Bea Arthur: Branding of a Diva

One week ago actress Bea Arthur died at the age of 86. 

While most of us remember her as Dorothy on the hit TV show The Golden Girls, members of my baby boomer generation recall her earlier role as Maude–on the show with the same name.  Bea played a feisty, no-nonsense, wife, mother, grandmother and, let’s not forget, women’s libber.  Little did I know back then that her portrayal of Maude would have a major impact on who I would become as a 50-something woman in business. 

Did you know Bea got the role of Maude at the age of 50?  Her characters of Maude and Dorothy were the brandings of a Baby Boomer Diva.

The objectives that a good brand will achieve:

• Deliver the message clearly
• Confirm your credibility
• Connect your target prospects emotionally
• Motivate the buyer (or in this case, the TV viewer)

The “Maude” character was a woman who always spoke her mind–sometimes to a fault.  She also stood up for what she believed in and demonstrated that you can match wits with your husband and still keep things exciting in the bedroom.

The “Dorothy” character was a woman who was determined not to allow a little thing like aging and menopause stand in the way from continuing on her journey of living and loving life to its fullest.

Bea Arthur, meanwhile, was a woman who showed America that she was vintage like fine wine and getting better with time.  She had talent and was a woman on the move and making a difference–much like the fine women of Boomer Diva Nation.

She, like the members of BDN, helped re-define what it means to be a TRUE DIVA:  D-ivine, I-nspired, V-ivacious, A-nointed.

Thanks Bea for being a trendsetter!

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Which Holiday Card is for You?

For the past few years, I’ve noticed that the number of Christmas cards I receive in the mail is fewer and fewer.  Picking out and sending Christmas cards has been a long standing tradition in my family.  When I was little I used to love to lick the stamps and place them on the envelopes.  When I got older, my mom would allow me to address some of the cards and envelopes personally.  To this day, I still carry on the tradition of mailing cards. 

A recent discussion held in our Boomer Diva Nation forum got me to thinking about how so many of us have given up on the Christmas card tradition for one reason or another.  Instead of sending a beautiful card with a handwritten note, many folks have resigned themselves to sending ecards instead.    Now don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it when someone thinks enough of me to send a card electronically but, to me, it’s so much more personable and exciting to receive a card in the mail.  The fact that you thought enough of me to spend $0.42 plus the cost of the card and send along a handwritten message is priceless.   According to the American Greeting Card Association, 90% of households still prefer to mail their cards versus sending them electronically.

Some people, on the other hand, actually prefer the Holiday ecards because they can delete them immediately without any clutter. 

As a baby boomer, I know some “old habits” can be hard to break and since I still remain technically challenged in many ways, I will continue to stick with Uncle Sam’s way for now. 

So what about you?  Which you do prefer:  eCard of traditional card or does it matter?  Do you send Christmas cards by mail or email?  If you used to send them by mail but don’t anymore, why not? 

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It’s Holiday Party Time

When I worked in Corporate America, this was the time of year when the company Christmas party was always scheduled.  I hated going to them because I didn’t like being around many of my colleagues outside of the work environment.  As a television news journalist, I found that many of my peers constantly thrived on the “story of the day” and couldn’t shake it no matter where they were.  Also, some of them couldn’t let go of their egos.

Holiday parties can be a lot of fun as long as everyone who attends understands the proper etiquette.  Here are some tips for you: 

Make Sure You Show Up (if you RSVP’d)

No matter what your personal feelings are regarding the mixing of work and play, or how dull the music, the people upstairs really did plan it with the best of intentions.  It’s OK to leave early but it’s in very poor taste not to show up at all.

Dress Accordingly:  If it’s a black tie affair, make sure you dress the part and if you’re not exactly sure what that means, ask somebody.  Attention Baby Boomer Men:  The Saturday Night Fever look is DEAD.  No one is interested in seeing aging chest hairs.  And ladies, if your dress size is 16, don’t try to squeeze into a size 10.  Also, if it’s casual, you should still be mindful of your attire. 

