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8 Ways To Create A Workplace No One Will Ever Want To Leave by @AngeKYoumatter

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by Angela Kambouris | Featured Contributor

People are the engine that keeps companies growing, improving and innovating. Given the nature of today’s workplace, environments demand collaboration, the ability to tap into deep thinking and the embodiment of mentorship. When people blend these skills, they become their own inspiration and maximize opportunities where both people and business thrive.

Harvard Business Review article “Creating the best workplace on earth” highlighted that your business is operating at its fullest potential by creating environments where individual differences are nurtured, where companies add value to employees rather than suck the energy out of people, when information is not suppressed and when business stands for something meaningful.

Here are 8 ways that a workplace operates at its fullest potential by allowing people to do their best work, bringing their whole selves to work, and never wanting to leave.

Development and progression are your own business

When people can express their full selves at work, they exhibit higher levels of organizational commitment, individual performance and a burning desire to help others. By allowing people to tap into their fullest potential, they engage in discussions, debate ideas and bring their perspective to conversations that enable a richness for innovation and growth.

Managers make their expectations clear, but individuals decide how to meet them. Self-determination means delineating your path and being accountable for your success. Facebook, the largest social media network, deeply invests in the professional development and well-being of its people through delivering quality training, employees having the flexibility to set personalized work schedules as their progress is measured by impact not hours and unites global employees for team connection.

Thriving culture club

Gallup released their State of the American Workplace report highlighting that 70 percent of the American works are disengaged at work. Employees are checking out because of the lack of growth and opportunity within the company.

Wayne Dyer said, “There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love; there’s only scarcity of resolve to make it happen”. When professional and personal development program opportunities knock at your door, identify what elevates your profession, skills, status, and circumstances. There is no progress without taking a risk.

Forbes partnered with Statista to identify companies specific to ranking America’s best employers for women. Principal Financial Group, Iowa ranked number one spot with a workforce containing 59% of whom are women, support flexible work schedules, prenatal care programs, and onsite childcare center. Career development became a priority to elevate women however investment in how both men and women can support each other in the workplace was deemed paramount.

Business leaders today invest in personal development for themselves as it helps you improve as a leader, so what do you think it will do for your people?

Let the water flow – create a culture of honesty

Companies must not deceive, distort or spin information, challenges or celebrations. In a digital world where all is posted, swiped or filtered, telling people the truth must be a core business value. Respecting your people’s need to know what is really going on about their jobs or workplace, demonstrates the greatest level of respect.

Leaders must eliminate the need to put a positive spin on even the most negative situations. They mustn’t strangle the flow of information because of not wanting to be the bearer of bad news.

There will be times where critical information requires confidentiality and sensitivity. Honesty won’t necessarily stop problems from arising, however, senior leaders must err on the side of transparency.

When trust levels amongst the workforce are low and background noise is high, companies must work hard to communicate what is going on if they are to be heard and believed. Complete, transparent and timely communication is vital.

Stand for something bigger

People want to live brands. By making the environment more meaningful, people choose to stay. People want to do good work, to feel they matter in an organization that makes a difference. They want to work is an environment that amplifies strengths, where autonomy is promoted, and transparency is not negotiable.

Forging powerful connections between personal and business values fosters individuality and a strong culture at the same time. Great Place to Work surveyed employees working for companies around the globe. Salesforce, a global CRM leader, hit the number one spot again as a company that works to deliver success as a team for customers while giving back to communities. Salesforce demonstrated its commitment to their people through the quest to provide a healthy workspace that limits its impact on the environment through having installed filtered water taps in all its offices. On a global scale a positive impact through volunteer efforts such as having launched “CoderDojo” in Kenya for the visually impaired, providing opportunities for every child to learn how to code.

Mentorship

If you don’t have a mentoring program in your business, it’s time to implement one. In a workforce management insights report, Adecco advised that 61% of companies believe mentorship is essential to employee happiness. Chronus reported that 25% of employees who took part in a company’s mentoring program had a salary grade change, compared with 5% of employees who didn’t participate in the program. Mentors were promoted six times more often than those not in the program; mentees were promoted five times more often than those not in the program.

Great companies use both coaching and mentoring to develop strong, efficient teams while identifying the next group of company leaders to mentor. Giving people a chance to succeed and grow, supports companies to recruit and keep talent.

