September 2018
Monthly Newsletter of the Professional Women’s Association of Rome
Woman of the Year Lisa Rosen
PWA is an international hub in the heart of Rome where ideas and values, tradition and innovation, diversity, culture and professionalism meet and intersect. On our journey into the future our travel companions are respect, ethics, and a sense of social responsibility.
Dear Members and Friends, The pwa season reopens and I would like to inaugurate this new year telling you how we have chosen the main theme of our activities 2018-2019. GO. GLOW. GROW. In June, the board meets as usual in a countryside brianstorming to share experiences and aspirations. In the brainstorming of last June we shared how the association has had a profound change in registered members and guests, attracting many new women. We have also seen how origin and professions of the new members has changed. These considerations as well as our aspiration to be role models led us to define personal growth as a result achieved, but also as a starting point. Group growth will be a main target in the ability to cross geographical and cultural boundaries, attracting diversity. Individual growth will be more supported as the ability to glow as behavioral and professional models. Talking about growth, I am pleased to see how the active experience in the management and development of the association has supported the professional growth of three of our board and team members. Three wonderful women who have taken on new professional challenges: in the world of executive education, in international film production and in life&business design. I am increasingly convinced that active participation is the main road to finding the genuine benefits of pwa. The main road to go, to glow and grow.
Valentina Ferretti President
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Hanna Suni editor and layout designer www.hamedesign.com marketing@pwarome.org
in this issue
4 PWA September Conference: Dress for Success
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Dressing for Success Member Spotlight: Lisa Rosen— Woman of the Year Dress for Success: What You See Is What You Get PWA September ConneXion Open House at Terrazzo Parrasio
12 PWA Summer Diva Party
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PWA SEPTEMBER Conference 19 September at 19.30 at Grand Hotel Palace
A job interview or a sales presentation can determine our future and either lead to success or failure. Delivering our message, however, is done through words (verbal) as well as non-verbal communication; the latter is comprised of our
gestures, expressions, our clothes, and even the perfume we were. If our verbal message is in conflict with our physical presence, the audience is less likely to believe or listen to us.
The experts of Dress for Success have been empowering women worldwide
since two decades by helping them identify their style and the proper attire for important work-related moments, making them feel comfortable and secure in their outfit, and therefore performing better and reaching their goals. PWA is
pleased to feature four women who will give testimonials of the DFS Rome branch launched last year.
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About Our Speakers
Francesca Jones, Teresa Ferrarese & Filomena de Iulio Francesca Jones is the founder of Dress for Success Rome. She is half Italian and half New Zealander and has been working for more than 5 years with UN organizations. She recognized the need for Dress for Success in Italy and she decided to found the organization together with Teresa Ferrarese, Secretary General and Rosalba Saltarelli, Vice President and Head of the DFS Career Centre. Teresa Ferrarese since a young age she has always wanted to become a teacher. Leader by nature she enjoys inspiring and developing the potential of young students. Teresa has been teaching in many secondary schools in Italy and UK and in University Sapienza. Filomena de Iulio is an Image Consultant and owns a boutique in Rome (Be fabolous). She worked 13 years in a multinational company in the HR, Projects and Customer Care sector. She has started her job in Image consultancy 5 years ago after having completed a Style Academy and becoming 'ambassador' of Carla's Academy. Filomena wants to use her skills to help disadvantaged women take control of their lives starting from the professional attire.
PWA is supported by
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dressing for
by Hanna Suni Marketing Consultant www.hamedesign.com
Zivica Kerkez/Shutterstock
What to wear at the work place? The Business Insider gives insight to what is acceptable and what not. Read the article to find out what to wear and when.
Dressing your age Even though we'd ilke to think it makes no difference, it does. At 50 we can't quite wear the same exact clothes as we did in our twenties. But we can be stylish and professional, at all ages!
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25 Awesome Clothing Tips No Woman Should Ever Miss It’s Friday night and you’re searching through your wardrobe to put together the right outfit, but you just can’t seem to find anything that matches. Sound familiar? This is the kind of struggle all women have, but things don’t have to be too complicated. You can make your life a lot easier with some clever fashion tips that allow you look your best in any occasions. You can adjust your choices based on your personal style, body type and personality, but most of these tips will work for any of woman out there.
