less) updates of what is going on with the user, along with links to things they think are interesting, funny, or useful to their followers
2.  Any tweet that you post is not private, even if you you are replying to a specific user. Direct Messages are the only way to communicate privately on Twitter
3.  Direct Messages (DM) are private tweets to other users. To be able to send a private message, the two users must follow each other
4.  If you put another user’s username at the start of a tweet with “@”, you are directing that tweet to that user
5.  If you don’t start your tweet with a username, anyone that follows you can see your tweet
6.  “Following” is essentially what other sites call “friending”
7.  Retweeting (RT) is used when you want to forward a tweet that another Twitter user said
8.  Hashtags (#) are Twitter’s way of labeling tweets so that other users can see tweets of the same topic. Hashtags contain no spaces and start with the # symbol
9.  Trending topics are created by using hashtags.
10.  You can make your tweets public (anyone on the web can see them) or private (only your followers can see them)

You’ll find Kristi on Twitter @kmwaite, and you’ll even find me tweeting on occasion @margoinseattle. Jenni’s on Twitter A LOT at @jennihogan. We look forward to hearing from you!

Margo Myers, GGA Executive Director

Anticipation of new GGA class!

 We are one day away from beginning our new GGA Career Acceleration class! As Executive Director and someone very much hands-on in each of our classes, I love the anticipation surrounding the start of a new course. Who will I meet? What will the class dynamic be? What strengths will students discover? What connections will be made? What magic will happen? Because something magical always does. These are all the things that go through my mind as we begin a new round of courses.

Each class is different. Each woman comes from a different background, a different career path, and each has different goals for what they want to accomplish through GoGirl. What’s exciting for me, our founders Suzanne Keel-Eckmann and Jenni Hogan, and members of our faculty — is watching these students grow over the course of 10 weeks. And they do experience growth. Maybe it’s a more clearly defined ‘personal brand’ and a way to present yourself to employers. Maybe it’s a more polished look that’s appropriate for that new promotion they want. It might be a new color of lipstick that lights up their face, or even a memorable elevator speech describing what they do that lands them a new position. Whatever the case may be — it’s different for each student, and I know they value highly what they learn from our experts.

This is what one of our students from our last Career Acceleration class says about GoGirl: 

“GGA is a must have experience for any woman looking to transition or move forward in her career.  The courses span from personal growth and confidence building to professional topics of business writing, leadership, speaking in public, and utilizing social media.  Each topic is taught be a professional woman in that field who provides timely insight and first hand experiences.  The personal attention and encouragement each step along the way is something I’ve never experienced.  And maybe the best part is becoming a part of an astounding network of professional women that believe that we should all be women helping women.  The impact of GGA stays with you long after the initial course.”  Sandie Wilkinson, Healthcare Manager

 In fact, Sandie will be a co-coach for our next course — taking what she’s learned and helping our new students move forward. Please visit www.gogirlacademy.com for more information about signing on for our next courses!

Margo Myers, GGA Executive Director

Invest in your Success at GoGirl Academy for 2011

 As we all get ready to ring in 2011 — I believe great things are right around the corner! 2010 had its up and downs (more ups than downs), and as we look ahead at the start of a new year, it’s time to imagine the possibilities.

We are starting new classes at GoGirl Academy at the end of January, and women who believe in themselves and know that 2011 will be ‘their’ year are now being recruited for our Career Launch, Career Acceleration, and Career Transition classes. Invest in your success, give yourself the tools you need to succeed, and meet other like-minded women who want to support you and move your career forward! We have special scholarships available to those who apply before December 31st as you move to accelerate your success before the New Year!

Our 10-week courses have already had tangible results for a number of our students — from promotions, to new jobs, to dream jobs, and connections with accomplished women who are ready to mentor them. I’m excited about the future of GoGirl Academy in 2011, and what we bring to our students and this wonderful community that’s being created. We want you to be a part of it!