Promoting from within

If you are not investing in your people, you are not investing in the future of your business. When your people feel like they are stagnant, employees will look for employment opportunities elsewhere. Setting up an individual development plan creates a conversation to identify both short-term and long-term goals. Individuals empower themselves to ask quality questions about how they can close the gap to where they are and to where they want to be. Using this as a platform for monthly check-ins creates opportunities for both the individual to progress and creates collective growth for them and the business.

A culture of friendship and inclusion

Women and men having a best friend at work leads to better performance. Gallup stated that “employee engagement shows that two out of 10 U.S. employees strongly agree they have a best friend at work and by moving that ratio to six in 10, organizations could realize: 36% fewer safety incidents; 7% more engaged customers; and 12% higher profit.”

Forcing connections is indeed not the message, and investment in creating spaces where a human connection can be fostered and nurtured is worth the investment. Yearly team retreats, attending conferences as a collective group, or hosting team building activities is another way to invest in the workforce. Another alternative may be implementing a mentorship program, identifying a specific project for the team and incentivizing such as a bonus-based opportunity on the achievement of the goal.

A caterpillar must come out of the pupa to fly away like a butterfly

Expanding your unfamiliar zone is critical if you are committed to investing in your development. Breaking through your fear, insecurity or lack of self-confidence allows you to prioritize your potential and open doors to possibilities. You know that is it easy to go with the flow rather than swim upstream.

When your business is operating at its fullest potential, you have achieved an inclusive environment where work can be liberating, where the human potential at work is fully realized and your workplace remains the exception rather than the norm. A place where people dare to lead, live their dreams every day and will never want to leave.

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You Want To Drive Business Results, Start Appreciating Your People @AngeKYoumatter

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by Angela Kambouris | Featured Contributor

The modern workforce is a changing workplace. Business in the 21st century must be collaborative and bottom up, rather than hierarchical and top-down, to thrive. Employee recognition is a must, not a should.

Over 65 percent of employees report that don’t feel recognized at work. The number one reason why employees quit is due to the lack of recognition. The Hay group, now known as Korn Ferry, referred that “companies with the most engaged employees report revenue growth at a rate 2.5X greater than their competitors”.

Employee recognition creates an infectious work culture that retains top talent and improves the customer experience. Recognition is an integral part of employee wellness, and the benefits supersede. Acknowledging the effort and not the outcome creates an opportunity for your people to keep pushing boundaries for your business and continue to be an actively engaged workforce.

Recognition is only impactful if it is in alignment with who you are. A sincerity and genuineness in what you say is the distinction. The employee experience must not feel like a computer-generated email. Any recognition communication must address – “Who is being recognized, who is recognizing them and what specific individual action or decision deserved the recognition.”

When you commit to delivering an extraordinary employee experience throughout the lifecycle of an employee, appreciation, and recognition will be the most significant factors that increase employee happiness and drive engagement. What an ROI.

Appreciation brings out the best in people and yet within the workplace appreciation is one of the key areas that organizations continue to disappoint their staff. When your employee appreciation ideas or practices suck, you need to create a new landscape. The infamous employee of the month plaque or the old bulletin board announcements in the break room quite frankly suck.

In today’s world, social platforms increase visibility for all to interact with celebrating success, sharing stories and guiding others. The beauty of the digital world has provided recognition moments in real time preventing the Chinese whispers.

Here are four ways to show your people that you appreciate and love them.

Celebrating in real time

Creating memorable moments for people is a rewarding experience. Celebrating a colleague for delivering an extraordinary presentation at an event provides opportunities for a selfie. A photo can be used to post on their social media platforms recognizing them for their achievement or perhaps recording a video message to post congratulating them on the impactful message you received from their presentation. When you add value to another human being by tapping into your personal touch, you are serving them with kindness and love.

Workplace blogging

A workplace blog is a brilliant way in real time to communicate your message, voice an opinion or challenge respectfully a view. It’s an opportunity to congratulate a colleague in real time. In today’s world, human being’s attention span is 8 second. One second less than a fish. Social recognition provides you the opportunity to maximize time and connect in real time.

Area of harmony

An investment and more in-depth understanding of your people, their needs and their lifestyles create a platform for flexibility to deliver results that permits the individual to work in a way that prioritizes work demands without sacrificing their wellness and productivity. When you listen to your people and invite conversations about inclusive work practices, culture changes.

Voting Tool

Adopt a voting tool that can capture company-wide voting, free-frame in real time moments as they celebrate people’s contributions as they happen. By empowering people to vote, they can shine a spotlight on people’s efforts in a timeframe that matters. eBallot, an online voting platform, engages all people company-wide and provides a platform for teams to establish a weekly election to spotlight a co-worker’s efforts.

