Aristo-Chic Working SuperMum Café

How to deal with the C-Suite

1. Command Presence Through Preparation:

Enter each interaction impeccably prepared and presented. Your appearance and composure should reflect deliberate intention rather than hurried compromise. Take a moment before each meeting to centre yourself—the C-Suite responds to confident competence above all elseC

2. Communicate with Elegant Precision

Master the art of concise, impactful communication. In executive circles, speak with purpose—distill complex concepts into accessible brilliance. Preparation allows you to deliver insights with eloquent economy, ensuring your contributions resonate long after meetings conclude.

3. Establish Boundaries with Sophisticated Finesse

Set parameters with unwavering consistency yet graceful execution. Decline with poise rather than accept with resentment. Your time allocations need no justification—a simple “I have a prior commitment” suffices. Remember that boundaries aren’t restrictions but the framework enabling your dual excellence.

4. Cultivate a Strategic Support Network

Behind every accomplished professional lies an invisible infrastructure. Develop relationships with select colleagues who understand your circumstance without requiring explanation. A trusted ally who can seamlessly cover an unexpected absence proves invaluable beyond measure.

5. Own Your Unique Perspective with Quiet Confidence

The multidimensional thinking required of a working mother translates to exceptional strategic capacity. Your dual role isn’t a liability but your most distinguished asset. Navigate the executive sphere not with apology but with the assured presence of someone who excels in life’s most demanding domains.

How to come across as Professionally Credible

TIP 1: Know the top 3 juicy things about your subject – need help ? Google it
TIP 2: Know some stats about it –  need help ? Google it
TIP 3: What’s the latest trend in the subject/industry  – need help ? Google it
TIP 4: Have a current example of how it is working in industry – make it interesting – you want to be seen as being ahead of the trend  – need help ? Google it
TIP 5: Have an example of how you have been successful at it.

How to be good at strategy

• K N O W: Follow the latest trends, know what is going on and what is being done.
• T H I N K: Ask difficult questions, not annoying ones – be prepared to think what is the best for the organisation to advance to the next step, or provide a better service to its clients
• D I S R U P T: Be prepared to shake up the way it has always been done. If it works as is, then great, If it needs a refresh, then suggest it.
• S E E: Be aware of the bigger picture for your situation and the organisation as a whole.
• S P E A K: Sound Strategic. Strategic thinkers also know how to speak the language. This a whole other training session. But as a basic tip, listen to the words/language your mentors or people in the firm you respect, are using and insert that into your language.
• A C T: Make time for thinking about the bigger picture
• B E:  Be Yourself. Your personality is what makes you stand out professionally, and not be another corporate robot.

How to find a new job

• Have coffee and muse. Do it in a fancy café. Proximity is power. Sit near people who you want to emulate. You may not have their money / or career position…YET, but for the price of a coffee you can absorb the energy around them, it’s infectious and will inspire you.
• Decide what you want to do. Be really clear on this. See it. Feel it. Hear it. Smell it.
• Any blocks or buts that come into your brain – write them down. There is magic in the written word. It literally dilutes the power the sentence has over you. EFT it. YouTube how to use this technique. It has been a complete game changer for me, to the point of managing challenging execs etc.
• Map out who your network is. Who have you worked with that left a positive impression on you. Who do you need to have coffee with to create the jigsaw vision.
• Map out all the possible channels: recruitment agencies, contacts, LinkedIn etc
• Reboot your CV and your brand.
• Get your hair done and new outfit et voila !

How to deal with a scary boss

1. EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) those negative experiences out of your body. Cleanse that space ready to imprint new empowered data. [A sample EFT statement could be: Even though this person stresses me out so much…. I deeply and completely ….]
2. Role-play a new ending to those situations. Practise saying those words (or a polite variation that works for you) out loud in front of the mirror. Nature is an awesome thing and your body has muscle memory so it will be much easier to say those words next time scary boss has a mini tantrum.
3. Have a stock response or phrase. You could also say something along the lines of: Thanks for this professional growth opportunity and teaching me how unprofessional it is to speak to colleagues like this and walk away.
4. Treat them like a toddler having a tantrum. Nod politely, you are likely to have lost respect for them. Then see if there is anywhere in the organisation where you can second yourself out to.
5. Have a safe space colleague or separate human to whom you can rant.
6. Start looking for a new job. 

How to get out of a stressful job

1. Write a list of adjectives of why you are awesome. If this is too difficult, ask a friend to describe your best qualities. Write these words on post it notes and stick them all around your living space.
   
2. Ask a trusted colleague to describe your best professional qualities.
   
3. Write a professional wish list. Remember the bit in Mary Poppins where the children write a list of traits for their favourite nanny, then she appears ? Do it, this writing it down stuff works.
   