This is one of my favorite photos as we officially launched GoGirl Academy back in September. New Day Northwest host Margaret Larson had us on her show on KING  5, and we had a blast. Jenni Hogan and I, along with three graduates of our Dress Rehearsal course, business owner Dr. Sima Kahn, law office manager Gwen Crosswhite and corporate facifilities manager Jennifer Avila had a great time sharing what we’ve learned on TV, and we want to share that with you in our courses. Please visit our website at www.gogirlacademy.com, and click on “How To Apply.” We’ll see you in the New Year!

Margo Myers, GGA Executive Director

GoGirls on the Radio with Chat With Women

What a fun morning sharing the story of GoGirl Academy with our friends at the radio show, Chat With Women. Founders Jenni Hogan, Suzanne Keel-Eckmann and I joined Pam Gray and Rochelle Alhadeff at the Sandusky radio offices on the Eastside, to talk about our new GGA courses and how they are helping women accelerate their success. (Of course, Benny, who runs the CWW audio board,(seen below) makes everyone feel welcome in the studio and always chooses the best music).

Pam and Rochelle asked Jenni and Suzanne how GoGirl Academy came about. Here’s the backstory: Jenni (whom you’ll recognize from KIRO 7 morning traffic) came over from Australia to row for the UW, and with her aunt Suzanne and uncle Tom Eckmann here in Seattle, Suzanne (who’s an absolutely brilliant businesswoman) began mentoring Jenni bit by bit. Jenni, being the generous person that she is, began to pay it forward by mentoring other women until she didn’t have any more time in her schedule. So that’s when the two of them started talking about ways to reach more women and teach them the things every business woman wants to know as they move up the career ladder. The basis for GoGirl Academy was born. When I was asked to become involved, I leapt at the opportunity to work with such a great group of people, and help women become their best self.

We are now starting three new courses at the end of January for Career Launch, for young women leaving college and entering the workforce, Career Acceleration, for women in their career who want to advance and polish their personal brand, as well as Transitions, for women changing careers, or re-entering the workforce, or starting a new business. All three courses offer our growing GGA network of accomplished women, and our expert faculty teach you the tools you need to get ahead. (And we’re already seeing our GGA students get promotions, get new jobs, get dream jobs, and gain self-confidence).

A big ‘thank you’ to both Pam and Rochelle, who have been wonderful supporters of our program! We appreciate your positive response, and the opportunity to share our GoGirl story on the air! Please visit www.gogirlacademy.com and check out our application, (it’s easy), and if you’re interested in hearing more from Pam and Rochelle (they’re a kick), please visit www.chatwithwomen.com. If you want to hear our full interview, just click on this link: www.gogirlacademy.com/CWW121610.wma.

Margo Myers, Executive Director, GoGirl Academy

GoGirl Academy ‘Meet up’ a Huge Success at Four Seasons

 What a fun night for our first GoGirl Academy meet up at the Four Seasons ART Lounge in Seattle! Founders Jenni Hogan and Suzanne Keel-Eckmann, along with our Chairman Tom Eckmann, Creative Director Kristi Waite and myself, all enjoyed getting to see our current and former students, meet potential students, as well as supporters of GGA and members of our faculty. Talk about a dynamic, energetic group of accomplished women, (and men) who turned out for our first event. Thanks to everyone who came in spite of the rainy weather.

The Four Seasons was a terrific host, with happy hour and not one, but three delicious buffets of tapas, cheeses and chocolates! (What’s not to like?) A big shout out to Beverly Magee for putting everything together, and being so welcoming, along with the rest of the staff. And part of the proceeds from last night are going to Gilda’s Club in Seattle to benefit one our alums who is fighting breast cancer.

We certainly look forward to hosting many more fun events like this, where women can connect with others and help create this expanding network of GoGirls! Don’t forget — if you want to be part of this growing group, we have new classes starting at the end of January for Career Launch, Career Acceleration and Transitions. Please visit www.gogirlacademy.com and apply now to accelerate your success!