Look Sharp, Be Sharp: How The Clothes You Wear Change What People Hear You Say The clothes you wear and the way you groom yourself will change the way other people hear what you say. It will subconsciously tell them if you’re like them or if you’re different. It will determine whether they listen or ignore. Trust or distrust.
There are several companies that offer Wardrobe Management & Image Consulting for Corporations and Individuals. Dressing well is one of them, just like our conference speakers from Dress for Success.
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Woman of the Year Lisa Rosen
by Valerie Baxter Newsletter Consultant
M
eeting up with Lisa Rosen after a vacation period, but not yet into the swing of things in her professional life wasn’t quite what I expected. I wanted that special Woman of the Year 2017/18 to reveal her secrets - the secrets of a welldeserved award winner. Mildly surprised, I discovered a different Lisa: a wife, mother, daughter; that part of a professional woman seldom under the spotlight. I found her spending her holidays helping her daughter Virginia get organized for her upcoming Magistrali Double degree program pairing LUISS in Rome and Dauphine in Paris, preparing for her son Alessandro’s
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departure for an Erasmus in Lisbon, hosting her kids’ international friends, frequently having her father in law over for lunch, taking care of her aging parents, all activities filling her last days of “relax” before we all get back to the grind. How many of us do just these things, daily, weekly, monthly - year in, year out? Yet we tend to take it all in our stride and never mention our extra curricular duties. We are professional women after all. Lisa had the spirit to show this side of herself. Last time I interviewed Lisa, newly appointed to the Board as PWA treasurer, she appeared purely professional. Although her number-crunching budgeting and controllership
Singing with her choir
work kept her fixed at her desk many hours a day, her European HQ role also granted her the opportunity to have frequent dealings with colleagues around the world, and even to travel on occasion. On the downside, this left very little free time for her family and friends, lost time which she was finally making up for. Lisa looked radiant as she shared her family’s achievements with me. Being a proud mum gives you that inner glow that supersedes the need for make-up, hairdresser, or fashionable clothes to look your best. Don’t take my word for it, ask Lisa! Lisa is an only child, and as a professional she worked hard to get where she is now. Yet, whilst she now regularly collaborates with her husband’s accounting and tax firm, Studio Spito & Associati, in Lisa’s life today, she feels that it’s important to be there for your family, and regrets she never was around enough when her children were growing up. Lisa is giving back the affection showered upon her by her parents, by caring now, dedicating herself more to her family. She is highly conscious that today, the consulting work she is doing with her husband, centered more on independent projects rather than daily tasks, reflects on his reputation and their business, yet does not take away as much time as her previous roles with multinational companies. And now family takes pride of place in her scale of values. Lisa has a passion for music and belongs to a choir. She loves performing in a group. It gives her strength and brings out her enthusiasm for teamwork, as she realises how perfect results come from singing in unison. She practises often and now finds time to socialise more and use her skills in different areas. Apart from her nomination as Vice president of PWA, now she has also become a member of the board of IPG - International Practice Group, as Head of Recruitment for Accounting and Audit firms. (See http:// www.ipg-online.org/about-us/board-of-directors). Lisa and her husband have been members of this international network of Accountants, Tax advisors,
On the IPG Board
Lawyers and other professionals for over 20 years, participating in almost all of their conferences held twice a year. They even organized two conferences in Rome, one in 2001 and one in 2015. In her new role, Lisa will be even more actively involved with the network using this multi-faceted interaction between lawyers and tax advisors as a constant learning experience as well as an additional opportunity for her husband’s firm. Working with her Dottore Commercialista husband will allow her to be more active in the knowledge sharing area of IPG where she intends to provide information on Italian fiscal and commercial-related topics, with the idea of rendering the Italian business environment more visible and possibly also appealing on a global platform. Taking a flashback, just a short time ago, Lisa attended a course on “Assessing and Developing your Career”, which helped her to realize that after 30 years as an employee in high-pressure multinational companies, her subconscious need for independence was at its height. She also discovered that being part of an Association was important to be able to meet people who had the same values, the same ideas, that in times of trouble she could see ways to handle the situation, to receive confirmation that she was doing the right thing. Lisa lives in Fregene, a seaside town near Rome. You might meet her walking on the beach, far from the city-buzz. Meditation for Lisa plays a part in helping the soul, just as self-development courses help the mind. Lisa likes the way PWA draws like-minded people together, advocates a high-level international network. Yet for herself deep down, she seeks a more unconventional, flexible, less time-demanding professional life in order to be there for her family. Lisa finds she adapts well everywhere, and derives her satisfaction from that. Will we see more change for Lisa - why not?
