If you are among the thousands of unemployed who are job hunting, hang in there.  After being laid off in May I  am still looking.  In doing so, I’ve discovered that job searching in 2010 is much different than it used to be.  Resumes and cover letters require a totally different format and contract positions seem to out number direct-hire positions.  Maybe it’s time to try a few different tactics.

Instead of sitting on your couch for eight hours at a time  applying for every job that interests you, consider spending more time on a specific opportunity.  Focus on quality,  not quantity.  Revise your resume to zero in on the skills that you can bring to the company.  Write a concise, attention-grabbing profile that makes an employer want to know more.   Use industry-specific keywords and think of it as your 30-second sales pitch.  This demonstrates your ability to communicate and it exudes professionalism.

Try reaching out to a new company.  Look for jobs on Craigs List and TweetMyJobs, sites that career coaches rarely mention.   If you feel positive about a specific company you’d like to work for, reach out to them and tell them what interests  you.  Get connected with a professional networking site like LinkedIn.  These sites are composed of millions of industry professionals and allow you to connect with people you know and the people they know and so forth.

Finally, be focused, creative and persistent and don’t lose sight of your goal.

What does Mark Zuckerberg have to do with barefoot sandals, you ask?  Obviously the highly successful venture called Facebook that made him the “worlds youngest self-made billionaire” has nothing to do with beaded foot jewelry.  However, it has everything to do with thinking outside the box and being open to the wildest ideas you may have, then acting on them.

If you haven’t seen the recent movie about how Facebook got started you may not know that the seeds for the concept may have started when Zuckerberg was a high school student at a private boarding school.  Phillips Exeter Academy (known simply as Exeter) had a tight-knit community of students that lived on campus full-time.  Like every new student at this very prestigious prep school, Zuckerberg was given a copy of the school’s student directory called “The Photo Address Book”, which the students referred to as ”The Facebook”.  Not only did this directory allow students to find and contact their peers, it became a valuable resource for who’s hot, who’s not, who lives with who and who the new kids are.  Sound a lot like the Facebook we know today? 

The story “says” that in Zuckerberg’s senior year he successfuly convinced the student council of Exeter to have the IT Department put the full contents of the photo address book online.  This may very well have been the beginning inspiration (along with a little luck and opportunity) that grew into the social network called Facebook.  He went on to attend Harvard, majoring in Computer Science, started building HTML code in his Harvard dorm room, eventually dropping out to embark on the journey that made him wealthier than Steve Jobs, Apple CEO.  (Be clear that I am NOT suggesting that anyone drop out of school!)

Fast-forward to 2010 and 500 million users on Facebook,  Zuckerberg’s advice  “have a strong sense of what you want to do and build a really good team” could be the start of YOUR success.  He also advises those with web sites to display images of people to keep visitors on your site because the most engaging thing online is other people.  Open your mind to prosperity, look further into the “what-if’s”, be open to the unexpected and don’t let the unexpected pass you by.  Now get out there and start building YOUR claim to fame!

How many L.B.’s have YOU gained from all the leftover Halloween candy?  Ugh!  Now that the bats and goblins are all tucked away until next year, we can reflect back on the photos taken at Halloween events we attended.  Here’s Jan as Mother Nature and her husband Les as Father Time.  The party we attended was at the home of good friends and not only did they have great decorations but they had a graveyard complete with tombstones and fog, awesome food (jello shots too!)  and even their own D.J.!  You can bet everyone was enjoying the music – especially when “Thriller” started! They really know how to throw a great party. 

Mother Nature even wore a pair of barefoot sandals made with green leaves – but unfortunately, no one took a picture of them.  

Needless to say, we all have another year to come up with ideas for next year’s costumes!  Now it’s time to get ready for giving thanks.

JAN

Do you feel it….that little nip in the air? By far, Autumn is my very favorite season.  By the time it arrives, I’m ready for cooler air and for summer heat to fade away.  Now I can start baking and using the crock pot, take trips up to our cabin in Mt. Laguna and enjoy a warm, crackling fire that smells SO good!  In San Diego we welcome the change and I never thought I would say this but a rainy day actually sounds nice.

This is the time of year when we can slow down a bit and spend time creating new barefoot sandal designs.  We can take a look back at our summer sales and see which designs sold best.  And we can look ahead to the coming holiday season with ideas on jewelry designs we can have ready for holiday shoppers.   It’s not too early to think about gifts.  Jewelry is a gift any woman would love.  Do you know anyone planning a cruise to a tropical location?  Maybe a friend is having a destination beach wedding.  When the snow flies, are YOU going to fly off to Jamaica to escape the chill?

Few are aware that my sister Pat is our bracelet and earring designer!  She’s also a hairdresser extraordinaire and the customers of Anthony’s Hair Concepts in Des Moines, Iowa are the only ones who get to see all the beautiful products she makes and sells there.   If she didn’t sell them so quickly we would post them on our site.  She makes them, brings them to the salon and when she ‘s done for the day they’re gone!  Often she’ll have two customers want the same bracelet she has only one of.  She takes many custom orders and she plans to be pretty busy in the next few months!

Start your shopping early.  We will custom craft any pair of sandals, any bracelet or matching earrings (or both). Take advantage of the time you have right now so you can get a head start.

JAN