The Triad Women’s Initiative Networking Group strives to facilitate connections between Triad-area women while encouraging social, personal, and professional growth by planning a wide range of events designed for women. Triad area women gather at Mimi’s Café in Friendly Center EVERY third Thursday of each month from 11:45 am to 1:15 pm. The luncheon is $10 for NCACPA members, and $15 for non-members. This is a great opportunity to interact with other accounting professionals and grow your network. Below is a full listing of programming for the remainder of 2020, registration will be available for all events coming soon.
Date | Title/Description |
| February 20, 2020 | Queen Bee – Stop the Busy Work! |
| Are you constantly on-the-go? Do you feel like your job owns you? Do you work hard (like REALLY HARD!) but your to-do list only grows? In this luncheon, we will discuss how to be less busy and more productive. Though easier said than done… it is possible to own your job, and not let your job own you! Registration: https://www.ncacpa.org/nf-events/sn002819-triad-womens-initiative-february-luncheon/ | |
| March 19, 2020 | Unconscious Bias – From Awareness to Action |
| What are two words that make us all cringe? Unconscious bias. But it’s no secret that we all have it. And that doesn’t make us bad, it makes us human. While we cannot completely rid ourselves of unconscious bias, we can learn how to recognize it and lessen its impact in the workplace. Please join us in this luncheon where we’ll discuss skills that we can all benefit from to help us recognize and take action to manage our unconscious bias. Registration: https://www.ncacpa.org/nf-events/sn002919-triad-womens-initiative-march-luncheon/ | |
| April 16, 2020 | Now is the Time – Move Your Mountain! |
| Why is it that some people seem to achieve their goals more smoothly and with fewer obstacles? Mindset. Research has proven that our mindset governs how we see the world and the adversity we face. We all have a mountain in our lives (maybe a few) that seem impossible to overcome. Typically that obstacle is ourself. In this luncheon we’ll discuss how focusing on Mindset will help us move our mountains out of our way! | |
| May 21, 2020 | Giving or Taking – Which leads to more success? |
| For generations we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But, in today’s world, success is increasingly dependent on our interactions and relationships with others. At work, evidence shows that the vast majority of people develop a primary reciprocity style as either a Taker, Matcher, or Giver. And, this primary style can play as much of a role to our success as hard work, talent and luck. Please join us as we discuss the revolutionary approach to success as introduced by Adam Grant in his book “Give and Take.” | |
| June 18, 2020 | Building Your BEST Bench |
| Okay, so you have people supporting you in your career… but do you have the RIGHT people? In this luncheon, we’ll focus on how to build your best bench. Think of it like creating your own personal board of directors. Each should play a different role. And, your critics may be just as important as your fans. Please join us as we evaluate our “go to” people. | |
| July 16, 2020 | Giving and Receiving Feedback |
| Most people do not look forward to performance reviews. Whether you are on the giving or receiving end, it can be awkward. You want to give just enough of the right positive and constructive comments to keep someone motivated and working toward improvement. What are best practices? Is it possible to turn this necessary conversation into something we all look forward to participating in. Come prepared to share your thoughts and best practices! | |
| August 20, 2020 | Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First |
| We’ve all heard it as part of the standard pre-flight announcements, the flight attendant instructs that, “if there should be a change in cabin pressure…put your oxygen mask on first before helping others.” While this is good advice if your plane is in free-fall, it is not a good metaphor for self-care in everyday life. Why? Because that example is an extreme emergency. If we waited for extreme emergencies to start implementing self-care we’d be burnt out, have autoimmune issues, develop cancer, be overweight, be depressed, anxious, etc. Oh wait, THAT is actually happening!! Let’s talk about self care BEFORE any oxygen mask is needed. | |
| September 17, 2020 | Being Liked is Nice, But Respected is Better |
| It’s nice to be liked. Early in life, it’s the best social currency. However, as you progress and enter the productive world, while being liked is still nice, it fades further into the background as the primary metric – overshadowed in importance by being respected. People you work with do not need to like you. In fact, if you feel great about how they all like you, it may be a good time to think critically about how they see you and your focus. If you are too worried about being nice, you may have your eye on the wrong ball. The most liked people aren’t often the most respected. The first person most would invite to lunch, is often quite different from the first she would want on her high profile project team. Which one are you striving to be? | |
| October 15, 2020 | When E.F. Hutton Talks, People Listen – How to Build a Solid Reputation |
| Years ago, there was an advertising campaign by the brokerage firm E.F. Hutton. It went like this. Two guys were discussing their stock portfolios. One would say, “My broker says this is a good buy.” Then, the other would say, “Well, my broker is E.F. Hutton, and E.F. Hutton says…” At this point, everyone around them stopped what they were doing to hear what E.F. Hutton had to say. It was silly and repetitive, but also effective. While the ads imply that E.F. Hutton gave great advice, how did he build trust and respect to earn his reputation? Let’s discuss ways people can become like E.F. Hutton. | |
| November 19, 2020 | Habits Make the Woman |
| Where you are in your life is a result of your habits. Mediocrity is a result of mediocre habits. That means we can go from mediocrity to excellence by changing our habits. But how do you do that? Before we get into that, I want to clarify my statement: Habits change your life, but they do not guarantee success. | |
| December 17, 2020 | What’s Your Personal Brand? |
| What are you known for? What do you believe people think when you walk in the door – or your name is mentioned? We all have a personal brand, whether we are aware of it or not. Do you know yours? If not, how would you figure it out? How can you impact it? |
Paula S. McMillan, CPA/PFS, CFP®, CGMA, Collaborative Financial Advisor / Retirement Expert / Women’s Advocate. A Senior Financial Advisor with Stearns Financial Group, Paula chairs the NCACPA Triad Women’s Initiatives Group. Paula serves on the AICPA’s PFS Credential Executive Committee. She has created AICPA podcast series on retirement planning and women’s financial empowerment. She serves on the Society for Financial Service Professionals’ Foundation Board. Paula is also an active member of the Financial Focus for Women, Greensboro Estate Planning Council and NAPFA. Paula has been published and quoted in national and local publications, including AICPA’s The Tax Adviser, Kiplinger’s and The Business Journal and is a TEDx presenter for TEDxGreensboro on the topic Retirement: Longevity and Security. Paula regularly speaks to professional organizations, industry organizations, professional firms, civic organizations and businesses on the topics of Social Security, Retirement Planning, Financial Empowerment for Women and Financial Wellness. In addition to NCACPA Connect, connect with Paula at https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulamcmillan/.