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Dress for Success: What you see is what you get by Valerie Baxter Newsletter Consultant
Last season we hosted a conference on Authenticity in Leadership - “The Female Warrior” with Guest speaker, Paul Vanderbroeck.We marginally commented examples of dress by famous powerful women. And while we’re on the subject of warriors, this summer international tabloids commented ex “Gladiator” actor Russell Crowe’s new appearance. Eighteen years have passed... Authenticity is one of the most important characteristics of female leadership.Yet, when we criticise people in the public eye, at least in Italy it inevitably boils down to the physical aspect and how they’re dressed. Do they dress the part? Do they look the part? Royal consorts Kate and Meaghan are shining examples! In HR circles, recruiting the right person for the job is mandatory.Those initial 30 seconds when the candidate comes into the interview room create the first impression the mind unconsciously registers and can be either fantastic or fatal. Research has shown that 85% of communication is nonverbal, so choosing what to wear to an interview is clearly an important part of your overall presentation. It can communicate some positive things about your personality and what you might be like to work with. For example, let’s take a colour. From the interviewer's point of view, the color blue (especially navy) conjures up calm, stability, trust, truth, confidence, and security. These are all great messages to send without saying a word.
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If you want to make a lasting impression you might ask the question, “what about extremes?” Some industries such as technology and manufacturing are possible exceptions to the normal rules of fashion. But it might surprise you to learn that those extremes have, over the last couple of years, begun to move closer to the middle ground. You may not have the purchasing power to be constantly fashionable. so the bottom line here is to avoid clothes or accessories that are visibly out of date. Anna Soo Wildermuth, an image consultant and past president of the Association of Image Consultants International, says, "Clothes should be a part of who you are and should not be noticed." www. personalimangesinc.com ) Looking the part In Italy, as elsewhere students are divided habitually between diligent conformists and likeable rebels. Adults, as ever fall into categories between inflexible conservatives and eternal contesters.In the middle remains good sense. In today’s world of contrast it’s worth preparing your kids for adult life, made of labour relations, obligations, social relations and above all good taste. Knowing how to dress appropriately, how to speak, show good table manners, aren’t just college rules but a winning card in the game of life.
September ConneXion "OPEN HOUSE" at TERRAZZA PARRASIO
PWA kicked off the 2018-19 season with a networking aperitif on Terrazza Parrasio with sushi and drinks. It was delightful to see members as well as new guests mix and mingle, enthusiastic about the upcoming season of conferences and networking events.
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The PWA Diva Summer Party at the Casa del Cinema in June 2018 was glamorous yet very welcoming: full of friendly smiles, uplifting speaches and bubbly drinks to celebrate the 2017-18 highlights. Guests and members enjoyed a delicious meal while listening to music and chatting with friends. The Woman of the Year, Treasurer Lisa Rosen, was crowned along with other PWA Women who were recognized for their efforts for the Association. A lucky winner received a voucher from Garuda Experience handed by Fabiola Zucchetti.
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Peoplemayhearyourwords buttheyfeelyourattitude: Divasdon'tdodrama, wedobusiness.
