Tag Archives: asian american

Tuesday Truths 2015 edition v6

Photo credit via

Over the weekend, I did a training for the Virginia Leadership Institute, a 501 c(3) dedicated to encouraging more African Americans to run for elected office. It was a great turnout and I really appreciate my colleagues giving their time and expertise. I love me some training! If you’re interested in getting a training organized, drop me a line or if you want to check out the training schedule for the progressive community, look into Democratic GAIN‘s calendar.

Let’s get to Tuesday Truths!

  • The start of the speculation for Election2016 has been well underway but here are some thoughts on the VP pick and what it might mean to the make up of the US Senate. It’s certainly a combination of Game of Thrones, chess & House of Cards. #politicscanbefun
  • The sexy thing to talk about in politics is the Presidential race – sure, I get it but what is REALLY sexy is the census! YES, I’m talking about a process that will happen in 5 more years (a LIFETIME) in the time warp that is politics. The census can help Democrats with redistricting and the incumbency protection program that has held the US House in place. Agree/disagree?
  • You have no idea how much I love thank you notes! To send them and of course, to receive them! I often wonder if college students are taught this exercise and with a very casual survey of my own interns, I’ve learned that the business school students are taught this very important lesson: relationships matter! No matter how casual the meeting, if you take anyone’s time, an email thank you is the LEAST that you can do and the handwritten note is certainly the way to go. You never know if that might be the reason why someone does a little more than they need to when it comes to helping you.
  • Working in politics and public policy/service, you would think that it would translate to living a meaningful life. This isn’t always the case and there are times when burnout (me included) can make you question your place in the world. I, certainly didn’t have a career path. I knew that I wanted to work in politics but I didn’t really have a plan. Fast forward 20 years and I’m an established consultant (where did the time go?). Along the way, I did have to constantly reassess my professional priorities and balance that with living life (gotta pay those bills!). So if you’re in need of a roadmap to building a meaningful career, you may want to review this article to ask yourselves some important questions.

That’s a wrap! Thanks for reading/sharing and don’t forget to subscribe! Drop me your comments below!

— Madalene

Tuesday Truths 2015 edition v3

Photo credit: Martin Luther King, Jr. quote

This week has a lot of fun things ahead and that makes my work that much more interesting. Hope you’re having a great week!

  • If you haven’t heard, ABC will be premiering Fresh off the Boat on Feb 10th and I was fortunate enough to be invited to a special screening at the Newseum. The AAPI community is nowhere near parity in seeing talent that look like ourselves but we’re making strides. It helps to have a strong grassroots community to show their support. Here are a few AAPI bloggers who certainly help the cause. To read more about Eddie Huang, the inspiration for Fresh off the Boat, read his interview about his experience of turning his life into a tv show – both poignant and hilarious.
  • From Silicon Valley to sports to recruiting local candidates, these African American leaders are taking the lead. I look forward to seeing more of their work!
  • I went through a quarter life crisis in my mid 20s and as I face my 40’s, I’m experiencing a change in my own career that isn’t quite as linear. So if you’re in your mid 30s, meet Sharon Chang, the former Chief Creative officer for 19 Entertainment (the company behind American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance) who decided that she wanted to leave that position and make a career change. If anything, experience that comes with age makes you more self aware. So if you’re feeling like you’re getting stagnant, it’s a good read to self reflect.
  • This article was written for millennials to teach them how to manage talking on the telephone but I was more intrigued about the info graphic on how to handle the calls itself (basically how to sound natural, the best time to make the calls etc). It’s a great tool for those of us who hate being on the phone (that would be me) and for those who need to be on the phone to do fundraising call time (political candidates!).
  • As a political consultant, I spend an enormous amount of time helping clients with strategy. Some of my clients have been clients for a long time so I know how to work with their personalities to reach a shared view. Here are a few tips to how you can “disagree” with your manager and get back to working towards the same goal.
  • A few months ago I was asked to do a branding presentation for one of the Capitol Hill staff associations. It is such a challenging presentation because so much of it is self reflection and requires the individual to really take the time to assess their own goals. Here’s a great step by step process that can help during that self reflection.

Thanks for reading/sharing and if you find the posts helpful, feel free to subscribe!

— Madalene

 

 

Tuesday Truths 2015 edition v2

We continue to see gloomy weather in DC and I think we’re still reeling from the announcement that Senator Boxer will not be running for re-election this cycle (coincidence?). I hope you’re having a good start to the work week wherever you’re situated!