Margo Myers, Executive Director, GoGirl Academy

Four Seasons Hosting GGA for Meet-up!

We’re excited to let you know about our new round of courses starting soon, and the Four Seasons is hosting GoGirl Academy in their ART lounge on the 13th! Our meet-up will also benefit Gilda’s Club in the fight against cancer, and we are adding a third course for women in Transition!! Yes, I know that’s a lot of news, but we want all of you to know what we are doing to pay it forward and help other women!

Details are below! 

Seattle – GoGirl Academy™, the Seattle-based career advancement program for women seeking a competitive workplace edge, today announced a holiday “meet-up” at the Four Seasons ART lounge on Monday, Dec. 13^th, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., to introduce its Career Transitions program, the newest of three career acceleration classes GoGirl Academy (GGA) will offer in January.

Designed to help potential students meet GGA alumnae and staff and get information about GGA’s three career advancement courses, the happy hour event will also raise money for Gilda’s Club in support of a GGA alumna fighting breast cancer. The Four Seasons will donate $1 to Gilda’s Club for every drink purchased.

GGA was co-founded by Jenni Hogan, KIRO-TV’s morning traffic anchor, and Suzanne Keel-Eckmann, a firm director at Deloitte, where she leads its national corporate responsibility and sustainability programs. Both founders will be present to announce the Dress Rehearsal course for GGA’s new 10-week Career Transitions program which starts in late January.  

Developed specifically for women making a major change in their lives such as starting a second career, launching a new business or returning to work after an extended absence, the Career Transitions program teaches students how to act confidently in new settings, make a strong first impression and be a standout wherever they go. Registration information is available at http://gogirlacademy.com/How_to_Apply.htm.

“We have noticed a real need to add our Transitions class after receiving a number of requests from women who are going through changes in their lives,” said Margo Myers, GGA Executive Director. “This course provides career guidance, as well as an opportunity for women to expand their personal networks.”

The meet-up comes as GGA wraps up its fall courses helping career women accelerate their success.  Students with careers as diverse as technology, human resources, and radio news, polished their personal brand along with their communication, presentation and networking skills.

 “GoGirl Academy has given me the additional tools and confidence to help me in my role as a leader,” said Cindy Olsen, VP Human Resources at Concur.  “I have personally grown as a leader through the class exercises, which we continue to practice and build on over the 10 weeks. I’m excited to share this experience with others!”

GoGirl Academy is also launching the 10-week Career Acceleration and Career Launch programs in late January.

All of GGA’s weekly three-hour classes at Seattle’s Maxwell Hotel are limited to 8 to 12 women with similar experiences and goals to create group interaction and camaraderie. Each class member receives individual coaching and support from top experts in leadership and teamwork, personal style, effective business writing, public speaking, social media and networking.

GGA’s faculty includes recognized social media expert Shauna Causey, messaging expert Lorraine Howell, and leadership consultant Bronwyn Richards. At the end of the core 10-week program, graduates join a larger network of influential women who have made a promise to pay it forward.

About GoGirl Academy™

GoGirl Academy is the career advancement program for women who seek a competitive edge in the workplace.  Designed to help students accelerate their careers by teaching them to become their best self, only GGA provides students with the right tools, a focused plan, and a network of influential women to guide them.

For more information, visit www.gogirlacademy.com.

Are You Socially (Media) Savvy?

Are you savvy when it comes to social media? Yes, we’re talking Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and all those sites that allow you to stay in contact 24/7. Our GoGirl Academy Social Media class is amazing! I learn something new every single time.

Social media isn’t necessarily about being connected all the time — but having an online presence consistent with your personal brand. One of our classes teaches how to make a great First Impression, and we teach our students that online ‘first impressions’ count, too. How many of you ‘Google’ someone you’re about to meet for the first time? What kind of impression do you get after seeing someone’s Facebook profile, or what comes up on Google? We’re forming those ‘first impressions’ all the time. And we know hiring managers are doing the same thing.