Woman of the Year Lisa Rosen
We are pleased to announce that the 10 winners of the Call for music have been chosen. Their music will be performed at the Gala concert which will take place on Monday, November 5th 2018 at Teatro Argentina, Rome. 14
Creators of music are part of our cultural heritage. Help women comporers count more. Donate to the Fondazione Adkins Chiti Donne in Musica via bank transfer using the IBAN CODE IT11W0311103214000000001285. EVERY LITTLE HELPS! https://www.linkedin.com/company/fondazioneadkins-chiti-donne-in-musica-facdim www.donneinmusica.org 15
AUTUMN WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN 13 & 14 October 2018 Rome, Italy
Fabulous in our Fifties Clearing out cobwebs and looking at life afresh. Finding Ourselves in Our Fifties (+60s) Our fifties can be our most dynamic decade yet. We've gained wisdom, shown resilience and sensitivity and navigated many complexities in our lives. We are strong and we have so much to offer the world! And yet it doesn't always feel like this! We can start to feel as though we are peripheral in society. If we have children, they have often left or are in the process of leaving us. In our career we can feel set aside by a younger world. Our bodies are also reaching their fifties and can feel as though they are being taken over so that we lose our sense of knowing ourselves. And in amongst all this change we can forget to think about what we want and need. Does becoming fifty or being in your fifties leave you feeling the best of your life is over? This is not how it needs to be! The weekend of October 13 & 14, 2018 Claire Angeletti and Moira Spence are hosting a two-day workshop; a unique opportunity to come together with other women to share, explore and celebrate our experiences of reaching our fifties. In these two days we will
Explore the cultural beliefs about women who are 50 plus and re-frame them Draw inspiration from positive role models of women who are 50 plus
Reflect on the stories we tell ourselves about growing older Identify our strengths and celebrate all that we have learned so far in our lives Explore, through simple physical and vocal exercises, how to release the breath, free the body and find our different voices for this time Use the Positive Psychology model for flourishing and identify how these can transform our future Develop our capacity for acceptance and self-compassion Learn from different perspectives how to motivate ourselves to create, in our own unique ways, a path that enables each one of us to move forwards with heartfulness, creativity and energy Create a vision and action board for our future lives.
Cost: €175. Early bird price €150 if you register before 8 September 2018. With lunches and refreshments. Venue: Casa Internazionale Delle Donne, Via della Lungara, 19 (Trastevere) – 00165 Roma. Places are limited, so please register early by emailing Moira at moira.spence@gmail.com. Feel free to contact Moira for more information on the event. Please do share this flyer with other women.
About Moira and Claire… 16
Moira Spence is a coach, trainer and facilitator who works with women on Life Transitions and Leadership and Management. Claire Angeletti has toured worldwide as a performer, presenter, voice director and creative workshop facilitator. She is currently Head of Drama and Well-Being at St George's British International School.
Membership news
New Members Welcome!
We would like to welcome Cristina Alvarez Sanchez, Raffaella Di Primio, Gaia Nina Marano, Heather Ramsey and Valentina Sarnari as members who have recently joined our Association. PWA is a place that grows with each member, therefore we are looking forward to enjoying PWA together with you! Make sure to take advantage of all that PWA has to offer, from our monthly events to scholarships and Expert Resources, from the Mentoring programs to TimeOut Professional TimeBank. If you’d like to join, visit our website and contact MembershipDirector@pwarome.org .
MEMBERSHIP FEE
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2018-2019 PWA Board and Team members President Valentina Ferretti President@pwarome.org Vice President&Treasurer Lisa Rosen VicePresident@pwarome.org Secretary Maria Longo Secretary@pwarome.org Programming Director Sabine Shuch Programming@pwarome.org Membership Director Florencia Barbieri MembershipDirector@pwarome.org Social Director Valeria Parisi SocialDirector@pwarome.org Asst. Coord.Social Events Rossella Castaldo SocialDirector@pwarome.org Sponsorship Director Cecilia Bersani Sponsorship@pwarome.org PR Director Gerlie Saura PR@pwarome.org Newsletter Editor Ivana Madonna NewsletterEditor@pwarome.org Webmistress Veronica Penzo Webmistress@pwarome.org Community Director Veronica Penzo Media@pwarome.org Newsletter Consultant Valerie Baxter Newsletterconsultant@pwarome.org Marketing Consultant Hanna Suni Marketing@pwarome.org Special Projects Director Angela Carfa Specialprojects@pwarome.org Legal Advisor Adriana Tempesta Legaladvisor@pwarome.org
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Our In-Kind Donor
PWA Professional Women’s Association is a recipient of a Google Grants award. The Google Grants program supports registered nonprofit organizations that share Google’s philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy and the arts. Google Grants is an in-kind advertising program that awards free online advertising to nonprofits via Google AdWords.
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