  • The US Senate has always been considered an exclusive club. Can you believe that there have only been 44 women who have ever served? 44 – EVER in the history of the US Senate. With the recent announcement from Senator Boxer that she would not seek re-election to his Senate seat, is this a chance for another woman to take a place in HERstory? Reading this recent Politico article about the women who have served in this elected body was quite fascinating and I thank all of them for all of their work in making the Senate a more equal institution. We still have a long way to go but these women have certainly paved the way.
  • Most of you know that I advocate mentoring/championing those who are less experienced. As a woman of color, I especially believe that we need to support one another and teach those who would benefit from our experiences. Finding mentors within our communities shouldn’t be challenging yet this article shows that it can be quite a hurdle.
  • Although I’m no longer a young professional, I could heed some of these time management tips myself!

Thanks fore reading/sharing! If you don’t want to miss a post, remember to subscribe!

— Madalene

 

Tuesday Truths 2015 edition v1

goal digger

Photo credit: Goal Digger

Aiiiggghhhttt – time to hit it! I hope you had a cracking time during the holiday season but it’s time to put down the eggnog and get to business. I’m in the process of getting a new project started that should be announced shortly so I got a deadline to keep myself. In the meantime, get to reading those Tuesday Truths!

  • So I tell everyone who wants to be a campaign consultant, get working on some campaigns (outside of DC, of course!) because the camaraderie you share on those campaigns can forge life long friendships and business opportunities. There was a time in my life where I thought I would never date a colleague because I would just leave my work at work (well, was I ever wrong!). Now, making friends on the job is certainly different than dating, and having colleagues who have your back is like having a few extra aces up your sleeve.
  • Today is the start of the 114th Congress with newly elected members being sworn into office. This Congress is the most diverse EVER (yay!) which comprises of nearly 20% women and a little over 17% non-white.  So let’s do a little basic math = this means that the Congress is still comprised of 80% of men whereas the population is more than 50% female and white non-Hispanics comprise of 63% of the population. Nowhere near a true reflection of the population in representation. How can we take steps to have a more representative Congress in the future?
  • So happiness can produce success – ways that you can bring more happiness to your life. I like this strategy and it continues my way to #livinahappylife

Hit me up on the comments section and let me know how your 2015 goals are coming along!

Thanks for reading/sharing and don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already!

— Madalene

 

 

Tuesday Truths

time to drink champagne

Photo credit: Time to Drink Champagne but probably not dance on the table if you’re at your office holiday party 🙂

I’m officially taking a holiday from work so if you’re doing the same, I hope you’re enjoying yourselves and if not, I hope this post is helping you get through the work day!

It’s the end of the year so that usually means resolutions and an even more determined effort to get it together for the start of the new year. My new year’s resolution (almost every year!) is to have more fun! Everyone tells me how much I work but to be perfectly honest, I think of work as fun (yeah yeah – there are definitely times when I get frustrated and want to do bodily harm but MOST of the time, I’m feelin’ pretty good with where I am in the world). Remember you’re only competing with yourself so don’t compare someone else’s story to yours. We ALL come with our own baggage and that means we also have different paths to reach our definition of success. I’m always open to improvement!

So get to reading!

  • So in that vein, I read an article about Career Choices – granted, people may not have a lot of options when it comes to making career choices. You may have been “Funemployed” for longer than you anticipated so taking a job out of necessity may be a priority because we all got bills, bills, bills but if you could decide how to move ahead in career without much consequence, these choices make a whole lotta sense!
  • There are sooooo many lists of things that successful people do everyday – really??? I would get confused making sure that I was doing everything but this list makes so much sense and it’s totally do-able. Remember success is personally defined! My biggest problem is actually the “stop planning and just do it” – Perfect is the enemy of the good 🙂
  • I like to think that I’m a good wing woman for my single female friends when we’re out and about but you should consider being a career wing”person”. So take a look around your office dynamic and see who’s got your back. They may be helping you more than you know!
  • My fellow #APIAs what do you think about why we excel in academics? I skipped a grade when I was younger, probably due to the fact that my mom used the summers to help me increase my math and reading skills. I usually hated those breaks because while the other kids were out playing and having fun, I was doing math problems but hey, I loved being the youngest person in all of my classes 😉 I may or may not have been the snotting kid in class #justsayin’
  • Why mindfulness may help you achieve your goals – living in the present may help that attention deficit.

Enjoy the holidays! If you liked the post, feel free to share and subscribe! Thanks for reading! See you in 2015!

— Madalene

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Truths

every successful woman

Sincerest apologies in my lack of communication. The last few months have been challenging with work obligations and the like but I’m back in the saddle and ready to roll!