4. Open your computer and update your CV. Ask a friend to review it.
   
5. Send it out to employment agencies.
   
6. Take practice interviews. If you are not interested in the job, then even better – this is just a confidence building exercise in interviewing and selling yourself.  Google the top ten interview questions so you feel prepared.
   
7. Take a free training workshop. Upskill in something that interests you or will add value to your CV.
   
8. Refresh your external appearance. Send a message to the Universe that you are channelling your ultra confident vibe. New outfit, hair done – whatever works for you and makes you feel kick-ass professional.
   
9. Journal. Start writing down each night for 5 mins what your new job looks like, the commute to the office etc, the money number on your salary slip at the end of the month. The amount going into your account. Feel the joy of knowing where you were a few months ago and where you are now with the new job and new excited feelings. Describe it in the present tense. DO THIS EVERY NIGHT.

The Secret to Rebrand you

• Mojo: Ask yourself how you get into the YOU mojo mode. Do you sparkle up?  Do whatever it takes to get yourself to that high energy point. Is it a particular song, is it having your hair done, is it a new outfit?. How do you get into your kick-ass professional persona? Put on music that makes you bounce and automatically increases your energy level Give yourself a mini makeover – sparkle up your hair and outfit. Imagine yourself as a SuperDiva (who is also an awesome SuperMum !!)
  
• Upskill:  This is so easy to do. YouTube is your friend !!  Pick any subject that interests you and do a quick tutorial on it. Learn the top 3 facts from the subject matter, then you can speak confidently about it in conversation.
  
• Network: Reach out to your network. Not sure who they are ? Make a list of all your former colleagues with whom you’ve had a positive professional relationship. Contact them for a quick coffee catch-up.
  
• Update LinkedIn: Switch your availability to Visible by Recruiters.

How to be a fantabulous working mum

1. Get up
2. Be Awesome
3. Go to bed
4. Start again

How to re-sparkle your professional mojo

1. Acknowledge where you are and be grateful for the opportunities this current role has allowed.
   
2. Update your CV. Ensure you mark down all your successful achievements of professional fabulousness.
    
3. Set a vision of where you want to be. Write it down as a goal. Journal it EVERY. SINGLE.  NIGHT.
   
4. Give yourself a timeline.
   
5. Upskill. This is super important. You are going to put this on your CV – it shows you are invested in your own development AND it also has the dual effect of improving your confidence.
   
6. Sign up with recruitment agencies and with online job search engines.
   
7. Make a list of companies you want to work for. Check their websites for current job vacancies.
   
8. When offered interviews, take the opportunity to practice your interview techniques. Remember this is just as much an opportunity for you to decide if you like their culture.
   
9. Get into the YOU mojo mode. Sparkle up. Do whatever it takes to get yourself to that high energy point. Is it a particular song, is it having your hair done, is it a new outfit?. How do you get into your kick-ass professional persona? Then own it. BE IT. No-one in the world has your unique combination of professional skills and your personality traits.
   
10. TOP TIP: Change all your passwords to something relevant so you are obliged to remind yourself of your goal ALL the time. E.g. You want to be a New York Time Best Selling Author? Then reset your passwords to NYTBSA2024.

How to Feel the fear and break through

• Step One: Do a quick analysis:  What was the worst that could happen? And if that did happen, what was my plan to fix it?
  
• Step Two: How long was it going to take me? Was it worth my time?
  
• Step Three: Who else would be affected if I didn’t do it ?
  
• Step Four: What was the benefit to me of doing it? I knew I would be able to tell myself I had tackled my kryptonite head on – very satisfying !

Survival guide to getting back into the workplace

1. Review your professional ambitions. If you do want to get back into work, but are scared, ask yourself why? Is there someone you can talk to about this?
   
2. Consider getting a coach/mindset mentor for a few sessions to motivate you.
   
3. Google what the latest trends in your industry are and watch a YouTube tutorial on this. This will give you confidence.
   
4. Digitally dust off your CV and update it.
   

How to write a business case

Keep this as a one pager (all the words on one side of A4 paper) and it should contain the following headlines:

Purpose: Request for a discussion to consider …
Timing: Within the next month
Recommendations: That you review the content of this paper and confirm a follow up meeting time
Background: The company is currently experiencing X problem
Proposed solutions: This issue can be resolved by X undertaking the role of XX, which will resolve the issue by. has been doing the role of XX for XX years.
Risks and Mitigations: There are no perceived risks to this discussion and subsequent promotion.
Benefits: With the added responsibility of XX, X person will be able to increase sales by XX, add value to the team by X
Next Steps: Confirm diary availability for a follow up session. Diaries currently indicate you have availability on XX date.