GoGirl’s Jenni Hogan, (a Twitter genius in my book) teaches our students how to ‘give back’ online. (Yes, Jenni really does follow most of the 20,000 people who follow her). Nationally recognized social media maven Shauna Causey teaches our students how social media can be used as a force to do good. Shauna shared with us top people to follow, and why they’re worth following. Many have a ‘brand’ online, and are ‘in the know’ and expert in certain fields. I admit, I never really ‘got’ the Twitter thing, but after a couple of classes, am finally beginning to see how it can be used to create a network and community using 2-way communication — not just your own ‘Tweets.” I’m still new, but I hope to see you online. You can find me on Twitter at ‘margoinseattle.’

Margo Myers, GoGirl Academy Executive Director

Online Impressions Count, too!

I thought that my online presence was pretty solid, but GoGirl’s class on social media showed me that I have a lot to work on! GoGirl Instructor Jenni Hogan (who has an impressive 20,000 Twitter followers), talked to us about promoting our brand online using tools including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and even Google. These days, hiring managers frequently judge potential candidates based on their online presence. It could be their first—and possibly only— impression of you. This is why it is so important for us to shine both in person and online.

I am slightly embarrassed to admit it, but I am actually a frequent ‘self-Googler.’ I was excited to learn that monitoring your name on Google is okay, and even encouraged! While you can’t control everything that is associated with your name online, our GoGirl instructors explained that you can help “own” your name on Google by following some simple steps. In addition to keeping our social media profiles presentable and visible, it is a very good idea to have a personal website. Having my own personal website never really struck me as a necessity, since my job doesn’t require me to be a public figure. However, having our own websites can help us control our online brands since it will likely rank very high in our Google search results. I will be purchasing my domain name soon, and will start out simple by linking to my LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter profiles. Eventually, I would like to also house a personal blog on that site about the things that I am passionate about.

Toward the end of class, we got a special visit from Shauna Causey, a nationally recognized social media expert. Shauna talked to us about her experience utilizing social media tools, and gave us tips on how to put out relevant and appropriate information that people actually want to read. Shauna also introduced the class to a couple of great tools that we can use to manage our social media profiles, such as HootSuite.

I learned so much today about the next steps I need to take to increase my online presence. I am excited to get my personal website up and running soon!

Lauren Brisbo,GoGirl Academy Career Launch Dress Rehearsal Class Student 

First Impressions Count

You’ve heard the saying — “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” And new scientific studies show that first impressions are made in the first 1/10 of a second when you meet someone. Your appearance, body language, facial expression, how you’re dressed, what you say — all count in making a first impression.

So in our GoGirl Academy class on making not just a good first impression, but a GREAT first impression as Jenni Hogan says, we went to work on everything from handshakes, to smiles, walking tall, and a comfortable stance. Admittedly, some of our students said they felt a little uncomfortable, but it’s all about practice, and making all those things part of your personal brand. You want to be your best self — just not a ‘kind of good’ self.

And part of that is learning what to do in business situations. Etiquette at work, and knowing how to make the right move ‘counts.’ You can recover from a social gaffe, but if you know your etiquette, it can help you avoid making some of those mistakes in the first place.

Suzanne Keel-Eckmann is our expert in business etiquette and acting ‘correctly.’ She does a great job of quizzing our students first, to see what they know, and then going over the answers. Afterall, do you know what to do with your napkin when you leave the table mid-meal? Or how soon good manners require you respond to an RSVP?

And don’t forget the important of ‘shining from within’ with the proper nutrition and exercise. A big thank you to Victor Hernandez, a personal trainer from PowerUp, for sharing tips about eating right, as well as the most important exercise women should do to maintain their flexibility and strength, and conditioning. It all goes in to how you feel about yourself, and how you present yourself to others!