Love Languages at work

The cultural phenomenon of the five love languages, specific to intimate relationships, was rebranded to fit within a workplace context specifically.  Appreciation at work was born to help build a culture where co-workers and management expressed recognition and appreciation at work. The five love languages included physical touch, quality time, acts of service, tangible gifts and words of affirmation.

When applied in the workplace, touch referred to a ‘high five,’ or a congratulatory handshake in the context of celebration. When it comes to physical contact, it is essential to ensure the recipient grants permission. Quality time is providing your undivided attention, being fully present at the moment with your staff or co-worker. Acts of service are representative of collaborating on a project or assisting in getting a task done. Tangible gifts in the workplace are measured in the time someone gets to know you – exploring what they enjoy, inquiring about interests and aligning what you buy them with what is important to them. Words of affirmation encourage people. Whether it be a one to one statement or a public display, the value in the words and language used to affirm the other person.

By asking your people directly to identify their appreciation preferences creates an opportunity for managers or co-workers to celebrate them in alignment with who they are. Appreciation is a low cost and high impact.

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Lavish Perks Are Nice But In The 21st Century Employees Are Seeking More @AngeKYoumatter

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by Angela Kambouris | Featured Contributor

All the perks in the world won’t mean anything if you don’t show your employee the respect they deserve. Corporations can’t treat their people like cogs in a machine and expect them to keep coming back. Your people want evidence of mutual commitment, investment, and personal development before pledging their undying loyalty.

Business loyalty is not dead. Having said that, it is harder to earn. Loyal employees show an undying devotion to your brand, actively defend it in front of critics and socially share its virtues with friends and peers. Loyalty is deeply rooted in human behavior and plays hard to get where expectations have skyrocketed.

Attracting and retaining quality talent is a priority for all businesses. Enticing people with all the perks can work, however, once the rose water glasses are taken off, people begin to see that sometimes the benefits are a camouflage for an un-resourceful environment. The fabric of the company starts to stink.

When people are invested in their work and committed to excelling in their workplaces, company productivity improves. Gallup reminds us that happily engaged works are less likely to leave their jobs, reducing turnover-related costs. By comparison, when people are not engaged, the company’s bottom line suffers.

“The Secrets of the Happiest Companies and Employees” survey of 12,000 workers conducted by Robert Half in collaboration with Happiness Works revealed that the most significant factor affecting worker happiness is the sense of pride an employee takes in their job. People want to be appreciated, respected and build positive relationships. The human spirit is driven by engaging in meaningful work.

What is needed in the 21st century is a new view of loyalty and what it means to people and organizations. Few business leaders would deny the importance of company loyalty. Yet few believe they can achieve it. A thinking shift is required where corporations use their expertise and focus to thrive within a market and support people to access opportunities to grow. When you invest in people, they invest in your company. To breed loyalty, companies must embody the 10 principles.

Say what you mean and mean what you say

Ensuring clear and frequent communication to ensure that your people know what’s happening, decisions are transparent. Know your people’s points of pain and what makes them happy. Consider a compressed work week for your staff so that they get time off at the end of the week, consider a bonus at critical times, be flexible in someone needing a new work schedule for a period.

In 2017, a study titled “Work Redefined: A New Age” focused on what companies can do to inspire loyalty. Despite so much change, employees are looking for more stability, protection and a safeguard against disruption. If they can find it in their employer, they’ll show their appreciation through loyalty.

Never ending continuous learning

An investment in continuous training and learning including personal development training. Help your people better themselves by paying for employees to take a class unrelated to their current position, provide employees with health club memberships or enroll in a business-wide wellness program that all can take part in.

Start dating your employees

A demystification of departing employees is synonymous with not being loyal. Loyalty doesn’t mean forever. Loyalty is like dating – you can be faithful to the one you are seeing but that doesn’t mean you won’t move on to dating someone else later.

WOW me

There is a much greater payoff in working on improving the human factor than people think.  Imagine every person wearing a sign every day at work that says, “WOW me – l am important”. Soliciting feedback from all your employees and gauging the pulse of your employees is an opportunity to learn a great deal about attitudes and business outcomes. A research study presented compelling evidence that employee-loyalty-related attitudes were positively linked to performance drivers.

Raising the standards

When you raise the bar and expect greatness, people will rise to the occasion. When the bar is lowered, people will also rise to the occasion. Regular conversations about future career opportunities, recognition of great work with positive feedback and engagement for input on important decisions is critical. Spending time understanding how your employee sees their own career is pivotal in co-piloting the journey.