Of course, everyone is talking about the elections. Who am I kidding??? Not everyone as evident with the lack of voter turnout but for those in the business or at the very least, the business of civic engagement, all I got is “We’ve got a problem, Houston” metaphors.

Since I have such a commitment to communities of color and especially, women of color this article has got me thinking, exercise that vote!

Recently, I did a presentation on personal branding and found a couple of videos (here & here) that may be helpful in your personal journey to make your own Beyoncé moment.

Ladies: real talk on how to progress in your career from a woman who knows how to forge ahead in a male dominated industry (basically, don’t give a f*ck)

My world revolves around always asking for things, specifically money (probably one of the most difficult things to do) but once you become comfortable with this skill, you an ask for just about anything. (For those who want to ask me for something, read the article before you ask me!!)

Life wouldn’t be fun without some truth to the fun and let me tell you, this article about the difference between celebrities and members of Congress is SPOT ON!

Photo cred: Behind Every Successful Woman is Herself

Alright, readers let me know how you’re doing, what you’re doing and how you’re getting ahead. Hit me up in the comments section or tweet at me @madalenemielke. Thanks for reading and sharing!!

Tuesday Truths

Expect the BS

  • With the situation in Ferguson, it reminds me that People of Color (POC) are in this together so although I have never lived the life of an African American fe(male), I do understand how the color of your skin can sway people’s perceptions/prejudices. As a member of the Asian American community, I am a fierce advocate of creating opportunities for all of us to have a seat at the table but it’s also necessary that those who have privilege, use their advantages. Do I think that my own upbringing with a white German American father and a Vietnamese mother shaped my attitudes? Absolutely! NPR’s Michel Martin captured this concept beautifully in her piece about white women using their privilege to help with women of color.
  • So I’ve been enthralled with Makers. They’ve been providing great content via twitter & this video was terrific in talking about the next generation of women using our differences as females to become leaders. Check them out and give them a follow @MAKERSwomen!
  • Learning a new word in productivity: triage.

Thanks for reading and drop me your comments!

— Madalene

Tuesday Truths

Capitol_Dome_Washington_DC

I often get asked for career advice and I always say that I’m not a career counselor but I can usually help with getting you from Point A to Point B. Here are great tips for people who are starting out in their preferred industry.

The dreaded word: networking. How you can overcome the forced feeling of making a connection.

What if you’re already established in your career and want to move to the next level? Check out these resume tips for the mid-level employee.

No matter what stage you are in your career, a mentor can certainly help you up your game as well as provide an objective view of your future. Don’t know what a relationship with a mentor entails? Well we got that covered.

I had a young woman of color ask my opinion on this piece and while I’ve not worked in a highly corporate arena, I’ve been fortunate to work in an industry that values diversity. I hope that others see that having a variety of perspectives provides a deeper understanding of your community and helps to educate your opinions.

With so much talk about who is going to be the nominees for the Ds & Rs, it’s funny (or not) to know that Darth Vader is pretty popular!

Photo: By Mary Ann Reitano (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Thanks for reading! Enjoy getting your comments below!

— Madalene

 

 

Sharing the Headlines

APAICS

This week kicked off #APAHAM2014 so we had a flurry of activity celebrating and reflecting on what the AAPI community has done and what it will continue to do in serving our country. It’s a reunion of sorts – people from across the country collaborating on ways that will better serve our constituency and catching up with people that you may only communicate with via email and phone. Being together IRL brings that personal connection that only weeks like these can provide. It’s been AAPI 24/7 so I’ve collected quite a few things to read!

  • In case you missed the Vice President Joe Biden at the Opening Ceremony for the start of APAHM2014, you can read about it.
  • Are you preparing to be a great leader for the 21st century? Here are a few thoughts about it from a Ted talk by Roselinde Torres.
  • In watching Mika Brzenzinksi on Morning Joe, she talks about her mom, Emilie Brzezinksi’s work as an artist, mother & wife while balancing life in DC and there’s an opportunity on June 2nd to see them in DC at Politics and Prose.

Happy Friday!

Sharing the Headlines

IMG_5595

This week brought back the return of Congress from a 2 week district work period so that meant events, events, + more events. No complaints because that means events = checks being delivered. As a result, I get to add more numbers!

  • So we gotta give former President Bill Clinton some props too. His alma mater, Georgetown University recently posted a 4 part lecture series where the former President discusses “the guiding principles that have shaped his career in public service”. Since we think leadership is key to a life in elected office it’s always a good idea to keep learning from the best.
  • Of course, we have to talk about fundraising and dark money (sometimes I feel like we’re going to see Dr. Spock when he talks about dark matter, but I regress). Here’s why it’s not going away.

 

Happy Friday!