While all of us at GGA want you to make a great first impression, it’s the ‘lasting’ impression you make that really counts.

 Margo Myers, Executive Director

We’re Officially Launching — Come Join Us!

Here’s our official press release that just went out! So exciting! GoGirl Academy is our way to pay it forward to other women, and we’d love to have you join us at our upcoming courses.

For immediate release                                  Contact:          Margo Myers

Sept. 9th, 2010                                                                        margo@gogirlacademy.com 

Seattle’s New GoGirl Academy Launches one of a kind Career Advancement Program

10-Week Course Focuses on Personal Brand and Communication Skills 

Seattle – GoGirl Academy™, the new Seattle-based career advancement program for women seeking a competitive workplace edge, today announced its official company launch and open registration for its fall Career Advancement Program. GoGirl Academy was co-founded by Jenni Hogan, KIRO-TV’s morning traffic anchor, and Suzanne Keel-Eckmann, a firm director at Deloitte, where she leads its national corporate responsibility and sustainability programs.

The announcement comes on the heels of the GoGirl Academy’s (GGA’s) successful 10-week Dress Rehearsal pilot of the program, which helps career women accelerate their success. Twelve students ranging in age from 23 to 58, and in experience from a new college graduate to a corporate executive officer participated in the Dress Rehearsal.

“Fast-tracked middle executives in major corporations might get this type of career training, but despite tremendous need, it’s been unavailable to the rest of us until now,” said GoGirl Academy Executive Director Margo Myers, best known for her career as a news anchor and reporter at Seattle’s KIRO-TV and KOMO-TV. “Training like this early in my career, plus access to the amazing resources of the GGA Alumni Network, would have been so incredibly helpful to me.  So it’s been immensely rewarding and fun for me to help create this Academy.”

GoGirl Academy’s 10-week Career Acceleration Program begins Sept. 30th with weekly three-hour classes held at Seattle’s Maxwell Hotel through Dec. 9th. Registration information is available at http://gogirlacademy.com/How_to_Apply.htm.

GGA will offer a range of career development programs for women of all ages.  In addition to its Career Acceleration Program, GGA has three other core programs, each tailored to the needs of women at different stages of their life or career.  The Pre-Career Program serves young women preparing to leave for college. Career Launch helps women entering the business world. The Career Transitions Program is designed for women making major changes in their lives such as starting a new career, changing careers, launching a new business, or re-entering the work force. In all programs, classes of only 10 to 12 women with similar experiences and goals create lots of group interaction and camaraderie.

“I found GoGirl Academy to be a very positive and uplifting time to re-examine my personal brand and how I portray my image in professional and personal life,” said Terry Tatko, business manager, Franciscan Health Systems.  “GoGirl is a fun and safe place to improve those characteristics which can be the tipping point in career acceleration.  I am excited that GoGirl Academy is not a onetime experience – the icing on the cake is to be part of this impressive alumnae group, where the opportunities in this leadership network will continue to grow.”  

Each class member receives individual coaching and support from top experts in leadership and teamwork, personal style, effective business writing, public speaking, social media and networking. GGA’s faculty includes recognized social media expert Shauna Causey, messaging expert Lorraine Howell, and leadership consultant Bronwyn Richards. At the end of the core 10-week program, graduates join a larger network of influential women who have made a promise to mentor them and help them achieve their career objectives.

“GoGirl Academy is a fantastic program,” said GGA instructor and senior human resources executive Deanna Heinrich. “This is such valuable learning that often takes years to informally acquire, and the personal and professional mentorship of women is long past due in all industries.”

About GoGirl Academy™

GoGirl Academy is the career advancement program for women who seek a competitive edge in the workplace.  Designed to help students accelerate their careers by teaching them to become their very best self, only GGA provides students with the right tools, a focused plan, and a network of influential women to guide them.

For more information, visit www.gogirlacademy.com.