Giving your energy and time

Corporate social responsibility is one way to demonstrate that you and the organization care about the causes they care about. Dedicating energy and time to volunteering, product donations or collectively raising donations. YourCause, CSR software company reports that reports that engaging employees in CSR programs can reduce turnover by up to 50%.

Support alignment between career growth and organizational mission

Leaders need to help their people identify links between their own professional goals and the company’s goals. When you understand the larger business context, you can more easily define opportunities to be maximized. Direct and frequent dialogue about careers, succession planning and creating opportunities should be built in as part of everyday conversation and at times, this can lead to people parting ways as they can’t jump on the same train.

Two options only – in or out?

Buy-in is not an option, it is a responsibility. Playing on the team, buy-in is a pre-requisite and having the conversation turns the questions in a different direction. Quality question such as ‘if buy-in is something you are not willing to offer right now, what plans do you have to transition off this assignment or team?’ There are no other options.

Strength-based leadership

Leveraging people’s strengths is for the individuals and company’s good. Encouragement of people to lead conversations with their direct leaders to explore career-path possibilities, how to leverage their strengths to contribute, influence and add value, is the best way to do business. Everyone benefits.

Exercising choice

Empowering people to design their work environments based on autonomy and variety provides opportunities for people to own decisions and learn from mistakes without retribution. Loyalty is fostered when a value of freedom is embraced as people embody the opportunity to learn new skills and demonstrate how they have implemented what they have learned. The human need for recognition is real and people want the opportunity to exercise choice.

Nurturing your employees to love your business as much as you do will strengthen your company’s foundation and your business will be more likely to surpass setbacks and grow to new heights.

 

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5 Strategies for Improving Employee Performance by @lreneetownsend

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Photo Credit: wocintechchat.com Flickr via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: wocintechchat.com Flickr via Compfight cc

by Renee Townsend

It happens all the time. A small business owner hires employees, who are energetic and hardworking in the early days, but seems to lose motivation as time passes. The employees have what it takes to excel in the organization, because they showed promise on day one. Yet now the owner faces a potentially endless situation of subpar work performance.

Sound familiar? Maybe you’re a business owner enduring this scenario right now. Or perhaps you were or are that employee who’s lost the motivation to put forth your best effort.

Poor work performance doesn’t have to be the norm in your business. Use these 5 techniques to create a strategic foundation or modify your current process to help improve work performance in your company.

1) Treat Employees as Individuals
Your employees aren’t drones. Each has different motivations and aspirations. If you’re marketing your business properly, you took time to identify your customers’ trigger points. Understanding your workers’ triggers is equally important. Learn what motivates and discourages your employees, so you can use techniques which propels them forward. Also be aware of their strengths and weaknesses. As Jim Collins said in “Good to Great,” You want to ensure the right people are in the right seats on the bus.

2) Establish Clear Expectations
Unless you’ve hired mind-readers, you’ll likely find yourself frustrated with your staff, if you don’t communicate effectively. Setting clear expectations is key to getting the desired results you want from employees. Consider approaching expectations with S.M.A.R.T. Goals in mind. That is, make your expectations specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based. An employee manual is an excellent way of establishing on-going expectations throughout your company.

3) Give Credit Where It’s Due
Yes, the work of your employees represents your company and even you. Furthermore, you’re responsible for the outcome, regardless of the individual delivering the work. However, that doesn’t mean you should take credit for the work of others, as if you are the sole deliver. Recognize your employees’ contributions, both to your in-house team and to your customers. Not only will it show your staff that you appreciate their efforts, but it’ll also provide a sense of security to your customers by highlighting a strong team.

4) Respond to Deficiencies
The route of least resistance is being complacent with unsatisfying situations in your business. However, the do-nothing strategy is what keeps you from reaching your goals. Look at mistakes, shortcomings, and weaknesses in employees as an opportunity to find ways to strengthen the position of your company. Some strategies may include providing additional training, reiterating expectations, or even hiring new employees to fill gaps. You want your company to be successful. Well, your employees want to be successful too. In the tradition of Jerry Maguire, help them help you.

5) Know When to Walk Away
The goal is to have the right people on the right seats on the bus. At times, you may find the need to remove the wrong people off the bus. No one wants to be a failure. However, if you’ve applied the strategies above and others, and your employee still isn’t being successful, failing is what they’re doing. It’s not your responsibility to help them make a habit of failing. You are also not obligated to allow unsuccessful employees to stay and harm your business.

