Postcards

Power Point: Starve yourself and don't take the money

"Starve yourself. Don't take the money. Do it yourself. I recommend a diet of ramen noodles and very little sleep. If you don't love your business, someone else will love it more than you, and do it better and be more creative."

--Robert Stephens, Geek Squad founder and Chief Inspector, on his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in the Wall Street Journal. In 1994, Stephens dropped out of school, and with $200, MORE

Female consumers' optimism index

The female economy is on my mind. That's the subject of an upcoming book, Women Want More, that I told you about in yesterday's post, "Why CEOs should do housework."

A survey of 12,000 female consumers, by the Boston Consulting Group, was conducted to research the book by BCG marketing expert Michael Silverstein--as I was telling Tory Burch and our dinner companions last evening. The female economy is of interest to MORE

Power Point: Keep a hand in things

"It's nice to keep your hand in a bit."

-- Sandra Day O'Connor, former Supreme Court Justice, who has been filling in as a substitute federal appellate judge around the country. Since retiring in 2006, O'Connor has heard nearly 80 cases, pitching in when vacancies leave three-member panels understaffed. The appellate court must take an appeal from almost any loser in federal district court--in contrast to the Supreme Court, which hears MORE

Why CEOs should do housework

From the sublime--yesterday's post about extraordinary women spreading their power throughout the developing world--to the ridiculous.

Perhaps ridiculous, but important nonetheless...

This afternoon, I walked over to Bloomberg headquarters at 58th and Lex to hear an author, a former Goldman Sachs (GS) managing director named Sharon Meers, talk about high-achieving men and women and how to stay successful and sane and married all at the same time.

Meers co-wrote a book called Getting MORE

Power Point: No fear

"Lots of concerns were raised--and objections. But I said this is something I want to do. And we're going."

-- Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, on her decision to visit the eastern-Congo city of Goma on Tuesday. Goma was at risk of rebel takeover last year, and during her visit Clinton will meet with several women who are victims of rape--a devastating consequence of the conflict. Goma's geography is also MORE

New power in Africa...and beyond

Leadership, essentially, is about inspiring others to carry on a mission. The leadership opportunity compounds in a connected, viral, global community.

Here's how leadership can spread: In 2006, Fortune and the U.S. State Department launched the Global Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership. Every year since then, we've selected two dozen or more of the best and brightest young women leaders in developing countries and invited them to the U.S. to shadow women MORE

Power Point: Eat well!

"Never put tomatoes in the refrigerator."

- No. 1 on Nora Ephron's 10-point list from Fortune's recent "Best Advice I Ever Got" cover package.

Julie and Julia, Ephron's cinematic homage to Julia Child and food lovers inspired by her, opens today. (I'm seeing the movie tomorrow.)

Nora knows food, and if you want more of her tart but savory wit, check out her "Pancake Breakfast"interview with IHOP (DIN) CEO Julia Stewart at the 2007 MORE

Power Point: Get used to the jungle gym

"The most successful people I know don't think of their career as a ladder. But rather, a jungle gym."

- I'm posting my own quote tonight. I'm here late, trying to clear my deck before a vacation day tomorrow. Cathy Benko, the Vice Chairman and Chief Talent Officer at Deloitte emailed me, recalling this "jungle gym" analogy that I love to use to describe the career paths of many of the MORE

Advice for Starbucks, from readers

Tuesday's Guest Post by Starbucks barista Sun Min Kimes jolted Postcards readers like a pot of extra bold Joe. We got over 50 comments--the most comments, as well as the most traffic, of any Guest Post we've run except for "The Great Depression, as I remember" by Walt Stoiber.

She struck a chord. As one reader, Oliver in Chicago, said, "Move this person to the Executive suite ASAP!"

Thank you for the MORE

Yahoo CEO Bartz plays with pain

Carol Bartz can handle pain.

In January, she walked into the CEO job at Yahoo (YHOO), unfazed by the company's demoralized workforce, fractured management, and angry investors.

Seven month later, she's taking flak for Yahoo's new search partnership with Microsoft (MSFT).

And did you hear that when she announced that deal--to secure a fighting chance in the lucrative search business against mighty Google (GOOG)--Bartz was recovering from knee-replacement surgery?

Well, you don't know the MORE