Don’t Bore People with Shop Talk

The purpose of a holiday party is to mix, mingle and have some fun.  This may be the only opportunity to hob-nob with the head honchos of the company so don’t blow it by trying to impress them with how hard you’re working for them.  Chances are, once they’ve had a few drinks they aren’t going to remember your conversation. Instead, baby boomers, come out of the closet.  You know they say they older we get the “stuffier” we become so surprise some folks and impress them you’re beaming with personality.  You’ve got to remember, your bosses talk business all day, every day and a little break from shop talk is always welcome.

Don’t Bring Uninvited Guests

If you rsvp’d and said you’re coming alone, don’t show up with an uninvited guest.  It doesn’t matter if you just met the person and you’re planning to elope right after the party.  It is in very poor taste to bring someone who was not on the guest list. 

And under no circumstances should you bring your children—especially if the invitation says “no children” and there’s alcohol at the party.  If you hired a babysitter and they didn’t show up, then you must stay and home and extend your apologies when you return to work.

Introduce Your Spouse/Date

It’s important that you make your guest feel as much of the party as possible by introducing them to your co-workers.  There is nothing ruder than to be carrying on a conversation with a colleague while your date just stands (or sits) there looking lost. Also make sure you prep your spouse or guest on the intricacies of your workplace. They should know who your supervisors and important people are and they should be in the loop on some company gossip so they don’t say something you may live to regret.

Don’t Forget Your Manners

Even if you don’t like some of your co-workers, a holiday party is not the time to vent your anger.  You can be cordial and just say hello or if that’s too hard, just avoid them all together.  Also, if you and your mate had a spat before you arrive, don’t carry it with you into the party.   Besides, no one really cares if you’ve got issues at home and, furthermore, YOUR issues will become the subject of gossip in the office later on.

Loose Lips Sink Ships!

The last thing you want to do is to have one two many drinks and feel comfortable enough to tell your boss how you really feel about him/her or to start telling offensive jokes.  You may blame it on too much to drink but there will be plenty of people who will remember how you behaved and, no matter how good of an employee you are, you’ll definitely be viewed in a different light and the subject of many conversations for days to come.

Now that you have these tips, go ahead and enjoy the party!

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He Lives on Even in Death

This is a special tribute to a fellow baby boomer who inspired me to treat each day as if it were my last. Randy Pausch became a celebrity, of sorts, when he found out he was dying of pancreatic cancer. His “Last Lecture” was conducted at Carnegie Mellon University where he was a computer science professor. He gave his last inspirational speech at the University this past May.  If you haven’t seen it, please take a moment to do so:

Today Randy left us in the physical word, but his legacy will live on.

Best Quotes of Randy Pausch: October 23, 1960 – July 24, 2008

• Show gratitude. Gratitude is a simple but powerful thing.
• Find the best in everybody…. Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you. It might even take years, but people will show you their good side. Just keep waiting.
• Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted…. I probably got more from that dream [of playing professional football] and not accomplishing it than I got from any of the ones that I did accomplish.
• Better to fail spectacularly than do something mediocre.
• When there’s an elephant in the room introduce him
• Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want something badly enough. They are there to keep out the other people.
• We can’t change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand. If I’m not as depressed as you think I should be, I’m sorry to disappoint you.
• Decide if you’re a Tigger or an Eyeore. I’m a Tigger.
• It is not about achieving your dreams but living your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself, the dreams will come to you.

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Who Should be Obama’s Running Mate?

Now that fellow baby boomer Hillary Clinton has suspended her campaign and made nice with Barack Obama, the question is will she be his running mate come November?

Most Obama supporters object to the idea while Hillary supporters say it is the smart thing to do. Hillary supporters believe it will ensure a democratic victory in November.

But If Not Hillary, Then Who?

A number of names come to mind: New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Texas Congressman Ron Paul or what about General Colin Powell. What do you think?

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