In short, these strategies really come down to applying good communications and leadership skills. As a business owner, you are a leader in your organization, and those under your management are looking for guidance and direction to be successful. Give them what they need.

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Renee TownsendRenee Townsend is a Certified Professional Coach and Business Consultant, who has helped over 100 entrepreneurs with starting, growing, and running successful companies. Click here for instant access to Building Your Dream Team Guide.

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Why Ensuring Happiness in the Workplace Should Begin Before the First Interview by @BBorowicz

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by Brittney Borowicz | Featured Contributor

For this month’s guest blog post, I am straying away from my usual marketing how-tos, tips and tricks and instead focusing on another topic I am very passionate about: happiness in the workplace.

Happiness in the workplace was not something I had every really considered when I first left college. I figured, a job is a job is a job, and it really doesn’t matter if you are happy, as long as you are getting a paycheck. Unfortunately, I come across people every day who have that same attitude I did years ago, thinking that work is just work and no matter what they do, they won’t be happy there.

Thankfully, all of that changed for me back in April of 2013. I had the great opportunity to met and listen to Vishen Lakhiani, CEO of Mindvalley speak at a local internet marketing conference. Rather than talk about technology and the latest internet marketing strategies, like every other presenter, Vishen tackled the topic of happiness at work.

UnknownAbout 70% of our waking hours are spent at work and therefore should be a place where people can find happiness, fulfillment and meaning. This isn’t just for an individual’s sanity and well-being but studies have also shown that happy employees make more productive employees.

Because of this, Vishen stressed the Five Principles of Happiness at Work. Rather than asking a person what they can do for your business, you should tell that talent what YOU can do for THEM.

This presentation and Vishen’s message came rushing back to my mind a little over a year ago after I received two extremely rude emails. The worst part was, they were from a company that wanted to hire me!

Here’s the story…

Before I started working in my current position, I came across a job posting for a Public Relations Account Executive. The company seemed great, the position was right up my alley and I was very excited when the owner of the company emailed me personally! Or, I was excited until I read the actual email…

Hi Brittney. Received your very elaborate cover letter! I must say I am a fan of much simpler, direct writing — but at least it shows you have personality. If you are interested in coming in for an interview this week…

From there, the owner invited me in for an interview. I have to admit, I was a bit turned off to the fact that our initial interaction seemingly included a backhanded compliment. Nonetheless, still excited about the potential position, I agreed to meet with the owner later that week.

The interview went well overall, however, I later accepted a position with another company that better suited the direction I wanted my career path to take.

I wrote out a letter to the woman I had just interviewed with thanking her for the interview and expressed my extreme appreciation for her time and her consideration. I then explained that I had accepted another position that better fit my career aspirations and wished her the best of luck as she continued her search for a new account executive.

Feeling that I had been very professional with my letter, especially since she hadn’t even offered me a position yet, I was extremely surprised to find this email in my inbox a few days later…

WOW- not weighing your options. Really? Good luck to you then… You’ll need it.

I was floored. Huh? Why? What just happened?

It took me a few hours but eventually I realized that I should not be upset about an unprofessional response from a business owner who first of all, conducted themselves that way, but who also could not offer me a positive work environment.

And for those of you wondering, I never responded to that last email.

How does your company ensure happiness within the workplace? Your techniques may not be as extreme as Vishen’s but, especially after this experience, I believe that measures to ensure happiness in the workplace should begin even before the first interview.

I am lucky to now work for a wonderful company that does everything it can to make sure its employees are happy and engaged. Not only does it make for a great work environment but a strong team.

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Brittney BorowiczBrittney Borowicz is an integrated marketing professional with a strong communications background specializing in journalism, public relations and social media. Originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Brittney has spent the past few years working with entrepreneurs and start-ups in the Chicagoland area to enhance their marketing and social media efforts.

Prior to her current role as the Marketing Manager for an embedded networking company, Brittney realized her affinity for all things media and marketing while working in radio and television and as a professional presenter. Later, she began working at a couple of small marketing agencies in Chicago as a Public Relations and Sales Director and Account Manager, which required her to be well-versed in coordinating specialized public and media relations strategies, creative marketing initiatives and cohesive sales process implementations.

As a strong believer in intimate consumer/brand involvement, Brittney helps her clients create content that engages and educates brand audiences while establishing each individual or company as a thought leader in their industry.

