Ladies, We’re Talking Business…

9:52 PM

We talk business. How to master it, make money and create the lives of which we dream. We touch on lots of personal stuff since that’s got to squidge itself out of the way. But with The Fixer, it’s mostly business. Listen up girls, she says women need be more mindful.

Advisor Girl says women approach business differently; not always in a good way. We must learn to use our uniquely feminine gifts. Not those gifts, dolls. Gifts like flexibility, quick learning, emotional intelligence and superior listening skills. Oh, and that multi-tasking thing men cannot master due to brain wiring. Thank you female brain.

She warns there are things we do not do, but we must, to throw open the doors to success. Separate business from friendship. Men have this down cold. When they do business with each other, friendship matters not. They beat each other up in the boardroom and have a beer together later. We seethe and tell our girlfriends we want to throw a martini in your face.

“Recognize business is business and has nothing to with personal.” Say that with a Bulgarian accent and you’ll carry Advisor Girl around in your head.

Easier said than done when a bitch steals your client. A man will not smolder silently. He will call the other guy an asshole. The other guy will agree and that will be that. They may not trust each other, but rarely does the rest of the office accommodate two guys who don’t get along. They don’t have to. Chicks, on the other hand, tell everyone but the offender. Stop this nonsense right now. Think of your red lipstick and your voice as a sign of strength. Besides, we can always start our own businesses and work only with those who are worthy.

When women do business with friends we lower our prices, give away services and lower boundaries. We invite others to take advantage. We suffer, not only financially, but in how feel about ourselves. We do not feel good later. We feel taken advantage of and friendship suffers.

The Fixer says there is a fix. Whatever your services, gifts, items for sale or products–your prices are your prices are your prices. A friend does not get a different price. You will resent that friend and that friend will not believe your services are of top quality as they did not have to pay properly for them. In our kindness, we give away a piece of ourselves.

Cold hearted isn’t what she’s preaching. We may be witches but we’re not mean. Give it away after you earn it. Give your friend a hefty finder’s fee for referring a client. Bring her a thank you gift, something she loves and perhaps wouldn’t buy for herself. The thanks for doing business with us is not to give it away.

This is the heart of, “True service deserves true reward.” Commit it to memory. It is our new mantra. I give you what you are worth, with gratitude for what you have given me. And you treat me, and all you do business with, the same.

Her next lesson is kindness. “You do not have to be nice all the time.” I watch her with other clients. She is kind, generous, supportive…until she’s not. If you fail to deliver the highest quality product or come up short on what you promised, as she taught, you will be sorry. You will pray for burned at the stake surrounded by kinder witches while you scream out, “Balenciaga.”

She cautions sharing our personal lives. “No one has any right to know if you are married, if you have children or what you do for fun. That is not their business.” A simple wave of the hand and, “That’s not what we’re here for today,” will do. Do not befriend business associates.

When we deliver our best, not only are we fulfilling our contract with a client, but our contract with the greater good.

That’s enough for today. You know there’s more. We can’t take over the world until we learn all our lessons.