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Hiring a Summer Intern? Here is What You Should Know by @deborahsweeney

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Hiring a Summer Intern? Here is What You Should Know

Photo Credit: Vladimir Yaitskiy via Compfight cc

by Deborah Sweeney | Featured Contributor

Good news internship fans – a recent ruling by the US Appeals Court in Manhattan re-affirmed the legality of unpaid internships last week, knocking back a 2013 decision that the interns for certain media companies were due compensation because the businesses benefited from their work. Personally, I’ve always recommended paying your interns, but I understand that isn’t always possible. And, with school out and summer officially underway, many college students are looking for real-world experience. Labor standards for unpaid internships are deceptively simple. The Department of Labor published a handy worksheet on the subject, but the rules are broad, and enforcement is notoriously patchy. Thankfully this recent ruling, and a few other cases, clarifies a few points.

You have to teach them

That is take-away number one for this case. Legal unpaid internships must be tied inextricably to the intern’s education, and the intern must learn more than they would have as a standard employee over the first few months of a new job. Now that doesn’t mean you can’t ask them to pick up coffee, but the vast majority of their work must be a practicum of their broader education. The court case mentioned above shows this is fast becoming one of the biggest litmus tests for the legality of an unpaid internship. A for-profit company thus can’t just saddle an unpaid intern with busywork like answering phones or making copies. You must teach your interns. Social media firms, for example, should cover ROI standards and measurement. Construction companies should cover order fulfillment and jobsite management. When planning an intern’s workload, look at the intricacies of running a business in your industry, and base it on that.

They can’t replace paid employees

Your intern cannot be a free secretary or personal assistant. In fact, they have to be closely supervised at all times. Sticking them behind the front desk or on the phones with some vague instructions to greet and route customers obviously does not meet this requirement. But even if their job is chock full of teachable moments and industry-related education, they still cannot displace a regular employee. A good way to test this is to first figure out under whom you’d like the intern to work. That way they have a direct supervisor, and you aren’t using them in lieu of hiring another employee.

Interns cannot benefit your company

At least from a pragmatic standpoint. Businesses hire interns for different reasons – sometimes it’s an attempt to inject new ideas into the company, other times it’s simply an act of philanthropy. But whatever the reason, a business cannot be the primary beneficiary of an unpaid internship. In fact, if you can prove work was actually impeded, you’re in a good position. This point is what landed the defendants in the cases ruled on last week in trouble. The plaintiffs argued that their employers benefited from their work, so they deserved a paycheck. You thus must make sure that no part of your business is dependent on an unpaid intern – if it is, they are benefiting your company.

As I mentioned before, I’m a big proponent of internships, and while I pay my company’s interns, I see the merit in unpaid opportunities. But, as the argument over whether interns deserve an income rages on, it is up to the providers of these internships to stay abreast as to what is expected. Above all else, ensure that any unpaid internships you offer are, first and foremost, educational. Sticking unpaid interns with your best employees – or even directly under yourself – is a good way to make sure your company meets supervision and teaching requirements. As long as your interns feel they are learning, and are appreciated, you’ll have a smooth summer.

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Deborah Sweeney – Legal Expert, CEO, MyCorporation.com – Calabasas, CA

Deborah Sweeney HeadshotAs CEO of MyCorporation Business Services, Inc. (MyCorporation.com), Deborah Sweeney is an advocate for protecting personal and business assets for business owners and entrepreneurs. With her experience in the fields of corporate and intellectual property law, Deborah has evolved from lawyer to business owner. She has extensive experience in the start-up and entrepreneurial industry as she has been involved in the formation of hundreds of thousands of businesses for MyCorporation.com’s customers.

Ms. Sweeney received her JD & MBA degrees from Pepperdine University. She is active in the community and loves working with students and aspiring entrepreneurs. She serves on the Board of Regents at California Lutheran University and is a founding member of Partners of Pepperdine. Deborah has served as an adjunct professor at the University of West Los Angeles and San Fernando School of Law in the areas of corporate and intellectual property law. Ms. Sweeney is also well-recognized for her written work online as a contributing writer with top business and entrepreneurial blogging sites.  She is a regular contributor on Forbes, American Express, Social Media Today, and BlogHer among many others.

In her ‘free’ time, Deborah enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, Benjamin (8) and Christopher (6). Deborah believes in the importance of family and credits the entrepreneurial business model for giving her the flexibility to enjoy both a career and motherhood. Follow her on Twitter @deborahsweeney and @mycorporation.

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